Cheniere Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results and Reconfirms Full Year 2020 Guidance

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE American: LNG):

Summary of Second Quarter 2020 Results (in millions, except LNG data)

Summary Full Year 2020 Guidance (in billions)

Recent Highlights

Strategic

• In April 2020, Midship Pipeline Company, LLC, in which we have an equity investment, placed into service the Midship natural gas pipeline and related compression and interconnect facilities.

Operational

• As of July 31, 2020, more than 1,175 cumulative LNG cargoes totaling over 80 million tonnes of LNG have been produced, loaded and exported from our liquefaction projects.

Financial

• For the six months ended June 30, 2020, we reported net income¹ of $572 million, Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA² of $2.43 billion, and Distributable Cash Flow² of approximately $830 million.
• During the six months ended June 30, 2020, we repurchased an aggregate of 2.9 million shares of our common stock for $155 million under our share repurchase program.
• In May 2020, the date of first commercial delivery was reached under the 20-year LNG Sale and Purchase Agreements with PT Pertamina (Persero), Naturgy LNG GOM, Limited, Woodside Energy Trading Singapore Pte Ltd, Iberdrola, S.A. and Électricité de France, S.A. relating to Train 2 of the CCL Project (defined below).
• In May 2020, Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC (“SPL”) issued an aggregate principal amount of $2.0 billion of 4.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2030. Net proceeds of the offering, along with cash on hand, were used to redeem all of SPL’s outstanding 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2021.
• In June 2020, we entered into a $2.62 billion three-year delayed draw term loan credit agreement (the “Cheniere Term Loan Facility”), which in July 2020 was increased to $2.695 billion. In July 2020, borrowings under the Cheniere Term Loan Facility were used to (1) redeem all of the remaining outstanding principal amount of the 11.0% Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2025 issued by Cheniere CCH Holdco II, LLC, subsequent to the $300 million redemption in March 2020, with cash at a price of $1,080 per $1,000 principal amount of notes, (2) repurchase $844 million in aggregate principal amount of outstanding 4.875% Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 issued by Cheniere (the “2021 Convertible Notes”) at individually negotiated prices from a small number of investors, and (3) pay related fees and expenses of the Cheniere Term Loan Facility. The remaining borrowing capacity under the Cheniere Term Loan Facility, approximately $372 million, is expected to be used to repay and/or repurchase a portion of the remaining outstanding principal amount of the 2021 Convertible Notes and for the payment of related fees and expenses.

Liquefaction Projects Update

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (“Cheniere”) (NYSE American: LNG) reported net income¹ of $197 million, or $0.78 per share—basic and diluted for the three months ended June 30, 2020, compared to a net loss of $114 million, or $0.44 per share—basic and diluted, for the comparable 2019 period. Net income increased during the three months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the comparable 2019 period primarily due to increased total margins³ and decreased net loss related to interest rate derivatives, partially offset by (i) increased income attributable to non-controlling interest, (ii) increased income tax expense, (iii) costs incurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, (iv) increased loss on modification or extinguishment of debt, and (v) increased interest expense. Total margins increased during the three months ended June 30, 2020 primarily due to accelerated revenues recognized from LNG cargoes for which customers have notified us that they will not take delivery and an increase in margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income, partially offset by net losses from changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and a decrease in volumes of LNG recognized in income primarily due to cargoes for which long-term customers have not elected delivery.

Cheniere reported net income of $572 million, or $2.27 per share—basic and $2.26 per share—diluted for the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to $27 million, or $0.11 per share—basic and diluted, for the comparable 2019 period. Net income increased during the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to the comparable 2019 period primarily due to increased total margins, partially offset by (i) increased interest expense, (ii) increased income tax expense, (iii) increased operating and maintenance expenses primarily due to additional Trains in operation and costs incurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, (iv) increased income attributable to non-controlling interest, and (v) increased loss on modification or extinguishment of debt. Total margins increased during the six months ended June 30, 2020 primarily due to accelerated revenues recognized from LNG cargoes for which customers have notified us that they will not take delivery, an increase in LNG volumes recognized in revenue primarily due to additional Trains in operation, increased net gains from changes in fair value of commodity derivatives, and slightly increased margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income.

Margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income increased during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 primarily due to an increase in the proportion of volumes sold pursuant to higher-margin long-term contracts, partially offset by a decrease in market pricing for short-term cargoes sold.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA was $1.39 billion for the three months ended June 30, 2020, compared to $615 million for the comparable 2019 period. The increase in Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA during the three months ended June 30, 2020 was primarily due to accelerated revenues recognized from LNG cargoes for which customers have notified us that they will not take delivery and increased margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income, partially offset by a decrease in volumes of LNG recognized in income primarily due to cargoes for which long-term customers have not elected delivery.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA was $2.43 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to $1.27 billion for the comparable 2019 period. The increase in Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA during the six months ended June 30, 2020 was primarily due to accelerated revenues recognized from LNG cargoes for which customers have notified us that they will not take delivery, an increase in LNG volumes recognized in income primarily due to additional Trains in operation, and slightly increased margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income, partially offset by increased operating and maintenance expenses primarily due to additional Trains in operation.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, we recognized $708 million and $761 million, respectively, in revenues associated with LNG cargoes for which customers have notified us that they will not take delivery, of which $458 million would have otherwise been recognized subsequent to June 30, 2020, if the cargoes were lifted pursuant to the delivery schedules with the customers. LNG revenues during the three months ended June 30, 2020 excluded $53 million that would have otherwise been recognized during the quarter if the cargoes were lifted pursuant to the delivery schedules with the customers, as these revenues were recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2020. Excluding the impact of cargo cancellations related to periods subsequent to June 30, 2020 and those received in prior periods for the current periods, our total revenues would have been $2.00 billion and $4.65 billion for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, 78 and 206 LNG cargoes, respectively, were exported from our liquefaction projects, none of which were commissioning cargoes. One cargo exported from our liquefaction projects and sold on a delivered basis was in transit as of June 30, 2020.

“We delivered strong results for the second quarter of 2020, despite the challenging LNG market environment and continued global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which further proves the resiliency and strength of Cheniere’s business model,” said Jack Fusco, Cheniere’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Our customers value the flexibilities our long-term contracts provide, which enable LNG buyers to effectively manage their portfolios through various market conditions, while continuing to underpin Cheniere’s financial stability. Despite continued market challenges, our visibility on achieving our financial goals for the year is unchanged, and today we are reconfirming our full year 2020 guidance of $3.8 to $4.1 billion in Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and $1.0 to $1.3 billion in Distributable Cash Flow.”

LNG Volume Summary

The following table summarizes the volumes of operational and commissioning LNG that were loaded from our liquefaction projects and for which the financial impact was recognized on our Consolidated Financial Statements during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020:

In addition, during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, we recognized the financial impact of 34 TBtu and 48 TBtu of LNG, respectively, on our Consolidated Financial Statements related to LNG cargoes sourced from third parties.

Cargo Cancellation Revenue Summary

The following table summarizes the timing impacts of revenue recognition related to cargoes for which customers elected to not take delivery on our revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 (in millions):

Additional Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results

Details Regarding Second Quarter and Year-to-Date June 30, 2020 Results

Our financial results are reported on a consolidated basis. Our ownership interest in Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (“Cheniere Partners”) (NYSE American: CQP) as of June 30, 2020 consisted of 100% ownership of the general partner and a 48.6% limited partner interest.

Income from operations increased $505 million and $1.2 billion during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, as compared to the comparable 2019 periods, primarily due to increased total margins as detailed above, partially offset by costs incurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increase was also partially offset by increased operating and maintenance expenses primarily due to additional Trains in operation.

Selling, general and administrative expense included share-based compensation expenses of $19 million and $38 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, compared to $23 million and $43 million for the comparable 2019 period.

Capital Resources

As of June 30, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $2.0 billion on a consolidated basis, of which $1.3 billion was held by Cheniere Partners. In addition, we had current restricted cash of $505 million designated for the following purposes: $167 million for the SPL Project, $101 million for the CCL Project and $237 million for other restricted purposes.

Liquefaction Projects

SPL Project

Through Cheniere Partners, we operate five natural gas liquefaction Trains and are constructing one additional Train for a total production capacity of approximately 30 million tonnes per annum (“mtpa”) of LNG at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal (the “SPL Project”).

CCL Project

We operate two Trains and are commissioning one additional Train for a total production capacity of approximately 15 mtpa of LNG near Corpus Christi, Texas (the “CCL Project”).

Corpus Christi Stage 3

We are developing an expansion adjacent to the CCL Project for up to seven midscale Trains with an expected total production capacity of approximately 10 mtpa of LNG (“Corpus Christi Stage 3”). We expect to commence construction of the Corpus Christi Stage 3 project upon, among other things, entering into an engineering, procurement, and construction contract and additional commercial agreements, and obtaining adequate financing.

Investor Conference Call and Webcast

We will host a conference call to discuss our financial and operating results for the second quarter 2020 on Thursday, August 6, 2020, at 11 a.m. Eastern time / 10 a.m. Central time. A listen-only webcast of the call and an accompanying slide presentation may be accessed through our website at www.cheniere.com. Following the call, an archived recording will be made available on our website.

About Cheniere

Cheniere Energy, Inc. is the leading producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the United States, reliably providing a clean, secure, and affordable solution to the growing global need for natural gas. Cheniere is a full-service LNG provider, with capabilities that include gas procurement and transportation, liquefaction, vessel chartering, and LNG delivery. Cheniere has one of the largest liquefaction platforms in the world, consisting of the Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi liquefaction facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast, with expected total production capacity of approximately 45 million tonnes per annum of LNG operating or under construction. Cheniere is also pursuing liquefaction expansion opportunities and other projects along the LNG value chain. Cheniere is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and has additional offices in London, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.

For additional information, please refer to the Cheniere website at www.cheniere.com and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that may include “forward-looking statements” within the meanings of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical or present facts or conditions, included herein are “forward-looking statements.” Included among “forward-looking statements” are, among other things, (i) statements regarding Cheniere’s financial and operational guidance, business strategy, plans and objectives, including the development, construction and operation of liquefaction facilities, (ii) statements regarding expectations regarding regulatory authorizations and approvals, (iii) statements expressing beliefs and expectations regarding the development of Cheniere’s LNG terminal and pipeline businesses, including liquefaction facilities, (iv) statements regarding the business operations and prospects of third parties, (v) statements regarding potential financing arrangements, (vi) statements regarding future discussions and entry into contracts, (vii) statements relating to the amount and timing of share repurchases, and (viii) statements regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our business and operating results. Although Cheniere believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Cheniere’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in Cheniere’s periodic reports that are filed with and available from the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required under the securities laws, Cheniere does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

(Financial Tables Follow)

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures

Regulation G Reconciliations

In addition to disclosing financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the accompanying news release contains non-GAAP financial measures. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow are non-GAAP financial measures that we use to facilitate comparisons of operating performance across periods. These non-GAAP measures should be viewed as a supplement to and not a substitute for our U.S. GAAP measures of performance and the financial results calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP and reconciliations from these results should be carefully evaluated.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss) attributable to Cheniere before net income attributable to non-controlling interest, interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for certain non-cash items, other non-operating income or expense items, and other items not otherwise predictive or indicative of ongoing operating performance, as detailed in the following reconciliation. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to represent cash flows from operations or net income (loss) as defined by U.S. GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

We believe Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA provides relevant and useful information to management, investors and other users of our financial information in evaluating the effectiveness of our operating performance in a manner that is consistent with management’s evaluation of business performance. We believe Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is widely used by investors to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization which vary substantially from company to company depending on capital structure, the method by which assets were acquired and depreciation policies. Further, the exclusion of certain non-cash items, other non-operating income or expense items, and items not otherwise predictive or indicative of ongoing operating performance enables comparability to prior period performance and trend analysis.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is calculated by taking net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders before net income attributable to non-controlling interest, interest expense, net of capitalized interest, changes in the fair value and settlement of our interest rate derivatives, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and adjusting for the effects of certain non-cash items, other non-operating income or expense items, and other items not otherwise predictive or indicative of ongoing operating performance, including the effects of modification or extinguishment of debt, impairment expense and loss on disposal of assets, changes in the fair value of our commodity and FX derivatives, non-cash compensation expense, and non-recurring costs related to our response to the COVID-19 outbreak which are incremental to and separable from normal operations. We believe the exclusion of these items enables investors and other users of our financial information to assess our sequential and year-over-year performance and operating trends on a more comparable basis and is consistent with management’s own evaluation of performance.

Distributable Cash Flow is defined as cash received, or expected to be received, from Cheniere’s ownership and interests in Cheniere Partners, cash received (used) by Corpus Christi Holdings, LLC and Cheniere’s integrated marketing function (other than cash for capital expenditures) less interest, taxes and maintenance capital expenditures associated with Cheniere and not the underlying entities. Management uses this measure and believes it provides users of our financial statements a useful measure reflective of our business’s ability to generate cash earnings to supplement the comparable GAAP measure.

We believe Distributable Cash Flow is a useful performance measure for management, investors and other users of our financial information to evaluate our performance and to measure and estimate the ability of our assets to generate cash earnings after servicing our debt, paying cash taxes and expending sustaining capital, that could be used for discretionary purposes such as common stock dividends, stock repurchases, retirement of debt, or expansion capital expenditures. Management uses this measure and believes it provides users of our financial statements a useful measure reflective of our business’s ability to generate cash earnings to supplement the comparable GAAP measure. Distributable Cash Flow is not intended to represent cash flows from operations or net income (loss) as defined by U.S. GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Non-GAAP measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or in lieu of an analysis of our results as reported under GAAP and should be evaluated only on a supplementary basis.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA

The following table reconciles our Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA to U.S. GAAP results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 (in millions):

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow

The following table reconciles our actual Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow to Net income attributable to common stockholders for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and forecast amounts for full year 2020 (in billions):

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Cheniere Energy, Inc.

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Source: Cheniere Energy, Inc.

Released August 6, 2020