Welcome to the Paratus Energy Q1 2025 earnings call. There will be a Q&A section after the presentation, and you can submit your questions by using the button on the bottom right corner of the player. I will now hand over to your host.
Good day, everyone. Welcome to this first quarter 2025 results presentation for Paratus Energy Services Limited. My name is Robert Jensen, and I am the CEO of Paratus. Joining me on the call today is Baton Haxhimehmedi, our CFO. Before we begin today's presentation, I would like to remind all participants that some of the statements on this call may involve forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information involves risk and uncertainties by nature that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such statements. I therefore refer you to our latest public filings. The first quarter was a relatively quiet quarter for the company compared to our recent history, with results largely as expected given the high contract coverage across our assets. Both of our operating entities continued their strong operational performance, and we recorded a technical utilization of 99% for the quarter.
We reported Q1 revenues of $103 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $58 million compared to $109 million and $63 million in the fourth quarter. The decline was mainly attributable to lower average day rates and fewer operating days in Mexico, as well as an unusually low cost in Brazil in the fourth quarter due to one-time items. The net income for the quarter was $3.2 million compared to $2.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. In line with our policy of targeting stable long-term distributions to our shareholders, the Board of Directors have resolved to declare a cash distribution to shareholders of $0.22 per share for the first quarter of 2025. This level is consistent with the distribution paid for each quarter since our IPO last year. During the first quarter, we also completed a share buyback of approximately $20 million by way of a reverse bookbuilding process.
In early April, we initiated a further buyback for an amount of up to $5 million through open market transactions. As of yesterday, we had completed approximately 95% of this buyback. The company now owns a total of approximately $6.8 million of its own shares, or approximately 4% of the share capital. As a reminder, upon completion of the ongoing buyback, we will have approximately $75 million remaining capacity under the $100 million share repurchase authorization. Including the distribution announced this morning, we will shortly have returned more than $170 million to shareholders in less than nine months. This corresponds to approximately 30% of the current market capitalization of the company, and we believe this is a testament to the shareholder-friendly policy of the company. We exited the first quarter with a cash balance of $176 million, following the previously announced $209 million monetization agreement in Mexico.
As a result, our net debt stood at $551 million at the end of the quarter. At the end of Q1, our receivable balance in Mexico stood at $185 million. Outside of the monetization transaction, we note that payments and invoicing have been slow in recent months, but we are optimistic about some normalization going forward. Our contract backlog stood at $1 billion at the end of the quarter. Subsequent to quarter end and in line with what has been previously announced, Paratus initiated quarterly cash distribution to its shareholders. As part of this, we expect to shortly receive our first dividend distribution of approximately $1.3 million. Finally, during the quarter, we also announced some changes to our contract coverage in Mexico, which we will get back to shortly. Now let's move on to the quarterly review for each of our two operating entities.
We begin with our Brazilian joint venture, Seagems, and please note that all numbers referred to on this slide are on a 100% basis, of which we own 50%. Seagems reported revenues of $112 million for the first quarter and an EBITDA of $65 million, compared to $109 million and $80 million for the fourth quarter. The sequential increase in revenue was mainly driven by higher average day rates and few off-hire days during the quarter. OpEx for the quarter was $36 million compared to $18 million in the previous quarter. As previously mentioned, the fourth quarter OpEx for Seagems was positively impacted due to reclassification of certain expenditures from OpEx to CapEx, as well as reimbursement of an insurance claim. Adjusted for this, the EBITDA was up $1 million quarter-over-quarter.
G&A remained steady at $3 million, and technical utilization in Q1 was 98.4%, up from 97.7% in the fourth quarter. The average contractual day rate was $212,000 for the first quarter, compared to $205,000 per day in the fourth quarter. We expect sequential increase to the average day rate during the year as a result of five vessels commencing new contracts at higher day rates this year. The Diamante commenced her new three-year contract with Petrobras in late March. During the second quarter, this has been followed by the start of new contracts on the Topázio, Esmeralda, and Rubi. Finally, we expect that the Ônix will transition over to her new contract during July. This is slightly ahead of our earlier expectation of an August startup.
Consequently, the average day rate for the Seagems suite will be at a significantly higher level at the end of the year relative to where we started the year. We therefore anticipate both 2025 revenue and EBITDA to increase well above both 2024 and 2023 levels. For 2025, we also expect dividends from Seagems to be sequentially higher in the second half compared to the first half due to timing of CapEx and other payments. The contractual backlog for Seagems stood at $1.7 billion at the end of the quarter. Moving over to Fontis Energy, our drilling business reported Q1 revenues of $47 million and an EBITDA of $27 million, which compares to $54 million and $28 million in the fourth quarter. The decline in revenue was largely due to lower average day rates, as well as a reduced number of operating days on the Titania.
In early 2024, we signed a one-year extension for the Titania. However, due to delays in renewing the marine permit for the rig, the start of this one-year contract was delayed from mid-February to early May 2024. The rig completed its project with the client in late February this year, and we are currently in discussion with the client over the contractual end date. We believe that we have a contractual right for revenues up for a period until early May, but the client's current view is that the contract ended upon completion of the project. We have therefore concluded not to book any revenues for the period currently being discussed with the client. For the first quarter, this amounts to approximately $5 million. During Q1 2025, Fontis achieved an average day rate of $125,000, down from $134,000 per day in the fourth quarter.
As of February this year, all of our rigs are now operating at their contractual floor rates. This is due to the market indexation mechanism and as a result of softening day rates in the global jackup market. Operating expenses were $18 million in the quarter, down from $26 million in the previous quarter. Please bear in mind that Q4 was impacted by special items, including year-end bonus accruals, as well as accounting provisions related to the expected demanning of Titania during 2025. G&A remained unchanged at $1 million. Technical utilization in Q1 was 99.7%, in line with 99.8% in the fourth quarter. At quarter end, our contract backlog stood at $139 million. As announced earlier this year, we signed a 78-day contract extension on the Oberon, making the current contract firm until January 2026.
In March, we also announced that Fontis' client elected to exercise contractual options for early termination of the drilling contracts for the Courageous and the Intrepid, which reduced the backlog by approximately $39 million, or 3% of the overall Paratus backlog at the time. The early termination was attributed to unfavorable contract terms, specifically limited suspension rights and the day rate indexation structure, as well as broader economic considerations. The client's notice does not indicate that the decision was driven by a reduced operational need for the rigs in 2026. Rather, it appears the action was intended to enable a broader harmonization of contractual terms across the client's service provider base. Fontis' current contracts provide certain protections, which have allowed us to keep all rigs working without any material downtime in recent quarters. This is in contrast to the reduced activity reported by other contractors in the region.
Following this early termination notice, the client no longer has any contractual flexibility to further shorten the duration of Fontis' remaining contracts. The Titania is now idle following demobilization from her previous location, and we are currently pursuing new opportunities for the rig. The rig has been offered to potential clients for operations both inside and outside of Mexico. This is the only asset in the wider Paratus fleet that is not contracted into next year or beyond, and we do not believe it is in the best interest of the company to chase any contract at any rate just to keep the rig working. While we are seeing an increased number of international jackup requirements for 2026, we are also seeing a positive development on activity in Mexico, where previously suspended rigs are being brought back into service.
We believe the commitment to increase production to 1.8 million barrels in Mexico will drive activity in the second half of this year and beyond. Given the current lack of rig contracts in place for 2026 for any contractor, we expect to see opportunities to secure new work. While the exact timing remains uncertain at this stage, we believe there will be more clarity on this later this year. As we have stated previously, we remain confident in the long-term demand for all of our assets in Mexico. As such, any opportunities for contracts outside of the country will be assessed against the expected financial returns from continued deployment of our assets within Mexico. With that, I will leave the word over to Baton to provide a bit more on the financial results.
Thank you, Robert.
Okay, now let's begin with a review of our Q1 2025 results compared to Q4 last year. Paratus reported net income after tax of $3.2 million, which was slightly up from $2.5 million in Q4. As shown in the top right graph on this slide, the key drivers were as follows. Fontis' revenues came lower, reflecting lower day rates and reduced revenues from Titania, as Robert mentioned earlier, partly offset by a stronger performance at Seagems. There was an increase in other operating income from an insurance reimbursement at Fontis of approximately $3 million and a $3 million reversal of the accounting provision for expected credit losses relating to our receivables in Mexico. There was an increase in net financial expenses, mainly related to a fee paid in connection with the monetization agreement in Mexico, as described earlier.
Finally, there was a lower tax expense in Q1, reflecting the true tax calculation recorded at year-end 2024. Now let's have a look at the Q1 2025 results compared to Q1 2024 last year. That is a graph at the bottom right. Last year, we reported net income after tax of $10 million compared to $3 million this year. The year-on-year decline in net income was mainly driven by low revenues at Fontis due to Titania and rig suspensions in Q1 this year and an increase in net financial expenses, as commented here earlier. This was partly offset by a stronger performance at Seagems and lower OpEx at Fontis, which was mainly due to reduced staff and G&A costs, and the income recognized from insurance claim refund, as mentioned. Now let's have a look at the main cash flow items during the quarter.
At Paratus' consolidated level, we closed Q1 with a cash balance of $156 million, which represented a significant increase from $86 million at year-end 2024. The approximately $70 million increase in cash was primarily driven by strong cash flow from operations of $150 million, mainly due to the $209 million cash collection from our client, offset by reduced accounts payable from payments. We had cash distributions from Seagems that we received of $17.5 million, which is expected to increase in the second half of the year, in line with the JV's cash flow profile and timing of CapEx. We paid net interest payments of $4 million compared to $29 million in Q4, which included the semi-annual interest payments on the $500 million 2029 bonds. Finally, we returned $56 million to our shareholders, which included the $20 million in shared buybacks.
After these movements, we ended the quarter with $156 million in cash at Paratus level. In addition to this, our pro-rata share of the cash in the Seagems JV was $20 million, bringing the total group cash position to $176 million at the end of Q1. Moving over to our capital structure and review of selected balance sheet items. We closed the quarter with a group cash balance of $176 million and net debt of $551 million, resulting in a net leverage ratio of 2.2 x EBITDA, which is an improvement from Q4, driven by the cash collection in Mexico of $209 million. As one can see in the graph here, that same collection also led to a notable reduction in the receivables in Mexico, contributing to a stronger balance sheet position in overall.
We continue to evaluate various options related to the $250 million notes, which is due in July next year. As highlighted before, we believe we have several options to address this maturity, including erasing debt at one of the operating entities or at the top call level. Given the relatively low visibility we have on some of our assets, combined with the ongoing market volatility, we believe we will have more attractive opportunities in the coming quarters to deal with this maturity. With that, I will hand over the word back to Robert.
Thank you, Baton. As we move into the second quarter of 2025, we have 10 of our 11 assets contracted into next year or beyond, representing a total backlog of $1 billion attributable to Paratus. The vast majority of this backlog sits within our PLSV segment, where we continue to see very strong and stable market conditions.
This solid contractual position provides us with flexibility to maintain a longer-term view on both operations and strategic initiatives within the wider group. We remain committed to the financial guidance issued earlier this year, and we consider the company very well-positioned despite the ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties. We believe our substantial backlog and robust balance sheet continues to provide a strong foundation for sustained value creation for our shareholders. While we do not have any new contracts to announce at this time, we hope to provide some update to the market on this in the coming period. With that, I think we can open up for Q&A.
We will now start the Q&A session. You can submit your questions by using the button on the bottom right corner of the player.
Okay, let's start with the first question relating to Mexico.
Is Pemex currently actively initiating contract extension discussions, and what is the expected timeline for clarity on potential extensions?
I think, as we said in our prepared remarks, we do believe there will be opportunities for new contracts to be awarded later this year. I think it's quite obvious from public commentary. Actively focused on in the last several months, which is repaying vendors, which I think we should give them credit for. At the same time, we are now seeing that going into next year, there are essentially no jackups committed beyond the first quarter in Mexico. We do expect there to be some contract opportunities towards the end of the year. With respect to how concrete and when those discussions will start, I think it's fair to say we always have discussions and dialogues with our client about their potential needs.
There has been some numbers thrown around in the market from various analysts and others on the demand for rigs in Mexico last year. I think we obviously see that. At the same time, we have a dialogue with our client. We do not know yet if it is a Q3 or Q4 event, but we know that there are plans to formally approach the market at some point. I think that is the clarity that we can provide at this stage.
There are two more questions relating to the jackup business of Paratus. Can you talk about leading edge day rates on the jackup side? What is the floor rate on the jackups, and what is the current market rates that you are seeing for new work?
I think leading edge jackup rates, it's hard to say because I think right now we are seeing a little bit of a pause with respect to signing of new contracts because of the volatility we've seen in the market. It's very dependent on the region, the type of work, and the number of rigs in each region. I think it can vary from sub-$100,000 to the mid-$100,000. It really depends on having a rig in the right place for the higher day rates. Obviously, if it's a highly competitive tender, then you will see likely day rates a little bit lower than that. I think, generally speaking, what we know about Mexico and the history in Mexico is that the Mexican market is subject to less volatility on rates. It's a more restricted or confined market to that extent.
Day rates tend to move a little bit less up and down. I think given that we are now going into discussions for potential new contracts with the client, I do not think we want to be public about where we want to see the day rates. I think we will leave it with the statement that it really depends on the geographical area as well as the term of the contract. Yeah, I think we will just have to assess where Mexico ends up within that range.
I think there was also a question with regards to a floor rate in Mexico. You can find that in our presentation where we have shown all the floor rates for each rig.
It is very easy. We have $109,000 for the three smaller rigs and $123,000 for the Oberon as floor rates.
There is a question regarding dividend and capital allocation.
How do you think about dividend policy and fair buybacks in the context of the upcoming 2026 bond maturity and the lack of contractual backlog for Fontis in 2026 and beyond at the moment? Isn't it prudent to build up cash to be able to address 2026 maturity, given the uncertainties in the market at the moment and the risk of lack of market access for 2026 bond refinancing? Any color would be helpful.
I think as Baton said in his prepared remarks, we continue to evaluate the various options. We've had dialogue with several different sources of capital for potential refinancing of the 2026s. We do believe we have several options to address those maturities. At the same time, I do think when we look at our balance sheet, it's just over two times leverage.
We have $185 million of AR balance in Mexico, which we are obviously very comfortable in monetizing at some point. In addition, we had $176 million of cash at the end of the quarter. I think our balance sheet, from that perspective, is very robust. As we have said all along, we are committed to stable long-term distributions to our shareholders. At the same time, we also know that we need to maintain a strong and flexible capital structure. I think with the backlog and the visibility that we have across our assets, we believe we are in a position to combine the two. I think bear in mind that this company was just shy of four times leveraged when it was split out from Seadrill. We have already deleveraged quite a bit, including repayment of more than $200 million of debt at Fontis.
Obviously, in the event that we see a more clouded outlook, we may believe that there is a—we believe we have a strong enough cash flow to reduce the leverage further. I think where we see the world right now, we're more focused on refinancing than shoring up the balance sheet much more from where we are today.
Some more questions regarding Mexico. Can you provide any more details regarding a potential mobilization of rigs from Mexico, especially what day rates would you be able to contract for, and what is a reasonable cost for mobilization to West Africa or Asia as examples?
It's a difficult question to be very specific on. It really depends on the opportunities. As we said in the prepared remarks, we have bid the rig outside of Mexico.
Mobilization is going to be a challenging part because we are obviously situated a bit away from some of the other basins where you see jackup demand. Depending on where you go, you're looking at a mobilization cost that is probably between $10-$15 million. Depending on the competitiveness of a tender or an opportunity, that needs to be factored into the client's decision. I think that's the reality of it. As I said, we're not going to chase work just to keep the rig working. We believe that there will be opportunities in Mexico, and we need to evaluate that if we move a rig out of Mexico, it needs to meet a specific return. Otherwise, we're essentially giving away 20% of our earnings capacity for something that is just to occupy the rig for work and not giving shareholders a return.
I think we're very focused on getting the Titania back to work. At the same time, as I said, we're not willing to work for free. There needs to be a return, and we're bidding on opportunities, and let's see where that takes us.
Is there a special advantage from remaining with Mexico, given that your contract terms will arguably be much weaker than what had been in place before?
Look, I mean, just a second ago, we talked about what can probably be perceived as our disadvantage of bidding a rig from Mexico. We will clearly have that advantage for rigs inside Mexico. The pool of jackups in Mexico, I don't think that's going to increase in the next several quarters. I think from that perspective, there is an advantage of being on ground in Mexico, so to speak.
The contractual terms, I mean, that's a discussion with our client. We can certainly see their appetite to have more advantageous contractual terms. At the same time, when we renewed the Titania last year, we were able to get contractual language that we think were reasonable and worked in our favor. I think that ultimately is part of the overall discussion with the client. There is a balance between day rate and contractual language that ultimately gives us the return profile and the risk profile that we are willing to accept as a company.
Finally, there's a question outside of Mexico. What about the inorganic growth opportunities? Have the uncertainty created more potential transactions?
It's an interesting one because we're obviously still a fairly young company, and we do have ambitions on ways to create shareholder value.
We are constantly looking at potential opportunities within the segments that we operate today and also other segments that may be of interest. Clearly, if the market is weak, there is an impact on asset prices and the price that you may pay for a company or an asset. At the same time, I think we're very mindful of what we have as a company in terms of what we generate with respect to cash and the yield and returns that we see on our existing business. Whatever we look at, we'll need to meet that box and not be dilutive. We are constantly looking at growth opportunities. I do hope that we will be able to execute at some point on something. Again, it's not something that I think is appropriate to discuss on a call like this.
We are clearly looking, and the market may provide some opportunities for us.
Any plans to monetize the Archer stake?
We have been asked that question quite regularly, and I think we are very happy with the development of Archer. Clearly, the fact that they started distributing cash to shareholders is a very positive signal. As the largest shareholder in Archer, we are very happy to see that. I think the company has done a great job both on organic growth but also on smart acquisitions in recent years. For us, it is a very good investment to have, and we believe that the company has much more to go. At some point, there may be opportunities. I do not think, again, that is some time off. I think we are very happy shareholders in Archer the way it is today.
We see that there's a question more specific on off-hire days and some OpEx level for the rigs that is being asked. I think for those types of modeling questions, it's easier if we reach out directly to the specific analyst, and we're happy to help out modeling out the company. But it's easier to do that on a different type of call than this when we have models in front of us. We'll reach out to the specific analyst requesting that type of information. Okay. Looks like there are no further questions. We thank everyone for participating on the call today. If there are any other questions, we're happy to follow up outside of this call. If not, looking forward to speaking to everyone again next quarter. Thank you.