Select Sands Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019
(TheNewswire)
VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA – TheNewswire - APRIL 28, 2020 – Select Sands Corp. (“Select Sands” or the “Company”) (TSXV:SNS) (OTC:SLSDF) announces operational and financial results for Q4 and full year 2019, and the filing of its financial statements and associated management’s discussion and analysis on www.sedar.com. All dollar references in this release are in U.S. dollars.
FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
- Sold 10,017 tons of frac and industrial sand during Q4 2019, compared to 39,669 tons in Q3 2019. For the full year 2019, the Company sold 119,736 tons of frac and industrial sand.
- Generated revenue of $0.3 million and a gross loss of $1.2 million in Q4 2019, versus $1.1 million of revenue and a gross loss of $0.8 million in Q3 2019. Select Sands generated revenue of $4.4 million and a gross loss of $2.2 million for the full year 2019.
- Reported a Q4 2019 net loss of $3.4 million, or $0.04 loss per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $2.0 million, or $0.02 loss per diluted share, in Q3 2019. For the full year 2019, the Company reported a net loss of $9.3 million, or $0.10 loss per diluted share.
- Posted an adjusted EBITDA(1) loss of $1.5 million for Q4 2019, versus a loss of $1.3 million in Q3 2019. Select Sands posted an adjusted EBITDA loss of $4.1 million for the full year 2019.
- Announced on October 17, 2019 the sale of the Bell Farm property for $0.7 million subject to a 20-year deed restriction to any sand mining on the property. The sale proceeds were used to paydown approximately $0.3 million in Company debt, with the balance of the net proceeds used to strengthen Select Sands balance sheet and fund its operations. The 457-acre Bell Farm property was not being developed or mined by the Company and was considered a non-core and non-essential asset.
- Announced on November 25, 2019 a negotiated arrangement to terminate an option to purchase a 223-acre tract of land in Independence County, Arkansas. As part of the arrangement, Select Sands America Corp. was released from its obligations under a $1.6 million promissory note as well as terminating the mortgage security provided in connection with such note.
- Announced on December 3, 2019 the start of transload operations in George West, Texas in Live Oak County to more directly serve customers operating in the Eagle Ford Basin. On December 5, 2019, the Company announced a three-year contract with a large-cap exploration and production company to supply Select Sands’ 100 mesh Northern White Sand through the George West transload facility beginning in January 2020. Included in the contract was a guarantee for minimum purchases during the life of the contract.
- As of December 31, 2019, cash and cash equivalents were $1.2 million and total debt was $2.8 million. This is compared to cash and cash equivalents of $1.3 million and total debt of $4.1 million as of September 30, 2019.
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(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure and is described and reconciled to net loss in the table under “Non-IFRS Financial Measures”.
Zig Vitols, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Given the challenging operating environment we and other U.S.-based frac sand producers expected and saw during the fourth quarter, Select Sands took a number of strategic actions to improve our financial position through the termination of the option to purchase the land in Arkansas and the divestment of certain assets we deemed as no longer core to our business. These targeted initiatives resulted in more than a 30% decrease in total debt and a year-end cash position that was substantially flat with the end of the third quarter.
“The most significant highlight for the fourth quarter was our establishment in December of transloading operations in the Eagle Ford Basin and a related long-term agreement to supply our premium 100-mesh Northern White Sand to a large-cap exploration and production company operating in the basin. We began delivering under the contract in January and continued to supply significant volumes of product until the operator curtailed frac operations and halted receipt of sand shipments, as announced in the Company’s press release on April 13, 2020, due to declining oil prices as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. We are working closely with the customer and look forward to resuming sand shipments as conditions improve. The Company’s contract with its customer is a “take or pay” contract which will likely generate some level of revenues for the Company in the coming months, depending on a number of contractual factors. The precise details contained in that contract however are confidential.”
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The following table includes summarized financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2019, September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, as well as the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018:
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For Q1 2020, the Company had sales volumes of frac and industrial sand of approximately 59,000 tons.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC RELATED BUSINESS UPDATE
Overview
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a COVID-19 global pandemic. To help combat the spread of COVID-19, governments worldwide have enacted emergency measures including travel bans, legally enforced or self-imposed quarantine periods, social distancing and business and organization closures. These measures have caused material disruptions to businesses, governments and other organizations resulting in an economic slowdown and increased volatility in national and global equity and commodity markets.
The oil and gas industry is being impacted by a related substantial drop in global oil demand and resulting oversupply. As a result, the industry has seen a sharp decline in drilling and completions activity in all basins across U.S. onshore and the current industry consensus is for depressed activity levels through the remainder of the year. Given the current dynamic nature of the events surrounding the pandemic, Select Sands cannot reasonably estimate how long related market conditions will exist or the full extent of the impact on the Company’s business, liquidity and financial results.
Current Operations
Select Sands is continuing operations both in Arkansas, where product is mined, processed and shipped, as well as in George West, Texas where its 100% owned subsidiary, Select Sands America Corp., operates a transload facility that supplies product to the Eagle Ford Basin. The Company’s largest customer has curtailed frac operations and temporarily halted receipt of sand shipments given current industry conditions. Select Sands has adjusted its employee staffing levels at the George West transload facility and is currently operating with a minimal crew to serve operational and maintenance needs as appropriate.
The Company’s previously announced project designed to optimize and consolidate processing assets to improve cost efficiencies (the “Plant Reconfiguration Project”) is continuing in Arkansas.
Plant Reconfiguration Project
The Plant Reconfiguration Project includes installation of dry-processing equipment at the Company-owned Diaz Rail Facility (“Diaz”), thereby increasing process efficiency by reducing inter-plant transportation costs. Dry processing at Diaz will immediately save approximately 16 miles of interplant transportation and over one hour in transload logistics. In addition, Select Sands has implemented a program to increase its owned truck fleet as conditions improve. On a per mile basis, costs savings from using our own truck fleet are estimated to be approximately 25% compared to outside contract trucking.
Once completed, product will be mined and wet processed at the Company’s Sandtown Quarry near Cave City, Arkansas and transported to Diaz near Newark, Arkansas where it will be dried, stored and shipped. Diaz also hosts rail loading. The completion of the Plant Reconfiguration Project will result in reducing load/unload events by half.
As previously announced, all the above referenced facility improvements for Diaz and the Plant Reconfiguration Project are being funded by a secured bank loan.
OUTLOOK
Mr. Vitols concluded, “I want to thank the Select Sands’ family of employees for their continued hard work, dedication and safe operating practices during what has been and is expected to be one of the most challenging periods in our industry’s recent history. Given the current curtailment of shipments, we are primarily focused on completing our Plant Reconfiguration Project, which will result in important production and logistical enhancements once shipments restart as industry conditions improve over time. The benefits afforded by the Plant Reconfiguration Project are another example of our deeply-rooted operating philosophy that is laser-focused on driving efficiencies designed to promote increased safety, cost reductions and the continued health of our balance sheet.”
Elliott A. Mallard, PG of Kleinfelder is the qualified person as per the NI-43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.
ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY
An audio recording of management’s additional comments related to its results and outlook will be posted to the Company’s website (https://www.selectsands.com/) under the Investors section prior to market open on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Investors interested in having a follow-up discussion with management are encouraged to arrange a specific time for a call by contacting Arlen Hansen at Kin Communications at (604) 684-6730.
Select Sands Corporation is an industrial silica product company, which wholly owns a Tier-1 (Northern White), silica sands property and related production facilities located near Sandtown, Arkansas. Select Sands’ goal is to become a key supplier of premium industrial silica sand and frac sand to North American markets. Select Sands’ Arkansas properties have a significant logistical advantage of being significantly closer to oil and gas markets located in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico than sources of similar sands from the Wisconsin area. Select Sands’ also operates a transload facility in George West, Texas in Live Oak County that serves customers operating in the Eagle Ford Shale Basin. The facility has a capacity for 180 rail cars and is equipped with two offload/loading stations with dedicated silos for a high throughput capacity.
The Tier-1 reference above is a classification of frac sand developed by PropTester, Inc., an independent laboratory specializing in the research and testing of products utilized in hydraulic fracturing & cement operations, following ISO 13503-2:2006/API RP19C:2008 standards. Select Sands’ Sandtown project has NI 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resources of 42.0MM tons (TetraTech Report; February, 2016). The Sandtown deposit is considered Northern White finer-grade sand deposits of 40-70 Mesh and 100 Mesh.
This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Information and statements which are not purely historical fact are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release relate to comments that include, but are not limited to, statements related to Q1 2020 sales volumes, the anticipated benefits resulting from the Plant Reconfiguration Project, facility improvements and use of the Company’s own trucking fleet, and the expected current and future state of operations in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
COMPANY CONTACT
Please visit www.selectsandscorp.com or call:
Zigurds Vitols
President & CEO
Phone: (844) 806-7313
INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT
Arlen Hansen
Phone: (604) 684-6730
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES
The following information is included for convenience only. Generally, a non-IFRS financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s performance, cash flows or financial position that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance (nor does it have a standardized meanings) under IFRS. In evaluating non-IFRS financial measures, investors should consider that the methodology applied in calculating such measures may differ among companies and analysts.
The Company uses both IFRS and certain non-IFRS measures to assess operational performance and as a component of employee remuneration. Management believes certain non-IFRS measures provide useful supplemental information to investors in order that they may evaluate Select Sands' financial performance using the same measures as management. Management believes that, as a result, the investor is afforded greater transparency in assessing the financial performance of the Company. These non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, nor superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.
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The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net (loss) income before depreciation and amortization, non-cash share-based compensation, finance costs, income taxes, share of loss of equity investee and gain on extinguishment of debt. Select Sands uses Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental financial measure of its operational performance. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA to be an important measure as they exclude the effects of items that primarily reflect the impact of long-term investment and financing decisions, rather than the performance of the Company’s day-to-day operations. As compared to net income according to IFRS, this measure is limited in that it does not reflect the periodic costs of certain capitalized tangible and intangible assets used in generating revenues in the Company's business, the charges associated with impairments, termination costs or Proposed Transaction costs. Management evaluates such items through other financial measures such as capital expenditures and cash flow provided by operating activities. The Company believes that these measurements are useful to measure a company’s ability to service debt and to meet other payment obligations or as a valuation measurement.
INDICATED RESOURCES DISCLOSURE
The Company advises that the production decision on the Sandtown deposit (the Company’s current “Sand Operations”) was not based on a Feasibility Study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit. Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will occur as anticipated or that anticipated production costs will be achieved.
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