Teekay LNG Partners Reports Fourth Quarter and Record Annual 2020 Results

Highlights

• GAAP net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders of $35.1 million and GAAP net income per common unit of $0.32 in the fourth quarter of 2020; and $87.4 million and $0.73 per common unit, respectively, for fiscal 2020.
• Adjusted net income⁽¹⁾ attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders of $60.0 million and adjusted net income per common unit of $0.61 in the fourth quarter of 2020 (excluding other items listed in Appendix A to this release), and a record high $233.8 million and $2.45 per common unit, respectively, for fiscal 2020.
• Total adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ of $190.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2020; and $757.9 million for fiscal 2020.
• In early-December 2020, secured a fixed-rate charter for the 52 percent-owned Methane Spirit to early-2023. The Partnership's LNG fleet is 97 percent fixed for 2021, and is currently 89 percent fixed for 2022.
• Teekay LNG expects to increase its common unit distributions by 15 percent to $1.15 per common unit, on an annualized basis, commencing with the first quarter's distribution to be paid in May 2021.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Feb. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teekay GP L.L.C., the general partner (the General Partner) of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (Teekay LNG or the Partnership) TGP, today reported the Partnership's results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020.

Consolidated Financial Summary

Fourth Quarter of 2020 Compared to Third Quarter of 2020

GAAP net income and non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders were positively impacted for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to fewer scheduled dry dockings in the fourth quarter of 2020.

GAAP net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders was also negatively impacted by write-downs recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 of four wholly-owned multi-gas carriers by $6.0 million and four, 50 percent-owned liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers by $17.0 million. These decreases to GAAP net income were partially offset by lower unrealized credit loss provisions recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the third quarter of 2020.

Fourth Quarter of 2020 Compared to Fourth Quarter of 2019

GAAP net income and non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders were positively impacted for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, primarily due to: the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier newbuildings, commencement of terminal use payments for the Partnership's 30 percent-owned Bahrain LNG Terminal, higher LPG rates, and lower net interest expense. These increases were partially offset by more scheduled dry dockings during the fourth quarter of 2020 and lower charter rates earned by certain of the Partnership's LNG carriers and in addition, the increases in non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders were partially offset by the sales of two LNG carriers in January 2020.

GAAP net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders was also negatively impacted by write-downs recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 of four wholly-owned multi-gas carriers and four, 50 percent-owned LPG carriers; a gain recognized in the fourth quarter of 2019 upon derecognition of two LNG carriers and reclassification as sales-type leases; and lower unrealized gains on non-designated derivative instruments in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

CEO Commentary

"For both the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2020, we generated strong earnings and cash flows resulting in the highest ever recorded annual adjusted results for Teekay LNG," commented Mark Kremin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teekay Gas Group Ltd. "During a year which saw extreme volatility in gas prices, LNG shipping rates and equity markets, our strategy of chartering substantially all of our LNG fleet on long-term contracts helped us to achieve consistently strong results throughout the year and to maintain certainty and forward visibility amid the unprecedented uncertainty and volatility that impacted many others in the broader energy space in 2020." Mr. Kremin continued, "In 2020, we increased our total adjusted EBITDA⁽ⁱ⁾ and adjusted net income⁽ⁱ⁾ by 11 percent and 39 percent, respectively, over our 2019 fiscal results, while simultaneously reducing our proportionate net debt⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ by nearly $560 million⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾, or over 10 percent."

"I'm also pleased to announce our plan to increase our common unit distributions by 15 percent, to $1.15 per common unit per annum, commencing with the first quarter's distribution to be paid in May 2021. This represents our third consecutive year of double-digit increases to our distributions, which is supported by not only a record level of adjusted earnings, but also an industry-leading revenue backlog of long-term contracts to a diversified portfolio of strong counterparties. As a result, Teekay LNG's distributions are well-covered, which enables the Partnership to provide an attractive distribution to existing and new investors while also build equity value and financial flexibility through continued balance sheet delevering."

Summary of Recent Events

Chartering Activities

In October 2020, the charterer of the 52 percent-owned LNG carrier Marib Spirit exercised its options to extend the current charter by 14 months at a higher charter rate, extending the vessel's charter coverage to early-2022.

In December 2020, the Partnership's 52 percent-owned joint venture with Marubeni Corporation (the MALT Joint Venture) secured a two-year, fixed-rate charter contract, with a one-year option, for the Methane Spirit which is expected to commence after its current charter contract ends in March 2021.

Financing Activities

In December 2020, the Partnership's 50 percent-owned joint venture with Exmar NV (the Exmar LPG Joint Venture) successfully refinanced its $254 million revolving credit facility and term loan by entering into a new revolving credit facility in the amount of $310 million maturing in December 2023.

On February 8, 2021, the Partnership's 70 percent-owned joint venture with PT Berlian Laju Tanker (the Tangguh Joint Venture), refinanced its $191.5 million term loan which was scheduled to mature in 2021, by entering into a new $191.5 million term loan maturing in February 2026.

Operating Results

The following table highlights certain financial information for Teekay LNG's segments: the Liquefied Natural Gas Segment, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Segment and, until the sale of our last conventional tanker in October 2019, the Conventional Tanker Segment (please refer to the "Teekay LNG's Fleet" section of this release below and Appendices D and E for further details).

Liquefied Natural Gas Segment

Income from vessel operations for the LNG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, decreased primarily due to a $14.3 million gain on the derecognition of the WilForce and WilPride LNG carriers as they were reclassified as sales-type leases prior to their sale in January 2020. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ for the LNG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, decreased primarily due to a reduction in earnings upon the sales of the WilForce and WilPride LNG carriers.

Equity income and adjusted EBITDA from equity-accounted vessels⁽¹⁾ for the LNG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, increased primarily due to the deliveries of two ARC7 LNG carrier newbuildings in November and December 2019 to the Partnership's 50 percent-owned joint venture with China LNG (the Yamal LNG Joint Venture) and commencement of terminal use payments in January 2020 to the Partnership's 30 percent-owned joint venture in Bahrain (the Bahrain LNG Joint Venture). These increases were partially offset by lower earnings from the Partnership's 52 percent-owned MALT Joint Venture as a result of lower charter rates earned upon redeployment of the Arwa Spirit, Marib Spirit and Methane Spirit between May and July 2020. In addition, GAAP equity income was negatively impacted by increases in unrealized credit loss provisions in the fourth quarter of 2020 related to the adoption of the new accounting standards on credit losses (Accounting Standards Codification 326: Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (ASC 326)) at the beginning of 2020 and lower unrealized gains on non-designated derivative instruments in the Partnership's equity-accounted joint ventures in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to fourth quarter of 2019.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Segment

Loss from vessel operations for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, was negatively impacted by write-downs recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 on four multi-gas carriers by $6.0 million.

Consolidated adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was comparable to the same quarter of the prior year.

Equity (loss) income and adjusted EBITDA from equity-accounted vessels⁽¹⁾ for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, were positively impacted from higher charter rates earned in the Partnership's 50 percent-owned Exmar LPG Joint Venture. In addition, equity (loss) income for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, was negatively impacted by the write-downs of four LPG carriers in the Partnership's 50 percent-owned Exmar LPG Joint Venture by $17.0 million.

Conventional Tanker Segment

There were no results from vessel operations for the conventional tanker segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, as the last of the Partnership's conventional tanker, the Alexander Spirit, was sold in October of 2019.

Teekay LNG's Fleet

The following table summarizes the Partnership's fleet as of February 1, 2021. In addition, the Partnership owns a 30 percent interest in an LNG regasification terminal in Bahrain.

Liquidity

As of December 31, 2020, the Partnership had total liquidity of $461.6 million (comprised of $206.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $254.8 million in undrawn credit facilities) compared to $430.8 million as of September 30, 2020.

Conference Call

The Partnership plans to host a conference call on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss the results for the fourth quarter and year ended of 2020. All unitholders and interested parties are invited to listen to the live conference call by choosing from the following options:

• By dialing 1 (800) 437-2398 or 1 (647) 792-1240, if outside North America, and quoting conference ID code 5369396.
• By accessing the webcast, which will be available on Teekay LNG's website at www.teekay.com (the archive will remain on the website for a period of one year).

An accompanying Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year of 2020 Earnings Presentation will also be available at www.teekay.com in advance of the conference call start time.

About Teekay LNG Partners L.P.

Teekay LNG Partners is one of the world's largest independent owners and operators of LNG carriers, providing LNG and LPG services primarily under long-term, fee-based charter contracts through its interests in 47 LNG carriers, 23 mid-size LPG carriers, and seven multi-gas carriers. The Partnership's ownership interests in these vessels range from 20 to 100 percent. In addition, the Partnership owns a 30 percent interest in an LNG regasification terminal. Teekay LNG Partners is a publicly-traded master limited partnership formed by Teekay Corporation TK as part of its strategy to expand its operations in the LNG and LPG shipping sectors.

Teekay LNG Partners' common units and preferred units trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols "TGP", "TGP PR A" and "TGP PR B", respectively.

For Investor Relations enquiries contact:

Ryan Hamilton
Tel: +1 (604) 609-2963
Website: www.teekay.com

Definitions and Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release includes various financial measures that are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under the rules of the SEC. These non-GAAP financial measures which include Adjusted Net Income Attributable to the Partners and Preferred Unitholders, Distributable Cash Flow and Adjusted EBITDA, are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered substitutes for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these measures do not have standardized meanings across companies, and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. These non-GAAP measures are used by management, and the Partnership believes that these supplementary metrics assist investors and other users of its financial reports in comparing financial and operating performance of the Partnership across reporting periods and with other companies.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest, taxes, and depreciation and amortization and is adjusted to exclude certain items whose timing or amount cannot be reasonably estimated in advance or that are not considered representative of core operating performance. Such adjustments include unrealized credit loss provisions, unrealized gains or losses on non-designated derivative instruments, write-down and gains or losses on sales of vessels, foreign currency exchange gains or losses, adjustments for direct financing and sales-type leases to a cash basis, and certain other income or expenses. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes realized gains or losses on interest rate swaps as management, in assessing the Partnership's performance, views these gains or losses as an element of interest expense and realized gains or losses on derivative instruments resulting from amendments or terminations of the underlying instruments. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA represents Adjusted EBITDA from vessels that are consolidated on the Partnership's financial statements. Adjusted EBITDA from Equity-Accounted Vessels represents the Partnership's proportionate share of Adjusted EBITDA from its equity-accounted vessels. The Partnership does not have the unilateral ability to determine whether the cash generated by its equity-accounted vessels is retained within the entity in which the Partnership holds the equity-accounted investments or distributed to the Partnership and other owners. In addition, the Partnership does not control the timing of any such distributions to the Partnership and other owners. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure used by certain investors and management to measure the operational performance of companies. Please refer to Appendices C and E of this release for reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA to net income and equity income, respectively, which are the most directly comparable GAAP measures reflected in the Partnership's consolidated financial statements.

Adjusted Net Income Attributable to the Partners and Preferred Unitholders excludes items of income or loss from GAAP net income that are typically excluded by securities analysts in their published estimates of the Partnership's financial results. The Partnership believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Partnership's financial performance, as does management. Please refer to Appendix A of this release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to net income, and refer to footnote (3) of the Consolidated Statements of Income for a reconciliation of adjusted equity income to equity income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure reflected in the Partnership's consolidated financial statements.

Distributable Cash Flow (DCF) represents GAAP net income adjusted for depreciation and amortization expense, deferred income tax and other non-cash items, estimated maintenance capital expenditures, unrealized gains and losses from non-designated derivative instruments, unrealized credit loss provisions, distributions relating to equity financing of newbuilding installments, distributions relating to preferred units, adjustments for direct financing and sales-type leases to a cash basis, unrealized foreign currency exchange gains or losses, write-downs of vessels, gains or losses on sales of vessels, and the Partnership's proportionate share of such items in its equity-accounted for investments. Maintenance capital expenditures represent those capital expenditures required to maintain over the long-term the operating capacity of, or the revenue generated by, the Partnership's capital assets. DCF is a quantitative standard used in the publicly-traded partnership investment community and by management to assist in evaluating financial performance. Please refer to Appendix B of this release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure reflected in the Partnership's consolidated financial statements.

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Consolidated Statements of Income
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars, except unit and per unit data)

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Appendix A - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted Net Income
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Appendix B - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Distributable Cash Flow (DCF)
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars, except units outstanding and per unit data)

 
Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Appendix C - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Total Adjusted EBITDA
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Appendix D - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA by Segment
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Appendix E - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted EBITDA from Equity-Accounted Vessels
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
Appendix F - Summarized Financial Information of Equity-Accounted Joint Ventures
(in thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) which reflect management's current views with respect to certain future events and performance, including statements, among other things, regarding: the impact of market volatility and related global events on the Partnership's operations and cash flows; fixed charter coverage for the Partnership's LNG fleet for 2021 and 2022; the expected increase in the Partnership's common unit distribution commencing in the first quarter of 2021 (and the coverage of such increased distribution payments); the continued creditworthiness of the Partnership's contractual counterparties; the ability of the Partnership to realize and receive the full benefits from its contractual backlog of revenue under its long-term charter contracts; continued receipt of terminal use payments in respect of the Bahrain LNG regasification terminal; the expected increase in the Partnership's equity value and financial flexibility resulting from the Partnership's continued delevering of its balance sheet; and the expected cash flows from, and the continued performance of, the Partnership's and its joint ventures' charter contracts.

The following factors are among those that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, and that should be considered in evaluating any such statement: changes in production of LNG or LPG, either generally or in particular regions; changes in trading patterns or timing of start-up of new LNG liquefaction and regasification projects significantly affecting overall vessel tonnage requirements; changes in applicable industry laws and regulations and the timing of implementation of new laws and regulations; the potential for early termination of long-term contracts of existing vessels in the Partnership's fleet; higher than expected costs and expenses, including as a result of off-hire days or dry-docking requirements (both scheduled and unscheduled); delays in the Partnership's ability to successfully and timely complete dry dockings; general market conditions and trends, including spot, multi-month and multi-year charter rates; inability of customers of the Partnership or any of its joint ventures to make future payments under contracts; potential further delays to the formal commencement of commercial operations of the Bahrain Regasification Terminal; the inability of the Partnership to renew or replace long-term contracts on existing vessels; potential lack of cash flow to reduce balance sheet leverage or of excess capital available to allocate towards returning capital to unitholders; potential lack of cash flow to continue paying distributions on the Partnership's common units and other securities; and other factors discussed in Teekay LNG Partners' filings from time to time with the SEC, including its Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. The Partnership expressly disclaims any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Partnership's expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.