Natural Resource Partners L.P. Reports First Quarter 2025 Results and Declares First Quarter 2025 Distribution of $0.75 per Common Unit

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 06, 2025-- 

Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NYSE:NRP) today reported first quarter 2025 results as follows:

 
                       For the Three Months 
                              Ended            Last Twelve Months Ended 
                     ------------------------  ------------------------- 
(In thousands) 
(Unaudited)                           March 31, 2025 
------------------   ------------------------------------------------- 
Net income           $                 40,253  $               167,684 
Operating cash flow                    34,424                  211,418 
Free cash flow (1)                     35,124                  214,136 
 
 
____________________ 
    (1) See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and reconciliation tables at the end 
    of this release. 
 

Highlights:

   -- Generated $35.1 million of free cash flow in the first quarter of 2025 
 
   -- Paid fourth quarter 2024 common unit distribution of $0.75 per unit 
 
   -- Paid special cash distribution of $1.21 per common unit to help cover 
      unitholder tax liability associated with owning NRP units in 2024 
 
   -- Declares first quarter 2025 common unit distribution of $0.75 per unit 

"NRP generated $35 million of free cash flow in the first quarter of 2025 and $214 million of free cash flow over the last twelve months," said Craig Nunez, NRP's president and chief operating officer. "We expect prices for metallurgical coal, thermal coal, and soda ash to remain relatively weak for the foreseeable future. Our capital structure is solid and we continue to generate robust free cash flow. We have only $139 million of debt remaining with the prospect of freeing up cash for significant increases in unitholder distributions as debt is paid off next year."

NRP announced today that the board of directors of its general partner declared a first quarter 2025 cash distribution of $0.75 per common unit to be paid on May 27, 2025, to unitholders of record on May 20, 2025. Future distributions on NRP's common units will be determined on a quarterly basis by the board of directors. The board of directors considers numerous factors each quarter in determining cash distributions including profitability, cash flow, debt service obligations, market conditions and outlook, estimated unitholder income tax liability, and the level of cash reserves that the board determines is necessary for future operating and capital needs.

Segment Performance

Mineral Rights

Mineral Rights net income for the first quarter of 2025 decreased $15.4 million as compared to the prior year period. Mineral Rights operating cash flow and free cash flow each decreased $26.5 million as compared to the prior year period. These decreases were primarily due to lower metallurgical coal sales prices and volumes as compared to the prior year period. Approximately 55% of coal royalty revenues and approximately 40% of coal royalty sales volumes were derived from metallurgical coal in the first quarter of 2025.

NRP expects pricing in 2025 to remain muted for both metallurgical and thermal coal as soft global steel demand impacts metallurgical coal and domestic thermal coal inventory levels at power plants, while declining, remain well above their historical five-year average. Despite this weakened and uncertain environment, NRP expects continued price support above historically normal price levels due to elevated input cost inflation, operators' limited access to capital, and qualified labor shortages.

NRP continues to explore carbon neutral revenue opportunities across its mineral and surface assets for the sequestration of carbon dioxide underground and in standing forests, lithium production, and the generation of electricity using geothermal, solar, and wind energy. While the timing and likelihood of additional cash flows from these activities is uncertain, NRP believes its vast ownership footprint throughout the United States provides additional opportunities to create value in this regard with minimal capital investment by NRP.

Soda Ash

Soda Ash net income in the first quarter of 2025 decreased $0.8 million as compared to the prior year period primarily due to increased international sales mix in 2025. Operating cash flow and free cash flow in the first quarter of 2025 decreased $11.3 million as compared to the prior year period due to a lower cash distribution received from Sisecam Wyoming in the first quarter of 2025.

The soda ash market continues to be impacted by significant recent increases in global capacity introduced in 2024, primarily from China, as well as weakening demand for flat glass due to slower growth in global construction activity and lower demand for automobiles. International soda ash prices remain at or below the cost of production for many operators. NRP believes this weak pricing environment will continue throughout 2025 and into 2026 unless there is a significant rightsizing of high-cost producers shutting down out-of-the-money production or a significant rebound in the demand for flat glass. As such, NRP expects distributions from Sisecam Wyoming to remain at lower levels for the foreseeable future.

Corporate and Financing

Corporate and Financing net income increased $0.3 million in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to the prior year period. Operating cash flow and free cash flow each increased $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to the prior year period. These increases were primarily due to lower interest expense and cash paid for interest in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to the prior year period as a result of increased borrowings on the credit facility in 2024 used for warrant settlements.

Regarding distributions, in February 2025, NRP paid a fourth quarter 2024 cash distribution of $0.75 per common unit and in March 2025, NRP paid a special cash distribution of $1.21 per common unit to help cover unitholder tax liabilities associated with owning NRP's common units during 2024. Today, NRP declared a first quarter 2025 cash distribution of $0.75 per common unit.

NRP's available liquidity was $120.5 million at March 31, 2025, consisting of $30.9 million of cash and cash equivalents and $89.6 million of borrowing capacity available under its revolving credit facility.

NRP's consolidated leverage ratio was 0.7 x at March 31, 2025.

Conference Call

A conference call will be held today at 9:00 a.m. ET. To register for the conference call, please use this link: https://registrations.events/direct/Q4I1544811. After registering a confirmation will be sent via email, including dial in details and unique conference call codes for entry. Registration is open through the live call, however, to ensure you are connected for the full conference call we suggest registering at minimum 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Investors may also listen to the call via the Investor Relations section of the NRP website at www.nrplp.com. To access the replay, please visit the Investor Relations section of NRP's website.

Withholding Information for Foreign Investors

Concurrent with this announcement, we are providing qualified notice to brokers and nominees that hold NRP units on behalf of non-U.S. investors under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b) and (d) and Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446(f)-4(c)(2)(iii). Brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100%) of NRP's distributions to non-U.S. investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. In addition, brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100%) of the distribution as being in excess of cumulative net income for purposes of determining the amount to withhold. Accordingly, NRP's distributions to non-U.S. investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at a rate equal to the sum of the highest applicable rate plus ten percent (10%).

Company Profile

Natural Resource Partners L.P., a master limited partnership headquartered in Houston, TX, is a diversified natural resource company that owns, manages and leases a diversified portfolio of properties in the United States including coal, industrial minerals and other natural resources, as well as rights to conduct carbon sequestration and renewable energy activities. NRP also owns an equity investment in Sisecam Wyoming LLC, one of the world's lowest-cost producers of soda ash.

For additional information, please contact Tiffany Sammis at 713-751-7515 or tsammis@nrplp.com. Further information about NRP is available on the partnership's website at http://www.nrplp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Partnership expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions made by the Partnership based on its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Partnership. These risks include, among other things, statements regarding: future distributions on the Partnership's common units; the Partnership's business strategy; its liquidity and access to capital and financing sources; its financial strategy; prices of and demand for coal, trona and soda ash, and other natural resources; estimated revenues, expenses and results of operations; projected future performance by the Partnership's lessees; Sisecam Wyoming LLC's trona mining and soda ash refinery

operations; distributions from the soda ash joint venture; the impact of governmental policies, laws and regulations, as well as regulatory and legal proceedings involving the Partnership, and of scheduled or potential regulatory or legal changes; global and U.S. economic conditions; and other factors detailed in Natural Resource Partners' Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Natural Resource Partners L.P. has no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

"Adjusted EBITDA" is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net income (loss) less equity earnings from unconsolidated investment; plus total distributions from unconsolidated investment, interest expense, net, debt modification expense, loss on extinguishment of debt, depreciation, depletion and amortization and asset impairments. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income or loss, net income or loss attributable to partners, operating income or loss, cash flows from operating activities or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance, liquidity or ability to service debt obligations. There are significant limitations to using Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of performance, including the inability to analyze the effect of certain recurring items that materially affect our net income, the lack of comparability of results of operations of different companies and the different methods of calculating Adjusted EBITDA reported by different companies. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA presented below is not calculated or presented on the same basis as Consolidated EBITDA as defined in our partnership agreement or Consolidated EBITDDA as defined in Opco's debt agreements. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental performance measure used by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others to assess the financial performance of our assets without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis.

"Distributable cash flow" or "DCF" is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities plus distributions from unconsolidated investment in excess of cumulative earnings, proceeds from asset sales and disposals, including sales of discontinued operations, and return of long-term contract receivable; less maintenance capital expenditures. DCF is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities. DCF may not be calculated the same for us as for other companies. In addition, distributable cash flow is not calculated or presented on the same basis as distributable cash flow as defined in our partnership agreement, which is used as a metric to determine whether we are able to increase quarterly distributions to our common unitholders. Distributable cash flow is a supplemental liquidity measure used by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others to assess our ability to make cash distributions and repay debt.

"Free cash flow" or "FCF" is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities plus distributions from unconsolidated investment in excess of cumulative earnings and return of long-term contract receivable; less maintenance and expansion capital expenditures and cash flow used in acquisition costs classified as investing or financing activities. FCF is calculated before mandatory debt repayments. Free cash flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities. Free cash flow may not be calculated the same for us as for other companies. Free cash flow is a supplemental liquidity measure used by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others to assess our ability to make cash distributions and repay debt.

"Leverage ratio" represents the outstanding principal of NRP's debt at the end of the period divided by the last twelve months' Adjusted EBITDA as defined above. NRP believes that leverage ratio is a useful measure to management and investors to evaluate and monitor the indebtedness of NRP relative to its ability to generate income to service such debt and in understanding trends in NRP's overall financial condition. Leverage ratio may not be calculated the same for NRP as for other companies and is not a substitute for, and should not be used in conjunction with, GAAP financial ratios.

-Financial Tables and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures Follow-

 
Natural Resource Partners L.P. 
 Financial Tables 
 (Unaudited) 
 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 
 
 
                                 For the Three Months Ended 
                          ---------------------------------------- 
                                March 31,           December 31, 
                          ----------------------  ---------------- 
(In thousands, except 
per unit data)                2025        2024          2024 
-----------------------   ------------  --------  ---------------- 
Revenues and other 
income 
   Royalty and other 
    mineral rights        $    51,260   $67,372   $      61,781 
   Transportation and 
    processing services         4,421     3,427           2,978 
   Equity in earnings of 
    Sisecam Wyoming             4,610     5,450             931 
   Gain on asset sales 
    and disposals                 247       165              36 
                              -------    ------       --------- 
      Total revenues and 
       other income       $    60,538   $76,414   $      65,726 
 
Operating expenses 
   Operating and 
    maintenance 
    expenses              $     6,776   $ 5,733   $       9,645 
   Depreciation, 
    depletion and 
    amortization                3,989     4,654           2,827 
   General and 
    administrative 
    expenses                    6,832     6,327           6,958 
   Asset impairments               20        --              -- 
                              -------    ------       --------- 
      Total operating 
       expenses           $    17,617   $16,714   $      19,430 
 
Income from operations    $    42,921   $59,700   $      46,296 
 
Interest expense, net     $    (2,668)  $(3,487)  $      (3,524) 
 
Net income                $    40,253   $56,213   $      42,772 
Less: income 
 attributable to 
 preferred unitholders             --    (2,150)             -- 
                              -------    ------       --------- 
Net income attributable 
 to common unitholders 
 and the general 
 partner                  $    40,253   $54,063   $      42,772 
 
Net income attributable 
 to common unitholders    $    39,448   $52,982   $      41,917 
Net income attributable 
 to the general partner           805     1,081             855 
 
Net income per common 
unit 
   Basic                  $      3.01   $  4.13   $        3.21 
   Diluted                       2.97      3.83            3.15 
 
Net income                $    40,253   $56,213   $      42,772 
Comprehensive income 
 (loss) from 
 unconsolidated 
 investment and other           2,260       845            (714) 
                              -------    ------       --------- 
Comprehensive income      $    42,513   $57,058   $      42,058 
                              =======    ======       ========= 
 
 
Natural Resource Partners L.P. 
 Financial Tables 
 (Unaudited) 
 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
 
 
                                For the Three Months Ended 
                          -------------------------------------- 
                               March 31,          December 31, 
                          --------------------  ---------------- 
(In thousands)              2025       2024           2024 
-----------------------   ---------  ---------  ---------------- 
Cash flows from 
operating activities 
   Net income             $ 40,253   $ 56,213   $      42,772 
   Adjustments to 
   reconcile net income 
   to net cash provided 
   by operating 
   activities: 
      Depreciation, 
       depletion and 
       amortization          3,989      4,654           2,827 
      Distributions from 
       unconsolidated 
       investment            2,940     14,210          10,667 
      Equity earnings 
       from 
       unconsolidated 
       investment           (4,610)    (5,450)           (931) 
      Gain on asset 
       sales and 
       disposals              (247)      (165)            (36) 
      Asset impairments         20         --              -- 
      Bad debt expense         451       (813)          3,647 
      Unit-based 
       compensation 
       expense               2,717      2,964           2,431 
      Amortization of 
       debt issuance 
       costs and other        (168)      (749)          1,094 
   Change in operating 
   assets and 
   liabilities: 
      Accounts 
       receivable             (149)     9,433           1,574 
      Accounts payable         546        629             (73) 
      Accrued 
       liabilities          (7,990)    (8,225)          3,829 
      Accrued interest         254        412            (473) 
      Deferred revenue      (3,227)     1,028             419 
      Other items, net        (355)    (2,642)         (1,527) 
                           -------    -------       --------- 
         Net cash 
          provided by 
          operating 
          activities      $ 34,424   $ 71,499   $      66,220 
 
Cash flows from 
investing activities 
   Proceeds from asset 
    sales and disposals   $    247   $    165   $          37 
   Return of long-term 

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