Select Water Solutions (WTTR) Q1 2025 Earnings Call May 07, 2025 11:00 AM ET Speaker0 Greetings, and welcome to the Select Water Solutions twenty twenty five First Quarter Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. A question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Garrett Williams, Vice President of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations. Thank you, sir. ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company recorded adjusted EBITDA of $56.5 million for Q1 2025, up 4% sequentially and 6% year-over-year, driven by record volumes in produced water handling and water solutions [12] - Adjusted operating margin was $0.44 per barrel, reflecting the durability of operating improvements over the last 24 months [12] - Capital expenditures (CapEx) were $21 million, down 44% compared to Q1 2024 [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Produced water volumes and water solution volumes grew 7% sequentially compared to Q4 2024 [7] - The first quarter represented the first full quarter integrating the McNeil Ranch into operations, with ongoing evaluations for additional revenue streams [7][9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company expects produced water volumes for Q2 2025 to be between 1.2 million and 1.25 million barrels per day, and water solutions volumes to be around 1 million barrels per day [13] - The current WTI price strip represents a $6 million to $8 million headwind to the business [13] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on managing capital investments to align with customer activity levels and has a strong position due to long-term contracts in the Northern Delaware Basin [5][6] - There is an emphasis on beneficial reuse efforts and desalination of produced water for various applications, including reservoir replenishment and industrial use [9][10] - The company is exploring opportunities in industrial water treatment and mineral extraction, with plans for an iodine facility expected to be operational by early 2026 [10][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that while there is significant uncertainty around commodity prices and tariffs, the company is off to a strong start in 2025 and expects this strength to continue into Q2 [10][11] - The management team expressed confidence in their ability to manage through volatility and maintain free cash flow, even if customer activity levels decrease [17] Other Important Information - The company successfully refinanced senior notes, upsizing the offering to $500 million, and ended the quarter with net debt of $480 million and a liquidity of $372 million [14] - A dividend of $0.14 per share was declared for Q2 2025, to be paid on June 18 [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: Expectations for water cuts and volumes if producers move to maintenance mode - Management indicated that they can flex capital expenditures down by 25% to 30% if volumes decrease, and water cuts will remain the same, impacting volume rather than the cut itself [20][21][22] Question: Update on M&A activity and seller motivations - Management noted that while there is some discomfort in the market due to volatility, the bid-ask spread remains close, and they are well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities [23][24][26] Question: Volume growth cadence and one-time impacts in Q1 - Management confirmed that Q1 volumes were strong due to better-than-expected well performance and increased interruptible volumes, but future growth will depend on customer activity [30][31][32] Question: Capital allocation in a downside environment - The company remains committed to maintaining balance sheet strength and plans to continue dividend growth while having the ability to flex down capital expenditures if necessary [33][34][35] Question: Update on McNeil Ranch commercialization - Management reported that McNeil Ranch is exceeding expectations with multiple inbound opportunities for surface royalty activities and has already secured permits for disposal capacity [38][39][40] Question: Competitive landscape and impact of new pipelines - Management stated that new pipeline projects do not impact their competitive position due to long-term contracts and a large dedicated customer base [49][50][58] Question: Q2 guidance assumptions regarding interruptible volumes - Management indicated that Q2 guidance is primarily based on contracted volumes, with interruptible volumes viewed as a bonus [60][61] Question: Cost recovery for desalination and potential for iodine production - Management confirmed that operational costs for desalination could be below $1 per barrel, and they are evaluating the economics of iodine production based on the size of the facility [84][86]