Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NYSE:NRP) today reported first quarter 2022 results as follows:

"Strong demand for metallurgical coal, thermal coal, and soda ash continues to drive robust financial performance in our business segments,” stated Craig Nunez, NRP’s president and chief operating officer. “NRP generated $52 million of free cash flow in the first quarter of 2022 and $152 million over the last twelve months, representing increases of 120% and 85% respectively over the comparable prior periods."

Mr. Nunez, continued, "In light of the Partnership’s substantial free cash flow generation, solid liquidity and positive outlook for its business lines, we plan to accelerate our deleveraging and return additional cash to common unitholders. We are pleased to announce that the board of directors of our general partner approved an increase in our common unit distribution from $0.45 to $0.75 as it relates to the first quarter of 2022."

NRP's liquidity was $235.6 million at March 31, 2022, consisting of $135.6 million of cash and $100.0 million of borrowing capacity available under its revolving credit facility.

The cash distribution of $0.75 per common unit is to be paid on May 24, 2022 to unitholders of record on May 17, 2022. In addition, the board declared a $7.5 million cash distribution on the preferred units. Future distributions on NRP's common and preferred units will be determined on a quarterly basis by the board of directors. The board of directors considers numerous factors each quarter in determining cash distributions, including profitability, cash flow, debt service obligations, market conditions and outlook, estimated unitholder income tax liability and the level of cash reserves that the board determines is necessary for future operating and capital needs.

Segment Performance

Mineral Rights

Mineral Rights net income for the first quarter of 2022 increased $42.5 million as compared to the prior year period. Free cash flow for the first quarter increased $21.7 million as compared to the prior year period. These increases were primarily due to stronger metallurgical coal demand and pricing in 2022. Approximately 80% of coal royalty revenues and approximately 50% of coal royalty sales volumes were derived from metallurgical coal in the first quarter of 2022.

Metallurgical coal prices reached record levels during the first quarter of 2022 driven by strong demand for steel and a relatively subdued supply response for coking coal which has yet to reach pre-pandemic production levels due to labor shortages and global supply chain interruptions. Despite the negative impact on steel production resulting from COVID-19 lockdowns in China, NRP expects the supply-demand balance for metallurgical coal to remain tight for the foreseeable future and should provide further support for domestic and international prices.

Thermal coal demand and pricing remains strong due to the increased demand for electricity and constrained growth in thermal coal production. Labor shortages, global supply chain interruptions, and environmental and political pressures are limiting the ability of operators to increase thermal coal production to meet domestic and international demand. In addition, higher natural gas prices and boycotts on Russian coal caused by the war in Ukraine are further amplifying the tightness in thermal coal markets. Due to these factors, the near-term outlook for thermal coal prices is positive.

As announced previously, in the first quarter NRP executed on its first subsurface carbon dioxide ("CO₂") sequestration transaction by granting Denbury the right to develop a world-class subsurface CO₂ sequestration project on 75,000 acres of underground pore space NRP owns in southwest Alabama with the potential to store over 300 million metric tons of CO₂. This project, if developed, will be the first subsurface CO₂ sequestration project on the approximately 3.5 million acres where NRP owns the rights to sequester CO₂ underground across the United States. While the timing and likelihood of additional cash flows being realized from further subsurface carbon dioxide sequestration opportunities, or other transitional energy opportunities such as the generation of electricity using geothermal, solar and wind energy activities is uncertain, NRP believes its large ownership footprint throughout the United States will provide additional opportunities to create value in this regard with minimal capital investment by NRP.

Soda Ash

Soda Ash net income in the first quarter of 2022 increased $12.8 million as compared to the prior year period primarily as a result of increased sales prices. Free cash flow in the first quarter of 2022 increased $9.3 million as compared to the prior year period due to Sisecam Wyoming reinstating its regular quarterly cash distributions beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021. Strong demand growth for soda ash, driven by global secular trends including the investments in renewable energy, the electrification of the global auto fleet, and urbanization, coupled with constrained soda ash supply in part due to COVID-19 flash lockdowns in China have allowed Sisecam Wyoming to successfully pass on input cost inflation resulting in improved financial results in the first quarter of 2022.

Corporate and Financing

Corporate and Financing costs in the first quarter were relatively flat as compared to the prior year period. Free cash flow in the first quarter of 2022 decreased $2.4 million as compared to the prior year period primarily due to an increase in incentive compensation paid out in the first quarter of 2022 as a result of improved operating results in 2021, partially offset by lower cash paid for interest as a result of less debt outstanding.

As noted earlier, NRP declared a first quarter 2022 cash distribution of $0.75 per common unit of NRP, an increase compared to $0.45 paid last quarter, and a $7.5 million cash distribution on the preferred units. The decision to increase common unit distributions was based on the Partnership’s substantial free cash flow generation, solid liquidity and positive outlook for its business lines, coupled with higher expected common unitholder income tax liability for 2022 resulting from the Partnership’s improved financial performance.

Conference Call

A conference call will be held today at 9:00 a.m. ET. To register for the conference call, please use this link: http://www.directeventreg.com/registration/event/8074715. After registering a confirmation will be sent via email, including dial in details and unique conference call codes for entry. Registration is open through the live call, however, to ensure you are connected for the full call we suggest registering at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Investors may also listen to the call via the Investor Relations section of the NRP website at www.nrplp.com. To access the replay, please visit the Investor Relations section of NRP’s website.

Withholding Information for Foreign Investors

This release is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b). Brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100.0%) of NRP's distributions to foreign investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, NRP's distributions to foreign investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable rate.

Company Profile

Natural Resource Partners L.P., a master limited partnership headquartered in Houston, TX, is a diversified natural resource company that owns, manages and leases a diversified portfolio of properties in the United States including coal, industrial minerals and other natural resources, as well as rights to conduct carbon sequestration and renewable energy activities. NRP also owns an equity investment in Sisecam Wyoming LLC, one of the world’s lowest-cost producers of soda ash.

For additional information, please contact Tiffany Sammis at 713-751-7515 or tsammis@nrplp.com. Further information about NRP is available on the Partnership’s website at http://www.nrplp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Partnership expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions made by the Partnership based on its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Partnership. These risks include, among other things, statements regarding: the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic; future distributions on the Partnership’s common and preferred units; the Partnership's business strategy; its liquidity and access to capital and financing sources; its financial strategy; prices of and demand for coal, trona and soda ash, and other natural resources; estimated revenues, expenses and results of operations; projected future performance by the Partnership's lessees, including Foresight Energy; Sisecam Wyoming LLC’s trona mining and soda ash refinery operations; distributions from the soda ash joint venture; the impact of governmental policies, laws and regulations, as well as regulatory and legal proceedings involving the Partnership, and of scheduled or potential regulatory or legal changes; global and U.S. economic conditions; and other factors detailed in Natural Resource Partners’ Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Natural Resource Partners L.P. has no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

"Adjusted EBITDA" is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net income (loss) less equity earnings from unconsolidated investment; plus total distributions from unconsolidated investment, interest expense, net, debt modification expense, loss on extinguishment of debt, depreciation, depletion and amortization and asset impairments. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income or loss, net income or loss attributable to partners, operating income or loss, cash flows from operating activities or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance, liquidity or ability to service debt obligations. There are significant limitations to using Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of performance, including the inability to analyze the effect of certain recurring items that materially affect our net income, the lack of comparability of results of operations of different companies and the different methods of calculating Adjusted EBITDA reported by different companies. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA presented below is not calculated or presented on the same basis as Consolidated EBITDA as defined in our partnership agreement or Consolidated EBITDDA as defined in Opco's debt agreements. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental performance measure used by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others to assess the financial performance of our assets without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis.

“Distributable cash flow” or "DCF" is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities of continuing operations plus distributions from unconsolidated investment in excess of cumulative earnings, proceeds from asset sales and disposals, including sales of discontinued operations, and return of long-term contract receivable; less maintenance capital expenditures. DCF is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities. DCF may not be calculated the same for us as for other companies. In addition, distributable cash flow is not calculated or presented on the same basis as distributable cash flow as defined in our partnership agreement, which is used as a metric to determine whether we are able to increase quarterly distributions to our common unitholders. Distributable cash flow is a supplemental liquidity measure used by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others to assess our ability to make cash distributions and repay debt.

“Free cash flow” or "FCF" is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities of continuing operations plus distributions from unconsolidated investment in excess of cumulative earnings and return of long-term contract receivable; less maintenance and expansion capital expenditures and cash flow used in acquisition costs classified as investing or financing activities. FCF is calculated before mandatory debt repayments. Free cash flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities. Free cash flow may not be calculated the same for us as for other companies. Free cash flow is a supplemental liquidity measure used by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others to assess our ability to make cash distributions and repay debt.

"Cash flow cushion" is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as free cash flow less one-time beneficial items, mandatory Opco debt repayments, preferred unit distributions and redemption of PIK units, common unit distributions and warrant cash settlements. Cash flow cushion is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities. Cash flow cushion is a supplemental liquidity measure used by our management to assess the Partnership's ability to make or raise cash distributions to our common and preferred unitholders and our general partner and repay debt or redeem preferred units.

-Financial Tables and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures Follow-

Natural Resource Partners L.P.

Financial Tables

(Unaudited)

The following table presents NRP's unaudited business results by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 and December 31, 2021:

Natural Resource Partners L.P.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

(Unaudited)