WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Fuel Gas Company (“National Fuel” or the “Company”) (NYSE:NFG) today announced consolidated results for the first quarter of its 2023 fiscal year.

FISCAL 2023 FIRST QUARTER SUMMARY

• GAAP net income of $169.7 million, or $1.84 per share, compared to GAAP net income of $132.4 million, or $1.44 per share, in the prior year, an increase of 28% per share.
• Adjusted operating results of $169.5 million, or $1.84 per share, an increase of 24%, compared to $1.48 per share, in the prior year (see non-GAAP reconciliation on page 2).
• Adjusted EBITDA of $351.0 million, an increase of 18%, compared to $298.2 million in the prior year (see non-GAAP reconciliation on page 21).
• Net cash provided by operating activities of $327.3 million, an increase of 91%, compared to $171.5 million in the prior year.
• Pipeline & Storage segment Adjusted EBITDA of $64.5 million, an increase of 13%, compared to $57.2 million in the prior year.
• E&P segment Adjusted EBITDA of $190.3 million, an increase of 29%, compared to $147.0 million in the prior year.
• E&P segment net Appalachian natural gas production of 90.6 Bcfe, an increase of 9.2 Bcfe, or 11%, higher than prior year and 3% higher than fiscal 2022 fourth quarter.
• Average realized natural gas prices of $3.02 per Mcf, up $0.50 per Mcf from the prior year.
• Company is revising its fiscal 2023 earnings guidance to a range of $5.35 to $5.75 per share.
  

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS

David P. Bauer, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Fuel Gas Company, stated: “First, I want to share my appreciation for the exceptional performance of our employees during Winter Storm Elliott in Buffalo, NY. In the face of extreme weather conditions, they went the extra mile to ensure that safe, reliable natural gas service continued uninterrupted when it was needed most.

“Despite this weather challenge, National Fuel had a terrific start to fiscal 2023, with all four segments contributing to a 24% increase in adjusted operating results. Our upstream business led the way, with 11% growth in Appalachian natural gas production and the tailwind of strong natural gas pricing, driving a large portion of the increase over last year.

“While our outlook for the remainder of fiscal 2023 has been impacted by the recent reduction in natural gas prices, the strength of our integrated model, underpinned by our rate-regulated businesses, provides a measure of earnings and cash flow stability. Longer-term, we are very well positioned to generate significant free cash flow, which we expect will further strengthen our investment grade balance sheet and provide flexibility to deliver additional value to our shareholders in the years ahead.”

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED OPERATING RESULTS

FISCAL 2023 GUIDANCE UPDATE

National Fuel is revising its fiscal 2023 earnings guidance to reflect the results of the first quarter, along with updated forecast assumptions and projections. The Company is now projecting that earnings will be within the range of $5.35 to $5.75 per share, a decrease of $1.10 per share from the midpoint of the Company’s prior guidance range. The decrease from the Company’s prior earnings guidance primarily reflects the impact of lower natural gas price expectations, as the rest of the Company's assumptions and projections are largely unchanged.

The Company is now assuming that NYMEX natural gas prices will average $3.25 per MMBtu for the remainder of fiscal 2023, a decrease of $1.92 per MMBtu from the $5.17 per MMBtu average ($6.00 per MMBtu in January through March and $4.75 per MMBtu in April through September) assumed in the previous guidance over the remaining nine months of the fiscal year. For guidance purposes, the Company’s updated natural gas price projections approximate the current NYMEX forward curve and consider the impact of local sales point differentials and new physical firm sales, transportation, and financial hedge contracts.

The Exploration and Production segment’s fiscal 2023 net production guidance range of 370 to 390 Bcfe remains unchanged. Seneca currently has firm sales contracts in place for approximately 90% of its projected remaining fiscal 2023 production, limiting its exposure to in-basin markets. Approximately 68% of Seneca’s expected remaining production is either matched by a financial hedge, including a combination of swaps and no-cost collars, or was entered into at a fixed price.

The Company’s consolidated and individual segment capital expenditures and other guidance assumptions remain largely unchanged from the previous guidance. The details are outlined in the table on page 7.

DISCUSSION OF FIRST QUARTER RESULTS BY SEGMENT

The following earnings discussion of each operating segment for the quarter ended December 31, 2022 is summarized in a tabular form on pages 8 and 9 of this report. It may be helpful to refer to those tables while reviewing this discussion.

Note that management defines Adjusted Operating Results as reported GAAP earnings adjusted for items impacting comparability, and Adjusted EBITDA as reported GAAP earnings before the following items: interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, other income and deductions, impairments, and other items reflected in operating income that impact comparability.

Upstream Business

Exploration and Production Segment

The Exploration and Production segment operations are carried out by Seneca Resources Company, LLC (“Seneca”). Seneca explores for, develops and produces primarily natural gas reserves in Pennsylvania.

Seneca’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $28.8 million versus the prior year primarily due to higher realized natural gas prices and natural gas production. These increases were partially offset by the loss of earnings from Seneca’s California assets that were sold in June 2022, higher Appalachian operating expenses and higher income tax expense.

Seneca produced 90.6 Bcfe during the first quarter, an increase of 5.5 Bcfe, or 7%, from the prior year. This is a result of a 9.2 Bcf increase, or 11%, in Appalachian natural gas production from Seneca’s development program, offset by a 3.7 Bcfe decrease in production related to the aforementioned California sale.

Seneca’s average realized natural gas price, after the impact of hedging and transportation costs, was $3.02 per Mcf, an increase of $0.50 per Mcf from the prior year. This increase was primarily due to higher NYMEX prices, higher spot prices at local sales points in Pennsylvania, and an increase in the weighted average hedge price compared to the prior year first quarter.

On an absolute basis, lease operating and transportation expense (“LOE”) decreased $7.6 million primarily due to the California sale. Partly offsetting that decrease were increases in LOE from higher transportation and gathering costs as a result of increased production, as well as higher repair, rental and personnel costs in Appalachia. LOE expense includes $53.8 million in intercompany expense for gathering and compression services used to connect Seneca’s production to sales points along interstate pipelines. On a per unit basis, LOE was $0.68 per Mcfe, a decrease of $0.13 per Mcfe from the prior year.

General and administrative (“G&A”) expense decreased by $2.2 million largely due to the California sale. On a per unit basis, G&A expense was $0.17 per Mcfe, a decrease of $0.04 per Mcfe from the prior year.

The decrease in Seneca’s other operating expenses of $2.1 million was also primarily due to the impact of the sale of Seneca’s California assets.

Depreciation, depletion and amortization (“DD&A”) expense increased $6.1 million due to higher natural gas production and a higher per unit DD&A rate, which was driven by an increase in capitalized costs in Seneca’s full cost pool. DD&A expense was $0.61 per Mcfe, an increase of $0.03 per Mcfe from the prior year.

The increase in Seneca’s income tax expense was primarily driven by a prior year first quarter benefit realized from the Enhanced Oil Recovery tax credit, which did not recur in the current year as a result of the sale of the California assets.

Midstream Businesses

Pipeline and Storage Segment

The Pipeline and Storage segment’s operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (“Supply Corporation”) and Empire Pipeline, Inc. (“Empire”). The Pipeline and Storage segment provides natural gas transportation and storage services to affiliated and non-affiliated companies through an integrated system of pipelines and underground natural gas storage fields in western New York and Pennsylvania.

The Pipeline and Storage segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $4.3 million versus the prior year primarily due to an increase in operating revenues, partially offset by higher operation and maintenance (“O&M”) expense and higher DD&A expense. The increase in operating revenues of $9.3 million was primarily attributable to higher transportation revenues from Supply Corporation’s FM100 Project, which was placed in service in December 2021. O&M expense increased $1.8 million primarily due to an increase in personnel and pipeline integrity costs. The increase in DD&A expense of $1.6 million was primarily attributable to incremental depreciation expense from the FM100 Project.

Gathering Segment

The Gathering segment’s operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Midstream Company, LLC’s limited liability companies. The Gathering segment constructs, owns and operates natural gas gathering pipelines and compression facilities in the Appalachian region, which primarily delivers Seneca’s and other non-affiliated Appalachian production to the interstate pipeline system.

The Gathering segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $1.6 million versus the prior year primarily due to higher operating revenues, partially offset by higher O&M expense. Operating revenues increased $4.2 million, or 8%, which was the result of a 6.9 Bcf increase in gathered volumes due to an increase in Seneca’s natural gas production. The increase in O&M expense of $1.5 million was due to higher compression leasing expenses, as well as increases in personnel and preventative maintenance expenses.

Downstream Business

Utility Segment

The Utility segment operations are carried out by National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation (“Distribution”), which sells or transports natural gas to customers located in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania.

The Utility segment’s first quarter GAAP earnings increased $1.7 million versus the prior year primarily due to higher customer margin (operating revenues less purchased gas sold) and a decrease in non-service pension and post-retirement benefit (“OPEB”) costs, partially offset by higher O&M and interest expense. The increase in customer margin was mainly due to increased customer usage, largely attributable to weather that was 27% colder on average than last year in Distribution’s Pennsylvania service territory (where the Company does not have a Weather Normalization Clause), combined with higher revenues from the Company’s system modernization tracking mechanism in its New York service territory. These factors were partially offset by a reduction in base rates in New York as a result of a rate proceeding that became effective October 1, 2022 which temporarily reduced the Utility’s recovery of pension and OPEB expenses to zero. In addition to lowering rates, the proceeding mandated a corresponding decrease in pension and OPEB expense, most of which had been previously recorded in “below the line” non-service pension and post-retirement benefit costs. O&M expense increased by $3.8 million largely due to higher personnel costs. An increase in the accrual for uncollectible accounts, which was generally in line with the increase in the Utility segment’s revenue, also contributed to higher O&M expense for the quarter. Interest expense increased $2.5 million due primarily to a higher weighted average interest rate on intercompany short-term borrowings.

Corporate and All Other

The Company’s operations that are included in Corporate and All Other generated combined earnings of $0.5 million in the current year first quarter, which was a $0.9 million increase over the combined net loss of $0.4 million in the prior-year first quarter. The increase in earnings was primarily driven by unrealized gains on investment securities recognized in the current quarter compared to unrealized losses on investment securities recognized in the prior-year first quarter, partially offset by a lower amount of realized gains on investment securities sold in the current quarter as compared to the prior-year first quarter.

EARNINGS TELECONFERENCE

The Company will host a conference call on Friday, February 3, 2023, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss this announcement. To pre-register for this call (recommended), please visit https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=3963c6bd&confld=46096. After registering, you will receive your access details via email. To join by telephone on the day of the call, dial U.S. toll free 1-844–200–6205 and provide Access Code 276256. The teleconference will be simultaneously webcast online and can be accessed on the NFG Investor Relations website at investor.nationalfuelgas.com. An audio replay of the teleconference call will be available until Friday, February 10, 2023. To access the telephone replay, dial U.S. toll free 1-866-813-9403 and provide Access Code 856816.

National Fuel is an integrated energy company reporting financial results for four operating segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. Additional information about National Fuel is available at www.nationalfuel.com.

Certain statements contained herein, including statements identified by the use of the words “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “will,” “may” and similar expressions, and statements which are other than statements of historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Company’s expectations, beliefs and projections contained herein are expressed in good faith and are believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that such expectations, beliefs or projections will result or be achieved or accomplished. In addition to other factors, the following are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements: changes in laws, regulations or judicial interpretations to which the Company is subject, including those involving derivatives, taxes, safety, employment, climate change, other environmental matters, real property, and exploration and production activities such as hydraulic fracturing; governmental/regulatory actions, initiatives and proceedings, including those involving rate cases (which address, among other things, target rates of return, rate design, retained natural gas and system modernization), environmental/safety requirements, affiliate relationships, industry structure, and franchise renewal; the Company’s ability to estimate accurately the time and resources necessary to meet emissions targets; governmental/regulatory actions and/or market pressures to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas; changes in economic conditions, including inflationary pressures, supply chain issues, liquidity challenges, and global, national or regional recessions, and their effect on the demand for, and customers’ ability to pay for, the Company’s products and services; changes in the price of natural gas; the creditworthiness or performance of the Company’s key suppliers, customers and counterparties; financial and economic conditions, including the availability of credit, and occurrences affecting the Company’s ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms for working capital, capital expenditures and other investments, including any downgrades in the Company’s credit ratings and changes in interest rates and other capital market conditions; impairments under the SEC’s full cost ceiling test for natural gas reserves; increased costs or delays or changes in plans with respect to Company projects or related projects of other companies, as well as difficulties or delays in obtaining necessary governmental approvals, permits or orders or in obtaining the cooperation of interconnecting facility operators; the Company’s ability to complete planned strategic transactions; changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas sold at different geographic locations, and the effect of such changes on commodity production, revenues and demand for pipeline transportation capacity to or from such locations; the impact of information technology disruptions, cybersecurity or data security breaches; factors affecting the Company’s ability to successfully identify, drill for and produce economically viable natural gas reserves, including among others geology, lease availability and costs, title disputes, weather conditions, shortages, delays or unavailability of equipment and services required in drilling operations, insufficient gathering, processing and transportation capacity, the need to obtain governmental approvals and permits, and compliance with environmental laws and regulations; increasing health care costs and the resulting effect on health insurance premiums and on the obligation to provide other post-retirement benefits; other changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas having different quality, heating value, hydrocarbon mix or delivery date; the cost and effects of legal and administrative claims against the Company or activist shareholder campaigns to effect changes at the Company; negotiations with the collective bargaining units representing the Company's workforce, including potential work stoppages during negotiations; uncertainty of natural gas reserve estimates; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual production levels for natural gas; changes in demographic patterns and weather conditions (including those related to climate change); changes in the availability, price or accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments; changes in laws, actuarial assumptions, the interest rate environment and the return on plan/trust assets related to the Company’s pension and other post-retirement benefits, which can affect future funding obligations and costs and plan liabilities; economic disruptions or uninsured losses resulting from major accidents, fires, severe weather, natural disasters, terrorist activities or acts of war, as well as economic and operational disruptions due to third-party outages; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual capital expenditures and operating expenses; or increasing costs of insurance, changes in coverage and the ability to obtain insurance. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

GUIDANCE SUMMARY

As discussed on page 2, the Company is revising its earnings guidance for fiscal 2023. Additional details on the Company's forecast assumptions and business segment guidance are outlined in the table below.

While the Company expects to record certain adjustments to unrealized gain or loss on investments during the nine months ending September 30, 2023, the amounts of these and other potential adjustments are not reasonably determinable at this time. As such, the Company is unable to provide earnings guidance other than on a non-GAAP basis.

* Commodity price assumptions are for the remaining 9 months of the fiscal year. Previous guidance included separate pricing assumptions for October - March and April - September.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In addition to financial measures calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this press release contains information regarding Adjusted Operating Results, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, which are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they provide an alternative method for assessing the Company's ongoing operating results or liquidity and for comparing the Company’s financial performance to other companies. The Company's management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for the same purpose, and for planning and forecasting purposes. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures is not meant to be a substitute for financial measures in accordance with GAAP.

Management defines Adjusted Operating Results as reported GAAP earnings before items impacting comparability. The following table reconciles National Fuel's reported GAAP earnings to Adjusted Operating Results for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Management defines Adjusted EBITDA as reported GAAP earnings before the following items: interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, other income and deductions, impairments, and other items reflected in operating income that impact comparability. The following tables reconcile National Fuel's reported GAAP earnings to Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
SEGMENT ADJUSTED EBITDA

Management defines free cash flow as funds from operations (net cash provided by operating activities less changes in working capital) less capital expenditures. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation of projected free cash flow as described in this release to its comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP without unreasonable efforts. This is due to our inability to calculate the comparable GAAP projected metrics, including operating income and total production costs, given the unknown effect, timing, and potential significance of certain income statement items.

Brandon J. Haspett
Investor Relations 
716-857-7697

Karen M. Camiolo
Treasurer 
716-857-7344