Marathon Petroleum Corp. drops down terminal, pipeline and storage assets to MPLX for $2 billion

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FINDLAY, Ohio, March 1, 2017 - Marathon Petroleum Corp. MPC and MPLX LP MPLX today closed a transaction in which MPC contributed certain terminal, pipeline and storage assets to MPLX for total consideration of $2.015 billion. 

The assets include 62 light-product terminals with approximately 24 million barrels of storage capacity; 11 pipeline systems consisting of 604 miles of pipeline; 73 tanks with approximately 7.8 million barrels of storage capacity; a crude oil truck unloading facility at MPC's refinery in Canton, Ohio; and eight natural gas liquids storage caverns in Woodhaven, Michigan, with approximately 1.8 million barrels of capacity.

"This drop-down of additional high-quality logistics assets to MPLX represents the first of several drops expected to occur in 2017, and is an important part of our plan to unlock the value of our midstream business for investors," said MPC Chairman, President and CEO Gary R. Heminger. "The stable, fee-based earnings from these assets will add scale and diversification to MPLX's portfolio of high-quality midstream assets."

MPC is contributing these assets in exchange for the issuance of $504 million in MPLX equity and $1.511 billion in cash. The equity to be issued in the transaction consists of MPLX common units and general partner units to maintain MPC's 2 percent general partner interest in MPLX. The units will be valued based on the 10-day volume weighted average price of MPLX common units prior to the closing.

The total consideration equates to an 8 times multiple of the $250 million of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization these businesses are expected to generate in the next 12 months. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to MPLX's 2017 distributable cash flow.

The terms of the acquisition were approved by the MPLX Board of Directors following the approval of the transaction by its independent conflicts committee. The conflicts committee was advised by Jefferies LLC as to financial matters and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as to legal matters.

 

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About Marathon Petroleum Corporation
MPC is the nation's third-largest refiner, with a crude oil refining capacity of approximately 1.8 million barrels per calendar day in its seven-refinery system. Marathon brand gasoline is sold through approximately 5,500 independently owned retail outlets across 19 states. In addition, Speedway LLC, an MPC subsidiary, owns and operates the nation's second-largest convenience store chain, with approximately 2,730 convenience stores in 21 states. MPC owns, leases or has ownership interests in approximately 8,400 miles of crude and light product pipelines and more than 5,600 miles of gas gathering and natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines. MPC also has ownership interests in 54 gas processing plants, 14 NGL fractionation facilities and two condensate stabilization facilities. Through subsidiaries, MPC owns the general partner of MPLX LP, a midstream master limited partnership. MPC's fully integrated system provides operational flexibility to move crude oil, NGLs, feedstocks and petroleum-related products efficiently through the company's distribution network and midstream service businesses in the Midwest, Northeast, East Coast, Southeast and Gulf Coast regions.

About MPLX LP
MPLX is a diversified, growth-oriented master limited partnership formed in 2012 by Marathon Petroleum Corporation to own, operate, develop and acquire midstream energy infrastructure assets. We are engaged in the gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas; the gathering, transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of NGLs; and the transportation and storage of crude oil and refined petroleum products. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, MPLX's assets consist of a network of common carrier crude oil and refined products pipeline assets located in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions of the United States; an inland marine business; a butane storage cavern located in West Virginia with approximately 1 million barrels of storage capacity; crude oil and product storage facilities (tank farms) with approximately 4.5 million barrels of available storage capacity; a barge dock facility with approximately 78,000 barrels per day of crude oil and product throughput capacity; and gathering and processing assets that include more than 5,600 miles of gas gathering and NGL pipelines, 54 gas processing plants, 14 NGL fractionation facilities and two condensate stabilization facilities.

Investor Relations Contacts:
Lisa D. Wilson (419) 421-2071
Denice Myers (419) 421-2965
Doug Wendt (419) 421-2423

Media Contacts:
Chuck Rice (419) 421-2521
Jamal Kheiry (410) 421-3312

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws regarding Marathon Petroleum Corporation ("MPC") and MPLX LP ("MPLX"). These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations, estimates and projections concerning the business and operations of MPC and MPLX, including proposed strategic initiatives. You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "design," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "guidance," "imply," "intend," "objective," "opportunity," "outlook," "plan," "position," "pursue," "prospective," "predict," "project," "potential," "seek," "strategy," "target," "could," "may," "should," "would," "will" or other similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the companies' control and are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause MPC's actual results to differ materially from those implied in the forward-looking statements include: the time, costs and ability to obtain regulatory or other approvals and consents and otherwise consummate the strategic initiatives discussed herein; the satisfaction or waiver of conditions in the agreements governing the strategic initiatives discussed herein; our ability to achieve the strategic and other objectives related to the strategic initiatives discussed herein; adverse changes in laws including with respect to tax and regulatory matters; inability to agree with the MPLX conflicts committee with respect to the timing of and value attributed to assets identified for dropdown; changes to the expected construction costs and timing of projects; continued/further volatility in and/or degradation of market and industry conditions; the availability and pricing of crude oil and other feedstocks; slower growth in domestic and Canadian crude supply; the effects of the lifting of the U.S. crude oil export ban; completion of pipeline capacity to areas outside the U.S. Midwest; consumer demand for refined products; transportation logistics; the reliability of processing units and other equipment; MPC's ability to successfully implement growth opportunities; modifications to MPLX earnings and distribution growth objectives, and other risks described below with respect to MPLX; compliance with federal and state environmental, economic, health and safety, energy and other policies and regulations, including the cost of compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard, and/or enforcement actions initiated thereunder; changes to MPC's capital budget; other risk factors inherent to MPC's industry; and the factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in MPC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2016, filed with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Factors that could cause MPLX's actual results to differ materially from those implied in the forward-looking statements include: negative capital market conditions, including a persistence or increase of the current yield on common units, which is higher than historical yields, adversely affecting MPLX's ability to meet its distribution growth guidance; the time, costs and ability to obtain regulatory or other approvals and consents and otherwise consummate the strategic initiatives discussed herein and other proposed transactions; the satisfaction or waiver of conditions in the agreements governing the strategic initiatives discussed herein and other proposed transactions; our ability to achieve the strategic and other objectives related to the strategic initiatives discussed herein and other proposed transactions; adverse changes in laws including with respect to tax and regulatory matters; inability to agree with respect to the timing of and value attributed to assets identified for dropdown; the adequacy of MPLX's capital resources and liquidity, including, but not limited to, availability of sufficient cash flow to pay distributions, and the ability to successfully execute its business plans and growth strategy; the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices and demand for crude oil, refined products, feedstocks or other hydrocarbon-based products; continued/further volatility in and/or degradation of market and industry conditions; changes to the expected construction costs and timing of projects; completion of midstream infrastructure by competitors; disruptions due to equipment interruption or failure, including electrical shortages and power grid failures; the suspension, reduction or termination of MPC's obligations under MPLX's commercial agreements; modifications to earnings and distribution growth objectives; the level of support from MPC, including dropdowns, alternative financing arrangements, taking equity units, and other methods of sponsor support, as a result of the capital allocation needs of the enterprise as a whole and its ability to provide support on commercially reasonable terms; compliance with federal and state environmental, economic, health and safety, energy and other policies and regulations and/or enforcement actions initiated thereunder; changes to MPLX's capital budget; other risk factors inherent to MPLX's industry; and the factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in MPLX's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2016, filed with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included herein could be affected by general domestic and international economic and political conditions. Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed here, in MPC's Form 10-K or in MPLX's Form 10-K could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements. Copies of MPC's Form 10-K are available on the SEC website, MPC's website at http://ir.marathonpetroleum.com or by contacting MPC's Investor Relations office. Copies of MPLX's Form 10-K are available on the SEC website, MPLX's website at http://ir.mplx.com or by contacting MPLX's Investor Relations office.

The EBITDA forecast referred to herein was determined on an EBITDA-only basis. Accordingly, information related to the elements of net income, including tax, and interest, are not available and, therefore, a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure has not been provided.






This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Marathon Petroleum Corporation via Globenewswire

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