Holly Energy Partners, L.P. (“HEP” or the “Partnership”) (NYSE:HEP) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2020. Net income attributable to HEP for the fourth quarter was $51.3 million ($0.49 per basic and diluted limited partner unit) compared to $45.7 million ($0.43 per basic and diluted limited partner unit) for the fourth quarter of 2019.

Distributable cash flow was $70.0 million for the quarter, an increase of $5.5 million, or 8.5%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. HEP declared a quarterly cash distribution of $0.35 on January 22, 2021.

The increase in net income attributable to HEP was mainly due to lower interest expense and higher equity in earnings of equity method investments, partially offset by lower volumes on our crude and product pipeline systems.

Commenting on our 2020 fourth quarter results, Michael Jennings, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “HEP delivered another quarter of solid financial and operational results demonstrating the strength and resiliency of HEP's business model. Our assets continue to generate strong and steady cash flows, and we believe we are well positioned to progress our deleveraging efforts while continuing to fully fund our quarterly distributions and our anticipated capital expenditures.

Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business

Our business depends in large part on the demand for the various petroleum products we transport, terminal and store in the markets we serve. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global macroeconomy has created diminished demand, as well as a lack of forward visibility, for refined products and crude oil transportation, and for the terminalling and storage services that we provide. Over the course of the third and fourth quarters, demand for transportation fuels showed incremental improvement over the second quarter of 2020. We expect our customers will continue to adjust refinery production levels commensurate with market demand and ultimately expect demand to return to pre-COVID-19 levels. For additional details of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, please see our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Revenue Highlights

Revenues for the quarter were $127.5 million, a decrease of $4.2 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. The decrease was mainly attributable to lower volumes on our product pipelines servicing Delek US Holdings, Inc. and our crude pipelines systems in New Mexico and Texas, partially offset by higher revenues on our refinery units. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, our overall pipeline volumes decreased for the quarter by 11%.

• Revenues from our refined product pipelines were $28.6 million, a decrease of $2.2 million, on shipments averaging 155.8 thousand barrels per day ("mbpd") compared to 175.7 mbpd for the fourth quarter of 2019. The revenue and volume decreases were mainly due to lower volumes on our product pipelines servicing Delek US Holdings, Inc. partially offset by higher volumes on our product pipelines servicing HFC's Navajo refinery. Revenue also decreased due to a reclassification of certain pipeline income from revenue to interest income under sales-type lease accounting.

• Revenues from our intermediate pipelines were $7.5 million, consistent with the fourth quarter of 2019. Shipments averaged 134.8 mbpd compared to 136.4 mbpd for the fourth quarter of 2019.

• Revenues from our crude pipelines were $32.0 million, a decrease of $1.8 million, on shipments averaging 410.4 mbpd compared to 479.2 mbpd for the fourth quarter of 2019. The revenue decreased mainly due to lower volumes on our crude pipeline systems in New Mexico and Texas.

• Revenues from terminal, tankage and loading rack fees were $38.9 million, a decrease of $2.5 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Refined products and crude oil terminalled in the facilities averaged 440.7 mbpd compared to 456.7 mbpd for the fourth quarter of 2019. The revenue decrease was mainly due to lower butane blending margins and lower reimbursable project revenues.

• Revenues from refinery processing units were $20.5 million, an increase of $2.3 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, and throughputs averaged 63.9 mbpd compared to 55.7 mbpd for the fourth quarter of 2019. The revenue increase was primarily due to higher revenues from our Woods Cross FCC unit, which was unavailable for a portion of the fourth quarter of 2019 due to maintenance. The volume increase was mainly due to higher volumes on our naphtha fractionation unit in El Dorado and the crude unit in Woods Cross.

Year Ended December 31, 2020 Revenue Highlights

Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020, were $497.8 million, a decrease of $34.9 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was mainly attributable to an 18% reduction in overall crude and product pipeline volumes predominantly in our Southwest and Northwest regions.

• Revenues from our refined product pipelines were $116.9 million, a decrease of $15.4 million, on shipments averaging 161.5 mbpd compared to 195.5 mbpd for the year ended December 31, 2019. The volume and revenue decreases were mainly due to lower volumes on pipelines servicing HFC's Navajo refinery, Delek's Big Spring refinery and our UNEV pipeline largely as a result of demand destruction associated with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the recording of certain pipeline tariffs as interest income as the related throughput contract renewals were determined to be sales-type leases.

• Revenues from our intermediate pipelines were $30.0 million, an increase of $0.5 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Shipments averaged 137.1 mbpd compared to 140.6 mbpd for the year ended December 31, 2019.

• Revenues from our crude pipelines were $118.9 million, a decrease of $11.8 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Shipments averaged 387.7 mbpd compared to 501.2 mbpd for the December 31, 2019. The decreases were mainly attributable to decreased volumes on our crude pipeline systems in the Permian Basin, Wyoming and Utah largely as a result of demand destruction associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Revenues from terminal, tankage and loading rack fees were $151.7 million, a decrease of $8.8 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Refined products and crude oil terminalled in the facilities averaged 442.2 mbpd compared to 483.2 mbpd for the year ended December 31, 2019. The revenue and volume decreases were mainly as a result of demand destruction associated with the COVID-19 pandemic across many of our facilities.

• Revenues from refinery processing units were $80.3 million, an increase of $0.6 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Throughputs averaged 61.4 mbpd compared to 68.8 mbpd for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease in volumes was mainly due to reduced throughput for both our Woods Cross and El Dorado processing units largely as a result of demand destruction associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenues remained relatively constant due to contractual minimum volume guarantees.

Operating Costs and Expenses Highlights

Operating costs and expenses were $64.8 million and $292.9 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020, respectively, representing a decrease of $1.6 million and an increase of $24.0 million from the three months and year ended December 31, 2019, respectively. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2020 was mainly due to the goodwill impairment charge related to our Cheyenne business unit, partially offset by lower rental expenses, property taxes and variable costs such as electricity and chemicals associated with lower volumes.

Interest expense was $13.8 million and $59.4 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020, respectively, representing decreases of $6.0 million and $17.4 million over the same periods of 2019. The decreases were mainly due to market interest rate decreases under our senior secured revolving credit facility and refinancing our $500 million aggregate principal amount of 6.0% senior notes due 2024 to $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.0% senior notes due 2028.

We have scheduled a webcast conference call today at 4:00 PM Eastern Time to discuss financial results. This webcast may be accessed at:

https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/2947931/69912ABCD95D2FE2A18BF7810FD7788C

An audio archive of this webcast will be available using the above noted link through March 8, 2021.

About Holly Energy Partners, L.P.

Holly Energy Partners, L.P., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, provides petroleum product and crude oil transportation, terminalling, storage and throughput services to the petroleum industry, including HollyFrontier Corporation subsidiaries. The Partnership, through its subsidiaries and joint ventures, owns and/or operates petroleum product and crude pipelines, tankage and terminals in Texas, New Mexico, Washington, Idaho, Oklahoma, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Kansas, as well as refinery processing units in Utah and Kansas.

HollyFrontier Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is an independent petroleum refiner and marketer that produces high value light products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other specialty products. HollyFrontier owns and operates refineries located in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah and markets its refined products principally in the Southwest U.S., the Rocky Mountains extending into the Pacific Northwest and in other neighboring Plains states. In addition, HollyFrontier produces base oils and other specialized lubricants in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands, and exports products to more than 80 countries. HollyFrontier also owns a 57% limited partner interest and a non-economic general partner interest in Holly Energy Partners, L.P.

The statements in this press release relating to matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements use words such as “anticipate,” “project,” “expect,” “plan,” “goal,” “forecast,” “intend,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “believe,” “may,” and similar expressions and statements regarding our plans and objectives for future operations are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our beliefs and assumptions and those of our general partner using currently available information and expectations as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Although we and our general partner believe that such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, neither we nor our general partner can give any assurances that our expectations will prove to be correct. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied or forecast in these statements. Any differences could be caused by a number of factors including, but not limited to:

• the extraordinary market environment and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a significant decline in demand for refined petroleum products in markets we serve;
• risks and uncertainties with respect to the actual quantities of petroleum products and crude oil shipped on our pipelines and/or terminalled, stored and throughput in our terminals and refinery processing units;
• the economic viability of HollyFrontier Corporation, our other customers and our joint ventures’ other customers, including any refusal or inability of our or our joint ventures’ customers or counterparties to perform their obligations under their contracts;
• the demand for refined petroleum products in markets we serve;
• our ability to purchase and integrate future acquired operations;
• our ability to complete previously announced or contemplated acquisitions;
• the availability and cost of additional debt and equity financing;
• the possibility of temporary or permanent reductions in production or shutdowns at refineries utilizing our pipelines, terminal facilities and refinery processing units, due to reasons such as infection in the workforce, in response to reductions in demand or lower gross margins due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and any potential asset impairments resulting from such actions;
• the effects of current and future government regulations and policies, including the effects of current and future restrictions on various commercial and economic activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic;
• our operational efficiency in carrying out routine operations and capital construction projects;
• the possibility of terrorist or cyberattacks and the consequences of any such attacks;
• general economic conditions, including uncertainty regarding the timing, pace and extent of an economic recovery in the United States;
• the impact of recent or proposed changes in tax laws and regulations that affect master limited partnerships; and
• other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and, other than as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)

Income, Distributable Cash Flow and Volumes
The following tables present income, distributable cash flow and volume information for the three months and the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Set forth below is our calculation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA.

 Set forth below is our calculation of distributable cash flow.

Set forth below is certain balance sheet data.

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