TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: ARLP) today reported increased financial and operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 (the "2021 Quarter") compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2021 (the "Sequential Quarter"). Primarily on the strength of increased coal sales volumes and price realizations, total revenues for the 2021 Quarter rose 14.6% to $415.4 million. Increased total revenues, partially offset by higher total operating expenses, drove net income for the 2021 Quarter up by 30.7% to $57.5 million, or $0.44 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, while EBITDA climbed 14.6% to $135.9 million. Increased coal sales volumes and prices for the 2021 Quarter led coal sales revenues and Segment Adjusted EBITDA for our coal operating segments higher by 11.1% and 10.9%, respectively. Increased royalty volumes sold and higher sales prices for the 2021 Quarter also drove total royalty revenues and Segment Adjusted EBITDA for our royalties segments up by 18.5% and 27.6%, respectively. (Unless otherwise noted, all references in the text of this release to "net income (loss)" refer to "net income (loss) attributable to ARLP." For definitions of EBITDA and Segment Adjusted EBITDA and related reconciliations to comparable GAAP financial measures, please see the end of this release.)

Financial and operating results for the 2021 Quarter and the nine months ended September 30, 2021 (the "2021 Period") were also significantly improved compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2020 (the "2020 Quarter") and the nine months ended September 30, 2020 (the "2020 Period"), both of which were negatively impacted by reduced global energy demand and weak commodity prices as a result of lockdown measures imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total revenues in the 2021 Quarter increased by 16.8% to $415.4 million compared to $355.7 million in the 2020 Quarter as a result of higher coal sales volumes, which rose 10.3%, and significantly higher oil & gas prices. Revenue growth, partially offset by increased total operating expenses, led net income higher by $30.3 million to $57.5 million for the 2021 Quarter, or $0.44 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, compared to $27.2 million, or $0.21 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, for the 2020 Quarter. EBITDA also increased 14.4% in the 2021 Quarter to $135.9 million compared to $118.8 million in the 2020 Quarter.

Results for the 2021 Period were also sharply higher compared to the 2020 Period as net income increased to $126.3 million, or $0.97 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, compared to a net loss of $164.2 million, or $(1.29) per basic and diluted limited partner unit, for the 2020 Period. The increase in net income resulted from higher revenues and lower depreciation in the 2021 Period and $157.0 million of non-cash impairment charges in the 2020 Period. Excluding the impact of impairment charges, net income of $126.3 million for the 2021 Period compares to an Adjusted net loss of $7.2 million for the 2020 Period, while EBITDA increased 31.5% to $348.9 million in the 2021 Period compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $265.3 million in the 2020 Period. Increased coal sales volumes and oil & gas prices in the 2021 Period drove total revenues higher by 14.0% to $1.10 billion, compared to $961.6 million for the 2020 Period. Ongoing cost control and efficiency initiatives at our mining operations as well as increased production drove Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense per ton for our coal operations lower by 11.1% to $28.82 per ton for the 2021 Period, compared to $32.43 per ton for the 2020 Period. (For definitions of Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted EBITDA and Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense and related reconciliations to comparable GAAP financial measures, please see the end of this release.)

ARLP also announced today that the Board of Directors of its general partner (the "Board") declared a cash distribution to unitholders of $0.20 per unit (an annualized rate of $0.80 per unit) for the 2021 Quarter, payable on November 12, 2021 to all unitholders of record as of the close of trading on November 5, 2021. The announced distribution represents a 100.0% increase over the cash distribution of $0.10 per unit for the Sequential Quarter.

"ARLP’s strong performance this year continued during the 2021 Quarter as we again posted sequential increases to total revenues, net income, EBITDA and free cash flow," said Joseph W. Craft III, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Reflecting robust demand, coal sales volumes and price realizations increased by 650,000 tons and $1.10 per ton, respectively, over the Sequential Quarter and ARLP continued to add commitments to its coal contract book, entering into new agreements for the delivery of approximately 15.3 million tons over the balance of this year through 2024. The performance of our royalties segments also improved over the Sequential Quarter as higher energy prices and increased royalty volumes propelled Segment Adjusted EBITDA from royalties to a record $28.3 million." (For a definition of free cash flow and related reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure, please see the end of this release.)

Mr. Craft continued, "Year-to-date performance from all of ARLP’s business segments has exceeded our initial expectations for 2021. Since the beginning of the year, ARLP has generated $222.3 million of free cash flow, reduced total debt and finance lease obligations by $156.9 million, committed $40.8 million to attractive growth investments, increased liquidity by $110.2 million and improved total leverage to 0.95 times. Based on these results, favorable market fundamentals and expectations for continued strong performance through next year, our Board elected to support management’s view that a significant increase to ARLP’s cash distribution to unitholders was appropriate."

Operating Results and Analysis

ARLP's coal sales volumes increased in all regions compared to both the 2020 and Sequential Quarters. Improved coal demand primarily in the export markets during the 2021 Quarter drove coal sales volumes higher by 10.2% and 10.5% in the Illinois Basin and Appalachian regions, respectively, compared to the 2020 Quarter. Compared to the Sequential Quarter, Illinois Basin coal sales volumes increased 6.0% in the 2021 Quarter primarily as a result of increased volumes from our Hamilton and Gibson South mines. In Appalachia, coal sales volumes increased 13.3% compared to the Sequential Quarter primarily due to increased quarterly sales volumes from our Tunnel Ridge longwall operation in the 2021 Quarter. Coal sales price per ton sold in the 2021 Quarter decreased in the Illinois Basin by 4.3% compared to the 2020 Quarter reflecting the expiration of higher-priced sales contracts. In Appalachia, coal sales prices increased by 10.2% compared to the Sequential Quarter due to improved price realizations at our Mettiki and MC Mining operations. Total coal inventory fell to 0.9 million tons at the end of the 2021 Quarter, a decrease of 0.3 million tons and 0.5 million tons compared to the end of the 2020 and Sequential Quarters, respectively, as a result of higher coal sales volumes as discussed above, partially offset by increased production volumes.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense per ton in the Illinois Basin increased by 3.7% compared to the 2020 Quarter due to increased roof support and maintenance expenses as well as higher labor costs per ton across the region. In Appalachia, Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense per ton decreased 3.7% compared to the 2020 Quarter as a result of increased volumes and reduced longwall subsidence expense in the 2021 Quarter and a longwall move in the 2020 Quarter at our Tunnel Ridge mine, the production benefits from MC Mining’s transition of mining operations to a new reserve area in the second half of 2020 and the benefits of ongoing expense control and efficiency initiatives. Compared to the Sequential Quarter, Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense per ton in Appalachia increased 9.4% in the 2021 Quarter due to increased selling and maintenance expenses, reduced recoveries at our Mettiki and Tunnel Ridge mines and sales of high-priced purchased coal tons.

For our Oil & Gas Royalties segment, significantly higher sales price realizations per BOE in the 2021 Quarter compared to the 2020 Quarter more than offset lower volumes and higher Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense resulting in Segment Adjusted EBITDA increasing by $10.2 million. Compared to the Sequential Quarter, Segment Adjusted EBITDA increased by $3.7 million in the 2021 Quarter driven primarily by increased oil & gas prices and a 23.2% growth in our oil volumes produced in the Permian basin.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA for our Coal Royalties segment increased to $9.2 million for the 2021 Quarter compared to $6.3 million and $6.8 million for the 2020 and Sequential Quarters, respectively, as a result of increased royalty tons sold and, higher average royalty rates per ton.

Outlook

"The financial futures for oil, natural gas and coal indicate market conditions should remain robust across the entire global energy complex into 2023," said Mr. Craft. "Coal demand in our primary U.S. markets is extremely strong. Reflecting continued post-COVID economic recovery, increased power usage and high natural gas prices, domestic utilities have leaned on coal-fired generation to meet rising demand for electricity. Eastern U.S. coal generation has increased 23% year-to-date over 2020 levels, capacity utilization of the domestic coal fleet recently reached a three-year high and utility stockpiles have declined to critical levels heading into the winter heating season. International coal demand and fundamentals are also extremely strong, pushing recent API 2 prices to record highs and the forward curve signals favorable pricing for the next several years. In the face of increased coal demand, lack of global supply response, and transportation challenges, fuel buyers are scrambling to secure necessary coal supply. We believe the recent rise in coal prices will continue over the intermediate term and ARLP expects to benefit from these markets opportunities."

Mr. Craft continued, "The future also looks bright for our royalty businesses. Oil, gas and natural gas liquids prices have increased significantly since the beginning of the year and the forward price curve remains favorable. While still below pre-pandemic levels, oil & gas production from our existing acreage continues to increase as drilling and completion activity modestly improves. We also recently completed the purchase of approximately 1,500 net royalty acres in the Permian basin, increasing ARLP’s already attractive position in the Delaware portion of this basin to approximately 10,000 net royalty acres. This newly acquired acreage currently has four producing wells and is under active development by a well-capitalized operator who has two rigs on location drilling eight new wells with the potential for up to 90 wells to be ultimately completed on our acreage. With continued expansion in our oil & gas royalties and confidence in steady growth from our coal royalties, we anticipate that the contribution of our royalty segments to ARLP’s consolidated results will continue to increase in the future."

ARLP is updating its full-year 2021 guidance for the following selected items:

A conference call regarding ARLP's 2021 Quarter financial results is scheduled for today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. To participate in the conference call, dial (877) 407-0784 and request to be connected to the Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. earnings conference call. International callers should dial (201) 689-8560 and request to be connected to the same call. Investors may also listen to the call via the "investor information" section of ARLP’s website at http://www.arlp.com.

An audio replay of the conference call will be available for approximately one week. To access the audio replay, dial U.S. Toll Free (844) 512-2921; International Toll (412) 317-6671 and request to be connected to replay using access code 13723742.

This announcement is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b), with 100% of the partnership’s distributions to foreign investors attributable to gross income, gain or loss that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, ARLP's distributions to foreign investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable tax rate.

About Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.

ARLP is a diversified natural resource company that generates operating and royalty income from coal produced by its mining complexes and royalty income from mineral interests it owns in strategic oil & gas producing regions in the United States, primarily the Permian, Anadarko and Williston basins.

ARLP currently produces coal from seven mining complexes its subsidiaries operate in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and West Virginia. ARLP also operates a coal loading terminal on the Ohio River at Mount Vernon, Indiana. ARLP markets its coal production to major domestic and international utilities and industrial users and is currently the second largest coal producer in the eastern United States.

In addition, ARLP also generates income from a variety of other sources.

News, unit prices and additional information about ARLP, including filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), are available at http://www.arlp.com. For more information, contact the investor relations department of ARLP at (918) 295-7674 or via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The statements and projections used throughout this release are based on current expectations. These statements and projections are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially. These projections do not include the potential impact of any mergers, acquisitions or other business combinations that may occur after the date of this release. We have included more information below regarding business risks that could affect our results.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: With the exception of historical matters, any matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results. Those forward-looking statements include expectations with respect to coal and oil & gas consumption and expected future prices, optimizing cash flows, reducing operating and capital expenditures, preserving liquidity and maintaining financial flexibility, among others. These risks to our ability to achieve these outcomes include, but are not limited to, the following: the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts of the pandemic and of businesses' and governments' responses to the pandemic on our operations and personnel, and on demand for coal, oil and natural gas, the financial condition of our customers and suppliers, available liquidity and capital sources and broader economic disruptions; changes in macroeconomic and market conditions and market volatility arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including coal, oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids prices, and the impact of such changes and volatility on our financial position; decline in the coal industry's share of electricity generation, including as a result of environmental concerns related to coal mining and combustion and the cost and perceived benefits of other sources of electricity and fuels, such as oil & gas, nuclear energy, and renewable fuels; changing global economic conditions or in industries in which our customers operate; changes in coal prices and/or oil & gas prices, demand and availability which could affect our operating results and cash flows; actions of the major oil producing countries with respect to oil production volumes and prices could have direct and indirect impacts over the near and long term on oil & gas exploration and production operations at the properties in which we hold mineral interests; the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness in distributed vaccines to reduce the impact of COVID-19; changes in competition in domestic and international coal markets and our ability to respond to such changes; potential shut-ins of production by operators of the properties in which we hold mineral interests due to low oil, natural gas and natural gas liquid prices or the lack of downstream demand or storage capacity; risks associated with the expansion of our operations and properties; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions; dependence on significant customer contracts, including renewing existing contracts upon expiration; adjustments made in price, volume, or terms to existing coal supply agreements; recent action and the possibility of future action on trade made by the United States and foreign governments; the effect of changes in taxes or tariffs and other trade measures; legislation, regulations, and court decisions and interpretations thereof, both domestic and foreign, including those relating to the environment and the release of greenhouse gases, mining, miner health and safety, hydraulic fracturing, and health care; deregulation of the electric utility industry or the effects of any adverse change in the coal industry, electric utility industry, or general economic conditions; investors' and other stakeholders' increasing attention to environmental, social and governance matters; liquidity constraints, including those resulting from any future unavailability of financing; customer bankruptcies, cancellations or breaches to existing contracts, or other failures to perform; customer delays, failure to take coal under contracts or defaults in making payments; our productivity levels and margins earned on our coal sales; disruptions to oil & gas exploration and production operations at the properties in which we hold mineral interests; changes in raw material costs; changes in the availability of skilled labor; our ability to maintain satisfactory relations with our employees; increases in labor costs including costs of health insurance and taxes resulting from the Affordable Care Act, adverse changes in work rules, or cash payments or projections associated with workers' compensation claims; increases in transportation costs and risk of transportation delays or interruptions; operational interruptions due to geologic, permitting, labor, weather-related or other factors; risks associated with major mine-related accidents, mine fires, mine floods or other interruptions; results of litigation, including claims not yet asserted; foreign currency fluctuations that could adversely affect the competitiveness of our coal abroad; difficulty maintaining our surety bonds for mine reclamation as well as workers' compensation and black lung benefits; difficulty in making accurate assumptions and projections regarding post-mine reclamation as well as pension, black lung benefits, and other post-retirement benefit liabilities; uncertainties in estimating and replacing our coal reserves; uncertainties in estimating and replacing our oil & gas reserves; uncertainties in the amount of oil & gas production due to the level of drilling and completion activity by the operators of our oil & gas properties; the impact of current and potential changes to federal or state tax rules and regulations, including a loss or reduction of benefits from certain tax deductions and credits; difficulty obtaining commercial property insurance, and risks associated with our participation in the commercial insurance property program; evolving cybersecurity risks, such as those involving unauthorized access, denial-of-service attacks, malicious software, data privacy breaches by employees, insiders or others with authorized access, cyber or phishing-attacks, ransomware, malware, social engineering, physical breaches or other actions; and difficulty in making accurate assumptions and projections regarding future revenues and costs associated with equity investments in companies we do not control.

Brian L. Cantrell
Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.
(918) 295-7673