Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Overview
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with “Selected Financial Data” and the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this document. See also “Forward-Looking Statements” on page 2. Discussions of year-to-year comparisons of 2020 and 2019 items that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 on our Annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which Item is incorporated herein by reference.
RPC, Inc. (“RPC”) provides a broad range of specialized oilfield services primarily to independent and major oilfield companies engaged in exploration, production and development of oil and gas properties throughout the United States, including the southwest, mid-continent, Gulf of Mexico and Appalachian regions, and in selected international markets. The Company’s revenues and profits are generated by providing equipment and services to customers who operate oil and gas properties and invest capital to drill new wells and enhance production or perform maintenance on existing wells.
Our key business and financial strategies are:
- To deliver product and services to our customers safely.
- To maintain and selectively increase market share.
- To align the interests of our management and stockholders.
In assessing the outcomes of these strategies and RPC’s financial condition and operating performance, management generally reviews periodic forecast data, monthly actual results, and other similar information. We also consider trends related to certain key financial data, including revenues, utilization of our equipment and personnel, maintenance and repair expenses, pricing for our services and equipment, profit margins, selling, general and administrative expenses, cash flows and the return on our invested capital. Additionally, we compare our trends to those of our peers. We continuously monitor factors that impact current and expected customer activity levels, such as the price of oil and natural gas, changes in pricing for our services and equipment and utilization of our equipment and personnel. Our financial results are affected by geopolitical factors such as political instability in the petroleum-producing regions of the world, overall economic conditions and weather in the United States, the prices of oil and natural gas, and our customers’ drilling and production activities.
The oil and gas industry experienced an unprecedented disruption during 2020 due to the substantial decline in global oil demand caused partly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although global demand began to rebound in 2021, the pandemic could continue to impact the economic conditions in the United States, as federal, state and local governments react to the public health crisis, creating uncertainties in the United States, as well as the global economy. RPC instituted strict procedures to assess employee health and
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safety in its facilities and operational locations and attempted to hire redundant crews in order to continue to provide services to its customers.
Current industry conditions are characterized by oil prices which have risen from less than $20 per barrel in the second quarter of 2020 to approximately $86 per barrel early in the first quarter of 2022, the highest recorded oil price since the fourth quarter of 2014. While there are many factors influencing the price of oil, we note that the global oil market was oversupplied by approximately six percent during the second and third quarters of 2020 but was undersupplied by approximately two percent during the third and fourth quarters of 2020 and throughout 2021. We believe that the imbalance in global supply and demand have been an important catalyst for the significant increase in the price of oil since the cyclical low during the second quarter of 2020. In response to this significant increase in the price of oil, the U.S. domestic rig count has risen from a low of 244 in the third quarter of 2020 to 610 early in the first quarter of 2022. In addition, well completions have increased from 1,110 in the third quarter of 2020 to 2,578 in the fourth quarter of 2021.
RPC believes that oil production in the United States has also become an increasingly important determinant of global oil prices, because the United States has grown to be the world’s largest producer of oil and is more flexible in its ability to increase or decrease drilling and production activities more rapidly than the state-owned oil companies which comprise OPEC membership. During the past several years, improving drilling and completion activity have caused U.S. domestic oil production to continue to rise to a record production level in December 2019. Oil production fell during 2020 during the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but by the end of 2021 had increased by approximately 17 percent compared to the lowest oil production recorded during the second quarter of 2020. Customer activities directed towards natural gas drilling and production have been weak for several years because of the high production of shale-directed natural gas wells, the high amount of natural gas production associated with oil-directed shale wells in the U.S. domestic market, and relatively constant consumption of natural gas in the United States. One of these factors has been mitigated by the decline in oil-directed drilling. As a result, the price of natural gas has recovered from a low of $1.63 per Mcf during the second quarter of 2020 to $4.30 per Mcf early in the first quarter of 2022. The price increases in natural gas during the 2021 and early 2022 are encouraging, and RPC believes that they have encouraged our customers to increase drilling and completion activities.
The Company’s strategy of utilizing equipment in unconventional basins continued. During 2021, we made capital expenditures, excluding the equipment acquired under a finance lease, totaling $67.6 million, an increase of $2.6 million compared to the prior year. Capital expenditures during 2021 were primarily directed towards capitalized maintenance and selected growth opportunities.
Revenues during 2021 totaled $864.9 million, an increase of 44.6 percent compared to 2020. This increase was primarily due to higher customer activity levels during 2021 compared to the prior year which was negatively impacted by COVID-19 shutdowns. Cost of revenues increased $182.5 million in 2021 compared to the prior year primarily due to increases in expenses consistent with higher activity levels, such as materials and supplies expenses, employment costs and fuel costs. In addition, these costs increased due to higher market prices for materials and supplies, fuel and other raw materials. As a percentage of revenues, cost of revenues decreased to 76.7 percent in 2021 compared to 80.4 percent in 2020 due to the leverage of higher revenues over direct employment costs and improved pricing for RPC’s services.
Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased to 14.3 percent in 2021 compared to 20.7 percent in 2020, primarily due to leverage of higher revenues over costs that are relatively fixed during the short term.
Income before income taxes was $16.4 million for 2021 compared to loss before income taxes of $309.4 million in 2020. Net income for 2021 was $7.2 million, or $0.03 earnings per share compared to net loss of $212.2 million, or $1.00 loss per share in 2020. The net loss in 2020 includes non cash charges of $211.0 million related primarily to asset impairments.
Cash flows from operating activities decreased to $47.7 million in 2021 compared to $78.0 million in 2020 primarily due to increased working capital requirements in 2021 compared to decreased working capital requirements in 2020. As of December 31, 2021, there were no outstanding borrowings under our credit facility.
Outlook
Drilling activity in the U.S. domestic oilfields, as measured by the rotary drilling rig count, reached a cyclical peak of 1,083 during the fourth quarter of 2018. Between the fourth quarter of 2018 and the third quarter of 2020, the drilling rig count fell by 77 percent. During the third quarter of 2020, the U.S. domestic drilling rig count reached the lowest level recorded up to that time. The principal catalyst for this steep rig count decline was the decrease in the price of oil in the world markets resulting from the decline in global oil demand associated with the COVID-19 pandemic which began in the first quarter of 2020.
RPC monitors rig count efficiencies and well completion trends because the majority of our services are directed toward well completions. Improvements in drilling rig efficiencies have increased the number of potential well completions for a given drilling rig
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count; therefore, the statistics regarding well completions are more meaningful indicators of the outlook for RPC’s activity levels and revenues. Annual well completions during 2018 increased by approximately 25 percent compared to 2017, and by approximately five percent in 2019 compared to 2018. Well completions in 2020 decreased by approximately 49 percent compared to 2019. However, well completions in 2021 increased by approximately 33 percent compared to 2020.
The current and projected prices of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids are important catalysts for U.S. domestic drilling activity. Following the trough of the most recent oilfield downturn in the second quarter of 2020, the price of oil has risen by more than 215 percent early in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the average price of oil in the second quarter of 2020. The price of natural gas has risen by approximately 150 percent during the same time period, due to steady demand for natural gas and normal seasonal demand in the first quarter of 2022. Following a low price of $0.23 per gallon in the first quarter of 2020, the price of benchmark natural gas liquids has risen to $1.18 per gallon early in the first quarter of 2022. The price increases in these commodities during the past year are encouraging, and RPC believes that they have encouraged our customers to increase drilling and completion activities.
The majority of the U.S. domestic rig count remains directed towards oil. Early in the first quarter of 2022, approximately 82 percent of the U.S. domestic rig count was directed towards oil, an increase compared with approximately 77 percent during the same period in the prior year. We believe that oil-directed drilling will remain the majority of domestic drilling, and that natural gas-directed drilling will remain a low percentage of U.S. domestic drilling in the near term. However, we believe that natural gas-directed drilling has increased and will continue to increase in natural gas-directed basins in the United States due to the current and projected high prices of natural gas. This trend should be favorable for the demand for RPC’s services in these basins.
We continue to monitor the market for our services and the competitive environment, including the current trends and expectations with regard to environmental concerns and related impact on our fleets. The growing efficiency with which oilfield completion crews are providing services is a catalyst for the oversupplied nature of the oilfield services market. We believe that most of the feasible efficiency gains have been realized, and a number of our smaller competitors have ceased operations. These factors, combined with the increase in drilling and completion and the improvement in commodity prices, leads us to believe that the competitive market for our services will improve during the near term.
During the third quarter of 2021, RPC entered into an agreement for a new Tier IV dual-fuel pressure pumping fleet, which immediately went to work at the beginning of the fourth quarter. In 2019, RPC expanded its fleet of revenue-producing equipment, while also retiring older equipment which could no longer function effectively in service-intensive operating environments. We continue to selectively upgrade our existing equipment to operate using multiple fuel sources and to take advantage of advances in technology and data collection. We will continue to monitor current and expected customer activity levels and projected financial returns as we consider activating additional idle equipment during the near term. Our consistent response to the near-term potential of lower activity levels and competitive pricing has been to undertake moderate fleet expansions which we believe will allow us to maintain a strong balance sheet, while also positioning RPC for long-term growth and strong financial returns.
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Results of Operations
Revenues by business segment [in thousands]:
Operating income (loss) by business segment [in thousands]:
Impairment and other charges (1)(2) — (217,493) (82,273)
Gain on disposition of assets, net $ 10,882 $ 9,523 $ 3,707
Earnings (Loss) per share — diluted $ 0.03 $ (1.00) $ (0.41)
Percentage cost of revenues to revenues 77 % 80 % 75 %
Percentage depreciation and amortization expense to revenues 8 % 16 % 14 %
Effective income tax rate 56.1 % 31.4 % 23.0 %
Average U.S. domestic rig count 478 436 943
Average oil price (per barrel) $ 68.13 $ 39.50 $ 56.90
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
Revenues. Revenues in 2021 increased $266.6 million or 44.6 percent compared to 2020 primarily due to higher activity levels as 2020 was negatively impacted by COVID-19 shutdowns. The Technical Services segment revenues in 2021 increased $258.6 million or 46.5 percent compared to the prior year. The increase is due primarily to higher activity levels and higher pricing within most of our service lines as compared to the prior year. The Support Services segment revenues in 2021 increased $8.1 million or 19.3 percent compared to 2020 due primarily to higher activity levels in the rental tools service line, which is the largest service line within this segment. Technical Services reported operating income of $24.4 million during 2021 compared to an operating loss of $82.5 million in the prior year, while Support Services reported an operating loss of $5.7 million in 2021 compared to an operating loss of $6.7 million in the prior year. The average price of oil increased 72.5 percent and the average price of natural gas increased 93.0 percent during 2021 compared to the prior year. The average domestic rig count during 2021 was 9.5 percent higher than 2020. International revenues, which decreased from $35.9 million in 2020 to $31.2 million in 2021, were four percent of consolidated revenues in 2021 compared to six percent in 2020. International revenues decreased in 2021 primarily due to lower customer activity levels in Algeria, and Saudi Arabia, partially offset by higher activity in Canada compared to the prior year. Our international revenues are impacted by the timing of project initiation and their ultimate duration.
Cost of revenues. Cost of revenues in 2021 increased $182.5 million or 38.0 percent compared to 2020 primarily due to increases in expenses consistent with higher activity levels, such as materials and supplies expenses, employment costs and fuel costs. In addition, these costs increased due to higher market prices for materials and supplies, fuel and other raw materials. As a percentage of revenues, cost of revenues decreased to 76.7 percent in 2021 compared to 80.4 percent in 2020 due to the leverage of higher revenues over direct employment costs and improved pricing for RPC’s services.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased slightly to $123.6 million in 2021 compared to $123.7 million in 2020. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased to 14.3 percent of revenues in 2021 compared to 20.7 percent of revenues in 2020 due to higher revenues over costs that are relatively fixed during the short term.
Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization were $72.7 million in 2021, a decrease of $22.8 million, compared to $95.5 million in 2020. Depreciation and amortization decreased significantly because of the asset impairment charges recorded during the first quarter of 2020.
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Impairment and other charges. There were no impairment and other charges for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $217.5 million in 2020. Impairment and other charges in 2020 was comprised primarily of the total amount by which several of our asset groups’ carrying amounts exceeded their fair value, a non-cash pension settlement loss, costs to finalize the disposal of our former sand facility and employee severance costs.
Gain on disposition of assets, net. Gain on disposition of assets, net was $10.9 million in 2021 compared to $9.5 million in 2020. The gain on disposition of assets, net is generally comprised of gains or losses related to various property and equipment dispositions or sales to customers of lost or damaged rental equipment.
Otherincome (expense),net. Other income, net was $2.0 million in 2021 compared to other expense, net of $0.1 million in 2020.
Interest expense and interest income. Interest expense was $1.9 million in 2021 compared to $0.4 million in 2020. The increase in interest expense during 2021compared to the same period in the prior year is primarily due to interest expense related to the resolution of a long-term contractual dispute with a vendor and an indirect tax audit assessment. Interest expense in 2021 and 2020 also includes fees on the unused portion of the credit facility. Interest income decreased to $0.1 million in 2021 compared to $0.5 million in 2020 due to lower interest rates earned on cash balances.
Income tax provision (benefit). Income tax provision was $9.2 million in 2021, compared to an income tax benefit of $97.2 million in 2020. The effective tax rate was 56.1 percent for 2021 compared to 31.4 percent for 2020. The effective tax rate in 2021 results from low income before income taxes coupled with unfavorable discrete tax adjustments.
Net income (loss) and diluted earnings (loss) per share. Net income was $7.2 million in 2021, or $0.03 diluted earnings per share, compared to net loss of $212.2 million in 2020, or $1.00 diluted loss per share. This improvement in earnings per share was due to higher profitability, partially due to impairment charges recorded in 2020, as average shares outstanding was essentially unchanged.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and Cash Flows
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $82.4 million as of December 31, 2021, $84.5 million as of December 31, 2020 and $50.0 million as of December 31, 2019.
The following table sets forth the historical cash flows for the years ended December 31:
(in thousands)
(In thousands)
Net cash used for financing activities (2,151) (826) (39,592)
Cash provided by operating activities for 2021 decreased by $30.2 million compared to the prior year. Cash provided by operating activities during 2021 resulted from net income of $7.2 million coupled with an unfavorable change in accounts receivable of $91.1 million, partially offset by favorable changes in other components of our working capital (accounts payable and taxes receivable) of $57.3 million. Working capital increased primarily due to higher activity levels, partially offset by receipts of income tax refunds related to net operating loss carrybacks.
Cash used for investing activities for 2021 increased by $4.0 million compared to 2021, primarily due to an increase in capital expenditures, partially offset by a decrease in proceeds from the sale of assets.
Cash used for financing activities for 2021 increased by $1.3 million primarily as a result of cash paid for a finance lease, partially offset by lower cost of repurchases of the Company’s shares for taxes related to the vesting of restricted shares. There were no dividends paid to common stockholders in 2021 or 2020.
Financial Condition and Liquidity
The Company’s financial condition as of December 31, 2021 remains strong. We believe the liquidity provided by our existing cash and cash equivalents and our overall strong capitalization will provide sufficient liquidity to meet our requirements for at least the
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next twelve months. The Company’s decisions about the amount of cash to be used for investing and financing activities are influenced by our capital position, and the expected amount of cash to be provided by operations. RPC does not expect to need our revolving credit facility to meet these liquidity requirements in the near term.
The Company currently has a $100 million revolving credit facility that matures in October 2023, as recently amended. The facility contains customary terms and conditions, including restrictions on indebtedness, dividend payments, business combinations and other related items. On September 25, 2020, the Company further amended the revolving credit facility. Among other matters, the amendment (1) reduced the maximum amount available for borrowing from $125 million to $100 million, (2) decreased the minimum tangible net worth covenant level from not less than $600 million to not less than $400 million, and (3) increased the margin spreads and commitment fees payable by 37.5 and 5 basis points, respectively, at each pricing level of the applicable rate without any changes to the leverage ratios used to calculate such spreads. As of December 31, 2021, RPC had no outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility, and letters of credit outstanding relating to self-insurance programs and contract bids totaled $16.3 million; therefore, a total of $83.7 million of the facility was available. The Company was in compliance with the credit facility financial covenants as of December 31, 2021. For additional information with respect to RPC’s facility, see Note 9 of the consolidated financial statements.
Cash Requirements
Capital expenditures were $67.6 million in 2021, and we currently expect capital expenditures to be approximately $120 million in 2022, comprised primarily of capitalized maintenance for existing equipment and selected growth opportunities. During the third quarter of 2021, RPC made the strategic decision to add a Tier IV dual-fuel fleet. This fleet was put into service late in the third quarter and is reflected as a finance lease with a balloon payment at the end of 12 months. The actual amount of capital expenditures will depend primarily on equipment maintenance requirements, expansion opportunities, and equipment delivery schedules.
The Company has ongoing sales and use tax audits in various jurisdictions subject to varying interpretations of statutes. The Company has recorded the exposure from these audits to the extent issues are resolved or can be reasonably estimated. There are issues that could result in unfavorable outcomes that cannot be currently estimated. See Note 12 for additional information.
During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company initiated actions to terminate the defined benefit pension plan and as such, the year-end pension obligation has been valued on a termination basis. Specifically, the actuaries utilized an approach based on their experience with other plan terminations that (i) estimated a take rate for lump sums; (ii) for those participants electing a lump-sum, calculated the amount using the November 2021 IRS segment rates and (iii) for those participants with annuities purchased, calculated the amount using estimated insurance settlement rates. The Company currently expects to make no cash contributions to the plan in 2022 and approximately $6.0 million in final cash contribution to the benefit plan in early 2023 as part of termination.
As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s stock buyback program authorizes the aggregate repurchase of up to 41,578,125 shares, including an additional 10,000,000 shares authorized for repurchase by the Board of Directors on February 12, 2018. No shares were purchased on the open market during the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, and 8,248,184 shares remain available to be repurchased under the current authorization. The Company may repurchase outstanding common shares periodically based on market conditions and our capital allocation strategies considering restrictions under our credit facility. The stock buyback program does not have a predetermined expiration date.
On July 22, 2019, the Board of Directors voted to suspend RPC’s dividend to common stockholders. The Company expects to resume cash dividends to common stockholders, subject to the earnings and financial condition of the Company and other relevant factors. The Company has no timetable for the resumption of dividends.
Contractual Obligations
The Company’s obligations and commitments that require future payments include our credit facility, certain non-cancelable leases, purchase obligations, amounts related to the usage of corporate aircraft and other long-term liabilities. See note 16 for details regarding RPC’s lease obligations.
Fair Value Measurements
The Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified in the fair value hierarchy (Level 1, 2 or 3) based on the inputs used for valuation. Assets and liabilities that are traded on an exchange with a quoted price are classified as Level 1. Assets and liabilities that are valued using significant observable inputs in addition to quoted market prices are classified as Level 2. The Company currently has no assets or liabilities measured on a recurring basis that are valued using unobservable inputs and therefore no assets or liabilities measured on a recurring basis are classified as Level 3. For defined benefit plan and Supplemental Executive
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Retirement Plan (“SERP”) investments measured at net asset value, the values are computed using inputs such as cost, discounted future cash flows, independent appraisals and market based comparable data or on net asset values calculated by the fund when not publicly available.
Inflation
The Company purchases its equipment and materials from suppliers who provide competitive prices, and employs skilled workers from competitive labor markets. If inflation in the general economy increases, the Company’s costs for equipment, materials and labor could increase as well. In addition, increases in activity in the domestic oilfield can cause upward wage pressures in the labor markets from which it hires employees, especially if employment in the general economy increases. Also, activity increases can cause increases in the costs of certain materials and key equipment components used to provide services to the Company’s customers. Beginning in 2018, prices for the raw material comprising the Company’s single largest purchase began to decline due to increased sources of supply of the material, particularly in geographic markets located close to the largest U.S. oil and gas basin. In addition, labor costs declined throughout 2020 due to the significant decline in oilfield activity. However, during the fourth quarter of 2020 and throughout 2021, the price of labor began to rise due to increasing oilfield activity and the departure of skilled labor from the domestic oilfield industry during 2020. Early in the first quarter of 2022, market prices of some raw materials have increased significantly. We have successfully passed some of these costs to customers, but due to the competitive nature of the oilfield services business, there is no assurance that we will continue to so in the future.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have any material off balance sheet arrangements.
Related Party Transactions
See “NOTE 14: RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS” of the consolidated financial statements, which is incorporated herein by reference, for a description of related party transactions.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which require significant judgment by management in selecting the appropriate assumptions for calculating accounting estimates. These judgments are based on our historical experience, terms of existing contracts, trends in the industry, and information available from other outside sources, as appropriate. Senior management has discussed the development, selection and disclosure of its critical accounting policies requiring significant judgements and estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. The Company believes the following critical accounting policies involve estimates that require a higher degree of judgment and complexity:
Credit loss allowance for accounts receivable — Substantially all of the Company’s receivables are due from oil and gas exploration and production companies in the United States, selected international locations and foreign, nationally owned oil companies. Our credit loss allowance is determined using a combination of factors to ensure that our receivables are not overstated due to uncollectibility. Our established credit evaluation procedures seek to minimize the amount of business we conduct with higher risk customers. Our customers’ ability to pay is directly related to their ability to generate cash flow on their projects and is significantly affected by the volatility in the price of oil and natural gas. Credit loss allowance for accounts receivable are recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses. Accounts are written off against the allowance when the Company determines that amounts are uncollectible and recoveries of amounts previously written off are recorded when collected. Significant recoveries will generally reduce the required provision in the period of recovery, thereby causing credit loss allowance to fluctuate significantly from period to period. Recoveries were insignificant in 2021, 2020 and 2019. We record specific provisions when we become aware of a customer's inability to meet its financial obligations, such as in the case of bankruptcy filings or deterioration in the customer's operating results or financial position. If circumstances related to a customer changes, our estimate of the realizability of the receivable would be further adjusted, either upward or downward.
The estimated credit loss allowance is based on our evaluation of the overall trends in the oil and gas industry, financial condition of our customers, our historical write-off experience, current economic conditions, and in the case of international customers, our judgments about the economic and political environment of the related country and region. In addition to reserves established for specific customers, we establish general reserves by using different percentages depending on the age of the receivables which we adjust periodically based on management judgment and the economic strength of our customers. The net credit loss allowance as a percentage of revenues ranged from 0.03 percent to 0.8 percent over the last three years. Increasing or decreasing the estimated general reserve percentages by 0.50 percentage points as of December 31, 2021 would have resulted in a change of $4.3 million in the recorded provision for current expected credit losses.
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Insurance expenses —The Company self-insures, up to certain policy-specified limits, certain risks related to general liability, workers’ compensation, vehicle and equipment liability. The cost of claims under these self-insurance programs is estimated and accrued using individual case-based valuations and statistical analysis and is based upon judgment and historical experience; however, the ultimate cost of many of these claims may not be known for several years. These claims are monitored and the cost estimates are revised as developments occur relating to such claims. The Company has retained an independent third party actuary to assist in the calculation of a range of exposure for these claims. As of December 31, 2021, the Company estimates the range of exposure to be from $19.4 million to $24.5 million. The Company has recorded liabilities at December 31, 2021 of $21.9 million which represents management’s best estimate of probable loss.
Long-lived assets including goodwill — RPC carries a variety of long-lived assets on its balance sheet including property, plant and equipment and goodwill. Impairment is the condition that exists when the carrying amount of a long-lived asset exceeds its fair value. Goodwill is the excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the net of the amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company conducts impairment tests on goodwill annually, during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate an impairment may exist. In addition, the Company conducts impairment tests on long-lived assets, other than goodwill, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.
For the impairment testing on long-lived assets, other than goodwill, a long-lived asset is grouped at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset group are compared to its carrying amount. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the asset group’s carrying amount, then the Company is required to determine the asset group's fair value by using a discounted cash flow analysis. This analysis is based on estimates such as management’s short-term and long-term forecast of operating performance, including revenue growth rates and expected profitability margins, estimates of the remaining useful life and service potential of the assets within the asset group, and a discount rate based on weighted average cost of capital. An impairment loss is measured and recorded as the amount by which the asset group's carrying amount exceeds its fair value. Assessment of goodwill impairment is conducted at the level of each reporting unit, which is the same as our reportable segments, Technical Services and Support Services, comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit to the reporting unit’s carrying value, including goodwill. The fair value of each reporting unit is estimated using an income approach and a market approach. The income approach uses discounted cash flow analysis based on management’s short-term and long-term forecast of operating performance. This analysis includes significant assumptions regarding discount rates, revenue growth rates, expected profitability margins, forecasted capital expenditures and the timing of expected future cash flows based on market conditions. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss is measured and recorded.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded an asset impairment loss totaling $204.8 million related to its long-lived asset groups, in response to the drastic decline in oilfield drilling and completion activities that began in the first quarter of 2020. See Note 3 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information which is incorporated herein by reference.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 of the consolidated financial statements, which is incorporated herein by reference for a description of recent accounting standards, including the expected dates of adoption and estimated effects on results of operations and financial condition.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The Company is subject to interest rate risk exposure through borrowings on its revolving credit facility. As of December 31, 2021, there are no outstanding interest-bearing advances on our credit facility which bear interest at a floating rate.
Additionally, the Company is exposed to market risk resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates. However, since the majority of the Company’s transactions occur in U.S. currency, this risk is not expected to have a material effect on its consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
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MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
To the Stockholders of RPC, Inc.:
The management of RPC, Inc. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company. RPC, Inc. maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance, at a reasonable cost, that assets are safeguarded against loss or unauthorized use and that the financial records are adequate and can be relied upon to produce financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The internal control system is augmented by written policies and procedures, an internal audit program and the selection and training of qualified personnel. This system includes policies that require adherence to ethical business standards and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any controls system. A controls system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the controls system are met. Also, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and any instances of fraud, if any, within the Company will be detected. Further, the design of a controls system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. The Company intends to continually improve and refine its internal controls.
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operations of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 based on criteria established in the 2013Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this evaluation, management’s assessment is that RPC, Inc. maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021.
The independent registered public accounting firm, Grant Thornton LLP, has audited the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, and has also issued their report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, included in this report on page 27.
/s/ Richard A. Hubbell /s/ Ben M. Palmer
Atlanta, Georgia
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Directors and Stockholders
RPC, Inc.
Opinion on internal control over financial reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of RPC, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by COSO.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, and our report dated February 28, 2022 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.
Basis for opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and limitations of internal control over financial reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP
Atlanta, Georgia
27
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Directors and Stockholders
RPC, Inc.
Opinion on the financial statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of RPC, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes and financial statement schedule included under Item 15(2) (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”), and our report dated February 28, 2022 expressed an unqualified opinion.
Basis for opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical audit matters
Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there are no critical audit matters.
/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2004.
Atlanta, Georgia
28
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
RPC, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands except share information)
ASSETS
Assets held for sale 692 4,032
Operating lease right-of-use assets 24,572 27,270
Finance lease right-of-use assets 20,327 —
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
LIABILITIES
Accrued payroll and related expenses 15,350 18,428
Accrued state, local and other taxes 1,905 2,788
Current portion of operating lease liabilities 6,387 9,192
Current portion of finance lease liabilities 20,194 —
Long-term accrued insurance expenses 11,770 11,822
Long-term operating lease liabilities 19,719 21,090
Other long-term liabilities 7,111 49
Commitments and contingencies (Note 12)
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Capital in excess of par value — —
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (20,708) (17,706)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 864,365 $ 790,505
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
29
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
RPC, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands except per share data)
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Impairment and other charges — 217,493 82,273
Other income (expense), net 2,027 81 (385)
Earnings (loss) per share
Dividends paid per share — $ — $ 0.15
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
30
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
RPC, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands except per share data)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation (112) (210) 553
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
31
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
RPC, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands)
Accumulated
Capital in Other
Common Stock Excess of Retained Comprehensive
Shares Amount Par Value Earnings Income (Loss) Total
Adoption of accounting standard (Note 1) — — — 2,464 (2,732) (268)
Stock issued for stock incentive plans, net 667 66 8,564 — — 8,630
Pension adjustment, net of taxes — — — — (2,298) (2,298)
Foreign currency translation — — — — 553 553
Dividends declared — — — (32,231) — (32,231)
Stock issued for stock incentive plans, net 716 71 8,664 — — 8,735
Pension adjustment, net of taxes — — — — 5,727 5,727
Foreign currency translation — — — — (210) (210)
Stock issued for stock incentive plans, net 819 82 6,494 — — 6,576
Pension adjustment, net of taxes — — — — (2,890) (2,890)
Foreign currency translation — — — — (112) (112)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
32
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
(in thousands)
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Gain due to benefit plan financing arrangement — (891) (126)
Impairment and other non-cash charges — 211,043 73,560
(Increase) decrease in assets:
Increase (decrease) in liabilities:
Accrued payroll and related expenses (3,080) (1,219) (6,103)
Accrued state, local and other taxes (883) 361 (654)
Long-term accrued insurance expenses (52) (2,218) 1,968
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from benefit plan financing arrangement — 1,566 507
Re-investment in benefit plan financing arrangement — (1,566) (507)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payment of dividends — — (32,231)
Cash paid for common stock purchased and retired (567) (826) (7,361)
Cash paid for finance lease (1,584) — —
Net cash used for financing activities (2,151) (826) (39,592)
Supplemental cash flows disclosure:
Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing activities:
Capital expenditures included in accounts payable $ 4,282 $ 3,859 $ 6,795
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
33
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Note 1: Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of RPC, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (“RPC” or the “Company”). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Common Stock
RPC is authorized to issue 349,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.10 par value. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as, and if declared by the Board of Directors out of legally available funds. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Holders of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, holders of common stock are entitled to ratable distribution of the remaining assets available for distribution to stockholders.
Preferred Stock
RPC is authorized to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.10 par value. As of December 31, 2021, there were no shares of preferred stock issued. The Board of Directors is authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, to provide for the issuance of preferred stock as a class without series or, if so determined from time to time, in one or more series, and by filing a certificate pursuant to the applicable laws of the state of Delaware and to fix the designations, powers, preferences and rights, exchangeability for shares of any other class or classes of stock. Any preferred stock to be issued could rank prior to the common stock with respect to dividend rights and rights on liquidation.
Dividends
On July 22, 2019, the Board of Directors voted to suspend RPC’s dividend to common stockholders. The Company expects to resume cash dividends to common stockholders, subject to the earnings and financial condition of the Company and other relevant factors. The Company has no timetable for the resumption of dividends.
Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Significant estimates are used in the determination of the credit loss allowance, income taxes, goodwill impairment, accrued insurance expenses, depreciable lives of assets, and pension liabilities.
Revenues
RPC recognizes revenues from contracts with its customers based on the amount of consideration it receives in exchange for the services provided. See Note 2 for additional information.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Substantially all of the Company’s customers are engaged in the oil and gas industry. This concentration of customers may impact overall exposure to credit risk, either positively or negatively, in that customers may be similarly affected by changes in economic and industry conditions. The Company provided oilfield services to several hundred customers during each of the last three years. There was no customer that accounted for 10 percent or more of the Company’s revenues in 2021, 2020 or 2019. Additionally, there was no customer that accounted for 10 percent or more of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2021 or 2020.
34
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less when acquired are considered to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains its cash in bank accounts which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. RPC maintains cash equivalents and investments in one or more large financial institutions, and RPC’s policy restricts investment in any securities rated less than “investment grade” by national rating services.
Investments
Investments classified as available-for-sale securities are stated at their fair values, with the unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses, declines in value judged to be other than temporary, interest, and dividends with respect to available-for-sale securities are included in interest income. The Company realized no gains or losses on its available-for-sale securities during 2021, 2020 and 2019. Securities that are held in the non-qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) are classified as trading. See Note 13 for further information regarding the SERP. The change in fair value of trading securities is presented as compensation cost in selling, general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of operations.
Management determines the appropriate classification of investments at the time of purchase and re-evaluates such designations as of each balance sheet date.
Accounts Receivable
The majority of the Company’s accounts receivable is due principally from major and independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies. Credit is extended based on evaluation of a customer’s financial condition and, generally, collateral is not required. Accounts receivable are considered past due after 60 days and are stated at amounts due from customers, net of a credit loss allowance.
Credit Loss Allowance for Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable are carried at the amounts due from customers, reduced by an allowance for estimated amounts that may not be collectible in the future. The estimated credit loss allowance is based on an evaluation of industry trends, financial condition of customers, historical write-off experience, current economic conditions, and in the case of international customers, judgments about the economic and political environment of the related country and region. Accounts receivable balances are written off when determined to be uncollectible and recoveries of amounts previously written off are recorded when collected.
Inventories
Inventories, which consist principally of (i) raw materials and supplies that are consumed providing services to the Company’s customers, (ii) spare parts for equipment used in providing these services and (iii) components and attachments for manufactured equipment used in providing services, are recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method or the weighted average cost method. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The Company regularly reviews inventory quantities on hand and records a write-down for excess or obsolete inventory based primarily on its estimated forecast of product demand, market conditions, production requirements and technological developments.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment, including software costs, are reported at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization, which is provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Annual depreciation and amortization expenses are computed using the following useful lives: operating equipment, 3 to 20 years; buildings and leasehold improvements, 15 to 39 years or the life of the lease; furniture and fixtures, 5 to 7 years; software, 5 years; and vehicles, 3 to 5 years. The cost of assets retired or otherwise disposed of and the related accumulated depreciation and amortization are eliminated from the accounts in the year of disposal with the resulting gain or loss credited or charged to income from operations. Expenditures for additions, major renewals, and betterments are capitalized. Expenditures for restoring an identifiable asset to working condition or for maintaining the asset in good working order constitute repairs and maintenance and are expensed as incurred.
35
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
RPC records impairment losses on long-lived assets used in operations when events and circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those assets. The Company periodically reviews the values assigned to long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment, to determine if any impairments should be recognized.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded accelerated depreciation related to certain operating equipment that was retired. In addition, the Company recorded a write down for certain real estate that was classified as held for sale. See Note 3 for additional information. The Company did not record accelerated depreciation related to impairment for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets of businesses acquired. The carrying amount of goodwill by reporting unit was as follows:
(in thousands)
Goodwill is reviewed annually, or more frequently, if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying amount, for impairment. In 2021 and 2020, the Company performed a quantitative impairment test by estimating the fair value of each of its reporting units by considering both comparable public company multiples (a market approach) and projected discounted future cash flows (an income approach). The discounted cash flow analysis is based on management’s short-term and long-term forecast of operating results for each reporting unit and includes assumptions regarding discount rates, revenue growth rates, expected profitability margins, forecasted capital expenditures, and the timing of expected future cash flows. Based on this analysis, the Company concluded that the fair value of its reporting units exceeded their carrying amount and therefore no impairment of goodwill occurred during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Advertising
Advertising expenses are charged to expense during the period in which they are incurred. Advertising expenses totaled $1,099,000 in 2021, $806,000 in 2020, and $2,003,000 in 2019.
Insurance Expenses
RPC self-insures, up to certain policy-specified limits, certain risks related to general liability, workers’ compensation, vehicle and equipment liability, and employee health insurance plan costs. The estimated cost of claims under these self-insurance programs is estimated and accrued as the claims are incurred (although actual settlement of the claims may not be made until future periods) and may subsequently be revised based on developments relating to such claims. The portion of these estimated outstanding claims expected to be paid more than one year in the future is classified as long-term accrued insurance expenses.
36
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Income Taxes
Deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company establishes a valuation allowance against the carrying value of deferred tax assets when the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the asset will not be realized through future taxable income.
Defined Benefit Pension Plan
The Company has a defined benefit pension plan that provides monthly benefits upon normal retirement at age 65, or reduced early retirement benefits at age 59 1⁄2 or at age 55 or older with 15 or more years of service, to substantially all employees with at least one year of service prior to 2002. In 2002, RPC’s Board of Directors approved a resolution to cease all future retirement benefit accruals under the defined benefit pension plan. During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company resolved to terminate the defined benefit pension plan. See Note 13 for a full description of this plan and the related accounting and funding policies.
Share Repurchases
The Company records the cost of share repurchases in stockholders’ equity as a reduction to common stock to the extent of par value of the shares acquired and the remainder is allocated to capital in excess of par value and retained earnings if capital in excess of par value is depleted. The Company tracks capital in excess of par value on a cumulative basis for each reporting period, and discloses the excess over capital in excess of par value as part of stock purchased and retired in the consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity.
Earnings per Share
Basic and diluted earnings per share are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the respective periods. In addition, the Company has periodically issued share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends and are therefore considered participating securities. See Note 13 for further information on restricted stock granted to employees.
Restricted shares of common stock (participating securities) outstanding and a reconciliation of weighted average shares outstanding is as follows:
Adjustment for participating securities (2,656) (2,571) (2,509)
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company’s financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, investments, accounts payable, and debt. The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of such instruments. The Company’s investments are classified as available-for-sale securities with the exception of investments held in the non-qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) which are classified as trading securities. All of these securities are carried at fair value in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. See Note 11 for additional information.
37
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based compensation expense is recognized for all share-based payment awards, net of estimated forfeitures. Thus, compensation cost is amortized for those shares expected to vest on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award. See Note 13 for additional information.
Leases
The Company determines at contract inception, if an arrangement is a lease or contains a lease based on whether the Company obtains the right to control the use of specifically identifiable property, plant and equipment for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The Company’s lease population consists primarily of real estate including its corporate headquarters, office space and warehouses, in addition to vehicles, storage containers, office equipment and operating equipment. The Company’s population of month-to-month real estate leases have been classified as short-term leases, and therefore the Company has not recognized a right-of-use (ROU) asset or lease liability related to them. The Company has elected not to separate non-lease components from lease components for its leases. Variable lease payments relate primarily to taxes and insurance on real estate contracts and are recognized as expense when incurred. During 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with an industrial manufacturer for certain operating equipment rentals. This agreement is classified as a finance lease. See note 16 for additional information.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued the following applicable Accounting Standards Updates (ASU):
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards:
• Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2019-12 — Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in this ASU simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing the exceptions to the incremental approach for intra-period tax allocation in certain situations, requirement to recognize a deferred tax liability for a change in the status of a foreign investment, and the general methodology for computing income taxes in an interim period when year-to date loss exceeds the anticipated loss for the year. The amendments also simplify the accounting for income taxes with regard to franchise tax, evaluation of step up in the tax basis goodwill in certain business combinations, allocating current and deferred tax expense to legal entities that are not subject to tax and enacted change in tax laws or rates. The Company adopted these provisions in the first quarter of 2021 and the adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted:
38
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Note 2: Revenues
Accounting Policy
RPC’s contract revenues are generated principally from providing oilfield services. These services are based on mutually agreed upon pricing with the customer prior to the services being delivered and, given the nature of the services, do not include the right of return. Pricing for these services is a function of rates based on the nature of the specific job, with consideration for the extent of equipment, labor, and consumables needed for the job. RPC typically satisfies its performance obligations over time as the services are performed. RPC records revenues based on the transaction price agreed upon with its customers.
Sales tax charged to customers is presented on a net basis within the consolidated statements of operations and therefore excluded from revenues.
Nature of services
RPC provides a broad range of specialized oilfield services to independent and major oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration, production and development of oil gas properties throughout the United States and in selected international markets. RPC manages its business as either (1) services offered on the well site with equipment and personnel (Technical Services) or (2) services and tools offered off the well site (Support Services). For more detailed information about operating segments, see Note 15.
RPC contracts with its customers to provide the following services by reportable segment:
Technical Services
Support Services
Our contracts with customers are generally short-term in nature and generally consist of a single performance obligation – the provision of oilfield services.
Payment terms
RPC’s contracts with customers states the final terms of the sales, including the description, quantity, and price of each service to be delivered. The Company’s contracts are generally short-term in nature and in most situations, RPC provides services ahead of payment - i.e., RPC has fulfilled the performance obligation prior to submitting a customer invoice. RPC invoices the customer upon completion of the specified services and collection generally occurs between 30 to 60 days after invoicing. As the Company enters into contracts with its customers, it generally expects there to be no significant timing difference between the date the services are provided to the customer (satisfaction of the performance obligation) and the date cash consideration is received. Accordingly, there is no financing component to our arrangements with customers.
Significant judgments
RPC believes the output method is a reasonable measure of progress for the satisfaction of our performance obligations, which are satisfied over time, as it provides a faithful depiction of (1) our performance toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation under the contract and (2) the value transferred to the customer of the services performed under the contract. RPC has elected the right to invoice practical expedient for recognizing revenue related to its performance obligations.
39
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Disaggregation of revenues
See Note 15 for disaggregation of revenue by operating segment and services offered in each of them and by geographic regions. Timing of revenue recognition for each of the periods presented is shown below:
Oilfield services transferred at a point in time $ — $ — $ —
Contract balances
Contract assets representing the Company’s rights to consideration for work completed but not billed are included in Accounts receivable, net on the consolidated balance sheets are shown below:
Substantially all of the unbilled trade receivables as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 were invoiced during the following quarter.
Note 3: Impairment and Other Charges
The Company recorded the following pre-tax charges during 2021 and 2020 as impairment and other charges in the consolidated statements of operations.
Long lived asset impairments (1) $ — $ 204,765
Abandonment of assets (2) — 5,976
Pension settlement loss (3) — 4,660
Severance costs — 1,882
Assets held for sale write down (4) — 192
Other — 18
During the first half of 2020, the Company experienced drastic declines in oilfield drilling and completion activities, with low levels of revenues not experienced by RPC or the industry for many years. This unprecedented disruption was caused by the substantial decline in global demand for oil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as macroeconomic events such as the geopolitical tensions between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia, regarding limits on oil production. These factors resulted in a significant drop in oil prices and a substantial deterioration of the Company’s public market capitalization. In response, the Company reduced headcount, furloughed employees and implemented compensation reductions for remaining active employees with the goal of adjusting its cost structure caused by low revenue levels. The Company determined these events constituted a triggering event that required a review of the recoverability of its long-lived assets and performed an interim goodwill impairment assessment as of March 31, 2020.
40
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
The Company used both income based and market based approaches to determine the fair value of its long-lived asset groups and its reporting units for goodwill impairment assessment. Under the income approach, the fair value for each of its asset groups and reporting units was determined based on the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at an appropriate risk-adjusted rate. The Company used internal forecasts, updated for recent events, to estimate future cash flows and terminal value calculation, which incorporates historical and forecasted trends, including an estimate of long-term future growth rates, based on its most recent views of the long-term outlook for each asset group and reporting units. For the market based valuation, the Company used comparable public company multiples. The selection of comparable businesses was based on the markets in which the asset groups and reporting units operate giving consideration to risk profiles, size, geography, and diversity of products and services. Based on the concluded fair value of the asset groups, the Company measured and recorded an impairment loss that represents the amount by which the asset groups' carrying amounts exceeded their fair value. For purposes of the goodwill impairment assessment, the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its net book value and therefore, goodwill was deemed to be not impaired.
Note 4: Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable, net consists of the following:
(in thousands)
Trade receivables:
Less: allowance for credit losses (6,765) (4,815)
Trade receivables relate to revenues generated from equipment and services, for which credit is extended based on our evaluation of the customer’s credit worthiness. Unbilled receivables represent revenues earned but not billed to the customer until future dates, usually within one month. Other receivables consists primarily of net amounts receivable from an agent, that operates internationally, as well as amounts due from the favorable resolution of state tax audits and rebates due from suppliers.
Note 5: Current Expected Credit Losses
The Company adopted ASU No 2016-13, Current Expected Credit Losses (Topic 326) on January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis with an immaterial cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. This ASU replaces the current loss model with an expected credit loss model for financial assets measured at amortized cost that includes accounts (trade) receivable. The Company is exposed to credit losses primarily from providing oilfield services. The Company’s expected credit loss allowance for accounts receivable is based on historical collection experience, current and future economic and market conditions and a review of the current status of customers’ account receivable balances. Due to the short-term nature of such receivables, the estimated amount of accounts receivable that may not be collected is based on aging of the accounts receivable balances and the financial condition of customers. Additionally, specific allowance amounts are established to record the appropriate provision for customers that have a higher probability of default. The Company’s monitoring activities include timely account reconciliation, dispute resolution, payment confirmation, consideration of customers' financial condition and macroeconomic conditions. Balances are written off when determined to be uncollectible and recoveries of amounts previously written off are recorded when collected. The Company considered the current and expected future economic and market conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and determined that the estimate of current expected credit losses was not significantly impacted. Estimates used to determine the allowance for current expected credit losses are based on an assessment of anticipated payment and all other historical, current and future information that is reasonably available.
The following table provides a roll-forward of the allowance for credit losses that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of accounts receivable to present the net amount expected to be collected:
41
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
(in thousands)
Provision for current expected credit losses 4,019 342
Recoveries collected (net of expenses) 29 31
Note 6: Inventories
Inventories consist of (i) raw materials and supplies that are consumed providing services to the Company’s customers, (ii) spare parts for equipment used in providing these services and (iii) components and attachments for manufactured equipment used in providing services. In the table below, spare parts and components are included as part of raw materials and supplies; tools that are assembled using components are reported as finished goods. Inventories are recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using either the first-in, first-out, or the weighted average cost method.
(in thousands)
Note 7: Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are presented at cost net of accumulated depreciation and consist of the following:
(in thousands)
42
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Depreciation expense was $72.7 million in 2021, $95.3 million in 2020, and $172.6 million in 2019. The Company had accounts payable for purchases of property and equipment of $4.3 million as of December 31, 2021 and $3.9 million as of December 31, 2020. The Company transferred inventory to property, plant and equipment totaling $11.1 million in 2021 and $8.6 million in 2020.
Note 8: Income Taxes
The following table lists the components of the provision (benefit) for income taxes:
(in thousands)
Current provision (benefit):
Deferred provision (benefit):
Total income tax provision (benefit) $ 9,231 $ (97,239) $ (25,990)
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), enacted in 2020, among other changes, eliminated the taxable income limit for certain net operating losses (“NOL”). This allowed businesses to carryback NOLs arising in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to the five prior years, and provided a payment delay of employer payroll taxes during 2020 after the date of enactment. These provisions enabled a carryback of federal tax losses related to 2019 and 2020. The Company recorded net tax benefits totaling $29 million in 2020 related to certain of these provisions.
Reconciliation between the federal statutory rate and RPC’s effective tax rate is as follows:
State income taxes, net of federal benefit 2.9 1.5 (0.3)
Foreign taxes, net of federal benefit 5.1 (0.4) (0.2)
Change in contingencies 8.6 — —
Non-deductible expenses (2.8) (0.1) (1.9)
Adjustments related to CARES Act 3.2 8.5 —
Change in estimated deferred rate 10.2 — —
Adjustments related to vesting of restricted stock 7.1 (0.8) (0.4)
43
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
(in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
State net operating loss carryforwards 5,558 5,853
Allowance for credit losses 1,692 1,302
Employee retention credit 1,360 —
Valuation allowance (865) (546)
Deferred tax liabilities:
Right of use asset (5,834) (6,392)
Goodwill amortization (6,556) (6,893)
Gross deferred tax liabilities (52,019) (47,224)
Net deferred tax liabilities $ (17,749) $ (13,332)
The Company's current intention is to permanently reinvest funds held in our foreign subsidiaries outside of the U.S., with the possible exception of repatriation of funds that have been previously subject to U.S. federal and state taxation or when it would be tax effective through the utilization of foreign tax credits, or would otherwise create no additional U.S. tax cost.
Total income tax refunds, net were $20.9 million in 2021, $10.1 million in 2020, and $11.8 million in 2019. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had net operating losses related to 2020 federal income taxes of $82 million which were carried back to 2017 as allowed by the CARES Act. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards recorded related to state income taxes of $89.9 million (gross) that will expire between 2022 and 2040, net of a valuation allowance totaling $537 thousand. The valuation allowance is recorded and represents the tax-affected amount of loss carryforwards that the Company does not expect to utilize, against the corresponding deferred tax assets.
The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties related to income tax matters as income tax expense. Accrued interest and penalties were immaterial as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
During 2021, the Company recognized an increase in its liability for unrecognized tax benefits related primarily to current year positions. This liability, if released, would affect our effective rate. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:
(in thousands)
Balance at January 1 $ — $ 2,215
Additions (reductions) for tax positions of prior years — (2,215)
Balance at December 31 $ 1,737 $ —
It is reasonably possible that the amount of the unrecognized benefits with respect to the Company’s unrecognized tax positions will increase or decrease in the next 12 months. These changes may be the result of, among other things, expiration of stature of limitations, or conclusions of ongoing examinations or reviews. However, quantification of an estimated range cannot be made at this time.
The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal and state income tax in multiple jurisdictions. In many cases, the uncertain tax positions are related to tax years that remain open and subject to examination by the relevant taxing authorities. In
44
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
general, the Company’s 2018 through 2020 tax years remain open to examination. Additional years may be open to the extent attributes are being carried forward to an open year.
Note 9: Long-Term Debt
The Company has a revolving Credit Agreement with Bank of America and five other lenders which provides for a line of credit of up to $100 million, including a $35 million letter of credit subfacility, and a $35 million swingline subfacility. The facility contains customary terms and conditions, including restrictions on indebtedness, dividend payments, business combinations and other related items. The revolving credit facility includes a full and unconditional guarantee by the Company’s 100 percent owned domestic subsidiaries whose assets equal substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its subsidiaries. Certain of the Company’s minor subsidiaries are not guarantors.
The Credit Agreement's maturity date is July 26, 2023. On September 25, 2020, the Company entered into Amendment No. 5 to Credit Agreement (the “Amendment”). This Amendment (1) reduced the maximum amount available for borrowing under the credit facility from $125 million to $100 million, (2) decreased the minimum tangible net worth covenant level from not less than $600 million to not less than $400 million, and (3) increased the margin spreads and commitment fees payable by RPC by 37.5 and 5 basis points, respectively, at each pricing level of the applicable rate without any changes to the leverage ratios used to calculate such spreads.
The Credit Agreement includes the following covenants: (i) when RPC’s trailing four quarter EBITDA (as calculated under the Credit Agreement) is equal to or greater than $50 million, a maximum consolidated leverage ratio of 2.50:1.00 and a minimum debt service coverage ratio of 2.00:1.00, and (ii) when RPC's trailing fourth quarter EBITDA is less than $50 million, a minimum tangible net worth of no less than $400 million. As of both December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with these covenants.
Revolving loans under the amended revolving credit facility bear interest at one of the following two rates at the Company’s election:
In addition, the Company pays an annual fee ranging from 0.20% to 0.30%, based on a quarterly consolidated leverage ratio calculation, on the unused portion of the credit facility.
The Company has incurred total loan origination fees and other debt related costs associated with this revolving credit facility. These costs are being amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of the loan, and the remaining net balance of $0.2 million at December 31, 2021 is classified as non-current other assets. The remaining net balance of these costs was $0.2 million as of December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2021, RPC had no outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility, and letters of credit outstanding relating to self-insurance programs and contract bids totaled $17.3 million; therefore, a total of $82.7 million of the facility was available. Interest incurred, which includes facility fees on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility and the amortization of loan cost, and interest paid on the credit facility were as follows for the periods indicated:
(in thousands)
45
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
RPC, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Note 10: Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income consists of the following (in thousands):
Foreign
Pension Currency
Adjustment Translation Total
Change during 2020:
Tax (expense) benefit (475) — (475)
Pension settlement loss 3,518 — 3,518
Reclassification adjustment, net of taxes:
Amortization of net loss (1) 744 — 744
Change during 2021:
Tax (expense) benefit 1,220 — 1,220
Reclassification adjustment, net of taxes:
Amortization of net loss (1) (610) — (610)
(1) Reported as selling, general and administrative expenses.
Note 11: Fair Value Disclosures
The various inputs used to measure assets at fair value establish a hierarchy that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and the Company’s assumptions (unobservable inputs). The hierarchy consists of three broad levels as follows:
The following table summarizes the valuation of financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2021 with:
Quoted prices in Significant
active markets other Significant
for identical observable unobservable
(in thousands) Total assets inputs inputs
(Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3)
Assets:
Equity securities $ 197 $ 197 $ — $ —
Investments measured at net asset value $ 31,738
46