FINDLAY, Ohio, Dec. 15, 2017 - Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) and MPLX LP (NYSE: MPLX) today announced a definitive agreement for MPC to exchange its general partner (GP) economic interests in MPLX, which include incentive distribution rights (IDRs), for 275 million newly issued MPLX common (LP) units valued at approximately $10.1 billion based on the volume-weighted average price of MPLX over the past 10 days.
The transaction is expected to close on Feb. 1, 2018, subject to and immediately following the closing of the previously announced dropdown of refining logistics assets and fuels distribution services. Upon closing, MPC will continue to control MPLX through its ownership of the non-economic GP interest in MPLX and will own approximately 64 percent of the outstanding MPLX common units.
The exchange simplifies the corporate structure and provides a clear valuation for MPC's GP economic interests in MPLX. The exchange eliminates the GP cash distribution requirements of the partnership and is expected to be accretive to distributable cash flow attributable to common unitholders in the third quarter and for the full year 2018.
"We are pleased to complete the strategic actions announced in January with the agreement to exchange MPC's GP economic interests for LP units, which will result in substantial long-term benefits across the enterprise," said Gary R. Heminger, chairman and CEO of both MPC and MPLX. "MPLX is well-positioned to deliver long-term growth while maintaining strong distribution coverage. This exchange fully aligns the interests of MPC and MPLX and facilitates predictable and growing distributions to all unitholders of MPLX, including MPC."
"We are enthusiastic about the future for MPLX and the value proposition for our unitholders," said Michael J. Hennigan, president of MPLX. "The elimination of the rapidly growing IDR obligation improves the partnership's cost of capital permanently. We believe this buy-in creates one of the fastest paths to accretion compared with similar GP transactions, and positions the partnership extraordinarily well for the future. This transaction and the dropdown will help facilitate our plan to target strong distribution coverage and maintain an investment-grade credit profile, both of which enable attractive and sustainable distribution growth for the long-term."
In addition, MPC has agreed to waive the portion of the fourth-quarter 2017 LP distributions on the new units in excess of what would have been distributable to MPC for its GP economic interests absent this transaction.
This transaction was unanimously approved by the board of directors of MPC. The MPLX board also unanimously approved the transaction following special approval by its independent conflicts committee. The conflicts committee was advised by Jefferies LLC as to financial matters and Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP as to legal matters. MPC was advised by Citi as to financial matters and Vinson & Elkins LLP as to legal matters.
###
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 5,600 independently owned retail outlets across 20 states and the District of Columbia. 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. Through subsidiaries, MPC owns the general partner of MPLX LP, a midstream master limited partnership. Primarily through MPLX, MPC owns, leases or has ownership interests in approximately 10,800 miles of crude oil and light product pipelines. Also through MPLX, MPC has ownership interests in gathering and processing facilities with approximately 5.9 billion cubic feet per day of gathering capacity, 8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas processing capacity and 610,000 barrels per day of fractionation capacity. 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, storage and distribution of crude oil and refined petroleum products through a marine fleet and approximately 10,000 miles of crude oil and light-product pipelines. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, MPLX's assets consist of a network of crude oil and products pipeline assets located in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions of the United States; 62 light-product terminals with approximately 24 million barrels of storage capacity; an inland marine business; storage caverns with approximately 2.8 million barrels of storage capacity; crude oil and product storage facilities (tank farms) with approximately 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 approximately 5.9 billion cubic feet per day of gathering capacity, 8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas processing capacity and 610,000 barrels per day of fractionation capacity.
Investor Relations Contacts:
Lisa Wilson (419) 421-2071
Denice Myers (419) 421-2965
Doug Wendt (419) 421-2423
Media Contacts:
Chuck Rice (419) 421-2521
Katie Merx (419) 672-5159
Forward-looking Statements
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 strategic initiatives and our value creation plans. 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; our ability to generate sufficient income and cash flow to effect the intended share repurchases, including within the expected timeframe; our ability to manage disruptions in credit markets or changes to our credit rating; the potential impact on our share price if we are unable to effect the intended share repurchases; adverse changes in laws including with respect to tax and regulatory matters; continued/further volatility in and/or degradation of market and industry conditions; the impact of adverse market conditions affecting MPC's and MPLX's midstream businesses; modifications to MPLX earnings and distribution growth objectives, and other risks described below with respect to MPLX; 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 an increase of the current yield on common units, 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; 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; the adequacy of MPLX's capital resources and liquidity, including, but not limited to, availability of sufficient cash flow to pay distributions and access to debt to fund anticipated dropdowns on commercially reasonable terms, 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; 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; 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 issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: MPLX LP via Globenewswire
