Texas Pacific Land (TPL) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated revenues for Q4 2025 were approximately $212 million, with an adjusted EBITDA of $178 million and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 84% [14] - Free cash flow for Q4 was $119 million, contributing to a record free cash flow of approximately $498 million for the full year 2025, representing an 8% year-over-year increase [14][15] - Full year 2025 oil and gas royalty production increased by 29% year-over-year, while water sales daily volumes increased by 4% and produced water royalty daily volumes increased by 25% [15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Oil and gas royalty production grew 23% year-over-year in Q4 2025, while water sales volumes exceeded 1 million barrels per day for the first time, growing 36% year-over-year [4] - Produced water royalty volumes grew 22% year-over-year [4] - The company achieved a 3-year compounded annual growth rate of 17% for oil and gas royalty production, 18% for water sales volumes, and 30% for produced water royalty volumes [5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Permian Basin experienced a decline in rig activity, with the horizontal rig count down approximately 26% [17] - Despite lower rig counts, production growth was sustained through a drawdown of drilled but uncompleted wells (DUCs), with an estimated 600 DUCs drawn down in 2025 [17][18] - The average lateral lengths of wells completed on TPL royalty acreage increased by 8% compared to the previous year, with new permitted wells averaging 35% longer than in 2024 [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on leveraging its strengths in land, water, and energy to build large-scale data center and power generation solutions, particularly through its partnership with Bolt Data & Energy [6][8] - TPL aims to develop multiple multi-gig energy campuses, emphasizing the importance of scale in its operations [27] - The company is also investing in desalination projects to provide sustainable solutions for produced water management, with a facility in Orla, Texas nearing completion [9][10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the growth pipeline for 2026, highlighting the ability to drive growth and extract value even in a weak oil price environment [11] - The company maintains a debt-free balance sheet and a $500 million undrawn credit facility, providing flexibility to invest opportunistically [12] - Management anticipates capital expenditures of approximately $65 million to $75 million for 2026, with a focus on water sales business improvements and desalination facility enhancements [20] Other Important Information - The company announced a regular dividend of $0.60 per share, representing a 12.5% increase from the prior quarter [16] - TPL is actively exploring opportunities in rare earths in Hudspeth County, with promising early-stage findings [47] Q&A Session Summary Question: Thoughts on power and data center development opportunities - Management believes the opportunity set for power and data center development has evolved significantly, with ongoing commercial negotiations and several projects in the pipeline [26][28] Question: Updates on the Bolt Energy partnership - Management indicated that Bolt aims to build a 10-gigawatt data center campus, with potential water revenue for TPL being substantial [29][30] Question: Current outlook for water business amidst broader activity contraction - Management attributed the strength in produced water volumes to legacy contracts and strategic implementation over the past few years, allowing for market capture despite activity level fluctuations [34][36] Question: Desalination process efficiencies and power intensity - Management clarified that the goal is to reduce energy consumption in desalination, with waste heat capture being a key focus to lower operational costs [44][45] Question: Exposure to rare earth exploration in Hudspeth County - Management confirmed ongoing exploration projects in Hudspeth County, with promising early-stage findings [47]