TULSA, Okla., May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:
OKE) today announced first-quarter 2017 financial results.
SUMMARY
- First-quarter 2017 net income attributable to ONEOK and
adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization (adjusted EBITDA) increased 5 and 4 percent,
respectively, compared with the first quarter 2016;
- First-quarter 2017 dividend coverage ratio was 1.27;
- The natural gas gathering and processing segment's average fee
rate increased to 83 cents in the
first quarter 2017, compared with 68
cents in the first quarter 2016;
- The natural gas liquids segment connected three new third-party
natural gas processing plants to its natural gas liquids (NGL)
system in the first quarter 2017; and
- ONEOK reaffirms 2017 financial guidance.
FIRST-QUARTER 2017 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
|
Three Months
Ended
|
|
March
31,
|
ONEOK
|
2017
|
|
2016
|
|
(Millions of
dollars, except per
share and coverage ratio amounts)
|
Net income
attributable to ONEOK
|
$
|
87.4
|
|
|
$
|
83.4
|
|
Net income per
diluted share
|
$
|
0.41
|
|
|
$
|
0.40
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA
(a)
|
$
|
459.6
|
|
|
$
|
441.6
|
|
Cash flow available
for dividends (a) (b)
|
$
|
164.2
|
|
|
$
|
169.3
|
|
Dividend coverage
ratio (a)
|
1.27
|
|
|
1.31
|
|
(a) Adjusted EBITDA;
cash flow available for dividends and dividend coverage ratio are
non-GAAP measures. Reconciliations to relevant GAAP measures are
attached to this news
release.
|
(b) Distributable
cash flow (DCF), as calculated per 2017 guidance, would total
$324.2 million and $322.8 million for the first quarter 2017 and
first quarter 2016, respectively. DCF is a non-GAAP measure. A
reconciliation to the relevant GAAP measure is attached to this
news release.
|
"All three of ONEOK Partners' business segments reported higher
first-quarter adjusted EBITDA compared with the same period last
year, driven by increased fee-based services across the
partnership's footprint," said Terry K.
Spencer, president and chief executive officer of ONEOK and
ONEOK Partners. "Our performance through the first three months of
2017 and the increased drilling rig activity in the basins we serve
has us well-positioned to achieve 2017 financial guidance
expectations. Severe winter weather in January impacted
first-quarter 2017 volumes, primarily in the Williston Basin, but
was taken into consideration when setting 2017 financial
expectations. Since January, volumes have recovered and are now
averaging above November 2016
levels.
"We've seen increased activity across our footprint as producers
continue to move drilling rigs into highly productive areas such as
the STACK and SCOOP plays in Oklahoma and the Williston and Permian
basins," Spencer said. "The partnership holds strong asset
positions in all of these areas, where continued growth benefits
all three of our business segments.
"The announced merger transaction with ONEOK Partners positions
our businesses for continued growth," Spencer added. "This
transaction represents a great opportunity for current ONEOK
shareholders and ONEOK Partners unitholders, who will benefit from
a long runway of future development opportunities across our
footprint."
FIRST-QUARTER 2017 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
ONEOK's first-quarter 2017 results benefited from higher average
fee rates in the natural gas gathering and processing segment,
higher fee-based transportation services in the natural gas
pipelines segment, and increased transportation and exchange
service volumes and wider location and product price differentials
in the natural gas liquids segment. Severe winter weather in
January, primarily in the Williston Basin, impacted the natural gas
gathering and processing segment's volumes during the quarter.
Recently completed capital-growth projects in the natural gas
pipelines segment, including the joint venture Roadrunner Gas
Transmission Pipeline and the WesTex intrastate pipeline expansion,
both in the Permian Basin, provided additional fee-based earnings
during the quarter.
Ethane rejection levels on the partnership's NGL system
decreased to an average of more than 150,000 barrels per day (bpd)
in the first quarter 2017, compared with an average of more than
175,000 bpd during the first quarter of 2016. The partnership
expects ethane recovery levels to fluctuate but generally increase
for the remainder of 2017, as ethane supply and demand begin to
balance.
|
Three Months
Ended
|
|
March
31,
|
ONEOK
|
2017
|
|
2016
|
|
(Millions of
dollars)
|
Operating
income
|
$
|
314.4
|
|
|
$
|
311.4
|
|
Operating
costs
|
$
|
192.0
|
|
|
$
|
177.1
|
|
Depreciation and
amortization
|
$
|
99.4
|
|
|
$
|
94.5
|
|
Equity in net
earnings from investments
|
$
|
39.6
|
|
|
$
|
32.9
|
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
$
|
459.6
|
|
|
$
|
441.6
|
|
Capital
expenditures
|
$
|
112.7
|
|
|
$
|
196.4
|
|
Higher first-quarter 2017 results primarily benefited from:
- Higher average fee rates resulting from contract restructuring
in the natural gas gathering and processing segment;
- Higher firm demand charge transportation revenues in the
natural gas pipelines segment; and
- Increased transportation and exchange service volumes and wider
location and product price differentials in the natural gas liquids
segment.
Operating costs increased in the first quarter 2017 compared
with the first quarter 2016 due primarily to increased property
taxes in the natural gas liquids and natural gas pipelines segments
and higher labor and employee-related costs. ONEOK's first-quarter
2017 results also include approximately $7
million in costs associated with the proposed ONEOK and
ONEOK Partners merger transaction.
Capital expenditures decreased in the first three months of 2017
compared with the same period in 2016 due primarily to projects
placed in service in 2016 and fewer well connections in the natural
gas gathering and processing segment due to the impact of severe
winter weather in the Williston Basin in the first quarter
2017.
EARNINGS PRESENTATION AND KEY STATISTICS:
Additional financial and operating information that will be
discussed on the first-quarter 2017 conference call is accessible
on the ONEOK and ONEOK Partners websites, www.oneok.com and
www.oneokpartners.com, or from the links below.
> View earnings presentation
> View earnings tables
ONEOK AND ONEOK PARTNERS HIGHLIGHTS:
ONEOK:
- Announcing on Feb. 1, 2017, an
agreement to acquire the outstanding common units of ONEOK Partners
it does not already own and announcing an expected dividend
increase to 74.5 cents per share for
the first quarterly dividend following the close of the
transaction;
- Announcing in April a new $2.5
billion, five-year senior unsecured revolving credit
facility to replace the existing ONEOK and ONEOK Partners credit
facilities. The new facility will be available upon the expected
completion of the merger transaction and termination of the
existing ONEOK and ONEOK Partners credit facilities;
- Reporting first-quarter 2017 net income attributable to ONEOK
and adjusted EBITDA increases of 5 and 4 percent, respectively,
compared with the first quarter 2016;
- Receiving $107.2 million in
distributions from the company's general partner interest and
$90.3 million in distributions from
the company's limited partner interests in ONEOK Partners in the
first quarter 2017;
- Having $302.3 million of cash and
cash equivalents and $298.9 million
of capacity available under its $300
million credit agreement, on a stand-alone basis, as of
March 31, 2017; and
- Declaring in April 2017 a
dividend of 61.5 cents per share, or
$2.46 per share on an annualized
basis.
ONEOK Partners:
- Reporting first-quarter 2017 net income attributable to ONEOK
Partners and adjusted EBITDA increases of 6 and 4 percent,
respectively, compared with the first quarter 2016;
- Reporting first-quarter 2017 distribution coverage of 1.10
times;
- Connecting three additional third-party natural gas processing
plants - one each in the Permian Basin, Mid-Continent and Rocky
Mountain region - to the partnership's NGL system; and
- Declaring in April 2017 a
first-quarter 2017 distribution of 79
cents per unit, or $3.16 per
unit on an annualized basis.
BUSINESS-SEGMENT RESULTS:
Key financial and operating statistics are listed in the
tables.
Natural Gas Liquids Segment
The natural gas liquids segment's first-quarter 2017 adjusted
EBITDA increased 3 percent compared with the first quarter 2016,
primarily benefiting from increased optimization and marketing from
wider location price differentials. Recent natural gas processing
plant connections, wider product price differentials and increased
ethane recovery also contributed to the increase. The segment
connected three new third-party natural gas processing plants - one
each in the Permian Basin, Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain region
- to its system during the quarter.
NGLs fractionated increased 4 percent and NGLs transported on
gathering lines increased 2 percent in the first quarter 2017,
compared with the same period in 2016, primarily benefiting from
new processing plant connections in the Williston Basin, increased
ethane recovery and increased Mid-Continent volumes gathered from
the STACK and SCOOP areas.
|
Three Months
Ended
|
|
March
31,
|
Natural Gas
Liquids Segment
|
2017
|
|
2016
|
|
(Millions of
dollars)
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
$
|
278.2
|
|
|
$
|
270.2
|
|
Capital
expenditures
|
$
|
20.5
|
|
|
$
|
34.2
|
|
The increase in first-quarter 2017 adjusted EBITDA, compared
with the first quarter 2016, primarily reflects:
- A $5.3 million increase in
optimization and marketing due primarily to wider location price
differentials;
- A $3.9 million increase in
transportation and storage services due to higher distribution
pipeline volumes and higher storage and terminaling revenue in the
Gulf Coast region;
- A $3.6 million increase due to
wider product price differentials, increased exchange-service
volumes from recently connected natural gas processing plants
primarily in the Williston Basin, increased ethane recovery and
increased volumes gathered in the STACK and SCOOP areas, offset
partially by decreased volumes gathered from the Barnett Shale and
lower rates on the West Texas LPG system; offset partially by
- A $5.5 million increase in
operating costs due primarily to higher property taxes and higher
employee-related costs.
Natural Gas Gathering and Processing Segment
The natural gas gathering and processing segment's first-quarter
2017 adjusted EBITDA increased 4 percent compared with the first
quarter 2016 due primarily to higher fee-based revenues from
restructured contracts.
The segment's average fee rate for the first quarter 2017 was
83 cents, compared with 68 cents in the first quarter 2016, a 22 percent
increase.
Severe winter weather and natural production declines on
existing wells impacted natural gas volumes in the first quarter
2017. Natural gas volumes processed decreased approximately 4
percent compared with the same period last year.
|
Three Months
Ended
|
|
March
31,
|
Natural Gas
Gathering and Processing Segment
|
2017
|
|
2016
|
|
(Millions of
dollars)
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
$
|
104.0
|
|
|
$
|
100.0
|
|
Capital
expenditures
|
$
|
63.2
|
|
|
$
|
141.5
|
|
First-quarter 2017 adjusted EBITDA increased, compared with the
first quarter 2016, which primarily reflects:
- A $19.8 million increase due
primarily to restructured contracts resulting in higher average fee
rates, offset partially by a lower percentage of proceeds (POP)
retained from the sale of commodities purchased under POP with fee
contracts; offset partially by
- A $10.2 million decrease due
primarily to lower volumes as a result of severe winter weather in
the first quarter of 2017;
- A $2.4 million decrease due
primarily to lower realized natural gas prices; and
- A $2.2 million increase in
operating costs due primarily to increased labor and higher
employee-related costs, partially offset by lower outside service
expenses.
The following table contains equity-volume information for the
periods indicated:
|
Three Months
Ended
|
|
March
31,
|
Equity-Volume
Information (a)
|
2017
|
|
2016
|
NGL sales - including
ethane (MBbl/d)
|
9.8
|
|
|
16.4
|
|
Condensate sales
(MBbl/d)
|
3.1
|
|
|
2.7
|
|
Residue natural gas
sales (BBtu/d)
|
71.1
|
|
|
83.8
|
|
(a) - Includes
volumes for consolidated entities only.
|
|
|
|
The partnership's equity NGL and natural gas volumes decreased
in the first quarter 2017, compared with the first quarter 2016,
due to contract restructuring efforts and the impact of severe
winter weather in the first quarter 2017.
Natural Gas Pipelines Segment
The natural gas pipelines segment's first-quarter 2017 adjusted
EBITDA increased 12 percent, compared with the same period in 2016,
driven by higher fee-based earnings from transportation services
due to increased firm demand charge contracted capacity. Recently
completed capital-growth projects including the partnership's joint
venture Roadrunner Gas Transmission Pipeline and the WesTex
intrastate pipeline expansion, both in the Permian Basin, provide
additional fee-based earnings and expand the partnership's
connectivity of producers with end-use markets in one of the most
active basins in the country.
Construction is in progress on a 100 million cubic feet per day
(MMcf/d) westbound expansion of the partnership's ONEOK Gas
Transmission (OGT) Pipeline out of the STACK play in Oklahoma and on a 22-mile, 55 MMcf/d OGT
pipeline that will provide transportation and storage services to a
third-party electric generation plant near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The electric
generation plant connection project is expected to be complete in
the third quarter 2017 and the OGT expansion is expected to be
complete in the second quarter 2018. Both projects are supported by
long-term, firm fee-based agreements.
|
Three Months
Ended
|
|
March
31,
|
Natural Gas
Pipelines Segment
|
2017
|
|
2016
|
|
(Millions of
dollars)
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
$
|
83.0
|
|
|
$
|
74.3
|
|
Capital
expenditures
|
$
|
25.0
|
|
|
$
|
17.9
|
|
First-quarter 2017 adjusted EBITDA increased, compared with the
first quarter 2016, which primarily reflects:
- A $9.9 million increase from
higher transportation services due primarily to increased firm
demand charge capacity contracted; and
- A $6.4 million increase in equity
in net earnings from investments due primarily to higher firm
transportation revenues on the Roadrunner pipeline; offset
partially by
- A $4.3 million increase in
operating costs due primarily to higher property taxes and higher
employee-related costs; and
- A $3.0 million decrease due to
gains on sales of excess natural gas in storage in the first
quarter 2016.
Capital expenditures increased in the first quarter 2017
compared with the same period in 2016 due primarily to the timing
of maintenance projects.
EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST:
ONEOK and ONEOK Partners executive management will conduct a
joint conference call at 11 a.m. Eastern
Daylight Time (10 a.m. Central
Daylight Time) on May 3, 2017.
The call also will be carried live on ONEOK's and ONEOK Partners'
websites.
To participate in the telephone conference call, dial
800-210-9066, pass code 6861498, or log on to www.oneok.com or
www.oneokpartners.com.
If you are unable to participate in the conference call or the
webcast, the replay will be available on ONEOK's website,
www.oneok.com, and ONEOK Partners' website, www.oneokpartners.com,
for 30 days. A recording will be available by phone for seven
days. The playback call may be accessed at 888-203-1112, pass
code 6861498.
LINKS TO EARNINGS TABLES AND PRESENTATION:
Tables:
http://ir.oneok.com/~/media/Files/O/OneOK-IR/financial-reports/2017/q1-3may2017-earnings-results-financial-news.pdf
Presentation:
http://ir.oneok.com/~/media/Files/O/OneOK-IR/financial-reports/2017/q1-3may2017-earnings-results-presentation.pdf
NON-GAAP (GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES) FINANCIAL
MEASURE:
ONEOK has disclosed in this news release adjusted EBITDA, cash
flow available for dividends, distributable cash flow, free cash
flow, dividend coverage ratio and distribution coverage ratio,
which are non-GAAP financial metrics, used to measure the company's
financial performance and are defined as follows:
- Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income adjusted for interest
expense, net of capitalized interest, depreciation and
amortization, impairment charges, income taxes and allowance for
equity funds used during construction (equity AFUDC) and certain
other noncash items;
- Cash flow available for dividends is defined as cash
distributions declared from ONEOK's ownership in ONEOK Partners
adjusted for ONEOK's standalone interest expense, corporate
expenses, excluding certain noncash items, payments related to
released contracts from ONEOK's former energy services business,
capital expenditures and equity compensation reimbursed by ONEOK
Partners;
- Free cash flow is defined as cash flow available for dividends,
computed as described above, less ONEOK's dividends declared;
- Dividend coverage ratio is defined as cash flow available for
dividends divided by the dividends declared for the period;
- Distributable cash flow is defined as adjusted EBITDA, computed
as described above, less interest expense, maintenance capital
expenditures and equity earnings from investments, excluding
noncash impairment charges, adjusted for cash distributions
received and certain other items;
- Dividend coverage ratio (as calculated per 2017 guidance) is
defined as ONEOK's distributable cash flow to ONEOK shareholders
divided by the dividends paid for the period; and
- Distribution coverage ratio is defined as ONEOK Partners
distributable cash flow to limited partners per limited partner
unit divided by the distribution declared per limited partner unit
for the period.
These non-GAAP financial measures described above are useful to
investors because they and similar measures are used by many
companies in the industry as a measurement of financial performance
and are commonly employed by financial analysts and others to
evaluate our financial performance and to compare our financial
performance with the performance of other companies within our
industry. Adjusted EBITDA, ONEOK cash flow available for
dividends, free cash flow, distributable cash flow and coverage
ratios should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for
net income or any other measure of financial performance presented
in accordance with GAAP.
These non-GAAP financial measures exclude some, but not all,
items that affect net income. Additionally, these
calculations may not be comparable with similarly titled measures
of other companies. Reconciliations of net income to adjusted
EBITDA, cash flow available for dividends, free cash flow to net
income, distributable cash flow and coverage ratios are included in
the tables.
ONEOK, Inc. (pronounced ONE-OAK) (NYSE: OKE) is the general
partner and as of March 31, 2017,
owns 41.2 percent of ONEOK Partners, L.P. (NYSE: OKS), one of the
largest publicly traded master limited partnerships, which owns one
of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems,
connecting NGL supply in the Mid-Continent, Permian and Rocky
Mountain regions with key market centers and is a leader in the
gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas in
the U.S. ONEOK is a FORTUNE 500 company and is included in Standard
& Poor's (S&P) 500 Stock Index.
For information about ONEOK, Inc., visit the website:
www.oneok.com.
For the latest news about ONEOK, follow us on Twitter
@ONEOKNews.
This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of federal securities laws. Words such as
"anticipates", "believes," "expects", "intends", "plans",
"projects", "will", "would", "should", "may", and similar
expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact
and reflect ONEOK's and ONEOK Partners' current views about future
events. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, statements about the benefits of the proposed
transaction involving ONEOK and ONEOK Partners, including future
financial and operating results, ONEOK's and ONEOK Partners' plans,
objectives, expectations and intentions, the expected timing of
completion of the transaction, and other statements that are not
historical facts, including future results of operations, projected
cash flow and liquidity, business strategy, expected synergies or
cost savings, and other plans and objectives for future
operations. No assurances can be given that the
forward-looking statements contained in this news release will
occur as projected and actual results may differ materially from
those projected. Forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations, estimates and assumptions that involve a
number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our
control, and are not guarantees of future results.
Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in
such statements and, therefore, you should not place undue reliance
on any such statements and caution must be exercised in relying on
forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties
include, without limitation, the following:
- the ability to obtain the requisite ONEOK stockholder and ONEOK
Partners unitholder approvals relating to the proposed
transaction;
- the risk that ONEOK or ONEOK Partners may be unable to obtain
governmental and regulatory approvals required for the proposed
transaction, if any, or required governmental and regulatory
approvals, if any, may delay the proposed transaction or result in
the imposition of conditions that could cause the parties to
abandon the proposed transaction;
- the risk that a condition to closing of the proposed
transaction may not be satisfied;
- the timing to consummate the proposed transaction;
- the risk that cost savings, tax benefits and any other
synergies from the transaction may not be fully realized or may
take longer to realize than expected;
- disruption from the transaction may make it more difficult to
maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers;
- the possible diversion of management time on merger-related
issues;
- the impact and outcome of pending and future litigation,
including litigation, if any, relating to the proposed
transaction;
- the effects of weather and other natural phenomena, including
climate change, on our operations, demand for our services and
energy prices;
- competition from other United
States and foreign energy suppliers and transporters, as
well as alternative forms of energy, including, but not limited to,
solar power, wind power, geothermal energy and biofuels such as
ethanol and biodiesel;
- the capital intensive nature of our businesses;
- the profitability of assets or businesses acquired or
constructed by us;
- our ability to make cost-saving changes in operations;
- risks of marketing, trading and hedging activities, including
the risks of changes in energy prices or the financial condition of
our counterparties;
- the uncertainty of estimates, including accruals and costs of
environmental remediation;
- the timing and extent of changes in energy commodity
prices;
- the effects of changes in governmental policies and regulatory
actions, including changes with respect to income and other taxes,
pipeline safety, environmental compliance, climate change
initiatives and authorized rates of recovery of natural gas and
natural gas transportation costs;
- the impact on drilling and production by factors beyond our
control, including the demand for natural gas and crude oil;
producers' desire and ability to obtain necessary permits; reserve
performance; and capacity constraints on the pipelines that
transport crude oil, natural gas and NGLs from producing areas and
our facilities;
- difficulties or delays experienced by trucks, railroads or
pipelines in delivering products to or from our terminals or
pipelines;
- changes in demand for the use of natural gas, NGLs and crude
oil because of market conditions caused by concerns about climate
change;
- conflicts of interest between ONEOK and ONEOK Partners;
- the impact of unforeseen changes in interest rates, debt and
equity markets, inflation rates, economic recession and other
external factors over which we have no control, including the
effect on pension and postretirement expense and funding resulting
from changes in stock and bond market returns;
- our indebtedness could make us vulnerable to general adverse
economic and industry conditions, limit our ability to borrow
additional funds and/or place us at competitive disadvantages
compared with our competitors that have less debt, or have other
adverse consequences;
- actions by rating agencies concerning the credit ratings of
ONEOK and ONEOK Partners;
- the results of administrative proceedings and litigation,
regulatory actions, rule changes and receipt of expected clearances
involving any local, state or federal regulatory body, including
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the National
Transportation Safety Board, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA), the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
(CFTC);
- our ability to access capital at competitive rates or on terms
acceptable to us;
- risks associated with adequate supply to our gathering,
processing, fractionation and pipeline facilities, including
production declines that outpace new drilling or extended periods
of ethane rejection;
- the risk that material weaknesses or significant deficiencies
in our internal controls over financial reporting could emerge or
that minor problems could become significant;
- the ability to market pipeline capacity on favorable terms,
including the effects of:
-
- future demand for and prices of natural gas, NGLs and crude
oil;
- competitive conditions in the overall energy market;
- availability of supplies of Canadian and United States natural gas and crude oil;
and
- availability of additional storage capacity;
- performance of contractual obligations by our customers,
service providers, contractors and shippers;
- the timely receipt of approval by applicable governmental
entities for construction and operation of our pipeline and other
projects and required regulatory clearances;
- our ability to acquire all necessary permits, consents or other
approvals in a timely manner, to promptly obtain all necessary
materials and supplies required for construction, and to construct
gathering, processing, storage, fractionation and transportation
facilities without labor or contractor problems;
- the mechanical integrity of facilities operated;
- demand for our services in the proximity of our
facilities;
- our ability to control operating costs;
- acts of nature, sabotage, terrorism or other similar acts that
cause damage to our facilities or our suppliers' or shippers'
facilities;
- economic climate and growth in the geographic areas in which we
do business;
- the risk of a prolonged slowdown in growth or decline in
the United States or international
economies, including liquidity risks in United States or foreign credit markets;
- the impact of recently issued and future accounting updates and
other changes in accounting policies;
- the possibility of future terrorist attacks or the possibility
or occurrence of an outbreak of, or changes in, hostilities or
changes in the political conditions in the Middle East and elsewhere;
- the risk of increased costs for insurance premiums, security or
other items as a consequence of terrorist attacks;
- risks associated with pending or possible acquisitions and
dispositions, including our ability to finance or integrate any
such acquisitions and any regulatory delay or conditions imposed by
regulatory bodies in connection with any such acquisitions and
dispositions;
- the impact of uncontracted capacity in our assets being greater
or less than expected;
- the ability to recover operating costs and amounts equivalent
to income taxes, costs of property, plant and equipment and
regulatory assets in our state and FERC-regulated rates;
- the composition and quality of the natural gas and NGLs we
gather and process in our plants and transport on our
pipelines;
- the efficiency of our plants in processing natural gas and
extracting and fractionating NGLs;
- the impact of potential impairment charges;
- the risk inherent in the use of information systems in our
respective businesses, implementation of new software and hardware,
and the impact on the timeliness of information for financial
reporting;
- our ability to control construction costs and completion
schedules of our pipelines and other projects; and
- the ability of management to execute its plans to meet its
goals and other risks inherent in our businesses that are discussed
in ONEOK's and ONEOK Partners' most recent annual reports on Form
10-K, respectively, and in other ONEOK and ONEOK Partners reports
on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC").
These reports are also available from the sources described
below. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates
and opinions of management at the time the statements are made.
Neither ONEOK nor ONEOK Partners undertakes any obligation to
publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise.
The foregoing review of important factors should not be
construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the
other cautionary statements that are included herein and elsewhere,
including the Risk Factors included in the most recent reports on
Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and other documents of ONEOK and ONEOK
Partners on file with the SEC. ONEOK's and ONEOK Partners' SEC
filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at
www.sec.gov.
Additional Information And Where To Find It
This communication is not a solicitation of any vote, approval,
or proxy from any ONEOK stockholder or ONEOK Partners
unitholder. In connection with the proposed transaction,
ONEOK filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") a
registration statement on Form S-4, which includes a preliminary
prospectus of ONEOK and a joint proxy statement of ONEOK and ONEOK
Partners. These materials are not yet final and will be
amended. Each of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners may also file other
documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. ONEOK
and OKS will each mail the joint proxy statement/prospectus to
their respective stockholders and unitholders. This document
is not a substitute for any prospectus, proxy statement or any
other document which ONEOK or ONEOK Partners may file with the SEC
in connection with the proposed transaction. ONEOK and ONEOK
Partners urge investors and their respective stockholders and
unitholders to read the registration statement, including the
preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus that is a part of the
registration statement, and the definitive joint proxy
statement/prospectus, and other relevant materials filed and to be
filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when they
become available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC,
because they contain or will contain important information. You may
obtain copies of all documents filed with the SEC regarding this
transaction (when they become available), free of charge, at the
SEC's website (www.sec.gov). You may also obtain these
documents, free of charge, from ONEOK's website (www.oneok.com)
under the tab "Investors" and then under the heading "SEC
Filings." You may also obtain these documents, free of
charge, from ONEOK Partners' website (www.oneokpartners.com) under
the tab "Investors" and then under the heading "SEC Filings."
Participants In The Solicitation
ONEOK, ONEOK Partners and their respective directors, executive
officers and certain other members of management and employees may
be soliciting proxies from ONEOK stockholders and ONEOK Partners
unitholders in favor of the proposed transaction and related
matters. Information regarding the persons who may, under the
rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of
ONEOK stockholders and ONEOK Partners unitholders in connection
with the proposed transaction are set forth in the preliminary
joint proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC on March 7, 2017 and will be set forth in the
definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes
available. You can find information about ONEOK's executive
officers and directors in its definitive proxy statement filed with
the SEC on April 6, 2017. You
can find information about ONEOK Partners' executive officers and
directors in its annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
February 28, 2017. Additional
information about ONEOK's executive officers and directors and
ONEOK Partners' executive officers and directors can be found in
the above-referenced Registration Statement on Form S-4 and the
other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become
available. You can obtain free copies of these documents from
ONEOK and ONEOK Partners using the contact information above.
Analyst
Contact:
|
Megan
Patterson
918-561-5325
|
Media
Contact:
|
Stephanie
Higgins
918-591-5026
|
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oneok-announces-higher-first-quarter-2017-financial-results-300449972.html
SOURCE ONEOK, Inc.