ITEM 1. BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
Our Company
Stabilis Solutions, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”, “Stabilis”, “our”, “us” or “we”) are an energy transition company that provides turnkey clean energy production, storage, transportation and fueling solutions including using liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) and hydrogen to multiple end markets across North America. We have safely delivered over 250 million gallons of LNG through more than 25,000 truck deliveries during our 16-year operating history, which we believe makes us one of the largest and most experienced small-scale LNG providers in North America. We define “small-scale” LNG production to include liquefiers that produce less than 1,000,000 LNG gallons per day (3,788 cubic meters per day) and “small-scale” LNG distribution to include distribution by trailer or tank container (up to 15,000 LNG gallons) or marine vessels that carry less than 8,000,000 LNG gallons (approximately 30,000 cubic meters). We provide LNG and hydrogen solutions to customers in diverse end markets, including aerospace, agriculture, industrial, utility, pipeline, mining, energy, remote clean power, and high horsepower transportation markets. Our customers use LNG and hydrogen as a partner fuel for renewable energy, and as an alternative to traditional fuel sources, such as distillate fuel oil and propane, to reduce harmful environmental emissions and lower fuel costs. Our customers also use LNG as a “virtual pipeline” solution when natural gas pipelines are not available or are curtailed.
We also provide electrical and instrumentation construction, installation and service to the marine, power generation, oil and gas, and broad industrial market segments in Brazil. Our products are used to safely distribute and control the flow of electricity from a power generation source to mechanical devices utilizing the power. We also offer a range of electrical and instrumentation turnarounds, maintenance and renovation projects.
Additionally, we build power and control systems for the energy industry in China through our 40% interest in our Chinese joint venture, BOMAY Electric Industries, Inc (“BOMAY”).
Our Industry
LNG can be used to deliver natural gas to locations where pipeline service is not available, has been interrupted, or needs to be supplemented. LNG can also be used to replace a variety of alternative fuels, including distillate fuel oil (including diesel fuel and other fuel oils) and propane, among others to provide both environmental and economic benefits. We believe that these alternative fuel markets are large and provide significant opportunities for LNG substitution.
In addition, hydrogen solutions will play an increasingly important role in the energy transition as hydrogen initiatives increase globally, including the development of hydrogen powered marine vessels, fueling station infrastructure and fuel cell technologies.
We believe that LNG and hydrogen solutions provide an important balance between environmental sustainability, security and accessibility, and economic viability when compared to both renewables and other traditional hydrocarbon-based fuels and will play a key role in the energy transition.
BACKGROUND
On July 26, 2019 (the “Effective Date”), the Share Exchange with American Electric Technologies, Inc. (“American Electric”) and its subsidiaries was completed. In the Share Exchange, American Electric acquired directly 100% of the outstanding limited liability company membership interests of Stabilis Energy, LLC (“Stabilis LLC”) from LNG Investment Company, LLC (“LNG Investment”) and 20% of the outstanding limited liability membership interests of PEG Partners, LLC (“PEG”) from AEGIS NG LLC (“AEGIS”). AEGIS owned a 20% noncontrolling interest of PEG. The remaining 80% of the outstanding limited liability company interests of PEG were owned directly by Stabilis LLC. As a result, Stabilis LLC became a direct 100% owned subsidiary of American Electric and PEG became an indirectly-owned 100% subsidiary of American Electric. Under the Share Exchange Agreement, American Electric issued 13,178,750 post-split shares of common stock to acquire Stabilis LLC, which represented approximately 90% of the total amount of common stock of American Electric, which was issued and outstanding as of July 26, 2019. The proposed transaction was approved by the shareholders of American Electric at a Special Meeting of Stockholders. The Share Exchange resulted in a change of control of American Electric to control by Casey Crenshaw by virtue of his beneficial ownership of 88.4% of the common stock of American Electric to be outstanding as of July 26, 2019.
Immediately following the Effective Date, the Company declared a reverse stock split of its outstanding common stock at a ratio of one-for-eight, American Electric changed its name to Stabilis Energy, Inc., and our common stock began trading under the ticker symbol “SLNG”. Our common stock traded under the symbol “SLNG” on the Nasdaq Stock Market from July 29, 2019 to October 2, 2019. On October 3, 2019 the Company’s common shares commenced trading on the OTCQX Best Market under the same symbol. Unless otherwise noted, any share or per share amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes give retroactive effect to the reverse stock split.
Because the former owners of Stabilis LLC owned 88.4% of the voting stock of the combined company immediately following the Effective Date, and certain other factors including that directors designated by LNG Investment constitute a majority of the post-closing board of directors, Stabilis LLC is treated as the acquiror of American Electric in the Share Exchange for accounting purposes. As a result, the Share Exchange is treated by American Electric as a reverse acquisition under the purchase method of accounting in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). For further information regarding this transaction, see Note 2—Acquisitions in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
On August 5, 2019, we entered into an exchange agreement (the “Exchange Agreement”) with Chart Energy & Chemicals, Inc. (“Chart E&C”), Stabilis LLC, and Stabilis Eagle Ford, LLC (“Stabilis LNG EF”) for the satisfaction of indebtedness of Stabilis LNG EF to Chart E&C in the principal amount of $7 million (the “Exchanged Indebtedness”) in exchange for unregistered shares of our common stock (such transactions, the “Chart Transaction”). We issued to Chart E&C 1,470,807 shares of Company common stock, based on the per share price of Company common stock of 90% of the average of the dollar volume-weighted average prices per share of the common stock as calculated by Bloomberg for each of the five consecutive trading days ending on and including the third trading day immediately preceding the closing date, which took place on August 30, 2019. At closing, Stabilis LNG EF also paid to Chart E&C an amount in cash equal to the accrued and unpaid interest on the Exchanged Indebtedness due through the closing, plus a cash amount to be paid in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares of our Common Stock. Management determined the modifications to be substantial and pursuant to ASC 470, the transaction was treated as a debt extinguishment for accounting purposes. Accordingly, the Company recognized a gain on extinguishment of debt of $0.1 million, which is included in Other Income in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Operations.
On September 11, 2019, we entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Exchange Agreement, which eliminated the right of Chart E&C to elect an additional exchange of all or any portion of the balance of the unpaid principal amount of the Note. The Exchange Agreement previously provided for Chart E&C to elect an additional exchange, on a second closing date, of all or any portion of the balance of the unpaid principal amount of the Note, for additional shares of our common stock based on the foregoing pricing calculation related to the closing date. For further information regarding this transaction, see Note 10—Debt of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
On August 20, 2019, we completed our acquisition of Diversenergy, LLC (“Diversenergy”) and its subsidiaries, creating what we believe will be one of the leading LNG marketing and distribution companies in Mexico. Diversenergy specializes in LNG distribution, providing LNG to customers who use it as a fuel in mobile high horsepower applications and to customers who do not have natural gas pipeline access. We purchased all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of Diversenergy for total consideration of 684,963 shares of Company common stock and $2.0 million in cash. The completion of the acquisition expanded the Company's presence in the distributed LNG and compressed natural gas (“CNG”) markets in Mexico. For further information regarding this transaction, see Note 2—Acquisitions of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
On August 20, 2019, we established Energía Superior Gas Natural LLC (“Energía Superior”) as a joint venture with CryoMex Investment Group LLC (“CryoMex”), to pursue investments in distributed natural gas production and distribution assets in Mexico (the “Joint Venture”). CryoMex is led by Grupo CLISA, a Monterrey, Mexico-based developer and operator of businesses in multiple end markets including energy.
The Joint Venture plans to invest in LNG and compressed natural gas production, transportation, storage, and regasification assets that serve multiple end markets throughout Mexico, including the industrial, mining, pipeline, utility, marine, and over-the-road transportation markets.
The market in which we operate has been impacted by the recent downturn in the energy market as well as the outbreak of COVID-19 and its progression into a pandemic in March 2020. Various containment measures, including large-scale travel bans, border closures, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and business and government shutdowns, have resulted in the slowing of economic growth and a reduced demand for oil and natural gas and the disruption of global manufacturing supply chains. As the COVID-19 environment evolves, governments, corporations and other authorities may continue to implement restrictions or policies that adversely impact consumer spending, the economy, commodity prices, demand for our products, and our business, operations and share price. The ultimate extent and long-term effects of the pandemic are difficult to determine, but a prolonged
period of market fluctuations and weak general economic conditions may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial results.
The Company implemented a number of cost control measures, including headcount reductions, temporary salary reductions, travel reductions, elimination of certain consultants, and other measures to adjust to anticipated activity levels and maintain adequate liquidity. However, there can be no assurance that these steps will be sufficient to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company will continue to monitor the developments relating to COVID-19, and will follow health and safety guidelines as they evolve. Management may implement further similar cost control measures, as necessary, but there can be no assurances that such measures will be effective.
At the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company held on September 17, 2020, the stockholders of the Company authorized an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation to change the name of the Company to Stabilis Solutions, Inc. On October 9, 2020, Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation were filed by the Secretary of State of Florida and our common stock began trading under the name Stabilis Solutions, Inc. on October 19, 2020. The change of name did not result in changes to the Company’s ticker symbol, or the CUSIP number for the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, our common stock will continue to be traded on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker symbol “SLNG”.
OUR BUSINESS
Summary
Stabilis seeks to provide our customers with safe, reliable and cost-effective LNG and hydrogen fueling solutions and power delivery equipment and services. We believe that LNG and hydrogen solutions provide an important balance between environmental sustainability, security and accessibility, and economic viability when compared to both renewables and other traditional hydrocarbon-based fuels and will play a key role in the energy transition. We provide multiple products and services to our customers, including:
LNG and Hydrogen Production and Sales—Stabilis builds and operates cryogenic natural gas processing facilities, called “liquefiers”, which convert natural gas into LNG through a multiple stage cooling process. We currently own and operate a liquefier that can produce up to 100,000 LNG gallons (379 cubic meters) per day. We also purchase LNG from third-party production sources which allows us to support customers in markets where we do not own liquefiers. Stabilis also has the capability to provide hydrogen from third-party hydrogen producers.
Transportation and Logistics Services—Stabilis offers our customers a “virtual natural gas pipeline” by providing them with turnkey LNG transportation and logistics services in North America. We deliver LNG to our customers’ work sites from both our own production facility and our network of approximately 25 third-party production sources located throughout North America. We own a fleet of LNG fueled trucks and cryogenic trailers to transport and deliver LNG. We also outsource similar equipment and transportation services for both LNG and hydrogen from qualified third-party providers as required to support our customer base.
Cryogenic Equipment Rental—Stabilis owns and operates a rental fleet of approximately 150 mobile LNG storage and vaporization assets, including: transportation trailers, electric and gas-fired vaporizers, ambient vaporizers, storage tanks, and mobile vehicle fuelers. We also own several stationary storage and regasification assets. We believe this is one of the largest fleets of small-scale LNG equipment in North America. Our fleet consists primarily of trailer-mounted mobile assets, making delivery to and between customer locations more efficient. We deploy these assets on job sites to provide our customers with the equipment required to transport, store, and consume LNG in their fueling operations.
Engineering and Field Support Services—Stabilis has experience in the safe, cost effective, and reliable use of LNG and hydrogen in multiple customer applications. We have also developed many processes and procedures that we believe improve our customers’ use of LNG and hydrogen in their operations. Our engineers help our customers design and integrate LNG and hydrogen into their fueling operations and our field service technicians help our customers mobilize, commission and reliably operate on the job site.
Stabilis generates revenue by selling and delivering LNG and hydrogen to our customers. We also generate revenue by renting cryogenic equipment and providing engineering and field support services. We sell our products and services separately or as a bundle depending on the customer’s needs. LNG pricing depends on market pricing for natural gas and competing fuel sources (such as diesel, fuel oil, and propane among others), as well as the customer’s purchased volume, contract duration and credit profile.
Stabilis’ customers use LNG and hydrogen in their operations for multiple reasons, including lower and more stable fuel costs, reduced environmental emissions, and improved operating performance. We serve customers in a variety of end markets, including aerospace, industrial, energy, mining, remote clean power, utilities and pipelines, and high horsepower transportation. We believe that LNG and hydrogen consumption will continue to increase in these end markets in the future.
Stabilis believes that our extensive operating experience positions us to be a leader in the North American small-scale LNG and hydrogen markets. We operate an LNG liquefier and have executed over 200 turnkey LNG solutions projects for our customers. We plan to leverage this experience to grow our business by investing in new LNG production and both LNG and hydrogen distribution assets throughout North America.
Power Delivery Solutions—Stabilis provides power delivery equipment and services for the marine, power generation, oil and gas, and broad industrial market segments in Brazil. Our products are used to safely distribute and control the flow of electricity from a power generation source to mechanical devices utilizing the power. We also offer a range of electrical and instrumentation turnarounds, maintenance and renovation projects.
Additionally, we build power and control systems for the energy industry in China through our 40% interest in BOMAY.
Market for Small-Scale LNG and Hydrogen in North America
LNG can serve as a partner fuel for renewable energy sources and provides an important balance between environmental sustainability, security and access, and economic viability as a source of fuel. LNG can also be used to deliver natural gas to locations where pipeline service is not available, has been interrupted, or needs to be supplemented and to replace a variety of alternative fuels, including distillate fuel oil (including diesel fuel and other fuel oils) and propane, among others. We believe that these alternative fuel markets are large and provide significant opportunities for LNG substitution. U.S. Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) data for the U.S. market size for these alternative fuels in 2018 was as follows:
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ADI Estimated LNG Market Size (LNG Gallons)
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EIA
Reported
Gallons
(Billions)
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Cubic
Meters
(Millions)
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LNG Gallon
Equivalent
(Billions)
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2018
(Billions)
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% 2018
Combined
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2030
(Billions)
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% 2030
Combined
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Distillate Fuel Oil
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63.4
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408
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107.7
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Propane
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13.1
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54.7
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14.4
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Combined
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76.5
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462.7
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122.1
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0.5
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0.4%
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1.9
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1.6%
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________
Note: Assumes 1.7 LNG gallons per distillate fuel oil gallon, 1.1 LNG gallons per propane gallon, and 264 LNG gallons per cubic meter
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration and ADI Analytics
According to ADI Analytics ("ADI"), the North American small-scale LNG market was 499 million gallons in 2019 and is projected to be 1.9 billion gallons by 2030. This implies that LNG comprised approximately 0.4% of the combined U.S. distillate and propane markets in 2019 and will comprise approximately 1.6% of the current combined market size by 2030. We believe that LNG is a suitable substitute for most diesel and propane applications and that the LNG market share growth projected in the table above should be achievable based on current market trends. The market for hydrogen in the applications we serve is nascent but expected to grow rapidly.
We believe that the following factors could drive significant LNG and hydrogen market growth in North America over the next decade:
Lower Emissions than Alternative Fossil Fuels. Natural gas contains less carbon than most other fossil fuels and, as a result, produces fewer carbon dioxide emissions when burned. The National Energy Technology Laboratory indicates that new natural gas power plants emit between 50% and 60% less carbon dioxide compared with emissions from a typical coal plant. The Argonne National Laboratory indicates that natural gas vehicles produce between 13% and 21% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than comparable gasoline and diesel fueled vehicles. Additional studies indicate that natural gas also produces lower particulate matter and sulfur emissions than other fossil fuels. We believe the relative environmental benefits of natural gas as a fuel is becoming increasingly important as our customers expand their corporate sustainability mandates to lower greenhouse gas
emissions and increase decarbonization initiatives. Hydrogen produces no harmful environmental emissions when utilized in similar applications.
Increasing Growth in Renewable Energy Production. Energy production from renewable energy sources, in particular wind and solar, is growing rapidly across the world as many governments and businesses seek to reduce their carbon emissions. For example, The International Renewable Energy Agency (“IRENA”) reports that U.S. installed electricity capacity based on renewable energy increased 7.3% in 2019 with solar and wind accounting for all of the growth. IRENA projects similar growth trends for the renewable energy production over the next several years. However, wind and solar are intermittent energy sources that require back-up energy sources that can come into service quickly and reliably. We believe that natural gas driven turbines and engines are the preferred viable back-up power source as they meet these operating requirements and use relatively clean natural gas fuel. We believe that natural gas power generation could support the growth of wind and solar energy production and that LNG could be a preferred source of natural gas fuel for off-pipeline applications. Hydrogen powered applications for renewable energy support are also in development.
Less Expensive than Alternative Fuels. Technological advances in natural gas production have unlocked significant new gas reserves in North America. We believe that these proven, abundant and growing reserves of natural gas have the potential to produce among the highest volumes of natural gas in the world. This abundant supply of natural gas has supported relatively low natural gas prices in North America. The cost of natural gas in the United States and Canada currently is less than the cost of crude oil on an energy equivalent basis. In addition, because the price of the natural gas commodity makes up a smaller portion of the total cost of LNG relative to the commodity portion of competing fuels, the price of LNG is less sensitive to variations in the underlying commodity cost. These factors have made LNG more economical than competing fuel sources, and we believe that LNG will maintain this cost advantage into the foreseeable future. The market for hydrogen is developing but at this time we do not believe it is cost competitive with many traditional hydrocarbon-based fuel sources.
The following chart sets forth the wholesale price of Propane, Ultra-Low No. 2 Diesel, Indicative Liquefied Natural Gas and Natural Gas (Henry Hub).
ULSD, Propane & LNG pricing-2011 to Current
Better Safety than Alternative Fuels. The physical characteristics of LNG make it a safer fuel when compared to diesel and propane because it boils and dissipates rapidly into the air when spilled instead of pooling on or near the ground. If released, LNG is also less combustible than diesel and propane because it ignites at relatively high temperatures and within a narrow flammability range when mixed with air. In addition, LNG fuel tanks and systems used in natural gas applications are subjected to a number of federal and state required safety tests, such as fire, environmental hazard, burst pressure and crash testing that ensure their safety. Processes and procedures for using hydrogen in similar applications are under development.
Established LNG Production and Distribution Technology. ADI reports that small-scale LNG production and distribution technologies have been proven and are now widely available from multiple vendors. Small-scale liquefiers are available in modular formats from several vendors and many of them have established track records of reliable and safe operating performance. LNG transport trailers, storage vessels, and vaporization equipment are also available from multiple vendors, and most of this equipment also comes with an established operating track record. We believe that the availability of proven small-scale LNG production and distribution technologies reduces the technology risk in growing the industry, but it also places a premium on the owner’s or operator’s construction and operating capabilities. Hydrogen production and distribution technologies are currently under development by various manufacturers.
The market for Hydrogen is nascent and is expected to grow rapidly as a key energy transition fuel in the coming decades. According to a 2021 study published by the Hydrogen Council, over 200 hydrogen projects have been announced worldwide, including over 19 in North America, including projects for large-scale industrial usage, use as a transportation fuel in ships and buses, and distribution, transportation, and storage infrastructure. Hydrogen spending projections across the value chain based on project announcements add up to more than $300 billion through 2030. Hydrogen can be transported by trucks, pipelines or ships depending on the targeted end-use. We expect that small-scale hydrogen distribution using equipment and expertise similar to that used for small-scale LNG will play an important role in the ultimate acceptance and utilization of hydrogen as a low to zero emission fuel source.
Our Products, Services and Other Business Activities
Stabilis’ principal products, services and business activities are described below. Financial information about the revenue we receive from these activities is discussed in this report in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
LNG Production. Stabilis owns and operates an LNG liquefier near George West, Texas, which we refer to as the “George West Liquefier”, that has the capacity to produce 36.5 million LNG gallons (138,258 cubic meters) per year or 100,000 LNG gallons (379 cubic meters) per day. This plant includes a dual truck trailer loading system and a 270,000 LNG gallon (1,023 cubic meters) storage tank system. The George West Liquefier was 99.2% dispatchable in 2020 with the only shutdowns coming for routine scheduled maintenance. We intend to build or acquire additional liquefiers throughout North America over the next several years as we seek to optimize our North American LNG supply network.
We are also in the process of evaluating other opportunities to develop liquefiers throughout North America, including several locations in Mexico.
LNG and Hydrogen Sales. Stabilis supplies our customers with LNG produced at our own liquefaction facility as well as LNG and hydrogen produced at third-party facilities. We make the determination of LNG and hydrogen supply sources based on product cost, the transportation cost to deliver to regional customer locations, and the reliability of the supply source. Our network of 25 third-party LNG production facilities located throughout North America includes: 1) utility owned peak shaving plants, 2) natural gas/helium processing facilities, and 3) other merchant LNG production facilities similar to our George West Liquefier. We have contracts with these production sources that allow us to purchase LNG for our customers as required and without firm or long-term volume commitments. We can also purchase hydrogen from sources across the country. We believe that our third-party supply network is the largest and most complete in North America allowing us access to approximately 500 million LNG gallons (1.9 million cubic meters) of capacity annually on an as required basis. Occasionally the LNG or hydrogen we obtain from third parties may be purchased under take-or-pay contracts that require us to purchase minimum volumes. In situations where firm take or pay contracts are required, we try to support them with back-to-back customer purchase agreements. As of December 31, 2020, we do not have take-or-pay LNG or hydrogen supply contracts matched to contracted customer demand. As of December 31, 2019, we had one firm take-or-pay LNG supply contract. In 2020, we purchased approximately 43% of our LNG from third-party suppliers and we produced the remainder at the George West Liquefier.
Stabilis sells LNG and hydrogen on a bulk or wholesale basis to our customers. We sell LNG through supply contracts that are priced on a regional commodity index-plus basis, such that LNG sales under these contracts increase or decrease as a result of changes in the commodity cost of natural gas. We sell LNG to our customers based on the same commodity index we buy natural gas to reduce our exposure to commodity prices changes. We sell LNG fuel at prices we set based on prevailing market conditions. Our pricing methodology depends on our cost of natural gas and LNG production, the customer’s commercial requirements, the price of competing energy sources, volumes required, contract duration, and the customer’s credit profile.
Transportation and Logistics Services. Stabilis offers its customers a “virtual natural gas pipeline” by providing them with turnkey transportation and logistics services for delivery from the LNG production source to the LNG consumption site. Our logistics and scheduling team offers 24-hour support to our customers. We utilize customized telemetry and fuel dispatch software systems to optimize our LNG deliveries. Customers can call our logistics team and have LNG delivered quickly and efficiently to almost any location in North America. We deliver LNG to our customers’ sites with our fleet of 41 tanker trailers, where it is stored and then vaporized on demand to fuel our customers consuming equipment which includes engines, turbines, generators, furnaces, dryers, boilers, kilns, pipelines, and other high horsepower applications. We offer similar turn-key solutions for hydrogen customers utilizing the same transportation and logistics capabilities.
Stabilis owns a fleet of LNG fueled trucks that are used to make deliveries to our customers near the George West Liquefier. We also have contracts with multiple national and regional trucking companies to deliver LNG to our customers. These carriers are certified to transport hazardous materials and the drivers are trained on safe LNG operating and delivery procedures. We believe that our established relationships with these carriers gives us a unique ability to reliably and safely deliver LNG to almost any location in North America on short notice.
Cryogenic Equipment Rental. Stabilis believes that we own the largest small-scale rental fleet of mobile LNG storage, transportation and vaporization equipment in North America. Our asset base includes 150 pieces of equipment, including: transportation trailers, electric and gas-fired vaporizers, ambient vaporizers, storage tanks, and mobile vehicle fuelers. We use these assets to provide customers with the necessary equipment to transport, store, and consume LNG in their operations.
Stabilis rents our cryogenic and related equipment to customers based on day rates that vary by the cost and availability of our equipment, and align with our customers’ contract terms. Our equipment is designed specifically for use in small-scale LNG applications and includes the safety and operational features that our customers and our regulators require. We believe that our current fleet of equipment can support significant growth in volumes in our business. We continually evaluate adding additional equipment as required by our customers to optimize their operations.
Mobile Asset Base
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Asset Type
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Qty
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Description
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Mobile Storage and Vaporization Units
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93
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Located on customer sites for storage and delivery of LNG fuel
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Transport Trailers
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41
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Deliver LNG from production sources to customer sites
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Mobile Truck Fuelers
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7
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Mobile fueling station used to fill heavy duty trucks
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Other Cryogenic Assets
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9
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Includes hose reels, pump skids, generators, and other
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Total
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150
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Engineering and Field Service Support Services. Stabilis believes it has significant experience in the safe, cost efficient and reliable use of LNG and hydrogen in multiple customer applications. Our engineering team provides our customers with safe and effective fueling plans. Our engineering services are usually included in our efforts to sell and commission customer projects, however sometimes we bill customers for them on an hourly or fixed project basis. Our staff of approximately 20 trained field service technicians help our customers use LNG and hydrogen safely and efficiently on their job sites. We generally bill our customers for field service technicians on a day rate basis but sometimes this cost is included in bundled pricing.
Power Delivery Solutions. As a result of the business combination with American Electric, Stabilis provides power delivery equipment and services for the oil and gas, marine vessel, power generation and broad industrial market segments in Brazil, and build electrical systems for sale in China through our 40% interest in BOMAY. We generally bill customers based on contractual terms that can be based on an event or an hourly rate. The resale of electrical and instrumentation equipment is billed upon delivery.
Our Customers
Stabilis serves customers in a variety of end markets, including aerospace, industrial, utilities and pipelines, mining, energy, commercial, and transportation within the United States and Mexico. We believe these customer markets are well suited to use LNG and hydrogen because they consume relatively high volumes of fuel, operate in mobile, temporary or off-pipeline locations, have limited access to alternative fuel sources, and/or are facing increasingly stringent emissions or other environmental requirements. We currently serve approximately 160 customers. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Noble Energy, Inc. and Aggreko Plc each accounted for more than 10% of our revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2019, Noble Energy, Inc. accounted for more than 10% of our revenues. During such periods, no other purchaser accounted for 10% or more of our revenue. We believe that the loss of any of these purchasers would not result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations because LNG is a fungible product with well-established markets and numerous purchasers.
Aerospace. The Aerospace industry utilizes LNG as a propellent for rocket propulsion systems and LNG provides an economical, readily available, and easily stored fuel for rockets engines. Aerospace firms may also utilize LNG for power generation at remote facilities. Consumption of LNG at aerospace facilities vary significantly by project type.
Industrial. Industrial applications for LNG include sand and aggregate producers, asphalt plants, greenhouses, food processers, paper mills, agricultural dryers, and general manufacturing facilities. Remote sand producers and mobile asphalt plants that use LNG to produce heat for their processing and drying operation are among our largest customers. LNG often replaces propane, fuel oil, or diesel fuel in these applications. These customers often cannot justify the cost of new pipeline infrastructure and using LNG requires minimal up-front costs, regulatory approvals, and lead time requirements. We believe LNG is optimal for these applications because it is cost-effective with stable pricing, offers consistent supply without curtailments, provides an energy density that minimizes storage requirements, and has a clean and consistent burn that makes heating operations more predictable. Based on our experience, sand production facilities can consume 10,000 to 20,000 LNG gallons per day, and asphalt plants can use 5,000 to 10,000 LNG gallons per day.
Utilities and Pipelines. North America has an expansive network of pipelines that, based on age and increasingly more stringent regulations, require routine testing and maintenance. During such events LNG fueling solutions can provide flow assurance to address natural gas supply interruptions during pipeline hydrostatic testing, repairs, gas distribution system
curtailments, or unplanned outages. Such solutions can also provide a bridge for large industrial or utility customers before permanent pipelines are installed. LNG is becoming more predominant in regions where natural gas demand is growing and utilities and pipelines are required to continue to meet critical peak gas demand. LNG can provide an economic solution to support these supply requirements during peak weather conditions, gas curtailments and/or pipeline repairs. In addition, utilities and other power providers can also utilizes LNG to provide clean distributed power when access to an electrical grid is limited, additional power is needed during times of peak load, or power infrastructure is damaged due to storms such as hurricanes or wildfires. LNG usage in utility and pipeline applications varies significantly by project type. Hydrogen and methane blends are currently being tested by pipelines as a method of reducing emissions from pipeline gas.
Mining. Mines, including those producing metals, rare earth materials, and coal, are often located in remote locations that are off the electrical grid and do not have natural gas pipeline access. Mines use LNG to fuel electrical generators and to produce heat for their processing activities. Several mines have also tested using LNG as a fuel for their mine trucks and other high horsepower engine equipment. In addition to fuel cost benefits, LNG can help reduce emissions at mines that are often located in environmentally sensitive areas. Based on our experience, power generation and heating applications at mines can consume 10,000 to 100,000 LNG gallons per day.
Energy. Energy producers use high horsepower engines to power their drilling and pressure pumping operations. LNG displaces some of the total diesel fuel consumption in these applications using dual-fuel engine technology. We believe that energy producers can use LNG to reduce fuel costs and to meet environmental emissions requirements. Based on our experience, dual-fuel drill rigs can consume 1,000 to 5,000 LNG gallons per day and dual-fuel pressure pumping spreads can consume 10,000 to 20,000 LNG gallons per day. Energy producers use the field gas being produced in their operations to fuel the turbine engines that power their pressure pumping spreads. While turbines can burn field gas, they often require significant amounts of LNG for primary or back-up fuel supply because field gas often varies widely in volume, composition, and pressure. Based on our experience, turbine driven pressure pumping operations can consume 30,000 to 60,000 LNG gallons per day when using LNG as the primary fuel.
Commercial. Commercial locations, including offices, call centers, data centers and, campuses, often need fuel for primary or back-up power generation. LNG often replaces propane or diesel fuel in these applications. LNG usage in commercial applications varies significantly by location size and purpose.
Transportation. LNG is being used to fuel high horsepower engines in multiple transportation applications, including over-the-road trucking, mine haul trucks, locomotives, and marine engines, due to reduced emissions and cost savings benefits. Extensive LNG fueling networks exist currently in the United States, the European Union, and China. Regulatory requirements are accelerating the adoption of LNG as a transportation fuel in other markets, particularly in the marine sector. The International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) has imposed a global sulfur cap of 0.5% on ships trading outside of established emission control areas starting in January 2020, a level that could be difficult to achieve using common marine fuels, such as heavy fuel oil, but could be achieved using LNG. Large marine vessels can take several hundred thousand gallons of LNG in a single fuel bunkering event. LNG is also utilized as a fuel for rail locomotives and mining trucks. LNG usage in transportation application varies by the horsepower requirements of the application. Hydrogen is currently being tested as an alternative fuel for cars, trucks, trains, and marine vessels.
Mexico. The volume of U.S. produced natural gas going to Mexico has been increasing significantly over the last several years as pipelines have been built to deliver natural gas to major Mexican cities and utility sites. However, a large portion of Mexico does not have access to these pipelines and is not expected to have access in the near-term so LNG can be used to provide energy to these areas. We believe we are currently one of the largest small-scale LNG exporters to Mexico with multiple truckloads crossing the border from our George West Liquefier daily. Primary end markets for LNG in Mexico include the industrial, mining, and commercial sectors. We believe that the demand for LNG will continue to grow as the population and economy grow.
We actively deliver LNG through virtual distribution systems, providing LNG to customers who use it as a fuel in mobile high horsepower applications and to customers who do not have natural gas pipeline access.
Brazil. We offer a range of electrical and instrumentation construction and installation services to our customers. These services include new construction as well as electrical and instrumentation turnarounds, maintenance and renovation projects.
China. Through our 40% interest in BOMAY, we provide power and control systems for the land drilling market in China.
Competitive Strengths
Stabilis believes that we are well positioned to execute our business strategies based on the following competitive strengths:
LNG is an economically and environmentally attractive product. Stabilis believes that many of our customers use LNG because it can significantly reduce harmful carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur, particulate matter, and other emissions as compared to other hydrocarbon-based fuels. LNG is also an important partner fuel for renewables such as solar and wind power and will be a key component of the energy transition to more sustainable sources of energy. We also believe that the combination of cost benefits and environmental benefits makes LNG a compelling fuel source for many energy consumers. We believe that LNG can be delivered to customers at prices that are lower and more stable than what they would pay for distillate fuels or propane. In addition, several of our customers have reported that LNG as a fuel decreases their operating costs by reducing equipment maintenance requirements and providing more consistent burn characteristics.
Demonstrated ability to execute LNG and hydrogen projects safely and cost effectively. Stabilis has produced and delivered over 250 million gallons of LNG to our customers throughout our 15+ year operating history. Our experience includes building and operating LNG production facilities, delivering LNG from third-party sources to our customers, and designing and executing a wide-variety of turnkey LNG fueling solutions for our customers using our cryogenic equipment fleet supported by our field service team. We have experience serving customers in multiple end markets including aerospace, industrial, utilities and pipelines, mining, energy, remote clean power, and transportation. We also have experience exporting LNG to Mexico and Canada. Finally, we believe our team is among the most experienced in the small-scale LNG industry. We believe that we can leverage this proven LNG execution experience to grow our business in existing markets and expand our business into new markets including the nascent hydrogen market. The production and distribution of hydrogen shares many attributes with LNG and we believe hydrogen will be a safe fuel and increasingly cost effective as acceptance grows.
Comprehensive provider of “virtual natural gas pipeline” solutions throughout North America. Stabilis offers our customers a comprehensive off-pipeline natural gas solution by providing the supply infrastructure, transportation and logistics, and field service support necessary to deliver LNG to them in a program that is tailored to their consumption needs. We believe we own one of the largest fleets of cryogenic transportation, storage, and vaporization equipment in North America. We can provide our customers LNG and related services for a wide variety of applications almost anywhere in the United States, Canada and Mexico. We believe that our ability to be a “one stop shop” for all of our customers’ off-pipeline natural gas requirements throughout North America is unique among LNG providers. We believe our LNG experience allows us to expand our comprehensive offerings using hydrogen.
Ability to leverage existing LNG production and delivery capabilities into new markets. Stabilis believes that our experience producing and distributing LNG can be leveraged to grow into new geographic and service end markets. Since our founding we have expanded our service area across the United States, northern Mexico, and western Canada. We have also expanded our industry coverage to include multiple new end markets and customers. We accomplished this expansion into new markets by leveraging our LNG production and distribution expertise, in combination with our cryogenic engineering and project development capabilities, to meet new customer needs.
Growth Strategy
Stabilis’ primary business objective is to provide superior returns to our shareholders by becoming the leading vertically integrated small-scale LNG solution provider in the Americas. We intend to accomplish this objective by implementing the following growth strategies:
Expand our LNG production business throughout North America. Stabilis believes that the customers and markets we serve could benefit from localized LNG supply sourcing. To this end, we believe that expanding our LNG liquefaction footprint throughout North America will enhance our competitive position by lowering our delivered cost and by creating a comprehensive and reliable supply network for our customers. We intend to leverage our liquefier development, construction, and operations experience to develop new liquefiers in markets that require LNG supply. We plan to both build new liquefiers and acquire existing liquefiers based on whichever offers the best service to our customers and returns to our investors.
Expand our LNG distribution business throughout North America. Stabilis believes that expanding our LNG distribution capabilities throughout North America will enhance our competitive position by creating a comprehensive and reliable supply network for our customers, lowering our delivered LNG costs, and expanding our ability to service new industries and geographies. We currently provide LNG distribution and field service support throughout the United States and parts of Mexico and Canada. We plan to expand our distribution capabilities by adding equipment to our fleet, including the high-flow, high pressure vaporization equipment required by pipelines and turbine powered pressure pumping spreads. In addition, we plan to explore opportunities that expand our geographic reach and industry expertise, including acquisitions of companies that already
service our targeted customers. Finally, we plan to explore opportunities to expand into the compressed natural gas (“CNG”) and hydrogen markets to provide comprehensive energy transition solutions to our customers.
Consistent with our strategy to expand our LNG production business, Stabilis will focus the expansion of our LNG distribution business in the United States and Mexico. We believe that supporting our liquefiers with our distribution capabilities optimizes our asset base and our ability to service our customers. We also plan to expand our third-party LNG supply network in these markets so we can provide our customers with comprehensive and reliable service.
Use our LNG production and distribution expertise to expand into Latin and South America. Stabilis believes there is a significant opportunity to leverage our expertise in LNG production and distribution to expand our business into power generation opportunities in Latin and South America. Our business development team is identifying utilities and industrial energy consumers that may view LNG as a compelling alternative to traditional distillate fuels. We believe it will be compelling for them to enter into long-term contracts that support the development of the infrastructure required to deliver LNG directly to their power generation and other assets. We expect that these markets will require some combination of LNG production or sourcing, local logistics, distribution services and field support, paired with Stabilis-owned power generation assets in some instances.
Expand our ability to deliver Hydrogen to our customers. Stabilis believes that the market opportunity for zero emissions hydrogen fuel is growing. We are engaged with customers to use hydrogen and hydrogen/methane blends (“Hythane”) in applications including marine power generation, distributed power generation, and pipelines. We will continue to build our technical and operating expertise to bring safe and reliable hydrogen fueling solutions to our customers. We will also seek to add hydrogen capable production, transportation, and distribution assets to our equipment fleet to support our customers.
Maintain financial strength and flexibility. Stabilis will seek to maintain a conservative balance sheet which we believe will allow us to better react to market opportunities. We believe that maintaining adequate balance sheet flexibility, along with positive cash flows from operations, will provide us with sufficient liquidity to execute on our business strategies.
Competition
The market for natural gas is highly competitive. Stabilis believes the biggest competition for LNG in these applications are distillate fuels and propane as they power the majority of engines and generators in our target markets. We also compete with other fuel sources including pipeline natural gas and CNG. We believe we have multiple competitors in the market for natural gas fuel, including, but not limited to:
•Producers and distributors of LNG, including New Fortress Energy LLC, Clean Energy Fuels Corp., Pivotal LNG Inc.(Dominion Energy), Eagle LNG, Applied LNG, Kinetrex Energy, Sapphire Gas Solutions, numerous utilities located across the country which produce LNG for peak shaving purposes, and numerous local providers of cryogenic distribution and field services; and
•Producers and distributors of CNG, including NG Advantage LLC, Xpress Natural Gas LLC, Compass Natural Gas Partners LP and Certarus Ltd.
Stabilis competes with other natural gas companies, as well as other fossil fuel sources, based on a variety of factors, including, among others, cost, supply, availability, quality, emissions, and safety of the fuel. Location is often a primary competitive factor as transportation costs limit the distance LNG can be hauled at competitive prices. We believe we compare favorably with many of our competitors on the basis of these factors; however, some of our competitors have longer operating histories and market-based experience, larger customer bases, more expansive brand recognition, deeper market penetration and substantially greater financial, marketing and other resources than our business. As a result, they may be able to respond more quickly to changes in customer preferences, legal requirements or other industry or regulatory trends, devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products, adopt more aggressive pricing policies, dedicate more effort to infrastructure and systems development in support of their business or product development activities and exert more influence on the regulatory landscape that impacts the natural gas fuel market. Additionally, utilities and their affiliates typically have unique competitive advantages, including a lower cost of capital, substantial and predictable cash flows, long-standing customer relationships, greater brand awareness, and large sales and marketing organizations.
Stabilis does not believe that we compete with mid-scale and world-scale LNG liquefiers that produce more than 1,000,000 LNG-gallons (3,788 cubic meters) per day. These large LNG production facilities, such as those operated by Cheniere Energy and Freeport LNG, typically are designed and permitted to fill large marine vessels that deliver cargos of 21,120,000 LNG-gallons (80,000 cubic meters) or more to large import terminals in foreign markets. We do not believe that any of them currently have or plan to have truck loading facilities that would be required to supply LNG to small-scale LNG customers. We also do not believe
that any mid-scale or large-scale liquefiers currently have plans to install LNG loading capabilities for vessels smaller than 7,920,000 LNG-gallons (30,000 cubic meters).
Sales and Marketing
Stabilis markets our products and services primarily through our direct sales force, which includes sales representatives covering all of our major geographic and customer markets, as well as attendance at trade shows and participation in industry conferences and events. Our technical, sales and marketing teams also work closely with federal, state and local government agencies to provide education about the value of natural gas as a fuel and to keep abreast of proposed and newly adopted regulations that affect our industry.
Seasonality
A portion of Stabilis’ operating revenues and profits relate to providing backup gas for the local distribution infrastructure in the United States and Mexico to support utilities during times of peak heating demand from November through March. Revenues are generally lower from April to October during the months when heating demand is seasonally lower.
Government Regulation and Environmental Matters
Stabilis is subject to a variety of federal, international, state, provincial and local laws and regulations relating to the environment, health and safety, labor and employment, building codes and construction, zoning and land use, public reporting and taxation, among others. Any changes to existing laws or regulations, the adoption of new laws or regulations, or failure by us to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in significant additional expense to us or our customers or a variety of administrative, civil and criminal enforcement measures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations. Regulations that significantly affect our operating activities are described below. Compliance with these regulations has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position to date, but new laws or regulations or amendments to existing laws or regulations to make them more stringent could have such an effect in the future. We cannot estimate the costs that may be required for us to comply with potential new laws or changes to existing laws, and these unknown costs are not contemplated by our existing customer agreements or our budgets and cost estimates. We believe that we are in compliance with all environmental and other governmental regulations. Our compliance has, to date, had no material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position.
Construction and Operation of LNG Liquefaction Plants. To build and operate LNG liquefaction plants, Stabilis must apply for facility permits or licenses that address many factors, including storm water and wastewater discharges, waste handling, and air emissions related to production activities and equipment operation. The construction of LNG plants must also be approved by local planning boards and fire departments.
Transportation of LNG. Federal and state safety standards require that LNG is moved by qualified drivers in cryogenic containers designed for LNG transportation. Drivers are subject to U.S. Department of Transportation (“USDOT”) regulations, such as Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”), Hazardous Materials Regulations, and state certification requirements, such as certifications by the Alternative Energy Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas. Cryogenic containers have to undergo annual USDOT visual inspections and periodic pressure tests. Motor vehicles equipped with an LNG container or other motor vehicles used principally for transporting LNG in portable containers in Texas have to be registered with the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Transfer of LNG. Federal safety standards require each transfer of LNG to be conducted in accordance with specific written safety procedures. These procedures must require that qualified personnel be in attendance during all LNG transfer operations, and these procedures must be implemented, and copies of the procedures must be available/displayed, at each LNG transfer location.
Storage and Vaporization of LNG at Customer Sites. To install and operate both temporary and permanent storage and vaporization equipment, Stabilis may apply for permits or licenses that address many factors, including waste handling and air emissions related to onsite storage and equipment operation or consult with customers so they may apply for needed permits. The operation and siting of storage and vaporization of LNG may also require approval by local planning boards and fire departments.
Import & Export of LNG. To import or export LNG from the United States to Mexico and Canada via truck, numerous authorizations are required. In support of our business in Canada, Stabilis maintains an import and export license from the United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) and from the National Energy Board of Canada (“NEB”). We maintain an Emergency Response Action Plan (“ERAP”) with Transport Canada. In support of our business in Mexico, we maintain an export license
from the DOE and maintain import permits to bring the LNG into the country. Exporting LNG in large quantities would require additional permits and licenses from various regulatory agencies, including the DOE and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”). We do not have these permits at this time but could file for such authorizations in the future.
Employees
As of December 31, 2020, Stabilis had 268 employees, 220 of whom were full-time employees. We believe our relations with employees are satisfactory. None of our employees are currently subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
Intellectual Property
The intellectual property portfolio of Stabilis and its subsidiaries includes patents and trademarks. The Company has two pending patent applications in the United States, specifically a non-provisional patent application for the use of natural gas for well-enhancement and a non-provisional patent application for natural gas deliquification. The Company has four pending foreign patent applications (two in Canada and two in Mexico). Additionally, the Company owns or has exclusive license to five U.S. and one foreign (Mexico) patents. The last patent to expire in the U.S. will expire in January 2031, absent any adjustments or extensions. The Company has ten U.S. trademark registrations and one foreign trademark registration (Canada). The Company has no pending trademark applications.
Available Information
Stabilis’ principal executive office is located at 10375 Richmond Ave., Suite 700, Houston, Texas 77042. Our telephone number is 832-456-6500 and our website address is www.stabilis-solutions.com. We make our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, amendments to those reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The reference to Stabilis’ website is not intended to incorporate the information on the website into this report or any of our filings with the SEC.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in shares of our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below with all of the other information included in this report in evaluating an investment in our common stock. If any of the following risks were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations.
Risks Related to Our Business
Our ability to implement our business strategy may be materially and adversely affected by many known and unknown factors.
Our business strategy relies upon our future ability to successfully market natural gas to end-users, develop and maintain cost-effective logistics in our supply chain and construct, develop and operate energy-related infrastructure in North America. Our business strategy assumes that we will be able to expand our operations further in North America, enter into long-term purchase and supply contracts with end-users, acquire and transport LNG at attractive prices, develop infrastructure, and other future projects, into efficient and profitable operations in a timely and cost-effective way, obtain approvals from all relevant federal, international, state and local authorities, as needed, for the construction and operation of these projects and other relevant approvals, and obtain long-term capital appreciation and liquidity with respect to such investments. Our strategy may also be affected by future governmental laws and regulations. It also assumes that we will be able to enter into strategic relationships with energy end-users, power utilities, LNG providers, shipping companies, infrastructure developers, financing counterparties and other partners. These assumptions are subject to significant economic, competitive, regulatory and operational uncertainties, contingencies and risks, many of which are beyond our control. Additionally, in furtherance of our business strategy, we may acquire operating businesses or other assets in the future. Any such acquisitions would be subject to significant risks and contingencies, including the risk of integration, and we may not be able to realize the benefits of any such acquisitions.
Our future ability to execute our business strategy is uncertain, and it can be expected that one or more of our assumptions will prove to be incorrect and that we will face unanticipated events and circumstances that may adversely affect our business. Any one or more of the following factors may have a material adverse effect on our ability to implement our proposed strategy and achieve our targets:
• failure to develop cost-effective logistics solutions;
• failure to manage expanding operations in the projected time frame;
• inability to structure innovative and profitable energy-related transactions and to optimally price and manage position, performance and counterparty risks;
• inability to develop infrastructure and other future projects in a timely and cost-effective manner;
• inability to attract and retain personnel in a timely and cost-effective manner;
• failure of investments in technology and machinery, such as liquefaction technology or LNG tank truck technology, to perform as expected;
• increases in competition which could increase costs and undermine profits;
• inability to source LNG in sufficient quantities and/or at economically attractive prices;
• failure to anticipate and adapt to new trends in the energy sector in North America and elsewhere;
• increases in operating costs, including the need for capital improvements, insurance premiums, general taxes, real estate taxes and utilities, affecting our profit margins;
• inability to raise significant additional debt and equity capital in the future to implement our business strategy as well as to operate and expand our business;
• general economic, political and business conditions in North America and in the other geographic areas we now operate and intend to operate in the future;
• inflation, depreciation of the currencies of the countries in which we operate and fluctuations in interest rates;
• failure to win new bids or contracts;
•changes in regulatory, geopolitical, social, economic, tax or monetary policies and other factors resulting from the transition to the Biden administration and Democratic control of Congress;
• failure to obtain approvals from governmental regulators and relevant local authorities for the construction and operation of potential future projects and other relevant approvals;
• existing and future governmental laws and regulations; or
• inability, or failure, of any customer or contract counterparty to perform their contractual obligations to us (for further discussion of counterparty risk, see “—Risks Related to Our Business—Our current ability to generate cash is substantially dependent upon the performance by customers under short-term contracts that we have entered into or will enter into in the near future, and we could be materially and adversely affected if any customer fails to perform its contractual obligations for any reason, including nonpayment and nonperformance, or if we fail to enter into such contracts at all”).
If we experience any of these failures, such failure may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and ability to execute our business strategy.
Investment in us is speculative.
Our strategy may not be successful, and if unsuccessful, we may be unable to modify it in a timely and successful manner. We cannot give you any assurance that we will be able to implement our strategy on a timely basis, if at all, or achieve our internal model or that our assumptions will be accurate. Accordingly, your investment in our company is speculative and subject to a high degree of risk, and you should understand that there is a possibility of the loss of your entire investment. Our limited history also means that we continue to develop and implement various policies and procedures including those related to data privacy and other matters.
We will continue to incur significant capital and operating expenditures while we develop infrastructure for our supply chain and other future projects. We will need to invest significant amounts of additional capital to implement our strategy. We could experience delays beyond the expected development period, which could increase the level of operating losses and negative operating cash flows. Our future liquidity may also be affected by the timing of construction financing availability in relation to the incurrence of construction costs and other outflows and by the timing of receipt of cash flows under our customer contracts in relation to the incurrence of project and operating expenses. Our ability to generate any positive operating cash flow and achieve profitability in the future is dependent on, among other things, our ability to develop an efficient supply chain and successfully and timely complete necessary infrastructures and fulfill our gas delivery obligations under our customer contracts.
Our business is dependent upon obtaining substantial additional funding from various sources, which may not be available or may only be available on unfavorable terms.
Our net working capital may not be sufficient to fully execute our business plan in the future. Assuming the accuracy of our assumptions relating to our business strategy, we believe that our cash resources will only be sufficient to meet projected capital expenditures, financing obligations and operating requirements in the near term. In the future, we expect to pursue offerings of debt or equity securities to assist us in developing our operations. If we are unable to secure additional funding, or if it is only available on terms that we determine are not acceptable, we may be unable to fully execute our business plan, and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected. Our ability to raise additional capital will depend on financial, economic and market conditions and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that such additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all.
A variety of factors beyond our control could impact the availability or cost of capital, including domestic or international economic conditions, increases in key benchmark interest rates and/or credit spreads, the adoption of new or amended banking or capital market laws or regulations, the re-pricing of market risks and volatility in capital and financial markets, risks relating to the credit risk of our customers and the jurisdictions in which we operate, as well as general risks, including limitations on investment capital, applicable to the energy sector. Our financing costs could increase or future borrowings or equity offerings may be unavailable to us or unsuccessful, which could cause us to be unable to pay or refinance our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may rely on borrowings under debt instruments to fund our capital expenditures. If any of the lenders under these potential debt instruments were unable to perform on its commitments, we may need to seek replacement financing, which may not be available as needed, or may be available in more limited amounts or on more expensive or otherwise unfavorable terms.
We may not be profitable for an indeterminate period of time.
We have a limited operating history and therefore have not achieved consistent profitability on an annual basis. We will need to make significant additional investments to develop, improve and operate our business. We also expect to make significant expenditures and investments in identifying, acquiring and/or developing other future projects. We also expect to incur significant expenses in connection with the continued growth of our business, including costs for LNG purchases, truck transportation, shipping and logistics, personnel and technological improvements. We may need to raise significant additional debt and equity capital to achieve our goals.
We may not be able to achieve profitability, and if we do, we cannot assure you that we would be able to sustain such profitability in the future. Our failure to achieve or sustain profitability would have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of our common stock.
Because we are currently dependent upon a limited number of customers, the loss of a significant customer could adversely affect our operating results.
A limited number of customers currently represent a substantial majority of our income. Our operating results are currently contingent on our ability to maintain LNG services to these customers. At least in the short term, we expect that a substantial majority of our sales will continue to arise from a concentrated number of customers, such as power utilities, energy producers and industrial end-users. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Noble Energy, Inc. and Aggreko Plc each accounted for more than 10% of our revenues. We may be unable to accomplish our business plan to diversify and expand our customer base by attracting a broad array of customers, which could negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our current ability to generate cash is substantially dependent upon the performance by customers under short-term contracts that we have entered into or will enter into in the near future, and we could be materially and adversely affected if any customer fails to perform its contractual obligations for any reason, including nonpayment and nonperformance, or if we fail to enter into such contracts at all.
Our current results of operations and liquidity are, and will continue to be in the near future, substantially dependent upon performance by a small number of customers, which have each entered into supply agreements and other similar contracts of variable durations. Our near term ability to generate cash is dependent on the small number of customers’ continued willingness and ability to perform their obligations under their respective contracts. If any of these customers fails to perform its obligations under their contracts, our operating results, cash flow and liquidity could be materially and adversely affected, even if we were ultimately successful in seeking damages from any of these customers for a breach of the contract.
Risks of nonpayment and nonperformance by customers are a consideration in our businesses, and our credit procedures and policies may be inadequate to sufficiently eliminate customer credit risk. As part of our business strategy, we intend to target customers who have not been traditional purchasers of natural gas, including customers in developing countries, and these customers may have greater credit risk than typical natural gas purchasers. Therefore, we may request pre-payments in advance
for purchasing LNG or our services for certain customers that pose a greater customer credit risk than other companies in the industry. Further, adverse economic conditions in the energy industry increase the risk of nonpayment and nonperformance by customers, particularly customers that have sub-investment grade credit ratings or significant counterparty risks. Finally, we may be unable to collect amounts due or damages we are awarded from certain customers, and our efforts to collect such amounts may damage our customer relationships. Any material nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers could have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Any failure to perform by our counterparties under agreements may adversely affect our operating results, liquidity and access to financing.
Our business involves our entering into various purchase and sale, hedging and other transactions with numerous third parties (commonly referred to as “counterparties”). In such arrangements, we are exposed to the performance and credit risks of our counterparties, including the risk that one or more counterparties fails to perform its obligation to make deliveries of commodities and/or to make payments. These risks may increase during periods of commodity price volatility. Defaults by suppliers and other counterparties may adversely affect our operating results, liquidity and access to financing.
Our customer contracts are subject to termination under certain circumstances.
Our customer contracts contain various termination rights. For example, each of the long-term customer contracts we maintain contains various termination rights including, without limitation:
• for no cause by giving notice as agreed in the contract;
• upon the occurrence of certain events of force majeure;
• if we fail to make available specified scheduled cargo quantities;
• upon the occurrence of certain uncured payment defaults;
• upon the occurrence of an insolvency event;
• upon the occurrence of certain uncured, material breaches; and
• if we fail to commence commercial operations within the agreed timeframes.
We may not be able to replace these contracts on desirable terms, or at all, if they are terminated. Contracts that we enter into in the future may contain similar provisions. If any of these current or future contracts are terminated, such termination could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flows, liquidity and prospects.
Cyclical or other changes in the demand for and price of LNG and natural gas may adversely affect our business and the performance of our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flows, liquidity and prospects.
Our business and the development of energy-related infrastructure and projects generally is based on assumptions about the future availability and price of natural gas and LNG markets. Natural gas and LNG prices have at various times been and may become volatile due to one or more of the following factors:
• additions to competitive regasification capacity in North America and other markets, which could divert LNG or natural gas from our business;
• insufficient or oversupply of natural gas liquefaction or export capacity worldwide;
• insufficient LNG tanker capacity;
• weather conditions and natural disasters;
• reduced demand and lower prices for natural gas;
• increased natural gas production deliverable by pipelines, which could suppress demand for LNG;
• decreased oil and natural gas exploration activities, which may decrease the production of natural gas, or decrease the demand for LNG used in the oil and gas exploration and production process;
• cost improvements that allow competitors to offer LNG regasification services at reduced prices;
• changes in supplies of, demand for, and prices for, alternative energy sources such as coal, oil, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy, which may reduce the demand for natural gas;
• changes in regulatory, tax or other governmental policies or requirements regarding imported or exported LNG, natural gas or alternative energy sources, which may reduce the demand for imported or exported LNG and/or natural gas;
• political conditions in natural gas producing regions;
• imposition of tariffs by China or any other jurisdiction on imports of LNG from the United States; and
• cyclical trends in general business and economic conditions that cause changes in the demand for natural gas.
Adverse trends or developments affecting any of these factors could result in decreases in the prices at which we are able to sell LNG and natural gas and related services or increases in the prices we have to pay for natural gas or LNG, which could materially and adversely affect the performance of our customers, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flows, liquidity and prospects.
Failure to maintain sufficient working capital could limit our growth and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have significant working capital requirements, primarily driven by the delay between the purchase of and payment for natural gas and the payment terms that we offer our customers. Differences between the date when we pay our LNG supply and service providers and the date when we receive payments from our customers may adversely affect our liquidity and our cash flows. We expect our working capital needs to increase as our total business increases. If we do not have sufficient working capital, we may not be able to pursue our growth strategy, respond to competitive pressures or fund key strategic initiatives, such as the development of our facilities, which may harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Operation of our LNG infrastructure and other facilities that we may construct involves significant risks.
As more fully discussed in this report, our existing facilities and expected future facilities face operational risks, including the following: performing below expected levels of efficiency, breakdowns or failures of equipment, operational errors by trucks, operational errors by us or any contracted facility operator, industrial accidents, labor disputes and weather-related or natural disaster interruptions of operations.
Any of these risks could disrupt our operations and increase our costs, which would adversely affect our business, operating results, cash flows and liquidity. In addition, the occurrence of a significant event or adverse claim in excess of the insurance coverage that we maintain or that is not covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows and liquidity.
The operation of our plants will involve particular, significant risks.
The operation of our plants will involve particular, significant risks, including, among others: failure to maintain the required license(s) or other permits required to operate our plants; failure in health and safety performance and management of health and safety risks; failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and regulations; failure to properly manage environmental risks, including pollution, contamination, and exposure to hazardous materials; the inability, or failure, of any counterparty to any plant-related agreements to perform their contractual obligations to us and planned and unplanned power outages due to maintenance, expansion and refurbishment. We cannot assure you that future occurrences of any of the events listed above or any other events of a similar or dissimilar nature would not significantly decrease or eliminate the revenues from, or significantly increase the costs of operating, our plants. As a consequence, there may be reduced or no revenues from our plants which could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Global climate change may in the future increase the frequency and severity of weather events and the losses resulting therefrom, which could have a material adverse effect on the economies in the markets in which we operate or plan to operate in the future and therefore on our business.
Over the past several years, changing weather patterns and climatic conditions have added to the unpredictability and frequency of natural disasters in certain parts of the world, including the markets in which we operate and intend to operate, and have created additional uncertainty as to future trends. There is a growing consensus today that climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and, in recent years, the frequency of major weather events appears to have increased. We cannot predict whether or to what extent damage that may be caused by natural events, such as severe tropical storms and hurricanes, will affect our operations or the economies in our current or future market areas, but the increased frequency and severity of such weather events could increase the negative impacts to economic conditions in these regions and result in a decline in the value or the destruction of our liquefiers and downstream facilities or affect our ability to transmit LNG. In particular, if one of the regions in which we operate is impacted by such a natural catastrophe in the future, it could have a
material adverse effect on our business. Further, the economies of such impacted areas may require significant time to recover and there is no assurance that a full recovery will occur. Even the threat of a severe weather event could impact our business, financial condition or the price of our common stock.
Hurricanes or other natural or man-made disasters could result in an interruption of our operations, a delay in the completion of future liquefaction facilities, higher construction costs or the deferral of the dates on which payments are due under our customer contracts, all of which could adversely affect us.
Storms and related storm activity and collateral effects, or other disasters such as explosions, fires, seismic events, floods or accidents, could result in damage to, or interruption of operations in our supply chain, including at our facilities or related infrastructure, as well as delays or cost increases in the construction and the development of our proposed facilities or other infrastructure. Due to the concentration of our current plant operations in coastal areas of North America, we are particularly exposed to the risks posed by hurricanes, tropical storms and their collateral effects. For example, the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season caused extensive and costly damage across the U.S. Gulf Coast, and the Eastern Seaboard. We are unable to predict with certainty the impact of future storms on our customers, infrastructure or operations.
If one or more trailer, terminals, pipelines, facilities, equipment or electronic systems that we own, lease or operate or that deliver products to us or that supply our facilities and our customers’ facilities are damaged by severe weather or any other disaster, accident, catastrophe, terrorist or cyber-attack or event, our operations and construction projects could be delayed and our operations could be significantly interrupted. These delays and interruptions could involve significant damage to people, property or the environment, and repairs could take a week or less for a minor incident to six months or more for a major interruption. Any event that interrupts the revenues generated by our operations, or that causes us to make significant expenditures not covered by insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
We maintain insurance against certain risks and losses. We may not be able to maintain desired or required insurance at rates that we consider commercially reasonable. The occurrence of a significant event not fully insured or indemnified against could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Our insurance may be insufficient to cover losses that may occur to our property or result from our operations.
Our current operations and future projects are subject to the inherent risks associated with LNG, natural gas and power operations, including explosions, pollution, release of toxic substances, fires, seismic events, hurricanes and other adverse weather conditions, and other hazards, each of which could result in significant delays in commencement or interruptions of operations and/or result in damage to or destruction of our facilities and assets or damage to persons and property. In addition, such operations and the modes of transport of third parties on which our current operations and future projects may be dependent face possible risks associated with acts of aggression or terrorism. Some of the regions in which we operate are affected by hurricanes or tropical storms. We do not, nor do we intend to, maintain insurance against all of these risks and losses. In particular, we do not carry business interruption insurance for hurricanes and other natural disasters. Therefore, the occurrence of one or more significant events not fully insured or indemnified against could create significant liabilities and losses which could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
We may be unable to procure adequate insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates in the future. For example, environmental regulations have led in the past to increased costs for, and in the future may result in the lack of availability of, insurance against risks of environmental damage or pollution. A catastrophic release of natural gas, marine disaster or natural disasters could result in losses that exceed our insurance coverage, which could harm our business, financial condition and operating results. Any uninsured or under-insured loss could harm our business and financial condition. In addition, our insurance may be voidable by the insurers as a result of certain of our actions.
Changes in the insurance markets attributable to terrorist attacks or political change may also make certain types of insurance more difficult for us to obtain. In addition, the insurance that may be available may be significantly more expensive than our existing coverage.
The construction of our energy-related infrastructure is subject to operational, regulatory, environmental, political, legal and economic risks, which may result in delays, increased costs or decreased cash flows.
The construction of energy-related infrastructure, including liquefaction facilities, as well as other future projects, involves numerous operational, regulatory, environmental, political, legal and economic risks beyond our control and may require the expenditure of significant amounts of capital during construction and thereafter. These potential risks include, among other things, the following:
• we may be unable to complete construction projects on schedule or at the budgeted cost due to the unavailability of required construction personnel or materials, accidents or weather conditions, or changes in regulatory requirements;
• we will not receive any material increase in operating cash flows until a project is completed, even though we may have expended considerable funds during the construction phase, which may be prolonged;
• we may construct facilities to capture anticipated future energy consumption growth in a region in which such growth does not materialize;
• the completion or success of our construction project may depend on the completion of a third-party construction project (e.g., additional public utility infrastructure projects) that we do not control and that may be subject to numerous additional potential risks, delays and complexities;
• we may not be able to obtain key permits or land use approvals including those required under environmental laws on terms that are satisfactory for our operations and on a timeline that meets our commercial obligations, and there may be delays, perhaps substantial in length, such as in the event of challenges by citizens groups or non-governmental organizations, including those opposed to fossil fuel energy sources;
• we may be subject to local opposition, including the efforts by environmental groups; and
• we may be unable to obtain rights-of-way to construct additional energy-related infrastructure or the cost to do so may be uneconomical.
A materialization of any of these risks could adversely affect our ability to achieve growth in the level of our cash flows or realize benefits from future projects, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We expect to be dependent on our primary building contractor and other contractors for the successful completion of our energy-related infrastructure.
Timely and cost-effective completion of energy-related infrastructure, including liquefaction facilities, as well as future projects, in compliance with agreed specifications is central to our business strategy and is highly dependent on the performance of our primary building contractor and subcontractors. The ability of our primary building contractor and our other contractors to perform successfully under their agreements with us is dependent on a number of factors, including the contractor’s ability to:
• design and engineer each of our facilities to operate in accordance with specifications;
• engage and retain third-party subcontractors and procure equipment and supplies;
• respond to difficulties such as equipment failure, delivery delays, schedule changes and failures to perform by subcontractors, some of which are beyond their control;
• attract, develop and retain skilled personnel, including engineers;
• post required construction bonds and comply with the terms thereof;
• manage the construction process generally, including coordinating with other contractors and regulatory agencies; and
• maintain their own financial condition, including adequate working capital.
Until we have entered into an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (“EPC”) contract for a particular project, in which the EPC contractor agrees to meet our planned schedule and projected total costs for a project, we are subject to potential fluctuations in construction costs and other related project costs. Although some agreements may provide for liquidated damages if the contractor fails to perform in the manner required with respect to certain of its obligations, the events that trigger a requirement to pay liquidated damages may delay or impair the operation of the applicable facility, and any liquidated damages that we receive may be delayed or insufficient to cover the damages that we suffer as a result of any such delay or impairment. The obligations of our primary building contractor and other contractors to pay liquidated damages under their agreements with us are subject to caps on liability, as set forth therein. Furthermore, we may have disagreements with our contractors about different elements of the construction process, which could lead to the assertion of rights and remedies under our contracts and increase the cost of the applicable facility or result in a contractor’s unwillingness to perform further work. If any contractor is unable or unwilling to perform according to the negotiated terms and timetable of its respective agreement for any reason or terminates its agreement for any reason, we would be required to engage a substitute contractor, which could be particularly difficult in certain of the markets in which we operate or plan to operate. This would likely result in significant project delays and increased costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity
and prospects. Additionally, in certain instances, we may be jointly and severally liable for our contractor's actions or contract performance.
We are relying on third party engineers to estimate the future rated capacity and performance capabilities of our existing and future facilities, and these estimates may prove to be inaccurate.
We are relying on third parties for the design and engineering services underlying our estimates of the future rated capacity and performance capabilities of our liquefaction facilities, as well as other future projects. If any of these facilities, when actually constructed, fails to have the rated capacity and performance capabilities that we intend, our estimates may not be accurate. Failure of any of our existing or future facilities to achieve our intended future capacity and performance capabilities could prevent us from achieving the commercial start dates under our customer contracts and could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
We may not be able to purchase or receive physical delivery of natural gas in sufficient quantities and/or at economically attractive prices to satisfy our delivery obligations under our commercial agreements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We may not be able to purchase or receive physical delivery of sufficient quantities of LNG or natural gas to satisfy delivery obligations, which may provide customers with the right to terminate our commercial agreements. In addition, price fluctuations in natural gas and LNG may make it expensive or uneconomical for us to acquire adequate supply of these items.
We will be dependent upon third party LNG suppliers and shippers and facilities to provide delivery options to and from their energy-related infrastructure. If LNG were to become unavailable for current or future volumes of natural gas due to repairs or damage to supplier facilities, lack of capacity or any other reason, our ability to continue delivering natural gas to end-users could be restricted, thereby reducing revenues. Any permanent interruption at any key LNG supply chains that caused a material reduction in volumes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Recently, the LNG industry has experienced increased volatility. If market disruptions and bankruptcies of third party LNG suppliers and shippers negatively impacts our ability to purchase a sufficient amount of LNG or significantly increases our costs for purchasing LNG, our business, operating results, cash flows and liquidity could be materially and adversely affected. There can be no assurances that we will be able to supply our customers with LNG produced at our own facilities.
We face competition based upon market price for LNG or natural gas.
Our business is subject to the risk of natural gas and LNG price competition at times when we need to replace any existing customer contract, whether due to natural expiration, default or otherwise, or enter into new customer contracts. Factors relating to competition may prevent us from entering into new or replacement customer contracts on economically comparable terms to existing customer contracts, or at all. Such an event could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects. Factors which may negatively affect potential demand for natural gas from our business are diverse and include, among others:
• increases in worldwide LNG production capacity and availability of LNG for market supply;
• increases in demand for natural gas but at levels below those required to maintain current price equilibrium with respect to supply;
• increases or decreases in the cost of LNG;
• decreases in the cost of competing sources of natural gas, LNG or alternate fuels such as coal, heavy fuel oil and diesel; and
• displacement of LNG or fossil fuels more broadly by alternate fuels or energy sources or technologies (including but not limited to nuclear, wind, solar, biofuels and batteries) in locations where access to these energy sources is not currently available or prevalent.
Decreased demand for natural gas may result in significant price competition and decrease the prices we are able to charge, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Technological innovation may render our processes obsolete.
The success of our current operations and future projects will depend in part on our ability to create and maintain a competitive position in the natural gas liquefaction industry. In particular, although we plan to utilize proven technologies such as those currently in operation at our George West Liquefier, we do not have any exclusive rights to any of these technologies. In
addition, such technologies may be rendered obsolete or uneconomical by legal or regulatory requirements, technological advances, more efficient and cost-effective processes or entirely different approaches developed by one or more of our competitors or others. We must be able to anticipate these changes, understand the market’s challenges, identify and integrate technological developments in order to maintain our competitiveness, maintain a high level of performance and operational excellence, and best meet the needs and demands of our customers. Failure to anticipate and keep up with the pace of technological innovation could materially and adversely affect our business, ability to realize benefits from future projects, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Changes in legislation and regulations could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Our business is subject to governmental laws, rules, and regulations, and requires permits that impose various restrictions and obligations that may have material effects on our results of operations. In addition, each of the applicable regulatory requirements and limitations is subject to change, either through new regulations enacted on the federal, state or local level, or by new or modified regulations that may be implemented under existing law. The nature and extent of any changes in these laws, rules, regulations and permits may be unpredictable and may have material effects on our business. Future legislation and regulations or changes in existing legislation and regulations, or interpretations thereof, such as those relating to the liquefaction, storage, or regasification of LNG, or its transportation, exportation, or importation could cause additional expenditures, restrictions and delays in connection with our operations as well as other future projects, the extent of which cannot be predicted and which may require us to limit substantially, delay or cease operations in some circumstances. Revised, reinterpreted or additional laws and regulations that result in increased compliance costs or additional operating costs and restrictions could have an adverse effect on our business, our ability to expand our business, including into new markets, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
The results of the 2020 U.S. presidential and congressional elections may create regulatory uncertainty for the LNG or broader energy industry. Changes in environmental laws could increase costs and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Joe Biden’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, as well as a closely divided Congress, may create regulatory uncertainty in the LNG or broader energy industry. During his first weeks in office, President Biden has issued several executive orders promoting various programs and initiatives designed to, among other things, curtail climate change and control the release of methane into the atmosphere. It remains unclear what additional actions President Biden will take and what support he will have for any potential legislative changes from Congress. Further, it is uncertain to what extent any new environmental laws or regulations, or any repeal of existing environmental laws or regulations, may affect our operations and the demand for our products. Such actions could also increase our operating costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Increasing trucking regulations may increase costs and negatively impact our results of operations.
We are using transportation systems that include trucks that we own and operate. Such operations are subject to various trucking safety regulations, including those which are enacted, reviewed and amended by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”). These regulatory authorities exercise broad powers, governing activities such as the authorization to engage in motor carrier operations, driver licensing, insurance requirements, financial reporting and review of certain mergers, consolidations and acquisitions, and transportation of hazardous materials. To a large degree, intrastate motor carrier operations are subject to state and/or local safety regulations that mirror federal regulations but also regulate the weight and size dimensions of loads.
All federally regulated carriers’ safety ratings are measured through a program implemented by the FMCSA known as the Compliance Safety Accountability (“CSA”) program. The CSA program measures a carrier’s safety performance based on violations observed during roadside inspections as opposed to compliance audits performed by the FMCSA. The quantity and severity of any violations are compared to a peer group of companies of comparable size and annual mileage. If a company rises above a threshold established by the FMCSA, it is subject to action from the FMCSA. There is a progressive intervention strategy that begins with a company providing the FMCSA with an acceptable plan of corrective action that the company will implement. If the issues are not corrected, the intervention escalates to on-site compliance audits and ultimately an “unsatisfactory” rating and the revocation of the company’s operating authority by the FMCSA, which could result in a material adverse effect on our business and consolidated results of operations and financial position.
Any trucking operations would be subject to possible regulatory and legislative changes that may increase our costs. Some of these possible changes include changes in environmental regulations, changes in the hours of service regulations which govern the amount of time a driver may drive or work in any specific period, onboard black box recorder device requirements or limits on vehicle weight and size.
Competition in the LNG industry is intense, and some of our competitors have greater financial, technological and other resources than we currently possess.
We plan to operate in the highly competitive area of LNG production and face intense competition from independent, technology-driven companies as well as from both major and other independent oil and natural gas companies and utilities, many of which have been in operation longer than us.
Many competing companies have secured access to, or are pursuing development or acquisition of, LNG facilities in North America. We may face competition from major energy companies and others in pursuing our business strategy to provide LNG. Some of these competitors have longer operating histories, more development experience, greater name recognition, larger staffs and substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we currently possess. We also face competition for the contractors needed to build our facilities. The superior resources that some of these competitors have available for deployment could allow them to compete successfully against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, ability to realize benefits from future projects, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Failure of LNG to be a competitive source of energy in the markets in which we operate, and seek to operate, could adversely affect our expansion strategy.
Our operations are, and will be, dependent upon LNG being a competitive source of energy in the markets in which we operate. In the United States, due mainly to a historic abundant supply of natural gas and discoveries of substantial quantities of unconventional, or shale, natural gas, imported LNG has not developed into a significant energy source. The success of the domestic liquefaction component of our business plan is dependent, in part, on the extent to which natural gas can, for significant periods and in significant volumes, be produced in the United States at a lower cost than the cost to produce some domestic supplies of other alternative energy sources, and that it can be transported at reasonable rates through appropriately-scaled infrastructure.
Additionally, natural gas competes with other sources of energy, including coal, oil, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy, which may become available at a lower cost in certain markets. As a result of this and other factors, natural gas may not be a competitive source of energy in the markets we intend to serve or elsewhere. The failure of natural gas to be a competitive supply alternative to oil and other alternative energy sources could adversely affect our ability to deliver LNG or natural gas to our customers in North America or other locations on a commercial basis.
Our lack of diversification could have an adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
A significant portion of our anticipated revenue in 2021 will be dependent upon our facilities in George West, Texas. Due to our lack of asset and geographic diversification, an adverse development at the George West Liquefier or in the LNG industry, would have a significantly greater impact on our financial condition and operating results than if we maintained more diverse assets and operating areas.
Our risk management strategies cannot eliminate all LNG price and supply risks. In addition, any non-compliance with our risk management strategies could result in significant financial losses.
When engaged in marketing activities, it is our strategy to maintain a manageable balance between LNG purchases, on the one hand, and sales or future delivery obligations, on the other hand. Through these transactions, we seek to earn a margin for the LNG purchased by selling LNG for physical delivery to third-party users, such as public utilities, industrial users, trucking fleets and other potential end-users converting from traditional diesel or oil fuel to natural gas. These strategies cannot, however, eliminate all price risks. For example, any event that disrupts our anticipated supply chain could expose us to risk of loss resulting from price changes if we are required to obtain alternative supplies to cover these transactions. We are also exposed to basis risks when LNG is purchased against one pricing index and sold against a different index. Moreover, we are also exposed to other risks, including price risks on LNG we own, which must be maintained in order to facilitate transportation of the LNG to our customers or to our facilities. In addition, our marketing operations involve the risk of non-compliance with our risk management policies. We cannot assure you that our processes and procedures will detect and prevent all violations of our risk management strategies, particularly if deception or other intentional misconduct is involved. If we were to incur a material loss related to commodity price risks, including non-compliance with our risk management strategies, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. There can be no assurance that we will be able to supply our customers with LNG produced at our own facilities.
We may experience increased labor costs, and the unavailability of skilled workers or failure to attract and retain qualified personnel could adversely affect us.
We are dependent upon the available labor pool of skilled employees, including truck drivers. We compete with other energy companies and other employers to attract and retain qualified personnel with the technical skills and experience required to construct and operate energy-related infrastructure and to provide our customers with the highest quality service. In addition, the tightening of the transportation related labor market due to the shortage of skilled truck drivers may affect our ability to hire and retain skilled truck drivers and require us to pay increased wages. In response to reduced activity levels during the year ended December 31, 2020, we reduced our employee headcount. As activity returns to pre-COVID-19 levels, we may not be able to find enough skilled labor to meet our needs, which could limit our growth.
In addition, we, and our subsidiaries in the United States who hire personnel, are also subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs such matters as minimum wage, overtime and other working conditions. We are also subject to applicable labor regulations in the other jurisdictions in which we operate, including Canada and Mexico. We may face challenges and costs in hiring, retaining and managing our employee base. A shortage in the labor pool of skilled workers or other general inflationary pressures or changes in applicable laws and regulations could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified personnel and could require an increase in the wage and benefits packages that we offer, thereby increasing our operating costs. Any increase in our operating costs could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.
We may incur impairments to goodwill or long-lived assets.
We test our long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of these assets may not be recoverable. We test goodwill for impairment annually, or more frequently as circumstances dictate. Significant negative industry or economic trends, and decline of market capitalization, reduced estimates of future cash flows for business segments or disruptions to business could lead to an impairment charge of the long-lived assets, including our goodwill. Our valuation methodology for assessing impairment requires management to make judgments and assumptions based on historical experience and to rely heavily on projections of future operating performance. Projections of future operating results and cash flows may vary significantly from results. In addition, if our analysis results in an impairment to our goodwill or long-lived assets, we may be required to record a charge to earnings in our consolidated financial statements during a period in which such impairment is determined to exist, which may negatively impact our operating results.
A major health and safety incident involving LNG or the energy industry more broadly or relating to our business may lead to more stringent regulation of LNG operations or the energy business generally, could result in greater difficulties in obtaining permits, including under environmental laws, on favorable terms, and may otherwise lead to significant liabilities and reputational damage.
Health and safety performance is critical to the success of all areas of our business. Any failure in health and safety performance from our operations may result in an event that causes personal harm or injury to our employees, other persons, and/or the environment, as well as the imposition of injunctive relief and/or penalties for non-compliance with relevant regulatory requirements or litigation. Any such failure that results in a significant health and safety incident may be costly in terms of potential liabilities, and may result in liabilities that exceed the limits of our insurance coverage. Such a failure, or a similar failure elsewhere in the energy industry (including, in particular, LNG liquefaction, storage, transportation or regasification operations), could generate public concern, which may lead to new laws and/or regulations that would impose more stringent requirements on our operations, have a corresponding impact on our ability to obtain permits and approvals, and otherwise jeopardize our reputation or the reputation of our industry as well as our relationships with relevant regulatory agencies and local communities. Individually or collectively, these developments could adversely impact our ability to expand our business, including into new markets. Similarly, such developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Failure to obtain and maintain permits, approvals and authorizations from governmental and regulatory agencies on favorable terms with respect to the design, construction and operation of our facilities could impede operations and construction and could have a material adverse effect on us.
The design, construction and operation of energy-related infrastructure, including existing and proposed facilities, the import and export of LNG and the transportation of natural gas, are highly regulated activities at the federal, state and local levels. Approvals of the Department of Energy (“DOE”) under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”), as well as several other material governmental and regulatory permits, approvals and authorizations, including under the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) and the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and their state analogues, may be required in order to construct and operate an LNG facility and export LNG. Permits, approvals and authorizations obtained from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), DOE and other federal and state regulatory agencies also contain ongoing conditions, and additional requirements may be imposed. Certain federal permitting processes may trigger the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), which requires federal agencies to evaluate major agency actions that have the potential to significantly impact the environment.
Compliance with NEPA may extend the time and/or increase the costs for obtaining necessary governmental approvals associated with our operations and create independent risk of legal challenges to the adequacy of the NEPA analysis, which could result in delays that may adversely affect our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and profitability. We may also be subject to yet additional requirements in Canada and Mexico or other jurisdictions, including with respect to land use approvals needed to construct and operate our facilities.
We cannot control the outcome of any review and approval process, including whether or when any such permits, approvals and authorizations will be obtained, the terms of their issuance, or possible appeals or other potential interventions by third parties, including third parties opposing our operations or the fossil fuel industry generally, that could interfere with our ability to obtain and maintain such permits, approvals and authorizations or the terms thereof. If we are unable to obtain and maintain such permits, approvals and authorizations on favorable terms, we may not be able to recover our investment in our projects. Many of these permits, approvals and authorizations require public notice and comment before they can be issued, which can lead to delays to respond to such comments, and even potentially to revise the permit application or to changes in permit terms and conditions. There is no assurance that we will obtain and maintain these governmental permits, approvals and authorizations on favorable terms, or that we will be able to obtain them on a timely basis, and failure to obtain and maintain any of these permits, approvals or authorizations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. Moreover, many of these permits, approvals and authorizations are subject to administrative and judicial challenges, which can delay and protract the process for obtaining and implementing permits and can also add significant costs and uncertainty.
Existing and future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating costs or construction costs and restrictions.
Our business is now and will in the future be subject to extensive federal, international, state and local laws and regulations both in the United States and in other jurisdictions where we operate that regulate and restrict, among other things, the siting and design of our facilities, discharges to air, land and water, with focus on the protection of human health, the environment and natural resources from risks associated with processing, storing, receiving and transporting LNG; the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials, hazardous waste and petroleum products; and remediation associated with the release of hazardous substances. For example, the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) has promulgated detailed regulations governing LNG facilities under its jurisdiction to address LNG facility siting, design, construction, equipment, operations, maintenance, personnel qualifications and training, fire protection and security. State and local regulators can impose similar siting, design, construction and operational requirements.
Federal and state laws impose liability, without regard to fault or the lawfulness of the original conduct, for the release of certain types or quantities of hazardous substances into the environment. As the owner and operator of our facilities and as generators of and arrangers for the transport and disposal of regulated wastes, we could be liable for the costs of cleaning up any such hazardous substances that may be released into the environment at or from our facilities or facilities to which wastes or hazardous substances were transported or disposed, for resulting damage to natural resources, and for certain health studies.
Laws and regulations, such as the CAA and the CWA, and analogous state laws and regulations, restrict or prohibit the types, quantities and concentration of substances that can be emitted or discharged into the environment in connection with the construction and operation of our facilities, and require us to obtain and maintain permits and provide governmental authorities with access to our facilities for inspection and reports related to compliance. Relevant local authorities may also require us to obtain and maintain permits associated with the construction and operation of our facilities, including with respect to land use approvals.
In addition, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and analogous state laws impose detailed requirements for the generation, handling, storage, processing, treatment and disposal of nonhazardous and hazardous solid wastes. Wastes listed as hazardous wastes or that have hazardous characteristics are subject to more stringent requirements than those considered nonhazardous.
We are also subject to the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and comparable state statutes whose purpose is to protect the health and safety of workers. In addition, the OSHA hazard communication standard, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, the general duty clause and Risk Management Planning regulations promulgated under section 112(r) of the CAA and comparable state statutes and any implementing regulations require recordkeeping and disclosure of information about hazardous materials used or produced in our operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and local governmental authorities and citizens. These laws also require the development of risk management plans for certain facilities to prevent accidental releases of extremely hazardous substances and to minimize the consequences of such releases should they occur.
Failure to comply with any of these laws and regulations could lead to substantial liabilities, fines and penalties or capital expenditures related to pollution control equipment and restrictions or curtailment of operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Other future legislation and regulations could cause additional expenditures, restrictions and delays in our business and to our proposed construction, the extent of which cannot be predicted and which may require us to limit substantially, delay or cease operations in some circumstances. In October 2017, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a legal determination that a 2013 interagency guidance document was a “rule” subject to the Congressional Review Act (“CRA”). This legal determination could open a broader set of agency guidance documents to potential disapproval and invalidation under the CRA, potentially increasing the likelihood that laws and regulations applicable to our business will become subject to revised interpretations in the future that we cannot predict. Revised, reinterpreted or additional laws and regulations that result in increased compliance costs or additional operating or construction costs and restrictions could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Greenhouse Gases/Climate Change. From time to time, there may be federal and state regulatory and policy initiatives to reduce GHG emissions in the United States from a variety of sources. Other federal and state initiatives are being considered or may be considered in the future to address GHG emissions through, for example, United States treaty commitments or other international agreements, direct regulation, a carbon emissions tax, or cap-and-trade programs. For example, the U.S. recommitted to the Paris Agreement, an international treaty with the goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius as compared to pre-industrial levels.
Responding to scientific reports regarding threats posed by global climate change, the U.S. Congress has in the past considered legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs. Independent of Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has adopted regulations for reporting and controlling GHG emissions from certain air emissions sources under its existing authority under the CAA, and may adopt more stringent regulations in the future. In addition, some states and foreign jurisdictions have individually or in regional cooperation, imposed restrictions on GHG emissions under various policies and approaches, including establishing a cap on emissions, requiring efficiency measures, or providing incentives for pollution reduction, use of renewable energy sources, or use of replacement fuels with lower carbon content.
The adoption and implementation of any U.S. federal, state or local regulations or foreign regulations imposing obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, our equipment and operations could require us to incur significant costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations or could adversely affect demand for natural gas and natural gas products. The potential increase in our operating costs could include new costs to operate and maintain our facilities, permit our facilities, install new emission controls on our facilities, acquire allowances to authorize our GHG emissions, pay taxes related to our GHG emissions, and administer and manage a GHG emissions program. We may not be able to recover such increased costs through increases in customer prices or rates. In addition, changes in regulatory policies that result in a reduction in the demand for hydrocarbon products that are deemed to contribute to GHGs, or restrict their use, may reduce volumes available to us for processing, transportation, marketing and storage. These developments could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, due to concerns over climate change, numerous countries around the world have adopted or are considering adopting laws or regulations to reduce GHG emissions. In December 2015, the U.S. and 195 other nations attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference adopted the Paris Agreement on global climate change, which establishes a universal framework for addressing GHG emissions based on nationally determined contributions. The Paris Agreement calls for zero net anthropogenic GHG emission to be reached during the second half of the 21st century. The Paris Agreement does not create any binding obligations for nations to limit their GHG emissions but rather includes pledges to voluntarily limit or reduce future emissions. It also creates a process for participating countries to review and increase their intended emissions reduction goals every five years. Although the United States became a party to the Paris Agreement in April 2016, in August 2017 the U.S. State Department informed the United Nations of its intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and in November 2019, the U.S. took another step toward withdrawal by submitting a formal notice of its withdrawal to the United Nations. Notably, the earliest date of withdrawal under the terms of the Agreement was November 4, 2020, one day after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. On January 20, 2021, President Biden sent a letter to the United Nations that formally begun the 30-day process of rejoining the Paris Agreement. It is not possible to know how quickly renewable energy technologies may advance, but the increased use of renewable energy could ultimately reduce future demand for hydrocarbons. These developments could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Fossil Fuels. Our business activities depend upon a sufficient and reliable supply of natural gas feedstock, and are therefore subject to concerns in certain sectors of the public about the exploration, production and transportation of natural gas and other fossil fuels and the consumption of fossil fuels more generally. Legislative and regulatory action, and possible litigation, in response to such public concerns may also adversely affect our operations. We may be subject to future laws, regulations, or actions to address such public concern with fossil fuel generation, distribution and combustion, GHGs and the effects of global
climate change. Our customers may also move away from using fossil fuels such as LNG for their power generation needs for reputational or perceived risk-related reasons. These matters represent uncertainties in the operation and management of our business, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) goals, programs, and reporting are increasingly being touted by capital providers and investors as a priority for the energy industry, and access to capital and investors for companies not prioritizing ESG may become increasingly limited.
Spurred by increasing concerns regarding climate change, the energy industry faces growing demand for corporate transparency and a demonstrated commitment to sustainability goals. ESG goals and programs, which typically include extralegal targets related to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and corporate governance, have become an increasing focus of investors and shareholders across the industry. While reporting on ESG metrics remains voluntary, access to capital and investors is likely to favor companies with robust ESG programs in place.
In addition, if ESG metrics and/or reporting become mandatory, our costs of planning, measuring, monitoring, and reporting on our operations could increase and could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
The continued spread of a contagious illness such as COVID-19, may adversely affect our business, operations and financial condition.
The responses of governmental authorities and companies across the world to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly reduced global economic activity. Various containment measures, which have included business closures, work stoppages, work-from-home directives, shuttering of public spaces and events and/or severe restrictions of global and regional travel, among others, while aiding in the prevention of further spread of the virus, have resulted in the slowing of economic growth, reduced demand for crude oil and natural gas and the disruption of global manufacturing supply chains. As the COVID-19 outbreak is still evolving, much of its impact remains unknown.
Effects of the current pandemic include, or may include, among others:
•deterioration of worldwide, regional or national economic conditions and activity, which could further reduce or prolong the sustained low energy prices, or adversely affect global demand for LNG and natural gas;
•disruptions to our operations as a result of the potential health impact on our employees and crew, and on the workforces of our customers and business partners;
•potential reduced cash flows and financial condition, including potential liquidity constraints;
•negative impact on the credit worthiness of our customers and contractual counterparties;
•reduced access to capital, including the ability to refinance any existing obligations, as a result of any credit tightening generally or due to continued declines in global financial markets;
•disruptions, delays or cancellations in the construction of new LNG and natural gas projects, which could limit or adversely affect our ability to pursue future growth opportunities; and
•potential deterioration in the financial condition and prospects of our customers or joint venture partners, or attempts by customers or third parties to invoke force majeure contractual clauses as a result of delays or other disruptions.
The Company has implemented a number of cost control measures, including headcount reductions, temporary salary reductions and other measures to adjust to anticipated activity levels and maintain adequate liquidity. However, there can be no assurance that these steps will be sufficient mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company will continue to monitor the developments relating to COVID-19 and will follow health and safety guidelines as they evolve. Management may implement further similar cost control measures, as necessary, but there can be no assurances that such measures will be effective.
In addition, federal, state and local governments have enacted various measures to try to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and business shutdowns. It is unknown when easing of these lockdowns and reopening will occur even as COVID-19 vaccines become available in the countries in which we operate. Our facility in George West, Texas, as well as our M&I Brazil subsidiary in Brazil, and our 40% interest in BOMAY, a joint venture in China, are critical infrastructure and have continued to operate during the outbreak, which means that we must keep our employees who operate our facilities safe and minimize unnecessary risk of exposure to the virus. In response, we have taken certain precautionary measures to protect the continued safety and welfare of our employees who continue to work at our facilities and have modified certain business and workforce practices, such as implementing work from home policies where appropriate
The measures taken to prevent an outbreak at our facilities may result in increased costs. If a large number of our employees in those critical facilities were to contract COVID-19 at the same time, our operations could be adversely affected.
In recent months, new COVID-19 variants were discovered internationally and within the U.S. Many uncertainties remain with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation. Given the dynamic nature of these circumstances and the international nature of our business and operations, the duration of any business disruption and the related financial impact to us cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. The COVID-19 pandemic alone or coupled with continued volatility in the energy markets may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects or have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described herein and in our Form 10-K. The extent to which our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak or volatility in the energy markets will depend on various factors beyond our control and are highly uncertain, including the duration and scope of the outbreak, decreased demand for LNG and the resulting economic effects of the outbreak of COVID-19.
Our ability to maintain our liquidity may be materially and adversely affected if any significant customer fails to perform its contractual obligations for any reason or if we are unable to access the capital markets.
Our principal sources of liquidity have consisted of cash on hand, cash provided by our operations, and distributions from our BOMAY joint venture. Our ability to generate cash is substantially dependent upon the performance by customers under contracts that we have entered into, and we could be materially and adversely affected if any significant customer fails to perform its contractual obligations for any reason. In addition, as a result of the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the volatility in the energy markets, we believe we are exposed to heightened credit and performance risk of our customers and contractual counterparties.
The Company may, from time to time, enter into credit arrangements or finance lease obligations. If we are unable to obtain additional funding, approvals or amendments to our financings outstanding from time to time, or if additional funding is only available on terms that we determine are not acceptable to us, we may be unable to fully execute our business plan and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be materially adversely affected. Additionally, we may need to adjust the timing of our planned capital expenditures depending on the requirements of financing arrangements and availability of such additional funding. Our ability to raise additional capital will depend on financial, economic and market conditions, which have increased in volatility and at times have been negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our progress in executing our business strategy and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that such additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Additional debt financing, if available, may subject us to restrictive covenants that could limit our flexibility in conducting future business activities and could result in us expending significant resources to service our obligations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Risks Inherent in an Investment in Us
We may incur losses over the next several years and may never achieve or maintain profitability.
We may continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. The net losses the Company incurs may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:
• seek to identify additional expansion of business operation opportunities;
• develop manufacturing processes and distribution processes;
• establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize our business and products;
• hire additional personnel;
• add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our business development and planned future commercialization efforts.
To become and remain profitable, we must develop and execute our business plan. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities. We may never succeed in these activities and, even if we do, may never generate revenues that are significant or large enough to achieve profitability. If we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would decrease the value of the Company and could impair our ability to raise capital, maintain our existing business operations and development efforts, expand our business or continue our operations and may require us to raise additional capital that may dilute the ownership interest of common stock holders. A decline in the value of the Company could also cause stockholders to lose all or part of their investment.
Our Company may need substantial additional funding. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we would be compelled to delay, reduce or eliminate portions of our existing business operations and development efforts.
We expect our expenses to increase in parallel with our ongoing activities. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate parts of our existing business and development efforts.
Based upon current operating plans, our net cash to fund our operations will be challenging. We may need to raise additional funds to pursue business activities and opportunities. Additionally, our funding needs may fluctuate significantly based on a number of factors. Accordingly, we will need to continue to rely on additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our stockholders or restrict our operations.
We expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings and debt financings. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interest of common stock holders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of common stockholders. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.
We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise additional funds when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts.
Following the Share Exchange, the market price of our common stock declined, and we expect the stock price of our common stock to continue to be volatile.
The market price of our common stock could continue to fluctuate. Market prices for securities of energy producers, distributors and other businesses in the energy generation and distribution industry have been particularly volatile. Some of the factors that may cause the market price of the common stock of the Company to fluctuate include:
• our ability to obtain regulatory approvals for LNG business expansions, and delays or failures to obtain such approvals;
• failure of any of our business strategy to achieve commercial success;
• issues in developing and expanding our LNG infrastructure and facilities, and service and delivery operations;
• the results of our current and any future business operations related to LNG distribution or production;
• the entry into, or termination of, key agreements, including key commercial partner agreements;
• the initiation of, material developments in, or conclusion of litigation to enforce or defend any of our rights under our material contracts or defend against the rights of others;
• the introduction of technological innovations or new energy products or methods of distribution that compete with our potential products;
• the loss of key employees;
• changes in estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, if any, who cover our common stock;
•fluctuations in actual and anticipated future commodity prices;
• general and industry-specific economic conditions that may affect our research and development expenditures; and
• period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results.
Moreover, the stock markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of individual companies. These broad market fluctuations may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. In addition, we may become involved in securities class action litigation or shareholder litigation in connection with the Share Exchange. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation. Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover all costs and damages.
Our common stock is thinly traded and the market for our securities may continue to be limited, and be sporadic and highly volatile.
There is currently a limited public market for our common stock. Holders of our common stock may, therefore, have difficulty selling their shares, should they decide to do so. In addition, there can be no assurances that any shares which are purchased will be sold without incurring a loss. The market price of our shares may not necessarily bear any relationship to our book value, assets, past operating results, financial condition or any other established criteria of value, and may not be indicative of the market price for our common stock in the future. Finally, the purchase or sale of relatively small common stock positions may result in disproportionately large increases or decreases in the price of our common stock. There can be no assurance that a more active market for our common stock will develop, or if one should develop, there is no assurance that it will be sustained.
If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they publish negative evaluations or recommendations, our share price could decline.
The trading market for our common stock may be impacted by the availability or lack of research and reports that third-party industry or financial analysts publish about us. There are many large, publicly-traded companies active in the energy and power generation and distribution industry, which may mean it will be less likely that we receive widespread analyst coverage. Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrade our stock, our stock price would likely decline. If we do not receive adequate coverage by reputable analysts that have an understanding of our business and industry, we could fail to achieve visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.
We are a “smaller reporting company” and, as a result of the reduced disclosure and governance requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies, our common stock may be less attractive to investors.
We are a “smaller reporting company,” within the meaning of the Exchange Act. As a “smaller reporting company,” we are subject to lesser disclosure obligations in our SEC filings compared to other issuers. Specifically, “smaller reporting companies” are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings, are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings, including, among other things, only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in annual reports. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status a “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our operating results and financial prospects and make our common stock less attractive to investors. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile.
Casey Crenshaw, our Executive Chairman, has voting control over our company.
As of December 31, 2020, Casey Crenshaw has beneficial ownership of 76.7% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. As a result, Mr. Crenshaw may control all matters that require stockholder approval, as well as our management and affairs. For example, Mr. Crenshaw may unilaterally approve the election of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This concentration of ownership makes it unlikely that any other holder or group of holders of our common stock will be able to affect the way the Company is managed or the direction of its business. Mr. Crenshaw’s interests with respect to matters potentially or actually involving or affecting the Company, such as future acquisitions, financings and other corporate opportunities and attempts to acquire the Company, may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders. This concentration of ownership control may:
• delay, defer or prevent a change in control;
• entrench its management and the board of directors;
• impede a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving the company that other stockholders may desire; or
•exempt us from certain corporate governance requirements that provide protection to stockholders of other public companies.
This concentration of stock ownership may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock to the extent investors perceive a disadvantage in owning stock of a company with significant stockholders.
We may have conflicts of interest arising out of transactions with parties related to Casey Crenshaw.
We enter into transactions with entities managed or controlled by Casey Crenshaw in the ordinary course of business as described in Item 13 herein which may result in conflicts of interest. If conflicts arise in connection with such related party transactions we cannot assure you that such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.
In addition to Mr. Crenshaw’s ability to control all matters that require stockholder approval, provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Florida law could make an acquisition of the Company, which may be beneficial to its stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our corporate charter and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of our company that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because the Board of Directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by stockholders to replace or remove the current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of the Board of Directors. Among other things, these provisions:
• allow the authorized number of our directors to be fixed only by resolution of our Board of Directors;
• establish advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals that can be acted on at stockholder meetings and nominations to our Board of Directors;
• require that stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called stockholder meeting or by our stockholders by written consent of the holders of over 50% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast;
• authorize our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used to institute a shareholder rights plan, or so-called “poison pill,” that would work to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, effectively preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our Board of Directors;
• require the proposal of our Board of Directors and the approval of the holders of over 50% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast to amend our charter; and
• require the approval of the holders of over 50% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast to amend our bylaws.
Moreover, because we are incorporated in Florida, we are governed by the provisions of Section 607.0901 and 607.0102 of the Florida Business Corporation Act.
In general, Section 607.0901 regulates certain transactions between a corporation and an “interested shareholder,” one who beneficially owns more than ten percent of the corporation’s outstanding voting shares. The statute provides significant protection to minority shareholders by assuring that the transactions covered by the statute are either (a) procedurally fair (i.e., the transaction is approved by disinterested directors or disinterested shareholders) or (b) substantively fair (i.e., result in a fair price to the shareholders).
In general, Section 607.0902 focuses on the acquisition of “control shares” in an issuing public corporation. When control shares are acquired in a “control share acquisition,” the shares do not have voting rights. Voting rights may be restored only if the bidder files an acquiring person statement and requests a shareholder meeting to vote on whether the bidder’s shares should be accorded voting rights. Voting rights are restored only to the extent approved by the disinterested shareholders (which excludes both the bidder and management shareholders). Alternatively, the bidder’s shares will have voting rights if the acquisition is approved by the target company’s board of directors. As a result, mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts of us may be discouraged or prevented.
We do not anticipate that we will pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The current expectation is that for the foreseeable future, we will retain our future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. Any payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, statutory and contractual restrictions applying to the payment of dividends and other considerations that the board of directors deems relevant. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be the sole source of gain, if any, for any stockholders for the foreseeable future.
Our present and future success depends on key members of our management team and certain employees and our ability to retain such key members, the loss of any of whom could disrupt our business operations.
We are highly dependent on principal members of our management team and certain of our other employees. The loss of the services of any member of our management team could disrupt our operations, adversely impact the achievement of our objections and increase our exposure to the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section. We have not entered into employment agreements with Mr. Reddinger, Mr. Puhala and other principal members of our management team, and any of them could leave our employment at any time.
Our success will also depend on pre-existing relationships with third parties. Any adverse changes in these relationships could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our success will be dependent on the ability to maintain and renew relationships with pre-existing third-party relationships. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain pre-existing business relationships, or enter into or maintain new business relationships, on acceptable terms, if at all. The failure to maintain important pre-existing third-party relationships could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
General Risk Factors
Weakened global macro-economic conditions may adversely affect our industry, ability to access capital, business and results of operations.
Our overall performance depends in part on worldwide macro-economic and geopolitical conditions. The United States has experienced cyclical downturns from time to time in which economic activity was impacted by falling demand for a variety of goods and services, restricted credit, poor liquidity, reduced corporate profitability, volatility in credit, equity and foreign exchange markets, bankruptcies and overall uncertainty with respect to the economy. These global macro-economic conditions can suddenly arise and the full impact of such conditions can remain uncertain. In addition, geopolitical developments, such as existing and potential trade wars and other events beyond our control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can increase levels of political and economic unpredictability globally and increase the volatility of global financial markets. Weakened global macro-economic conditions could cause the demand for and price of our products to decrease. In addition, restricted credit conditions could limit our ability to access capital on favorable terms, if at all. A deterioration in the macro-economic could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and liquidity.
A cyber incident could result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption, operational delays and/or financial loss.
Our business has become increasingly dependent on digital technologies to conduct day-to-day operations. We depend on digital technology to manage our operations and other business processes and to record financial, operating and other sensitive data. Our business partners, including vendors, customers and financial institutions, are also dependent on digital technology. Our technologies, systems networks, and those of our business partners, may become the target of cyber-attacks or information security breaches that could result in the disruption of our business operations. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any cyber vulnerabilities. A cyber incident could lead to losses of sensitive information, critical infrastructure, personnel, or capabilities essential to our operations and could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
From time to time, we may be involved in legal proceedings and may experience unfavorable outcomes.
In the future we may be subject to material legal proceedings in the course of our business, including, but not limited to, actions relating to contract disputes, business practices, intellectual property and other commercial and tax matters. Such legal proceedings may involve claims for substantial amounts of money or for other relief or might necessitate changes to our business or operations, and the defense of such actions may be both time consuming and expensive. Further, if any such proceedings were to result in an unfavorable outcome, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.
We will continue to incur costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies.
We incur and will continue to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that Stabilis Solutions, Inc. and its subsidiaries did not incur as private companies, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements. We also incur costs associated with corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. These rules and regulations increase our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costly. These rules and regulations may also make it difficult and expensive for us to obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. As a result, it may be more difficult to attract and retain qualified individuals to
serve on our board of directors (the “Board” or “Board of Directors”) or as executive officers, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and could cause our business or stock price to suffer.
If we fail to establish and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, our operating results and our ability to operate its business could be harmed.
Ensuring that we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and procedures in place so that we can produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis is a costly and time-consuming effort that needs to be re-evaluated frequently. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
In addition, we are required to be compliant with public company internal control requirements mandated under Section 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We are implementing measures designed to improve our internal controls over financial reporting, including the hiring of accounting personnel and establishing new accounting and financial reporting procedures to establish an appropriate level of internal controls over financial reporting. However, we cannot provide assurances that we will be successful in doing so. If we are unable to successfully implement internal controls over financial reporting, the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting, and our stock price, may be adversely affected and we may be unable to maintain compliance with the applicable stock exchange listing requirements.
Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may distract our officers and employees, entail substantial costs to modify existing processes and take significant time to complete. These changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase operating costs and harm the business. In addition, investors’ perceptions that our internal controls are inadequate or that we are unable to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis may harm our stock price.