EX-99.1 CHARTER 2 exhibit.htm EXHIBIT 99.1 exhibit.htm
 
 

 
 

News Release                                                             


BOARDWALK ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR-END 2007 RESULTS
 


 
HOUSTON, February 11, 2008 -- Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (NYSE:BWP) announced today its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2007, which included the following items:
 
−  
Net income of $72.1 million for the quarter and $227.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2007, a 10.4% and 15.3% increase from $65.3 million and $197.6 million in the comparable 2006 periods.
 
−  
Operating revenues of $169.9 million for the quarter and $643.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2007, a 0.9% decrease and 5.9% increase from $171.5 million and $607.6 million in the comparable 2006 periods.
 
−  
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $103.2 million for the quarter and $349.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2007, a 4.8% and 5.5% increase from $98.5 million and $331.5 million in the comparable 2006 periods.
 

The Partnership stated that operating results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2007, were driven primarily by the following:

§  
continued higher transportation revenues for the quarter and year from strong demand for firm transportation services on our existing systems and expansion capacity that was in service for 2007;
 
§  
higher storage service revenues for the quarter and year due to the addition of firm services from our Western Kentucky storage expansion and higher demand for existing storage;
 
§  
parking and lending revenues were significantly lower for the quarter and slightly lower for the year due to lower available natural gas price spreads;
 
§  
fourth quarter operating expenses were favorably impacted by the sale of gas associated with the Western Kentucky storage expansion, partly offset by an impairment charge associated with the pending sale of offshore pipeline assets in the South Timbalier Bay area, offshore Louisiana; and
 
§  
for the year, favorable operating expense items resulting from the sale of storage gas and insurance recoveries associated with the 2005 hurricanes were completely offset by impairment and other charges related to the Magnolia storage project, South Timbalier Bay assets and the termination of a construction agreement for work on the Southeast expansion project.
 

 
Expansion capital expenditures were $511.4 million for the quarter and $1.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2007.  Maintenance capital expenditures were $14.8 million for the quarter and $47.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2007.



 
 

 
 

 
Earnings Per Unit
 
 
Earnings per limited partner unit for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2007, have been adjusted by an assumed allocation to the general partner’s incentive distribution rights (IDRs) in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applicable to companies having two classes of securities (EITF No. 03-6). Under EITF No. 03-6, earnings are allocated to participating securities in accordance with contractual participation rights assuming that all earnings for the period were distributed. Payments made on account of the IDRs are determined in relation to actual declared distributions and are not based on the assumed allocation required by EITF No. 03-6.
 
A reconciliation of the limited partners' interest in net income and net income available to limited partners used in computing net income per limited partner unit is as follows (in thousands, except weighted average units and per unit data):

   
For the
Three Months Ended
December 31,
   
For the
Year Ended
December 31,
 
   
2007
   
2006
   
2007
   
2006
 
Limited partners' interest in net income
  $ 69,586     $ 63,967     $ 220,726     $ 193,599  
Less assumed allocation to incentive distribution rights
    4,475       6,245       4,323       5,187  
Net income available to limited partners
  $ 65,111     $ 57,722     $ 216,403     $ 188,412  
Less assumed allocation to subordinated units
    17,847       18,330       61,949       61,087  
Net income available to common units
  $ 47,264     $ 39,392     $ 154,454     $ 127,325  
Weighted average common units
    87,639,818       71,119,165       82,510,917       68,977,766  
Weighted average subordinated units
    33,093,878       33,093,878       33,093,878       33,093,878  
Net income per limited partner unit - common units
  $ 0.54     $ 0.55     $ 1.87     $ 1.85  
Net income per limited partner unit – subordinated units
  $ 0.54     $ 0.55     $ 1.87     $ 1.85  



Conference Call
The Partnership has scheduled a conference call for February 11, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. EDT, to review the fourth quarter and annual results. The earnings call may be accessed via the Boardwalk website at www.bwpmlp.com. Please go to the website at least 10 minutes before the event begins to register and download and install any necessary audio software. Those interested in participating in the question and answer session of the conference call should dial (800) 573-4752 for callers in the U.S. or (617) 224-4324 for callers outside the U.S. The PIN number to access the call is 46197081.


Replay
An audio replay will also be available on the Boardwalk website www.bwpmlp.com immediately following the call.


 
 

 
 

 
Non-GAAP Financial Measure - EBITDA
 
EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by management and by external users of the Partnership's financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts, and rating agencies, to assess the Partnership's operating and financial performance, ability to generate cash and return on invested capital as compared to those of other companies in the natural gas transportation, gathering, and storage business. EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities, or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). EBITDA is not necessarily comparable to a similarly titled measure of another company.

The following table presents a reconciliation of the Partnership's EBITDA to its net income, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, for each of the periods presented below (in thousands):

   
For the
Three Months Ended
December 31,
   
For the
Year Ended
December 31,
 
   
2007
   
2006
   
2007
   
2006
 
Net Income
  $ 72,095     $ 65,272     $ 227,756     $ 197,550  
Income taxes
    267       (110 )     769       253  
Depreciation and amortization
    21,180       19,473       81,824       75,771  
Interest expense
    14,917       16,302       61,023       62,123  
Interest income
    (5,206 )     (2,407 )     (21,489 )     (4,202 )
Interest income from affiliates, net
    (8 )     (11 )     (44 )     (27 )
EBITDA
  $ 103,245     $ 98,519     $ 349,839     $ 331,468  
 

 
 
About Boardwalk
 
 
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP is a master limited partnership engaged through its subsidiaries, Texas Gas Transmission, LLC and Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP, in the interstate transportation and storage of natural gas. Boardwalk's two interstate natural gas pipeline systems have approximately 13,550 miles of pipeline and underground storage fields with aggregate working gas capacity of approximately 155 Bcf.
 
 

 
 
Forward-Looking Statements
 
 
Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected by management. A discussion of the important risk factors and other considerations that could materially impact these matters, as well as the Partnership's overall business and financial performance, can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the Partnership and its predecessor with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risk factors, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. The Partnership expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to its forward-looking statements to reflect any change in the Partnership's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based.
 






 
 

 
 

BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Thousands of Dollars, except number of units and per unit amounts)
(Unaudited)

   
For the
Three Months Ended
December 31,
   
For the
Year Ended
December 31,
 
   
2007
   
2006
   
2007
   
2006
 
Operating Revenues:
                       
Gas transportation
  $ 150,224     $ 143,644     $ 529,717     $ 508,241  
Parking and lending
    4,769       17,133       42,793       49,163  
Gas storage
    10,974       7,261       39,429       32,396  
Other
    3,916       3,451       31,329       17,842  
Total operating revenues
    169,883       171,489       643,268       607,642  
                                 
Operating Costs and Expenses:
                               
Operation and maintenance
    45,441       46,378       173,759       161,279  
Administrative and general
    27,028       23,188       97,039       97,298  
Depreciation and amortization
    21,180       19,473       81,824       75,771  
Taxes other than income taxes
    7,405       5,568       29,162       24,175  
Asset impairment
    4,521       -       19,218       -  
Net (gain) on disposal of operating assets and related contracts
    (16,526 )     (1,798 )     (23,767 )     (4,829 )
Total operating costs and expenses
    89,049       92,809       377,235       353,694  
                                 
Operating income
    80,834       78,680       266,033       253,948  
                                 
Other Deductions (Income):
                               
Interest expense
    14,917       16,302       61,023       62,123  
Interest income
    (5,206 )     (2,407 )     (21,489 )     (4,202 )
Interest income from affiliates, net
    (8 )     (11 )     (44 )     (27 )
Miscellaneous other deductions (income), net
    (1,231 )     (366 )     (1,982 )     (1,749 )
Total other deductions
    8,472       13,518       37,508       56,145  
                                 
Income before income taxes
    72,362       65,162       228,525       197,803  
                                 
Income taxes
    267       (110 )     769       253  
                                 
Net income
  $ 72,095       65,272     $ 227,756     $ 197,550  


Calculation of limited partners’ interest in Net income:
 
Net income
  $ 72,095     $ 65,272     $ 227,756     $ 197,550  
Less general partner’s interest in Net income
    2,509       1,305       7,030       3,951  
Limited partners’ interest in Net income
  $ 69,586     $ 63,967     $ 220,726     $ 193,599  
Basic and diluted net income per limited partner unit:
                         
Common units
  $ 0.54     $ 0.55     $ 1.87     $ 1.85  
Subordinated units
  $ 0.54     $ 0.55     $ 1.87     $ 1.85  
Cash distribution to common and subordinated unitholders
  $ 0.45     $ 0.40     $ 1.74     $ 1.32  
Weighted-average number of limited partner units outstanding:
                         
Common units
    87,639,818       71,119,165       82,510,917       68,977,766  
Subordinated units
    33,093,878       33,093,878       33,093,878       33,093,878  

 
 

 
 

Contact:                                 Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP
            Jamie Buskill, 270-688-6390
            Senior VP, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
                     or
            Petra Tabor, 866-913-2122
            Investor Relations

SOURCE:                           Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP