Tellurian Inc.
Cautionary Information About Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activity, events, or developments with respect to our financial condition, results of operations, or economic performance that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, or that address plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “budget,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “initial,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “proposed,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar terms, phrases, and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things:
•our businesses and prospects and our overall strategy;
•planned or estimated capital expenditures;
•availability of liquidity and capital resources;
•our ability to obtain additional financing as needed and the terms of financing transactions, including atfor the Driftwood Holdings LP;Project;
•revenues and expenses;
•progress in developing our projects and the timing of that progress;
•future values of the Company’s projects or other interests, operations or rights; and
•government regulations, including our ability to obtain, and the timing of, necessary governmental permits and approvals.
Our forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors that we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. These statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
•the uncertain nature of demand for and price of natural gas and LNG;
•risks related to shortages of LNG vessels worldwide;
•technological innovation which may render our anticipated competitive advantage obsolete;
•risks related to a terrorist or military incident involving an LNG carrier;
•changes in legislation and regulations relating to the LNG industry, including environmental laws and regulations that impose significant compliance costs and liabilities;
•governmental interventions in the LNG industry, including increases in barriers to international trade;
•uncertainties regarding our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity and attract sufficient capital resources to implement our projects;
•our limited operating history;
•our ability to attract and retain key personnel;
•risks related to doing business in, and having counterparties in, foreign countries;
•our reliance on the skill and expertise of third-party service providers;
•the ability of our vendors, customers and other counterparties to meet their contractual obligations;
•risks and uncertainties inherent in management estimates of future operating results and cash flows;
•our ability to maintain compliance with our senior secured term loans and other agreements;debt arrangements;
the potential discontinuation of LIBOR;
•changes in competitive factors, including the development or expansion of LNG, pipeline and other projects that are competitive with ours;
•development risks, operational hazards and regulatory approvals;
•our ability to enter into and consummate planned financing and other transactions;
•risks related to pandemics or disease outbreaks;
•risks of potential impairment charges and reductions in our reserves; and
•risks and uncertainties associated with litigation matters.
The forward-looking statements in this report speak as of the date hereof. Although we may from time to time voluntarily update our prior forward-looking statements, we disclaim any commitment to do so except as required by securities laws.
DEFINITIONS
All defined terms under Rule 4-10(a) of Regulation S-X shall have their statutorily prescribed meanings when used in this report. As used in this document, the terms listed below have the following meanings:
|
| | | | |
| ASC | Accounting Standards Codification |
ASUBcf | Accounting Standards Update |
Bcf | Billion cubic feet of natural gas |
Bcf/dBcfe | Billion cubic feet per day |
Bcfe | Billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent volumes using a ratio of 6 Mcf to 1 barrel of liquid |
| Condensate | Hydrocarbons that exist in a gaseous phase at original reservoir temperature and pressure, but when produced, are in the liquid phase at surface pressure and temperature |
| DD&A | Depreciation, depletion, and amortization |
| DES | Delivered ex-ship |
| DOE/FE | U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy |
| EPC | Engineering, procurement, and construction |
| FASB | Financial Accounting Standards Board |
| FEED | Front-End Engineering and Design |
| FERC | U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
| FID | Final investment decision as it pertains to the Driftwood Project |
FOB | Free on board |
| FTA countries | Countries with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement providing for national treatment for trade in natural gas |
| GAAP | Generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. |
JKMICE | Intercontinental Exchange |
| JKM | Platts Japan Korea Marker index price for LNG |
| LIBOR | London Inter-BankInter-bank Offered Rate |
| LNG | Liquefied natural gas |
| LSTK | Lump Sum Turnkey |
| Mcf | Thousand cubic feet of natural gas |
| MMBtu | Million British thermal unit |
| MMcf | Million cubic feet of natural gas |
| MMcf/d | MMcf per day |
| MMcfe | Million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent volumes using a ratio of 6 Mcf to 1 barrel of liquid.liquid |
| Mtpa | Million tonnes per annum |
NasdaqNGA | Nasdaq Capital Market |
NGA | Natural Gas Act of 1938, as amended |
| Non-FTA countries | Countries with which the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement providing for national treatment for trade in natural gas and with which trade is permitted |
OilNYMEX | New York Mercantile Exchange |
| NYSE American | NYSE American LLC |
| Oil | Crude oil and condensate |
PSDPUD | Prevention of Significant Deterioration |
PUD | Proved undeveloped reserves |
| SEC | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
TrainSPA | Sale and purchase agreement |
| Train | An industrial facility comprised of a series of refrigerant compressor loops used to cool natural gas into LNG |
U.K.TTF | United KingdomPlatts Dutch Title Transfer Facility Index price for LNG |
U.S.U.K. | United StatesKingdom |
USACEU.S. | United States |
| USACE | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
With respect to the information relating to our working interestownership in wells or acreage, “net” oil and gas wells or acreage is determined by multiplying gross wells or acreage by our working interest therein. Unless otherwise specified, all references to wells and acres are gross.
PART I
ITEM 1 AND 2. OUR BUSINESS AND PROPERTIES
Overview
Tellurian Inc. (“Tellurian,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, is a Houston-based company that intends to create value for shareholders by building a low-cost, global natural gas business, profitably delivering natural gas to customers worldwide (the “Business”). We are developing a portfolio of natural gas, production, LNG marketing, and infrastructure assets that includes an LNG terminal facility (the “Driftwood terminal”) and three, an associated pipeline (the “Driftwood pipeline”), other related pipelines, (the “Pipeline Network”). We refer toand upstream natural gas assets. The Driftwood terminal and the Driftwood terminal, the Pipeline Network and certain natural gas production assetspipeline are collectively referred to as the “Driftwood Project”. We currently estimateOur existing natural gas assets consist of 11,060 net acres and interests in 78 producing wells located in the total costHaynesville Shale trend of the Driftwood Project to be approximately $28.9 billion, including owners’ costs, transaction costs and contingencies but excluding interest costs incurred during construction of the Driftwood terminal and other financing costs.northern Louisiana. Our Business may be developed in phases.
The proposed Driftwood terminalAs part of our execution strategy, which includes increasing our asset base, we will have a liquefaction capacityconsider various commercial arrangements with third parties across the natural gas value chain. We are also pursuing activities such as direct sales of approximately 27.6 MtpaLNG to global counterparties, trading of LNG, the acquisition of additional upstream acreage and will be situateddrilling of new wells on approximately 1,000 acresour existing or newly acquired upstream acreage. As discussed in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. The proposed Driftwood terminal will include up to 20 liquefaction Trains, three full containment“Overview of Significant Events – LNG storage tanksSale and three marine berths. We havePurchase Agreements” below, in 2021 we entered into four LNG SPAs with three unrelated purchasers, completing the planned sales for plants one and two of the Driftwood terminal (“Phase 1”). We are currently focused on securing financing for the construction of Phase 1.
We continue to evaluate the scope and other aspects of our Business in light of the evolving economic environment, needs of potential counterparties and other factors. How we execute our Business will be based on a variety of factors, including the results of our continuing analysis, changing business conditions and market feedback.
Overview of Significant Events
LNG Sale and Purchase Agreements
Driftwood LNG LLC (“Driftwood LNG”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into the following SPAs with three purchasers for the purchase of a total of 9.0 Mtpa of LNG:
• An SPA with Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd (“Gunvor”) in May 2021 for the purchase of 3.0 Mtpa of LNG;
• An SPA with Vitol Inc. (“Vitol”) in June 2021 for the purchase of 3.0 Mtpa of LNG; and
• Two SPAs with Shell NA LNG LLC (“Shell”) in July 2021 for the purchase of 3.0 Mtpa of LNG.
The price for LNG sold under the SPAs with Gunvor and Vitol will be a blended average based on the JKM index price and the TTF futures contract price, in each case minus a transportation netback. The price for LNG sold under each SPA with Shell will be based on the JKM index price or the TTF futures contract price, in each case minus a transportation netback. Each SPA has a ten-year term from the date of first commercial delivery from the Driftwood terminal.
Initiated Owner Construction Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2021 we initiated owner construction activities necessary to proceed under our LSTK EPC agreements totaling $15.5 billion with Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc. (“Bechtel”).
Driftwood Land Lease Agreement
On July 1, 2021, we entered into a long-term ground lease agreement with the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District to secure property essential for the construction of the Driftwood terminal.
The proposed Pipeline NetworkEnvironmental, Social, Governance Practices
During the year ended December 2021, the Company began a partnership with the National Forest Foundation on a five-year plan for reforestation and other forest management projects totaling $25 million across the United States. One of the first identified projects is currently expected to consistre-plant 300,000 trees in the Kisatchie National Forest, located near Alexandria, Louisiana, where nearly 40,000 acres of three pipelines,native trees were lost due to extreme weather events during the Driftwood pipeline,past few years.
Upstream Drilling Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we completed the drilling of and put in production four new Haynesville Global Access Pipeline and the Permian Global Access Pipeline. The Driftwood pipeline will be a 96-mile large diameter pipeline that will interconnect with 14 existing interstate pipelines throughout southwest Louisiana to secure adequateoperated natural gas feedstock forwells. We also participated in the Driftwood terminal. The Driftwood pipeline will be compriseddrilling of 48-inch, 42-inch and 36-inch diameter pipeline segments and three compressor stations totaling approximately 274,000 horsepower, all as necessary to provide approximately 4 Bcf/d of average dailysix Haynesville non-operated natural gas transportation service. We estimate construction costs forwells. Our 2021 drilling activities increased our proved developed reserves by approximately 51 Bcfe as of December 31, 2021.
Repayment of Borrowing Obligations
During the Driftwood pipelineyear ended December 31, 2021, we repaid all borrowing obligations that were outstanding at the end of up to approximately $2.3 billion before owners’ costs, financing costs and contingencies.
The Haynesville Global Access Pipeline is expected to run approximately 200 miles from northern to southwest Louisiana. The Permian Global Access Pipeline is expected to run approximately 625 miles from west Texas to southwest Louisiana. Each of these pipelines is expected to have a diameter of 42 inches and be capable of delivering approximately 2 Bcf/d of natural gas. We currently estimate that construction costs will be approximately $1.4 billion forDecember 31, 2020. For further information regarding the Haynesville Global Access Pipeline and approximately $4.2 billion for the Permian Global Access Pipeline, in each case before owners’ costs, financing costs and contingencies. We are also considering the potential development of a fourth pipeline, the Delhi Connector Pipeline, which would run approximately 180 miles from Perryville/Delhi in northeast Louisiana to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Our upstream properties, acquired in a series of transactions during 2017 and 2018, consist of 10,260 net acres and 67 producing wells (21 operated) located in the Haynesville Shale trend of northern Louisiana.
In connection with the implementationrepayment of our Business, we are offering limited partnership interests in a subsidiary, Driftwood Holdings LP (“Driftwood Holdings”), which will own the Driftwood Project. Partners will contribute cash in exchange for equity in Driftwood Holdings and will receive LNG volumes at the cost of production, including the cost of debt, for the life of the Driftwood terminal. We plan to retain a portion of the ownership in Driftwood Holdings and have engaged Goldman Sachs & Co. and Société Générale to serve as financial advisors for Driftwood Holdings. We also continue to develop our LNG marketing activities as described below in “Overview of Significant Events — Significant Transactions — LNG Marketing.”
Overview of Significant Events
Driftwood Project.borrowing obligations, see On JulyNote 10 2019, Driftwood Holdings entered into an equity capital contribution agreement (the “Contribution Agreement”) with Total Delaware, Inc., a subsidiary of Total S.A. (“Total”), whereby Total agreed to make a $500.0 million capital commitment to Driftwood Holdings in exchange for Class A limited partnership interests in Driftwood Holdings. The closing of the transactions contemplated by the Contribution Agreement is subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including Tellurian reaching an affirmative FID with respect to “Phase 1” of the Driftwood Project. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Contribution Agreement, upon the occurrence of FID with respect to Phase 1 of the Driftwood Project, Total Gas & Power North America, Inc., a subsidiary of Total S.A. (“Total Gas & Power”) and Driftwood LNG LLC, a subsidiary of the Company (“Driftwood LNG”), will enter into a sale and purchase agreement pursuant to which Total Gas & Power will be obligated to purchase from Driftwood LNG approximately 1.0 Mtpa of LNG from the Driftwood terminal.
Also on July 10, 2019, Tellurian Trading UK Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Tellurian Trading”), and Total Gas & Power entered into a sale and purchase agreement pursuant to which Total Gas & Power has the obligation to purchase
from Tellurian Trading approximately 1.5 Mtpa of LNG on a FOB basis at prices based on the JKM index price, subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement.
2019 Term Loan. On May 23, 2019, Driftwood Holdings entered into a one-year senior secured term loan credit agreement (the “2019 Term Loan”) in the principal amount of $60.0 million. Fees of approximately $2.2 million were capitalized as deferred financing costs. The 2019 Term Loan agreement provided Driftwood Holdings the right to borrow an additional $15.0 million by August 31, 2019, subject to certain criteria being met. On July 11, 2019, all of the criteria were met and on July 16, 2019, Driftwood Holdings borrowed the additional funds. Amounts borrowed under the 2019 Term Loan bear a fixed annual interest rate of 12%, of which 4% may be added by Driftwood Holdings to the principal as paid-in-kind interest. Furthermore, upon the maturity of the 2019 Term Loan, Driftwood Holdings will incur a final payment fee equal to 20% of the principal amount funded less certain deferred financing costs and cash interest paid. In conjunction with the 2019 Term Loan, the Company issued a Common Stock Purchase Warrant (the “Warrant”) to the lender. As discussed in Note 12, Stockholders’ Equity- Borrowings, of our Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, the estimated fair value of the Warrant of approximately $3.3 million has been recognized as an original issue discount related to the 2019 Term Loan.Statements.
LNG Marketing. On April 23, 2019, in furtherance of our strategy of developing our LNG marketing activities, we entered into a master LNG sale and purchase agreement and related confirmation notices (collectively, the “SPA”) with an unrelated third-party LNG merchant. Pursuant to the SPA, we have committed to purchase one cargo of LNG per quarter beginning in June 2020 through October 2022 under DES terms. The price for each cargo will be based on the JKM price in effect at the time of each purchase. Refer to “—Driftwood Project” above for additional sale and purchase agreements executed in conjunction with the development of our Business.
Regulatory Developments. On April 18, 2019, FERC issued the order granting authorization for the Company to construct and operate the Driftwood terminal and the Driftwood pipeline. On May 2, 2019, the DOE/FE issued an order authorizing the Company to export to Non-FTA countries. On May 3, 2019, the USACE issued the Section 10/Section 404 permit authorizing activities within “Waters of the U.S.” These three permits, along with the DOE/FE authorization for export to FTA countries, air permits issued by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and the Coastal Use Permit issued by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources are the most significant permits required for construction and operation of the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline. Equity Offering
On August 8, 2019, the Company submitted a request to initiate the FERC pre-filing review process for the Permian Global Access Pipeline, which FERC accepted and granted entry into on September 13, 2019.
Stock Purchase Agreement. On April 3, 2019,6, 2021, we entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement with Total, pursuant to which Total agreed to purchase, and the Company agreed to issue and sell in a private placement to Total, approximately 19.9sold 35.0 million shares of our common stock in exchange foran underwritten public offering at a cash purchase price of $3.00 per share. Net proceeds from this offering, after deducting fees and expenses, were approximately $10.06 per share,$100.8 million. The underwriters were granted an option to purchase up to an additional 5.3 million shares of common stock within 30 days. On August 31, 2021, the underwriters exercised this option, which will generategenerated net proceeds, after deducting fees, of approximately $15.1 million.
8.25% Senior Notes due 2028
On November 10, 2021, we sold $50.0 million aggregate grossprincipal amount of 8.25% Senior Notes due November 30, 2028 (the “Senior Notes”) in a registered public offering. Net proceeds from the sale of the Senior Notes were approximately $47.5 million after deducting fees. The underwriter was granted an option to purchase up to an additional $7.5 million of the Senior Notes within 30 days. On December 7, 2021, the underwriter exercised the option and purchased an additional $6.5 million of the Senior Notes, which generated net proceeds of approximately $6.2 million after deducting fees.
At-the-Market Debt Offering Program
On December 17, 2021, we entered into an at-the-market debt offering program under which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time on the NYSE American, up to an aggregate principal amount of $200.0 million (the “Private Placement”). The closing of additional Senior Notes. During the Private Placement is subject toyear ended December 31, 2021, we did not sell any additional Senior Notes under the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including Tellurian reaching an affirmative FID with respect to “Phase I” of the Driftwood Project.at-the-market debt offering program.
Natural Gas Properties
Reserves
As discussed in “Our Business and Properties — Overview,” our upstream properties, acquired in a series of transactions during 2017 and 2018,Our natural gas assets consist of 10,26011,060 net acres and 67interests in 78 producing wells (21 operated) located in the Haynesville Shale trend of north Louisiana. For the year ended December 31, 2019, these wells had2021, our average net production ofwas approximately 38.139.2 MMcf/d. All of our proved reserves were associated with those properties as of December 31, 2019 were associated with those properties.2021. Proved reserves are the estimated quantities of natural gas and condensate which geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions (i.e., costs as of the date the estimate is made). Proved reserves are categorized as either developed or undeveloped.
Our reserves as of December 31, 20192021 were estimated by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (“NSAI”), an independent petroleum engineering firm, and are set forth in the following table. Per SEC rules, NSAI based its estimates on the 12-month unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price of natural gas for each month from January through December 2019.2021. Prices include consideration of changes in existing prices provided only byfor under contractual arrangements, but not on escalations or reductions based upon future conditions. The price used for the reserve estimates as of December 31, 2021 was $2.58$3.60 per MMBtu of natural gas, adjusted for energy content, transportation fees and market differentials.
The following table shows our proved reserves as of December 31, 2019:
|
| | | | |
| Gas
(MMcf) |
Proved reserves (as of December 31, 2019)2021): |
|
Developed producing | 30,69973,927 |
|
| Undeveloped | 237,839249,409 |
|
| Total | 268,538323,336 |
|
TheAs of December 31, 2021, the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flow from our proved reserves (the “standardized measure”) as of December 31, 2019 was $53.2approximately $364.2 million.
Our capital expenditures totaled approximately $36.6 million during 2019, of which, approximately $36.5 million was spent developing our proved reserves.
During the year ended December 31, 2019,2021, we converted approximately 29 Bcfedid not have any material capital expenditures related to the development of our undeveloped reserves and thus did not convert any meaningful quantities from proved undeveloped reserves to proved developed reserves. As of December 31, 2019,2021, we do not expect to have any proved undeveloped reserves that will remain undeveloped for more than five years.years from the date that they were initially booked.
Refer to Supplemental Disclosures About Natural Gas Producing Activities, starting on page 69,63, for additional details.
Controls Over Reserve Report Preparation, Technical Qualifications and Technologies Used
Our December 31, 20192021 reserve report was prepared by NSAI in accordance with guidelines established by the SEC. Reserve definitions comply with the definitions provided by Regulation S‑X of the SEC. NSAI prepared the reserve report based upon a review of property interests being appraised, production from such properties, current costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sale of production, geoscience and engineering data, and other information we provided to them. This information was reviewed by knowledgeable members of our Company for accuracy and completeness prior to submission to NSAI. A letter whichthat identifies the professional qualifications of the individual at NSAI who was responsible for overseeing the preparation of our reserve estimates as of December 31, 2019,2021, has been filed as an addendum to Exhibit 99.299.1 to this report and is incorporated by reference herein.
Internally, a Senior Vice President is responsible for overseeing our reserves process. Our Senior Vice President has over 1820 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry, with the majority of that time in reservoir engineering and asset management. She is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with dual degrees in Chemical Engineering and French, and a graduate of the University of Houston with a Masters of Business Administration degree. During her career, she has had multiple responsibilities in technical and leadership roles, including reservoir engineering and reserves management, production engineering, planning, and asset management for multiple U.S. onshore and international projects. She is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.
Production
For the years ended December 31, 2019, 20182021, 2020 and 2017,2019, we produced 13,90114,302 MMcf, 1,39916,893 MMcf and 19013,901 MMcf of natural gas at an average sales price of $3.52, $1.74 and $2.07 $2.97 and $2.42 per MMcf,Mcf, respectively. Natural gas and condensate production and operating costs for the periods ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 2018were $0.48, $0.28 and 2017, were $0.25 $1.71 and $1.25 per MMcfe,Mcfe, respectively.
Drilling Activity
The table below representsshows the number of net productive and dry development wells drilled during the past three years:years. The information in the table below should not be considered indicative of future performance, nor should it be assumed that there is necessarily any correlation among the number of productive wells drilled, quantities of reserves found, or economic value. A dry well is an exploratory, development, or extension well that proves to be incapable of producing either oil or gas in sufficient quantities to justify completion as an oil or gas well. A productive well is an exploratory, development, or extension well that is not a dry well. Completion refers to installation of permanent equipment for production of oil or gas, or, in the case of a dry well, to reporting to the appropriate authority that the well has been abandoned. The number of wells drilled refers to the number of wells completed at any time during the fiscal year, regardless of when drilling was initiated. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| For the Year Ended December 31, |
| 2021 | | 2020 | | 2019 |
| Development wells: | | | | | |
| Productive | 6.9 | | | — | | | 3.1 | |
| Dry | — | | | — | | | — | |
| We had no exploratory wells drilled during any of the periods presented. | | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | For the Year Ended December 31, |
| | 2019 | | 2018 | | 2017 |
| Development wells: | | | | | |
| Productive | 3.1 |
| | 1.4 |
| | — |
|
| Dry | — |
| | — |
| | — |
|
| We had no exploratory wells drilled during any of the periods presented. | | | | | | |
Wells and Acreage
As of December 31, 2019,2021, we owned working interests in 4865 gross (21(28 net) productive natural gas wells and held by production 3,672wells. We have 4,419 gross (3,004(4,100 net) developed leasehold acreage.acres that are held by production. Additionally, we hold 8,0377,448 gross (7,256(6,960 net) undeveloped leasehold acreage.acres. As of December 31, 2019,2021, there were 4seven gross (3.33 net) in process wells.
Of the total gross and net undeveloped acreage, 1,0721,995 gross and 1,0511,901 net acres are not held by production, of which 1,018 gross and 997 netno acres are set to expire in 2020.2022.
We plan to extend the terms of these leases either through operational or administrative actions.
Volume Commitments
We are not currently subject to any material volume commitments.
Gathering, Processing and Transportation
As part of our acquisitions of natural gas properties, we also acquired certain gathering systems that deliver the natural gas we produce into third-party gathering systems. We believe that these systems and other available midstream facilities and services in the Haynesville Shale trend are adequate for our current operations and near-term growth.
Government Regulations
Our operations are and will be subject to extensive federal, state and local statutes, rules, regulations, and laws that include, but are not limited to, the NGA, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (“EPAct 2005”), the Oil Pollution Act, the National Environmental ProtectionPolicy Act (“NEPA”), the Clean Air Act (the “CAA”), the Clean Water Act (the “CWA”), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”), the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (the “PSIA”), and the Coastal Zone Management Act (the “CZMA”). These statutes cover areas related to the authorization, construction and operation of LNG facilities, natural gas pipelines and natural gas producing properties, including discharges and releases to the air, land and water, and the handling, generation, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and solid and hazardous wastes due to the development, construction and operation of the facilities. These laws are administered and enforced by governmental agencies including but not limited to FERC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”), the DOE/FE, the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”), the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, and the Texas Railroad Commission.Resources. Additionally, numerous other governmental and regulatory permits and approvals will be required to build and operate our Business, including, with respect to the construction and operation of the Driftwood Project, consultations and approvals by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, USACE, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Services,Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. For example, throughout the life of our liquefaction project, we will be subject to regular reporting requirements to FERC, PHMSA and other federal and state regulatory agencies regarding the operation and maintenance of our facilities.
Failure to comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations could result in substantial administrative, civil and/or criminal penalties and/or failure to secure and retain necessary authorizations.
We have received regulatory permits and approvals in connection with the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline, including the following:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| Agency | Permit / Consultation | Approval Date |
| FERC | Section 3 and Section 7 Application - NGA | April 18, 2019 |
| DOE | Section 3 Application - NGA | FTA countries: February 28, 2017;2017 (3968); amended December 6, 2018 (3698-A)(3968-A);
amended December 18, 2020 (4641)
Non-FTA countries: May 2, 2019 (4373);
amended December 10, 2020 (4373-A);
amended December 18, 2020 (4641) |
| USACE | Section 404 | May 3, 2019 |
Section 10 (Rivers and Harbors Act) | May 3, 2019 |
| United States Coast Guard | Letter of Intent and Preliminary Water Suitability Assessment | June 21, 2016 |
| Follow-On Water Suitability Assessment and Letter of Recommendation | April 25, 2017 |
| United States Fish and Wildlife Service | Section 7 of Endangered Species Act Consultation | September 19, 2017; February 7, 2019 |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / National Marine Fisheries Service | Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act Consultation | February 14, 2018 |
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act Essential Fish Habitat Consultation | October 3, 2017 |
Marine Mammal Protection Act Consultation | October 3, 2017 |
| State | | |
| Louisiana Department of Natural Resources- Coastal Management Division | Coastal Use Permit and Coastal Zone Consistency Permit, Joint Permit with USACE
Coastal Use Permit Extension | May 29, 2018
May 21, 2020 |
| Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality - Air Quality Division | Air Permit for LNG Terminal
Gillis Compressor Station | July 10, 2018;
January 6, 2020June 2, 2021 (extension)
October 2, 2017;
April 8, 2021 (extension) |
| Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office | Section 106 Consultation | Concurrence received on June 29, 2016 |
| Concurrence received on November 22, 2016 |
| Concurrence received on April 13, 2017 |
| Concurrence received on March 1, 2019 |
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The design, construction and operation of liquefaction facilities and pipelines, the export of LNG and the transportation of natural gas are highly regulated activities. In order to site, construct and operate our LNG facilities,the Driftwood Project, we obtained authorizations from FERC under Section 3 and Section 7 of the NGA as well as several other material governmental and regulatory approvals and permits as detailed in the table above. In order to gain regulatory certainty with respect to certain potential commercial transactions, on November 13, 2020, Driftwood Holdings LP (“Driftwood Holdings”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and Driftwood LNG (jointly, “Driftwood”) filed a Petition with FERC requesting, among other things, a prospective limited waiver of FERC’s buy/sell prohibition as well as any other prospective waivers necessary to enable Driftwood to purchase natural gas from potentially affiliated upstream suppliers that may be resold to a different affiliate under a long-term contract for export as LNG in foreign commerce. On January 19, 2021, FERC issued an order granting a prospective limited waiver of the prohibition on buy/sell arrangements for future proposed transactions in which Driftwood enters into: (1) an agreement to purchase natural gas from a potentially affiliated supplier; and (2) an agreement to sell LNG to affiliates in foreign commerce.
EPAct 2005 amended Section 3 of the NGA to establish or clarify FERC’s exclusive authority to approve or deny an application for the siting, construction, expansion or operation of LNG terminals, although except as specifically provided in
EPAct 2005, nothing in the statute is intended to affect otherwise applicable law related to any other federal agency’s authorities or responsibilities related to LNG terminals.
In 2002, FERC concluded that it would apply light-handed regulation to the rates, terms and conditions agreed to by parties for LNG terminalling services, such that LNG terminal owners would not be required to provide open-access service at non-discriminatory rates or maintain a tariff or rate schedule on file with FERC, as distinguished from the requirements applied to FERC-regulated interstate natural gas pipelines. Although EPAct 2005 codified FERC’s policy, those provisions expired on January 1, 2015. Nonetheless, we see no indication that FERC intends to modify its longstanding policy of light-handed regulation of LNG terminal operations.
A certificate of public convenience and necessity from FERC is required for the construction and operation of facilities used in interstate natural gas transportation, including pipeline facilities, in addition to other required governmental and regulatory approvals. In this regard, in April 2019, we obtained a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct and operate the Driftwood pipeline. Similarly, in anticipationOn June 17, 2021, Driftwood Pipeline LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of filingthe Company, filed an application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the NGA in FERC Docket No. CP21-465-000 requesting that FERC grant a certificate of public convenience and necessity and related approvals to construct, own and operate the Permian Global Access Pipeline, we have initiated the FERC pre-filing review process,dual 42-inch diameter natural gas pipelines, an approximately 211,200 horsepower compressor station and appurtenant facilities to be located in Beauregard and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana, which would provide a maximum seasonal capacity of 5.7 Bcf of natural gas per day. The application is ongoing.currently pending.
FERC’s jurisdiction under the NGA generally extends to the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce, to the sale in interstate commerce of natural gas for resale for ultimate consumption for domestic, commercial, industrial or any other
use and to natural gas companies engaged in such transportation or sale. FERC’s jurisdiction does not extend to the production, gathering, local distribution or export of natural gas.
Specifically, FERC’s authority to regulate interstate natural gas pipelines includes:
•rates and charges for natural gas transportation and related services;
•the certification and construction of new facilities;
•the extension and abandonment of services and facilities;
•the maintenance of accounts and records;
•the acquisition and disposition of facilities;
•the initiation and discontinuation of services; and
•various other matters.
In addition, FERC has the authority to approve, and if necessary set, “just and reasonable rates” for the transportation or sale of natural gas in interstate commerce. Relatedly, under the NGA, our proposed pipelines will not be permitted to unduly discriminate or grant undue preference as to rates or the terms and conditions of service to any shipper, including our own affiliates.
EPAct 2005 amended the NGA to make it unlawful for “anyany entity,” including otherwise non-jurisdictional producers, to use any deceptive or manipulative device or contrivance in connection with the purchase or sale of natural gas or the purchase or sale of transportation services subject to regulation by FERC, in contravention of rules prescribed by FERC. The anti-manipulation rule does not apply to activities that relate only to intrastate or other non-jurisdictional sales, gathering or production, but does apply to activities of otherwise non-jurisdictional entities to the extent the activities are conducted “in connection with” natural gas sales, purchases or transportation subject to FERC jurisdiction. EPAct 2005 also gives FERC authority to impose civil penalties for violations of the NGA or Natural Gas Policy Act of up to $1 million per violation.
Transportation of the natural gas we produce, and the prices we pay for such transportation, will be significantly affected by the foregoing laws and regulations.
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy Export License
Under the NGA, exports of natural gas to FTA countries are “deemed to be consistent with the public interest,” and authorization to export LNG to FTA countries shall be granted by the DOE/FE “without modification or delay.” FTA countries currently capable of importing LNG include but are not limited to Canada, Chile, Colombia, Jordan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea and the Dominican Republic. Exports of natural gas to Non-FTA countries are authorized unless the DOE/FE finds“finds that the proposed exportationexportation” “will not be consistent with the public interest.” We have authorization from the DOE/FE to export LNG in a volume up to the equivalent of 1,415.3 Bcf per year of natural gas to FTA countries for a term of 30 years and to Non-FTA countries for a term of 20 years.through December 31, 2050.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (the “NGPSA”) authorizes DOT to regulate pipeline transportation of natural (flammable, toxic, or corrosive) gas and other gases, as well as the transportation and storage of LNG. Amendments to the NGPSA include the Pipeline Safety Act of 1979, which addresses liquids pipelines, and the PSIA, which governs the areas of testing, education, training, and communication.
PHMSA administers pipeline safety regulations for jurisdictional gas gathering, transmission, and distribution systems under minimum federal safety standards. PHMSA also establishes and enforces safety regulations for onshore LNG facilities, which are defined as pipeline facilities used for the transportation or storage of LNG subject to such safety standards. Those regulations address requirements for siting, design, construction, equipment, operations, personnel qualification and training, fire protection, and security of LNG facilities. The Driftwood terminal will be subject to such PHMSA regulations.
Tellurian’s proposedThe Driftwood pipeline and other related pipelines will also be subject to regulation by PHMSA, including those under the PSIA. The PHMSA Office of Pipeline Safety administers the PSIA, which requires pipeline companies to perform extensive integrity tests on natural gas transportation pipelines that exist in high population density areas designated as “high consequence areas.” Pipeline companies are required to perform the integrity tests on a seven-year cycle. The risk ratings are based on numerous factors, including the population density in the geographic regions served by a particular pipeline, as well as the age and condition of the pipeline and its protective coating. Testing consists of hydrostatic testing, internal electronic testing, or direct assessment of the piping. In addition to the pipeline integrity tests, pipeline companies must implement a qualification program to make certain that employees are properly trained. Pipeline operators also must develop integrity management programs for natural gas transportation pipelines, which requires pipeline operators to perform ongoing assessments of pipeline integrity; identify and characterize applicable threats
to pipeline segments that could impact a high consequence area; improve data collection, integration and analysis; repair and remediate the pipeline, as necessary; and implement preventive and mitigative actions.
On October 1, 2019,December 27, 2020, the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act (PIPES Act) of 2020 was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The legislation reauthorizes the PHMSA issuedpipeline safety program through fiscal year 2023 and provides for advances to improve pipeline safety. The legislation includes a directive to PHMSA to update its current regulations for large-scale LNG facilities.
On January 11, 2021, PHMSA published a final rule in the Federal Register amending the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations to reduce regulatory burdens and offer greater flexibility with respect to the construction, maintenance, and operation of gas transmission, distribution, and gathering pipeline systems, including updates to corrosion control requirements and test requirements for pressure vessels. Mandatory compliance with this rule started October 1, 2021. This rule is subject to review for possible modification pursuant to executive orders signed by President Biden on or shortly after January 20, 2021.
On November 15, 2021, PHMSA published a final rule in the Federal Register revising the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations to improve the safety of onshore gas transmissiongathering pipelines. The rule extends reporting requirements to all gas gathering operators and applies a set of minimum safety requirements to certain gas gathering pipelines with large diameters and high operating pressures. This final rule addresses congressional mandates and National Transportation Safety Board recommendations, and responds to public input. goes into effect on May 16, 2022.
The amendments in this final rule address integrity management requirementsDriftwood pipeline and other requirements, and they focus on the actions an operator must take to reconfirm the maximum allowable operating pressure of previously untested natural gas transmissionrelated pipelines and pipelines lacking certain material or operational records, the periodic assessment of pipelines in populated areas not designated as “high consequence areas,” the reporting of exceedances of maximum allowable operating pressure, the consideration of seismicity as a risk factor in integrity management, safety features on in-line inspection launchers and receivers, a six-month grace period for seven-calendar-year integrity management reassessment intervals, and related recordkeeping provisions. The effective date of this final rule is July 1, 2020. PHMSA is also considering whether to revise requirements for corrosion control and expanding the definition of regulated gathering lines. These notices of proposed rulemaking are still pending at PHMSA and have not been finalized.
The Pipeline Network will be subject to regulation under PHMSA, which will involve capital and operating costs for compliance-related equipment and operations. We have no reason to believe that these compliance costs will be material to our financial performance, but the significance of such costs will depend on future events and our ability to achieve and maintain compliance throughout the life of the Driftwood Project.Project or related pipelines.
Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968
Louisiana administers federal pipeline safety standards under the NGPSA, which requires certain pipelines to comply with safety standards in constructing and operating the pipelines and subjects the pipelines to regular inspections. Failure to comply with the NGPSA may result in the imposition of administrative, civil and criminal sanctions.
Other Governmental Permits, Approvals and Authorizations
The construction and operation of the Driftwood Project isterminal and Driftwood pipeline are subject to federal permits, orders, approvals and consultations required by other federal and state agencies, including DOT, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, USACE, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Services,Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The necessary permits required for construction have been obtained and will be maintained for the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline. Similarly, additional permits, orders, approvals and consultations will be required for the other elements of the Driftwood Project.related pipelines.
Three significant permits that apply to the Driftwood Projectterminal and Driftwood pipeline are the USACE Section 404 of the Clean Water Act/CWA/Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act Permit, the CAA Title V Operating Permit and the Prevention of
Significant Deterioration Permit, of which the latter two permits are issued by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Each of the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline has received its permit from USACE, including a review and approval by USACE of the findings and conditions set forth in an Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision issued for the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline pursuant to the requirements of NEPA. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has issued the Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit, which is required to commence construction of the Driftwood terminal as well as the Title V Operating Permit. These material approvals willmay be required for the other elements of the Driftwood Project.related pipelines.
Environmental Regulation
Our operations are and will be subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and natural resources, the handling, generation, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and solid and hazardous wastes and other matters. These environmental laws and regulations, which can restrict or prohibit impacts to the environment or the types, quantities and concentration of substances that can be released into the environment, will require significant expenditures for compliance, can affect the cost and output of operations, may impose substantial administrative, civil and/or criminal penalties for non-compliance and can result in substantial liabilities. The statutes, regulations and permit requirements imposed under environmental laws are modified frequently, sometimes retroactively. Such changes are difficult to predict or prepare for, and may impose material costs for new permits, capital investment or operational limitations or changes.
The Biden Administration has issued a number of executive orders that direct federal agencies to take actions that may change regulations and guidance applicable to our business.
Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” 86 FR 7619 (January 27, 2021), establishes a policy “promoting the flow of capital toward climate-aligned investments and away from high-carbon investments.” It also requires the heads of agencies to identify any fossil fuel subsidies provided by their respective agencies, and to seek to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies from the budget request for fiscal year 2022 and thereafter.
Executive Order 13990, “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis,” 86 FR 7037 (January 20, 2021) directs agencies to review regulations and policies adopted by the Trump Administration and to “confront the climate crisis.” It specifically directs the EPA to consider suspending, revising or rescinding certain regulations, including restrictions on emissions from the oil and gas sector. In addition, Executive Order 13990 establishes a federal inter-agency working group to recommend methods for agencies to incorporate the “social cost of carbon” into their decision making. Finally, Executive Order 13990 directs the White House Council on Environmental Quality to rescind draft guidance restricting the review of climate change issues in reviews under NEPA and to update regulations to strengthen climate change reviews. On March 8, 2021, 12 states filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri challenging President Biden's authority to establish interim values for the social cost of greenhouse gases under Executive Order 13990; the case is currently pending appeal before the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.
NEPA. NEPA and comparable state laws and regulations require that government agencies review the environmental impacts of proposed projects. On January 10,July 16, 2020, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (the “CEQ”) published a notice of proposed rulemaking that seeks comment on potential amendments that wouldfinal rule to “modernize and clarify” the currentprior NEPA implementation regulations and to streamline environmental reviews. Potential amendments to thereviews required by NEPA regulations could include setting(the “Revised NEPA Regulations”).The Revised NEPA Regulations set a presumptive time limitslimit for completion of environmentalNEPA reviews and no longer requiring federal agencieslimit the scope of NEPA reviews to considerthose effects that are reasonably foreseeable and have a reasonably close causal relationship to the cumulative impacts of a project. The public comment period on the notice for proposed rulemaking ends on March 10, 2020.action or alternatives. While these changes are not likely to require amendments to the USACE permits that have already been issued and NEPA-related findings that were completed prior to the proposedeffective date of the final NEPA rule, the changes in the NEPA regulations may impact new permits, permit modifications and other elements of the Driftwood Project and related pipelines that are under development. The proposed revisions to theRevised NEPA
regulations have not yet been finalized and will likely be Regulations are currently subject to legal challenges. On October 7, 2021, the CEQ published a notice of proposed rulemaking to announce a set of proposed changes to generally restore prior regulatory provisions. Therefore, the impact of the proposed NEPA regulations on the Driftwood Project willand related pipelines of the previously Revised NEPA Regulations and new NEPA regulations and guidance is not be determinable for the foreseeable future.at this time.
CAA.Clean Air Act. The CAA and comparable state laws and regulations regulate and restrict the emission of air pollutants from many sources and impose various monitoring and reporting requirements, among other requirements. The Driftwood Project includesand related pipelines include facilities and operations that are subject to the federal CAA and comparable state and local laws, including requirements to obtain pre-construction permits and operating permits. We may be required to incur capital expenditures for air pollution control equipment in connection with maintaining or obtaining permits and approvals pursuant to the CAA and comparable state laws and regulations.
In June 2016,August 2020, the EPA issued two final rules that revised the new source performance standards under the CAA (the “2020 CAA Revisions”) to require reductions in emissions, including methane emissions, from new and modified sources in the oil and natural gas sector. These regulations impose, among other things, new requirements for leak detection and repair, control requirements at well completions, and additional control requirements for gathering, boosting, and compressor stations.On June 30, 2021, President Biden signed into law a joint Congressional resolution disapproving many of the 2020 CAA Revisions pursuant to the Congressional Review Act making the disapproved portions of the 2020 CAA Revisions no longer effective. In September 2018,November 2021, the EPA published a proposed revisions to the 2016 rules. The proposed amendments address certain technical issues raised in administrative petitions and include proposed changes to, among other things, the frequency of monitoring for fugitive emissions at well sites and compressor stations. In September 2019, the EPA proposed additional amendments to the 2016 rulesrule that would remove all sources in the transmissionupdate and storage segment of the oil and natural gas industry from regulation. The proposed amendments would also rescind the requirement to control methane emissions in the 2016 rules that apply to sources in the production and processing segments of the industry. The EPA is also proposing, in the alternative, to rescind the methane expand existing
requirements that apply to all sources in the oil and natural gas industry, without removing any sources from the current source category. Our operations have not been modified to comply with the 2016 rules, so a final determination regarding the rescission of rules related to the oil and natural gas industry could significantly affect our costs of operations and of acquiring natural gas. The revisions tofor the oil and gas industry, as well as creating significant new source performancerequirements and standards have not yet beenfor new, modified and existing oil and gas facilities. The proposed new requirements would include, for example, new standards and emission limitations applicable to storage vessels, well liquids unloading, pneumatic controllers, and flaring of natural gas at both new and existing facilities. The proposed rules for new and modified facilities are expected to be finalized by the end of 2022, while any standards finalized for existing facilities will require further state rulemaking actions over the next several years before they become applicable and will likely be subject to legal challenges.effective. The comment period for that proposed rule was extended until January 31, 2022. Therefore, the timing of the final regulations and impact of the revised oil and gas new source performance standards on the Driftwood Project and other related pipelines and Tellurian’s compliance obligations are not determinable at this time.
Greenhouse Gases.In December 2009, the EPA published its findings that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) present an endangerment to public health and the environment because emissions of GHGs are, according to the EPA, contributing to warming of the earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes. These findings provide the basis for the EPA to adopt and implement regulations that would restrict emissions of GHGs under existing provisions of the CAA. In June 2010, the EPA began regulating GHG emissions from stationary sources, including LNG terminals. In June 2019, the EPA issued the final Affordable Clean Energy rule, which, among other things, establishes emission guidelines for states to develop plans to address greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. The Affordable Clean Energy rule was subject to legal challenges and, in January 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the rule and remanded the rule to the EPA for revision or replacement.
The Biden Administration has communicated its intention to address climate change and has issued Executive Orders with respect to certain governmental actions related to climate change.In the future, the EPA may promulgate additional regulations for sources of GHG emissions that could affect the oil and gas sector, and Congress or states may enact new GHG legislation, either of which could impose emission limits on the Driftwood Project or related pipelines or require the Driftwood Project or related pipelines to implement additional pollution control technologies, pay fees related to GHG emissions or implement mitigation measures. The scope and effects of any new laws or regulations are difficult to predict, and the impact of such laws or regulations on the Driftwood Project or related pipelines cannot be predicted at this time.
Coastal Zone Management Act. Certain aspects of the Driftwood terminal are subject to the requirements of the CZMA. The CZMA is administered by the states (in Louisiana, by the Department of Natural Resources). This program is implemented to ensure that impacts to coastal areas are consistent with the intent of the CZMA to manage the coastal areas. Certain facilities that are part of the Driftwood Project obtained permits for construction and operation in coastal areas pursuant to the requirements of the CZMA.
Clean Water Act. The Driftwood Project isand related pipelines are subject to the CWA and analogous state and local laws. The CWA and analogous state and local laws regulate discharges of pollutants to waters of the U.S.United States or waters of the state, including discharges of wastewater and storm water runoff and discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S.,United States, as well as spill prevention, control and countermeasure requirements. Permits must be obtained prior to discharging pollutants into state and federal waters or dredging or filling wetland and coastal areas. The CWA is administered by the EPA, the USACE and by the states. Additionally, the siting and construction of the Driftwood Projectterminal and Driftwood pipeline will impact jurisdictional wetlands, which would require appropriate federal, state and/or local permits and approval prior to impacting such wetlands. The authorizing agency may impose significant direct or indirect mitigation costs to compensate for regulated impacts to wetlands. Although the CWA permits required for construction and operation of the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline have been obtained, other CWA permits may be required in connection with our projects that are under development and our future projects. The approval timeframe may also be longer than expected and could potentially affect project schedules.
In June 2015, the EPA and the USACE issued a final rule defining the CWA’s jurisdictional reach over “waters of the United States” (the “2015 Clean Water Rule”) and replacing the previous definition of “waters of the United States” in a 1986 rule and related guidance. In February 2018, the EPA and the USACE issued a rule to delay the applicability of the 2015 Clean Water Rule until February 2020, but this delay rule was struck down following a court challenge. Other federal district courts, however, issued rulings temporarily enjoining the applicability of the 2015 Clean Water Rule in several states. Taken together, the 2015 Clean Water Rule was in effect in 22 states and temporarily stayed in 27 states. In states where the 2015 Clean Water Rule
was stayed, the 1986 rule and guidance remained in effect. In October 2019, the EPA and the USACE issued a final rule to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule (the “2019 Repeal Rule”). With the 2019 Repeal Rule, the agencies report that they will implement the 1986 rule and guidance nationwide. The 2019 Repeal Rule became effective in December 2019; accordingly, the 2015 Clean Water Rule is no longer in effect in any state. However, legal challenges to the 2019 Repeal Rule have already been filed in federal court and the 2019 Repeal Rule could be stayed, remanded or repealed.
In JanuaryApril 2020, the EPA and the USACE finalized a rule that would reviserevising and narrowing the definition of “waters of the United States” and replace bothreplacing prior rules defining the same issued in 1986 rule and the 2015 Clean Water Rule (the “2020 Rule”). According toOn August 30, 2021, the agencies,U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona vacated and remanded the 2020 Rule “increasesand in June 2021, the predictabilityEPA and consistency”the Department of the CWA “by clarifyingArmy announced their intention to initiate a new rulemaking process to restore the scope of ‘waters of the United States’ federally regulated” under the CWA. As of February 14, 2020, the 2020 Rule has not been published in the Federal Register. It will become effective 60 days after publication. Once the 2020 Rule is published, it will likely be challenged and sought to be enjoined in federal court. The 2020 Rule is intended to narrow thepre-2015 definition of “waters of the United States” from the 2015 Clean Water Rule. Therefore, the 2020 Rule could reduce costs and delays with respect to obtaining permits for discharges of pollutants or dredge and fill activities in watersinformed by decisions of the U.S., including in wetland areas for facilitiesSupreme Court of the Driftwood ProjectUnited States. The proposed rule was published on December 7, 2021 and the comment period closed on February 7, 2022. In addition, in January 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari in a case, Sackett v. EPA, that have not yet obtained CWA permits. The changecould further impact this rulemaking process and the ultimate rule. Changes in the definition of “waters of the United States” isare not likely to affect the permits already obtained for the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline, but the new definition, once effective,further regulatory changes or any judicial decisions could affect other elements of the Driftwood Projectterminal and Driftwood pipeline or other related pipelines in ways that cannot yet be identified or quantified with any precision.predicted at this time.
Federal laws including the CWA require certain owners or operators of facilities that store or otherwise handle oil and produced water to prepare and implement spill prevention, control, countermeasure and response plans addressing the possible discharge of oil into surface waters. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA”) subjects owners and operators of facilities to strict and joint and several liability for all containment and cleanup costs and certain other damages arising from oil spills, including the government’s response costs. Spills subject to the OPA may result in varying civil and criminal penalties and liabilities. The
Driftwood Project incorporates appropriate equipment and operational measures to reduce the potential for spills of oil and establish protocols for responding to spills, but oil spills remain an operational risk that could adversely affect our operations and result in additional costs or fines or penalties.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The federal RCRA and comparable state requirements govern the generation, handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes and require corrective action for releases into the environment. In the event such wastes are generated or used in connection with our facilities, we will be subject to regulatory requirements affecting the handling, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of such wastes and could be required to perform corrective action measures to clean up releases of such wastes. The EPA and certain environmental groups entered into an agreement pursuant to which the EPA was required to propose, no later than March 2019, a rulemaking for revision of certain regulations pertaining to oil and natural gas wastes or sign a determination that revision of the regulations is not necessary. In April 2019, the EPA determined that revision of the regulations is not necessary. Information comprising the EPA’s review and the decision is contained in a document entitled “Management of Exploration, Development and Production Wastes: Factors Informing a Decision on the Need for Regulatory Action.” The EPA indicated that it willwould continue to work with states and other organizations to identify areas for continued improvement and to address emerging issues to ensure that exploration, development and production wastes continue to be managed in a manner that is protective of human health and the environment. Environmental groups, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the EPA’s decision and will likely continue to press the issue at the federal and state levels. A loss of the exclusion from RCRA coverage for drilling fluids, produced waters and related wastes in the future could result in a significant increase in our costs to manage and dispose of waste associated with our production operations.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). CERCLA, often referred to as Superfund, and comparable state statutes, impose liability that is generally joint and several and that is retroactive for costs of investigation and remediation and for natural resource damages, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, for the release of a “hazardous substance” (or under state law, other specified substances) into the environment. So-called potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”) include the current and certain past owners and operators of a facility where there has been a release or threat of release of a hazardous substance and persons who disposed of or arranged for the disposal of, or transported hazardous substances found at a site. CERCLA also authorizes the EPA and, in some cases, third parties to take actions in response to threats to the public health or the environment and to seek to recover from the PRPs the cost of such action. Liability can arise from conditions on properties where operations are conducted, even under circumstances where such operations were performed by third parties and/or from conditions at disposal facilities where materials were sent. Our operations involve the use or handling of materials that include or may be classified as hazardous substances under CERCLA or regulated under similar state statutes. We may also be the owner or operator of sites on which hazardous substances have been released and may be responsible for the investigation, management and disposal of soils or dredge spoils containing hazardous substances in connection with our operations.
Oil and natural gas exploration and production, and possibly other activities, have been conducted at some of our properties by previous owners and operators. Materials from these operations remain on some of the properties and in certain instances may require remediation. In some instances, we have agreed to indemnify the sellers of producing properties from whom we have
acquired reserves against certain liabilities for environmental claims associated with the properties. Accordingly, the Driftwood Projectwe could incur material costs for remediation required under CERCLA or similar state statutes in the future.
Hydraulic Fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is commonly used to stimulate the production of crude oil and/or natural gas from dense subsurface rock formations. We plan to use hydraulic fracturing extensively in our natural gas productiondevelopment operations. The process involves the injection of water, sand, and additives under pressure into a targeted subsurface formation. The water and pressure create fractures in the rock formations which are held open by the grains of sand, enabling the natural gas to more easily flow to the wellbore. The process is generally subject to regulation by state oil and natural gas commissions but is also subject to new and changing regulatory programs at the federal, state and local levels.
In February 2014, the EPA issued permitting guidance under the Safe Drinking Water Act (the “SDWA”) for the underground injection of liquids from hydraulically fractured wells and other wells where diesel is used. Depending upon how it is implemented, this guidance may create duplicative requirements in certain areas, further slow the permitting process in certain areas, increase the costs of operations, and result in expanded regulation of hydraulic fracturing activities related to the Driftwood Project.
In May 2014, the EPA issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking under the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) pursuant to which it will collect extensive information on the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluid, as well as other health-related data, from chemical manufacturers and processors. If the EPA regulates hydraulic fracturing fluid under TSCA in the future, such regulation may increase the cost of our natural gas productiondevelopment operations and the feedstock for the Driftwood terminal.
In June 2016, the EPA finalized pretreatment standards for indirect discharges of wastewater from the oil and natural gas extraction industry. The regulation prohibits sending wastewater pollutants from onshore unconventional oil and natural gas extraction facilities to publicly-owned treatment works. Certain activities of our Business are subject to the pretreatment standards, which means that we are required to use disposal methods that may require additional permits or cost more to implement than disposal at publicly-owned treatment works.
In December 2016, the EPA released a report titled “Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas: Impacts from the Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle on Drinking Water Resources.Resources in the United States.” The report concluded that activities involved in hydraulic fracturing can have impacts on drinking water under certain circumstances. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy has investigated practices that the agency could recommend to better protect the environment from drilling using hydraulic fracturing completion methods. These and similar studies, depending on their degree of development and nature of results obtained, could spur initiatives to further regulate hydraulic fracturing under the SDWA or other regulatory mechanisms. If the EPA proposes additional regulations of hydraulic fracturing in the future, they could impose additional emission limits and pollution control technology requirements, on the Driftwood Project, which could limit our operations and revenues and potentially increase our costs of gas production or acquisition.
Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). Our operations may be restricted by requirements under the ESA. The ESA prohibits the harassment, harming or killing of certain protected species and destruction of protected habitats. Under the NEPA review process conducted by FERC, we have been and will be required to consult with federal agencies to determine limitations on and mitigation measures applicable to activities that have the potential to result in harm to threatened or endangered species of plants, animals, fish and their designated habitats. Although we have conducted studies and engaged in consultations with agencies in order to avoid harming protected species, inadvertent or incidental harm may occur in connection with the construction or operation of our properties, including of the Driftwood Project or related pipelines, which could result in fines or penalties. In addition, if threatened or endangered species are found on any part of our properties, including the sites of the Driftwood Project, sites, includingrelated pipelines, or pipeline rights of way, then we may be required to implement avoidance or mitigation measures that could limit our operations or impose additional costs.
Regulation of Natural Gas ProductionOperations
Our natural gas production operations are subject to a number of additional laws, rules and regulations that require, among other things, permits for the drilling of wells, drilling bonds and reports concerning operations. States, parishes and municipalities in which we operate may regulate, among other things:
•the location of new wells;
•the method of drilling, completing and operating wells;
•the surface use and restoration of properties upon which wells are drilled;
•the plugging and abandoning of wells;
•notice to surface owners and other third parties; and
•produced water and waste disposal.
State laws regulate the size and shape of drilling and spacing units or proration units governing the pooling of oil and natural gas properties. Some states, including Louisiana, allow forced pooling or integration of tracts to facilitate exploration, while other states rely on voluntary pooling of lands and leases. In some instances, forced pooling or unitization may be implemented by third parties and may reduce our interest in the unitized properties. In addition, state conservation laws establish maximum rates of production from oil and natural gas wells and generally prohibit the venting or flaring of natural gas and require that oil and natural gas be produced in a prorated, equitable system. These laws and regulations may limit the amount of oil and natural gas that we can produce from our wells or limit the number of wells or the locations at which we can drill. Moreover, most states generally impose a production, ad valorem or severance tax with respect to the production and sale of oil and natural gas within their jurisdictions. Many local authorities also impose an ad valorem tax on the minerals in place. States do not generally regulate wellhead prices or engage in other, similar direct economic regulation, but there can be no assurance they will not do so in the future.
Anti-Corruption, Trade Control, and Tax Evasion Laws
Our international operationsWe are subject to one or more anti-corruption laws in various jurisdictions, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act of 2010 and other anti-corruption laws. The FCPA and these other laws generally prohibit our employees, directors, officers and intermediariesagents from bribingauthorizing, offering, or making other prohibitedproviding improper payments or anything else of value to foreigngovernment officials or other covered persons to obtain or retain business or gain some otheran improper business advantage. We participate in relationships with third parties whose actionsface the risk that one of our employees or agents will offer, authorize, or provide something of value that could potentially subject us to liability under the FCPA orand other anti-corruption laws. In addition, we cannot predict the nature, scope or effect
of future regulatory requirements to which our international operations might be subject or the manner in which existing laws might be administered or interpreted.
We are also subject to other laws and regulations governing our international operations, including regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and various non-U.S. government entities, including applicable export control regulations, economic sanctions on countries and persons, customs requirements, currency exchange regulations, and transfer pricing regulations (collectively, “Trade Control laws”).
We are also subject to new U.K. corporate criminal offenses for failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion pursuant to the Criminal Finances Act 2017, which imposes criminal liability on a company where it has failed to prevent the criminal facilitation of tax evasion by a person associated with the company.
We have instituted policies, procedures and ongoing training of employees with regard to business ethics, designed to ensure that we and our employees and agents comply with the FCPA, other anti-corruption laws, Trade Control laws and the Criminal Finances Act 2017. However, there is no assurance that our efforts have been and will be completely effective in ensuring our compliance with all applicable anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA or other legal requirements. If we are not in compliance with the FCPA, other anti-corruption laws, the Trade Control laws or the Criminal Finances Act 2017, we may be subject to criminal and civil penalties, disgorgement and other sanctions and remedial measures, and legal expenses, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. Likewise, any investigation of any potential violations of the FCPA, other anti-corruption laws the Trade Control laws or the Criminal Finances Act 2017 by the U.S. or foreign authorities could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. U.S. or foreign authorities may also seek to hold us liable for successor liability for anti-corruption violations committed by companies we acquire or in which we invest (for example, by way of acquiring equity interests, participating as a joint venture partner, or acquiring assets).
Competition
We are subject to a high degree of competition in all aspects of our business. See “Item 1A — Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business in General — Competition is intense in the energy industry and some of Tellurian’s competitors have greater financial, technological and other resources.”
Production & Transportation. The natural gas and oil business is highly competitive in the exploration for and acquisition of reserves, the acquisition of natural gas and oil leases, equipment and personnel required to develop and produce reserves, and the gathering, transportation and marketing of natural gas and oil. Our competitors include national oil companies, major integrated natural gas and oil companies, other independent natural gas and oil companies, and participants in other industries supplying energy and fuel to industrial, commercial, and individual consumers, such as operators of pipelines and other midstream facilities. Many of our competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, larger staffs and substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we currently possess.
Liquefaction. The Driftwood terminal will compete with liquefaction facilities worldwide to supply low-cost liquefaction to the market. There are a number of liquefaction facilities worldwide that we compete with for customers. Many of the companies with which we compete have greater name recognition, larger staffs and substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do.
LNG Marketing. Tellurian competes with a variety of companies in the global LNG market, including (i) integrated energy companies that market LNG from their own liquefaction facilities, (ii) trading houses and aggregators with LNG supply portfolios, and (iii) liquefaction plant operators that market equity volumes. Many of the companies with which we compete have
greater name recognition, larger staffs, greater access to the LNG market and substantially greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do.
Title to Properties
With respect to our natural gas producing properties, we believe that we hold good and defensible leasehold title to substantially all of our properties in accordance with standards generally accepted in the industry. A preliminary title examination is conducted at the time the properties are acquired. Our natural gas properties are subject to royalty, overriding royalty, and other outstanding interests. We believe that we hold good title to our other properties, subject to customary burdens, liens, or encumbrances that we do not expect to materially interfere with our use of the properties.
Major Customers
We do not have any major customers.
Facilities
Certain subsidiaries of Tellurian have entered into operating leases for office space in Houston, Texas, and Washington, D.C., London, England and Singapore. The tenors of the leases are two, four, sevenfive and nineeight years for Singapore, London, Houston and Washington, D.C., respectively.
Employees and Human Capital
As of December 31, 2019,2021, Tellurian had 176107 full-time employees worldwide. None of them are subject to collective bargaining arrangements. The Company’s workforce is primarily located in Houston, Texas, and we have offices in Louisiana, Washington DC, London and Singapore. Many of our employees are originally from, or have extensive experience working in, countries other than the United States. This reflects our overall strategy of building a natural gas business that is global in scope.
We plan to build, among other things, an LNG liquefaction facility that we believe is one of the largest energy infrastructure projects currently under development in the United States. Given the inherent challenges involved in the construction of a project of this type, in particular by a company that has limited current operations, our human resources strategy focuses on the recruitment and retention of employees who have already established relevant expertise in the industry. The execution of this strategy has resulted in us assembling what we believe to be a premier management team in the global natural gas and LNG industry. A related aspect of our human resources strategy is that the compensation structure for many of our employees is weighted towards incentive compensation that is designed to reward progress toward the development of our business, including in particular the financing and construction of the Driftwood Project.
Jurisdiction and Year of Formation
The Company is a Delaware corporation originally formed in 1967 and formerly known as Magellan Petroleum Corporation.
Available Information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or from our website at www.tellurianinc.com. We also make available free of charge any of our SEC filings by mail. For a mailed copy of a report, please contact Tellurian Inc., Investor Relations, 1201 Louisiana Street, Suite 3100, Houston, Texas 77002.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Our business activities and the value of our securities are subject to significant hazards and risks, including those described below. If any of such events should occur, our business, financial condition, liquidity, and/or results of operations could be materially harmed, and holders and purchasers of our securities could lose part or all of their investments. Our risk factors are grouped into the following categories:
•Risks Relating to Financial Matters;
•Risks Relating to Our Common Stock;
•Risks Relating to Our LNG Business;
•Risks Relating to Our Natural Gas and Oil ProductionOperating Activities; and
•Risks Relating to Our Business in General.
Risks Relating to Financial Matters
Tellurian will be required to seek additional equity and/or debt financing in the future to complete the Driftwood Project and to grow its other operations, and may not be able to secure such financing on acceptable terms, or at all.
Tellurian will be unable to generate any significant revenue from the Driftwood Project for multiple years, and expects cash flow from its other lines of business to be modest for an extended period as it focuses on the development and growth of these businesses. Tellurian will, therefore, need substantial amounts of additional financing to execute its business plan.plan and to repay its indebtedness when necessary. There can be no assurance that Tellurian will be able to raise sufficient capital on acceptable terms, or at all. If such financing is not available on satisfactory terms or is not available at all, Tellurian may be required to delay, scale back or cancel the development of business opportunities, and this could adversely affect its operations and financial condition to a significant extent. Tellurian intends to pursue a variety of potential financing transactions, including sales of preferred equity, project finance and sales of Driftwood Holdings to purchasers of its LNG.equity and debt securities. We do not know whether, and to what extent, LNG purchasers and other potential sources of financing will find the terms we propose acceptable. In addition, potential sources of financing may conclude that the terms of our commercial agreements for the sale of LNG are not attractive enough to justify an investment.
Debt or preferred equity financing, if obtained, may involve agreements that include liens or restrictions on Tellurian’s assets and covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as paying dividends or making distributions, incurring additional debt, acquiring or disposing of assets and increasing expenses. Debt financing would also be required to be repaid regardless of Tellurian’s operating results. Obtaining financing through additional issuances of common stock or other equity securities would impose fewer restrictions on our future operations but would be dilutive to the interests of existing stockholders.
In addition,
Pandemics or disease outbreaks, such as the currently ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, may adversely affect our efforts to reach a final investment decision with respect to the Driftwood Project.
Pandemics or disease outbreaks such as the currently ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have a variety of adverse effects on our business, including by depressing commodity prices and the market value of our securities and limiting the ability of our management to obtain financingtravel to meet with partners and potential partners. Prospects for the proposeddevelopment and financing of the Driftwood Project may dependare based in part on Tellurian’sfactors including global economic conditions that have been, and are likely to continue to be, adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional effects of the pandemic on our business may include limits on the ability of our employees, or those of partners or vendors, to enter into sufficient commercial agreements priorprovide necessary services due to the commencement of construction. Except for the equity capital contribution agreementillness or quarantines and LNG sale and purchase agreement with affiliates of TOTAL S.A., which agreements remain subject to certain conditions precedent, Tellurian has not entered into any definitive third-party agreements for the proposed Driftwood Project, and it may not be successful in negotiating and entering into such agreements.governmental restrictions on travel, imports or exports or financial transactions.
We have a limited operating history and expect to incur losses for a significant period of time.
We have a limited operating history. Although Tellurian’s current directors, managers and officers have prior professional and industry experience, our business is in an early stage of development. Accordingly, the prior history, track record and historical financial information you may use to evaluate our prospects are limited.
Tellurian has not yet commencedcompleted the construction of the Driftwood Project and expects to incur significant additional costs and expenses through the completion of development and construction of that project. The Company also expects to devote substantial amounts of capital to the growth and development of its other operations. Tellurian expects that operating losses will increase substantially in 20202022 and thereafter, and expects to continue to incur operating losses and to experience negative operating cash flows for the next several years.
Tellurian’s exposure to the performance and credit risks of its counterparties may adversely affect its operating results, liquidity and access to financing.
Our operations involve our entering into various construction, purchase and sale, hedging, supply and other transactions with numerous third parties. In such arrangements, we will be exposed to the performance and credit risks of our counterparties, including the risk that one or more counterparties fail to perform their obligations under the applicable agreement. Some of these risks may increase during periods of commodity price volatility. In some cases, we will be dependent on a single counterparty or a small group of counterparties, all of whom may be similarly affected by changes in economic and other conditions. These risks include, but are not limited to, risks related to the construction of the Driftwood Projectterminal discussed below in “ — Risks Relating to Our LNG Business — Tellurian will be dependent on third-party contractors for the successful completion of the Driftwood Project,terminal, and these contractors may be unable to complete the Driftwood Projectterminal.” Defaults by suppliers and other counterparties may adversely affect our operating results, liquidity and access to financing.
Our use of hedging arrangements may adversely affect our future operating results or liquidity.
As we continue to develop our LNG and natural gas marketing and natural gas productionoperating activities, we may enter into commodity hedging arrangements in an effort to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in price and timing risk. Any hedging arrangements entered into would expose us to the risk of financial loss when (i) the counterparty to the hedging contract defaults on its contractual obligations or (ii) there is a change in the expected differential between the underlying price in the hedging agreement and the actual prices received.
Also, commodity derivative arrangements may limit the benefit we would otherwise receive from a favorable change in the relevant commodity price. In addition, regulations issued by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, the SEC and other federal agencies establishing regulation of the over-the-counter derivatives market could adversely affect our ability to manage our price risks associated with our LNG and natural gas activity and therefore have a negative impact on our operating results and cash flows.
Changes in tax laws or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Factors that could materially affect our future effective tax rates include but are not limited to:
•changes in the regulatory environment;
•changes in accounting and tax standards or practices;
•changes in U.S., state or foreign tax laws;
•changes in the composition of operating income by tax jurisdiction; and
•our operating results before taxes.
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and several foreign jurisdictions. Our future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the composition of earnings in countries with differing tax rates, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities or changes in tax laws. Foreign jurisdictions have also increased the volume of tax audits of multinational corporations. Further,
many countries have either recently changed or are considering changes to their tax laws. Changes in tax laws could affect the distribution of our earnings, result in double taxation and adversely affect our results.
In December 2017, the budget reconciliation act commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”), was signed into law, making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. At this time, the U.S. Department of Treasury has not yet issued final regulations on all provisions of the Tax Act. There may be future Congressional technical corrections to the Tax Act and other regulatory guidance and/or administrative interpretations of the Tax Act that are yet to be issued. We will continue to examine the impact that new guidance and interpretation of the Tax Act may have on our business. We urge our stockholders to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to the legislation and potential tax consequences of investing in our stock.
In addition to the impact of the Tax Act on our federal taxes, it may impact taxation in other jurisdictions such as state income taxes. The various state legislatures have not had sufficient time to respond to the Tax Act. Accordingly, it is uncertain how the laws will apply in the various state jurisdictions. Additionally, other foreign governing bodies may enact changes in their tax laws in reaction to the Tax Act that could result in changes to our global tax position and materially affect our financial position.
We are also subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) and other tax authorities, including state revenue agencies and other foreign governments. While we regularly assess the likelihood of favorable or unfavorable outcomes resulting from examinations by the IRS and other tax authorities to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes, there can be no assurance that the actual outcome resulting from these examinations will not materially adversely affect our financial condition and operating results. Additionally, the IRS and several foreign tax authorities have increasingly focused attention on intercompany transfer pricing with respect to sales of products and services and the use of intangibles. Tax authorities could disagree with our cross-jurisdictional transfer pricing or other matters and assess additional taxes. If we do not prevail in any such disagreements, our profitability may be affected.
Tellurian does not expect to generate sufficient cash to pay dividends until the completion of construction of the Driftwood Project.
Tellurian’s directly and indirectly held assets currently consist primarily of natural gas leaseholds and related upstream development assets, cash held for certain start-up and operating expenses, applications for permits from regulatory agencies relating to the Driftwood Project and certain real property and mineral interests related to that project. Tellurian’s cash flow, and consequently its ability to distribute earnings, is solely dependent upon the cash flow its subsidiaries receive from the Driftwood Project and its other operations. Tellurian’s ability to complete the Driftwood Project,project, as discussed further below,elsewhere in this section, is dependent upon its and its subsidiaries’ ability to obtain and maintain necessary regulatory approvals and raise the capital necessary to fund the development of the project. We expect that cash flows from our operations will be reinvested in the business rather than used to fund dividends, that pursuing our strategy will require substantial amounts of capital, and that the required capital will exceed cash flows from operations for a significant period.
Tellurian’s ability to pay dividends in the future is uncertain and will depend on a variety of factors, including limitations on the ability of it or its subsidiaries to pay dividends under applicable law and/or the terms of debt or other agreements, and the judgment of the boardBoard of directorsDirectors or other governing body of the relevant entity.
Tellurian Production Holdings LLC, Driftwood Holdings, Tellurian and related entitiesWe may be unable to fulfill theirour obligations under the credit agreements and related guarantees.our debt agreements.
In September 2018, Tellurian Production Holdings LLC, a subsidiary We have issued senior notes as described in Note 10, Borrowings, of Tellurian (“Production Holdings”), entered into a credit agreement providing for a term loan (the “2018 Term Loan”), and Tellurian entered into a parent guarantee pursuantour Notes to which it guaranteed the obligations of Production Holdings relating to the 2018 Term Loan.
In May 2019, Driftwood Holdings entered into a credit agreement providing for a term loan (the “2019 Term Loan” and together with the 2018 Term Loan, the “Term Loans”), and Tellurian and certain of its subsidiaries provided certain guarantees pursuant to which they guaranteed the obligations of Driftwood Holdings relating to the 2019 Term Loan.
TheConsolidated Financial Statements included in this report. Our ability of each of Production Holdings and Driftwood Holdings to generate cash flows from operations or obtain refinancing capital sufficient to pay interest and principal on itsour indebtedness will depend on itsour future operating performance and financial condition and the availability of refinancing debt or equity capital, which will be affected by prevailing commodity prices and economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond itsour control. If Production Holdings or Driftwood Holdings is unable to satisfy its obligations under its Term Loan, Tellurian and/or certain of its subsidiaries may be obligated to pay interest and/or principal on the indebtedness pursuant to the applicable guarantee(s), and they may not have the financial resources to do so. Tellurian does not currently have any material sources of operating cash flows. AnOur inability on the part of Production Holdings or Driftwood Holdings to generate adequate cash flows from operations could adversely affect our ability to execute our overall business plan, and we could be required to sell assets, reduce our capital expenditures or seek refinancing debt or equity capital to satisfy the requirements of the Term Loans and the related guarantees.debt agreements. These alternative measures may be unavailable or inadequate, in which case we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation, and may themselves adversely affect our overall business strategy.
Restrictions in the credit agreements could limit the growth and operations of Production Holdings and/or Driftwood Holdings.
The credit agreement governing each Term Loan contains restrictions on Production Holdings’ or Driftwood Holdings’ activities, certain of which are described in Note 10, Borrowings, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report.
These covenants may prevent Production Holdings or Driftwood Holdings from taking actions that it believes would be in the best interest of its business and may make it difficult for it to successfully execute its business strategy or effectively compete with companies that are not similarly restricted. In addition, the credit agreement with Production Holdings requires it to maintain a commodity hedge position that covers at least a specified minimum, but does not cover more than a specified maximum, of its anticipated future production, and these requirements may limit Production Holdings’ ability to pursue its preferred hedging strategy. In addition, the entire amount of the 2018 Term Loan is currently deemed to be outstanding, but Production Holdings is generally prohibited from using the borrowed funds except pursuant to a specified plan of development approved by the lenders. Accordingly, there could be circumstances in which Production Holdings is required to incur interest on funds borrowed but is unable to use those funds in the way it believes is most appropriate for its business.
If Production Holdings or Driftwood Holdings is unable to comply with the restrictions and covenants in the credit agreement governing the applicable Term Loan, there could be a default under the agreement, which could result in an acceleration of payment of funds borrowed under the agreement.
The credit agreements governing each Term Loan contain financial covenants. If Production Holdings or Driftwood Holdings is unable to satisfy the applicable covenants, it would be in default under the agreement, and the lenders could elect to declare all the funds borrowed thereunder to be due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest, and institute foreclosure proceedings with respect to its assets. The lenders could also seek to enforce the guarantee against Tellurian Inc. and/or any other guarantor, which may not have sufficient funds, or the ability to obtain sufficient funds, to repay the amounts then due. In those circumstances, Production Holdings, Driftwood Holdings, Tellurian Inc. and/or other guarantors could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.
The phaseout of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), or the replacement of LIBOR with a different reference rate, may adversely affect interest rates.
On July 27, 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the authority that regulates LIBOR) announced that it would phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is unclear whether new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021, or if alternative rates or benchmarks will be adopted. Changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative rate or benchmark, may adversely affect interest rates and result in higher borrowing costs. This could materially and adversely affect the Company's results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. We cannot predict the effect of the potential changes to LIBOR or the establishment and use of alternative rates or benchmarks. We may need to renegotiate the 2018 Term Loan or incur other indebtedness and changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, or the use of an alternative rate or benchmark, may negatively impact the terms of such indebtedness. If changes are made to the method of calculating LIBOR or LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to amend certain contracts and cannot predict what alternative rate or benchmark would be negotiated. This may result in an increase to our interest expense.
Risks Relating to Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock has been and may continue to be highly volatile, which may make it difficult for shareholders to sell our common stock when desired or at attractive prices.
The market price of our common stock is highly volatile, and we expect it to continue to be volatile for the foreseeable future. Adverse events could trigger a significant decline in the trading price of our common stock, including, among others, failure to obtain necessary permits, unfavorable changes in commodity prices or commodity price expectations, adverse regulatory developments, loss of a relationship with a partner, litigation, and departures of key personnel.personnel, and failures to advance the Driftwood Project on the terms or within the time periods anticipated. Furthermore, general market conditions, including the level of, and fluctuations in, the trading prices of equity securities generally could affect the price of our stock. The stock markets frequently experience price and volume volatility that affects many companies’ stock prices, often in ways unrelated to the operating performance of those companies. These fluctuations may affect the market price of our common stock. The trading price of our common stock during 2021 was as low as $1.20 per share and as high as $5.76 per share.
The market price of our common stock could be adversely affected by sales of substantial amounts of our common stock by us or our major shareholders.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the market by us or any of our major shareholders, or the perception that these sales may occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. In addition, the sale of these shares in the public market, or the possibility of such sales, could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. Our insider trading policy permits our officers and directors, some of whom own substantial percentages of our outstanding common stock, to pledge shares of stock that they own as collateral for loans subject to certain requirements. Some of our officers and directors have pledged shares of stock in accordance with this policy. In some circumstances, suchSuch pledges
have in the past resulted, and could result in the future, in large amounts of shares of our stock being sold in the market in a short period which would be expected to have a significant adverse effect onand corresponding declines in the trading price of the common stock.
In addition, in the future, we may issue shares of our common stock, or securities convertible into our common stock, in connection with acquisitions of assets or businesses or for other purposes. Such issuances may result in dilution to our existing stockholders and could have an adverse effect on the market value of shares of our common stock, depending on market conditions at the time, the terms of the issuance, and if applicable, the value of the business or assets acquired and our success in exploiting the properties or integrating the businesses we acquire.
Risks Relating to Our LNG Business
Various economic and political factors could negatively affect the development, construction and operation of LNG facilities, including the Driftwood terminal, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Commercial development of an LNG facility takes a number of years, requires substantial capital investment and may be delayed by factors such as:
•increased construction costs;
•economic downturns, increases in interest rates or other events that may affect the availability of sufficient financing for LNG projects on commercially reasonable terms;
•decreases in the price of natural gas or LNG outside of the United States, which might decrease the expected returns relating to investments in LNG projects;
•the inability of project owners or operators to obtain governmental approvals to construct or operate LNG facilities; and
•political unrest or local community resistance to the siting of LNG facilities due to safety, environmental or security concerns.
Our failure to execute our business plan within budget and on schedule could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.
Tellurian’s estimated costs for the Driftwood Project and other projects may not be accurate and are subject to change due to several factors.change.
We currently estimate the total cost ofCost estimates for the Driftwood Project to be approximately $28.9 billion, including owners’ costs, transaction costs and contingencies but excluding interest costs incurred during construction of the Driftwood terminal and other financing costs. However, cost estimates for these and other projects we may pursue are only approximations of the actual costs of construction. Moreover, costCost estimates may be inaccurate and may change due to various factors, such as cost overruns, change orders, delays in construction, legal and regulatory requirements, site issues, increased component and material costs, escalation of labor costs, labor disputes, changes in commodity prices, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, increased spending to maintain Tellurian’s construction schedule and other factors. For example, new or increased tariffs on materials needed in the construction process have been proposed or may be proposed in the future and such new or increased tariffs could materially increase construction costs. In particular, tariffs on imported steel may significantly increase our construction costs. Similarly, cost overruns could occuraffect the project scope within the LSTK EPC agreements that are provisional such as a result of dredging-related expenditures incurred to comply with water depth regulations in the Calcasieu Ship Channel.expenditures. Our estimate of the cost of construction of the Driftwood terminal is based on the prices set forth in our LSTK EPC agreements with Bechtel whichand those prices are subject to adjustment by change orders, including for consideration of cost escalation associated with the issuance of a “notice to proceed” with respect to the Driftwood terminal after December 31, 2017. Our cost estimates for the Haynesville Global Access Pipeline and the Permian Global Access Pipeline are more preliminary than is the estimate for the Driftwood pipeline.
certain increased costs. Our failure to achieve our cost estimates could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.
If third-party pipelines and other facilities interconnected to our LNG facilities become unavailable to transport natural gas, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.
We will depend upon third-party pipelines and other facilities that will provide natural gas delivery options to our natural gas production operations and our LNG facilities. If the construction of new or modified pipeline connections is not completed on schedule or any pipeline connection were to become unavailable for current or future volumes of natural gas due to repairs, damage to the facility, lack of capacity or any other reason, our ability to meet our LNG sale and purchase agreement obligations and continue shipping natural gas from producing operations or regions to end markets could be restricted, thereby reducing our revenues. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.
Tellurian’s ability to generate cash maywill depend upon it entering into contracts with third-party customers, the terms of those contracts and the performance of those customers under those contracts.
Except for the equity capital contribution agreement and LNG sale and purchase agreement with affiliates of TOTAL S.A., which agreements remain subject to certain conditions precedent, Tellurian has not yetWe have entered into commercial arrangements with certain third-party customers for products and servicesthe sale of LNG from Phase I of the Driftwood Project. Our ability to generate revenue from those contracts will depend upon, among other factors, LNG prices and our ability to finance and complete the construction of the project. Tellurian’s business strategy may change regarding how and when the proposed Driftwood Project’s export capacity is marketed. Also, Tellurian’s business strategy may change due to an inability to enter into additional agreements with customers or based on a variety of factors, including the future price outlook, supply and demand of LNG, natural gas liquefaction capacity, and global regasification capacity. If our efforts to market the proposed Driftwood Project and the LNG it will produce are not successful, Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
We may not be able to purchase, receive or produce sufficient natural gas to satisfy our delivery obligations under any LNG sale and purchase agreements, which could have an adverse effect on us.
Under LNG sale and purchase agreements with our customers, we may be required to make available to them a specified amount of LNG at specified times. However, we may not be able to acquire or produce sufficient quantities of natural gas or LNG to satisfy those obligations, which may provide affected customers with the right to terminate their LNG sale and purchase agreements. Our failure to purchase, receive or produce sufficient quantities of natural gas or LNG in a timely manner could have an adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
The construction and operation of the Driftwood Project and the Pipeline Networkrelated pipelines remain subject to further approvals, and some approvals may be subject to further conditions, review and/or revocation.
The design, construction and operation of LNG export terminals is a highly regulated activity. The approval of FERC under Section 3 of the NGA, as well as several other material governmental and regulatory approvals and permits, is required to construct and operate an LNG terminal. Such approvals and authorizations are often subject to ongoing conditions imposed by regulatory agencies, and additional approval and permit requirements may be imposed. Tellurian and its affiliates will be required to obtain and maintain governmental approvals and authorizations to implement its proposed business strategy, which includes the construction and operation of the Driftwood Project. Although all the major permits required for construction and
operation of the Driftwood terminal and Driftwood pipeline have been obtained, we must still satisfy various conditions of our FERC permits during the construction process. Additionally, numerous permits and approvals will be required in connection with other aspects ofassets related to the Driftwood Project, including our upstream operations or other related pipelines. Further permits and approvals may also be required in connection with the construction and operation of other related pipelines. Environmental groups and others may oppose our efforts to obtain and maintain the Pipeline Network andpermits necessary to grow our upstream operations.operations pursuant to our strategy.
There is no assurance that Tellurian will obtain and maintain these governmental permits, approvals and authorizations, and failure to obtain and maintain any of these permits, approvals or authorizations could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Tellurian will be dependent on third-party contractors for the successful completion of the Driftwood terminal, and these contractors may be unable to complete the Driftwood terminal.
There is limited recent industry experience in the U.S. regarding the construction or operation of large-scale LNG facilities. The construction of the Driftwood terminal is expected to take several years, will be confined to a limited geographic area and could be subject to delays, cost overruns, labor disputes and other factors that could adversely affect financial performance or impair Tellurian’s ability to execute its proposed business plan. Timely and cost-effective completion of the Driftwood terminal in compliance with agreed-upon specifications will be highly dependent upon the performance of Bechtel and other third-party contractors pursuant to their agreements. However, Tellurian has not yet entered into definitive agreements with all of the contractors, advisors and consultants necessary for the development and construction of the Driftwood terminal. Tellurian may not be able to successfully enter into such construction contracts on terms or at prices that are acceptable to it.
Further, faulty construction that does not conform to Tellurian’s design and quality standards may have an adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. For example, improper equipment installation may lead to a shortened life of Tellurian’s equipment, increased operations and maintenance costs or a reduced availability or production capacity of the affected facility. The ability of Tellurian’s third-party contractors to perform successfully under any agreements to be entered into is dependent on a number of factors, including force majeure events and such contractors’ ability to:
•design, engineer and receive critical components and equipment necessary for the Driftwood terminal to operate in accordance with specifications and address any start-up and operational issues that may arise in connection with the commencement of commercial operations;
•attract, develop and retain skilled personnel and engage and retain third-party subcontractors, and address any labor issues that may arise;
•post required construction bonds and comply with the terms thereof, and maintain their own financial condition, including adequate working capital;
•adhere to any warranties that the contractors provide in their EPC contracts; and
•respond to difficulties such as equipment failure, delivery delays, schedule changes and failure to perform by subcontractors, some of which are beyond their control, and manage the construction process generally, including engaging and retaining third-party contractors, coordinating with other contractors and regulatory agencies and dealing with inclement weather conditions.
Furthermore, Tellurian may have disagreements with its third-party contractors about different elements of the construction process, which could lead to the assertion of rights and remedies under the related contracts, resulting in a contractor’s unwillingness to perform further work on the relevant project. Tellurian may also face difficulties in commissioning a newly constructed facility. Any significant delays in the development of the Driftwood terminal could materially and adversely affect Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. In addition, theThe construction of the pipelines in the Pipeline Network and other infrastructure we build in connection with the Driftwood Project or otherwise will be subject to substantially all of the foregoing risks, and the occurrence of any construction-related problem could have a variety of adverse effects on our operations. In particular, completion of the Driftwood pipeline or related pipelines will be required for the long-term operations of the Driftwood terminal.terminal and will be subject to similar risks.
Tellurian’s construction and operations activities are subject to a number of development risks, operational hazards, regulatory approvals and other risks, which could cause cost overruns and delays and could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Siting, development and construction of the Driftwood Project and related pipelines will be subject to the risks of delay or cost overruns inherent in any construction project resulting from numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the following:
•difficulties or delays in obtaining, or failure to obtain, sufficient equity or debt financing on reasonable terms;
•failure to obtain all necessary government and third-party permits, approvals and licenses for the construction and operation of the Driftwood Project or any other proposed LNG facilities;facilities or related pipelines;
•difficulties in engaging qualified contractors necessary to the construction of the contemplated Driftwood Project or other LNG facilities;facilities or related pipelines;
•shortages of equipment, material or skilled labor;
•natural disasters and catastrophes, such as hurricanes, explosions, fires, floods, industrial accidents and terrorism;
•unscheduled delays in the delivery of ordered materials;
•work stoppages and labor disputes;
•competition with other domestic and international LNG export terminals;
•unanticipated changes in domestic and international market demand for and supply of natural gas and LNG, which will depend in part on supplies of and prices for alternative energy sources and the discovery of new sources of natural resources;
•unexpected or unanticipated need for additional improvements; and
•adverse general economic conditions.
Delays beyond the estimated development periods, as well as cost overruns, could increase the cost of completion beyond the amounts that are currently estimated, which could require Tellurian to obtain additional sources of financing to fund the activities until the proposed Driftwood terminal is constructed and operational (which could cause further delays). Any delay in completion of the Driftwood Project may also cause a delay in the receipt of revenues projected from the Driftwood Project or cause a loss of one or more customers. As a result, any significant construction delay, whatever the cause, could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects. Similar risks may affect the construction of other facilities and projects we elect to pursue.
Cyclical or other changes in the demand for and price of LNG and natural gas may adversely affect Tellurian’s LNG business and the performance of our customers and could lead to the reduced development of LNG projects worldwide.
Tellurian’s plans and expectations regarding its business and the development of domestic LNG facilities and projects are generally based on assumptions about the future price of natural gas and LNG and the conditions of the global natural gas and LNG markets. Natural gas and LNG prices have been, and are likely to remain in the future, volatile and subject to wide fluctuations that are difficult to predict. Such fluctuations may be caused by various factors, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:
•competitive liquefaction capacity in North America;
•insufficient or oversupply of natural gas liquefaction or receiving capacity worldwide;
•insufficient or oversupply of LNG tanker capacity;
•weather conditions;
•reduced demand and lower prices for natural gas;gas, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or similar events and related economic disruptions;
•increased natural gas production deliverable by pipelines, which could suppress demand for LNG;
•decreased oil and natural gas exploration activities, which may decrease the production of natural gas;
•cost improvements that allow competitors to offer LNG regasification services or provide natural gas liquefaction capabilities at reduced prices;
•changes in supplies of, and prices for, alternative energy sources such as coal, oil, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy, which may reduce the demand for natural gas;
•changes in regulatory, tax or other governmental policies regarding imported or exported LNG, natural gas or alternative energy sources, which may reduce the demand for imported or exported LNG and/or natural gas;
•political conditions in natural gas producing regions; and
•cyclical trends in general business and economic conditions that cause changes in the demand for natural gas.
Adverse trends or developments affecting any of these factors could result in decreases in the price of LNG and/or natural gas, which could materially and adversely affect the performance of our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flows, liquidity and prospects. The profitability of the LNG SPAs we have entered into will depend in part on the relationship between the costs we incur in producing or purchasing natural gas and the then-current index prices when sales occur. An adverse change in that relationship, whether resulting from an increase in our costs, a decline in the index prices or both, could make sales under the agreements less profitable or could require us to sell at a loss. Similarly, part of our business involves the trading of LNG cargos from time to time. LNG trading involves risks, including the risk that commodity price changes will result in us selling cargos at a loss. These risks have increased in recent periods as higher commodity prices have resulted in cargos becoming generally more expensive, therefore increasing our exposure to potential losses.
Technological innovation may render Tellurian’s anticipated competitive advantage or its processes obsolete.
Tellurian’s success will depend on its ability to create and maintain a competitive position in the natural gas liquefaction industry. In particular, although Tellurian plans to construct the Driftwood terminal using proven technologies that it believes provide it with certain advantages, Tellurian does not have any exclusive rights to any of the technologies that it will be utilizing. In addition, the technology Tellurian anticipates using in the Driftwood Project may be rendered obsolete or uneconomical by legal or regulatory requirements, technological advances, more efficient and cost-effective processes or entirely different approaches developed by one or more of its competitors or others, which could materially and adversely affect Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Failure of exported LNG to be a competitive source of energy for international markets could adversely affect our customers and could materially and adversely affect our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Operations of the Driftwood Project will be dependent upon our ability to deliver LNG supplies from the U.S., which is primarily dependent upon LNG being a competitive source of energy internationally. The success of our business plan is dependent, in part, on the extent to which LNG can, for significant periods and in significant volumes, be supplied from North America and delivered to international markets at a lower cost than the cost of alternative energy sources. Through the use of improved exploration technologies, additional sources of natural gas may be discovered outside the U.S., which could increase the available supply of natural gas outside the U.S. and could result in natural gas in those markets being available at a lower cost than that of LNG exported to those markets.
Factors which may negatively affect potential demand for LNG from our liquefaction projects are diverse and include, among others:
•increases in worldwide LNG production capacity and availability of LNG for market supply;
•increases in demand for LNG but at levels below those required to maintain current price equilibrium with respect to supply;
•increases in the cost to supply natural gas feedstock to our liquefaction project;
•decreases in the cost of competing sources of natural gas or alternative sources of energy such as coal, heavy fuel oil, diesel, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar;
•decreases in the price of non-U.S. LNG, including decreases in price as a result of contracts indexed to lower oil prices;
•increases in capacity and utilization of nuclear power and related facilities;
•increases in the cost of LNG shipping; and
•displacement of LNG by pipeline natural gas or alternative fuels in locations where access to these energy sources is not currently available.
Political instability in foreign countries that import natural gas, or strained relations between such countries and the U.S., may also impede the willingness or ability of LNG suppliers, purchasers and merchants in such countries to import LNG from the U.S. Furthermore, some foreign purchasers of LNG may have economic or other reasons to obtain their LNG from non-U.S. markets or our competitors’ liquefaction facilities in the U.S.
As a result of these and other factors, LNG may not be a competitive source of energy internationally. The failure of LNG to be a competitive supply alternative to local natural gas, oil and other alternative energy sources in markets accessible to our customers could adversely affect the ability of our customers to deliver LNG from the U.S. on a commercial basis. Any significant impediment to the ability to deliver LNG from the U.S. generally, or from the Driftwood Project specifically, could
have a material adverse effect on our customers and our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
There may be shortages of LNG vessels worldwide, which could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
The construction and delivery of LNG vessels require significant capital and long construction lead times, and the availability of the vessels could be delayed to the detriment of Tellurian’s business and customers due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the following:
•an inadequate number of shipyards constructing LNG vessels and a backlog of orders at these shipyards;
•political or economic disturbances in the countries where the vessels are being constructed;
•changes in governmental regulations or maritime self-regulatory organizations;
•work stoppages or other labor disturbances at the shipyards;
•bankruptcies or other financial crises of shipbuilders;
•quality or engineering problems;
•weather interference or catastrophic events, such as a major earthquake, tsunami, or fire; or
•shortages of or delays in the receipt of necessary construction materials.
Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
We will rely on third-party engineers to estimate the future capacity ratings and performance capabilities of the Driftwood terminal, and these estimates may prove to be inaccurate.
We will rely on third parties for the design and engineering services underlying our estimates of the future capacity ratings and performance capabilities of the Driftwood terminal. Any of our LNG facilities, when constructed, may not have the capacity ratings and performance capabilities that we intend or estimate. Failure of any of our facilities to achieve our intended capacity ratings and performance capabilities could prevent us from achieving the commercial start dates under our current or future LNG sale and purchase agreements and could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
The Driftwood Project and related pipelines will be subject to a number of environmental and safety laws and regulations that impose significant compliance costs, and existing and future environmental, safety and similar laws and regulations could result in increased compliance costs, liabilities or additional operating restrictions.
We are and will be subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental and safety regulations and laws, including regulations and restrictions related to discharges and releases to the air, land and water and the handling, storage, generation and disposal of hazardous materials and solid and hazardous wastes in connection with the development, construction and operation of our LNG facilities and pipelines. Failure to comply with these regulations and laws could result in the imposition of administrative, civil and criminal sanctions.
These regulations and laws, which include the CAA, the Oil Pollution Act, the CWA and RCRA, and analogous state and local laws and regulations, will restrict, prohibit or otherwise regulate the types, quantities and concentration of substances that can be released into the environment in connection with the construction and operation of our facilities. These laws and regulations, including NEPA, will require and have required us to obtain and maintain permits with respect to our facilities, prepare environmental impact assessments, provide governmental authorities with access to our facilities for inspection and provide reports related to compliance. Federal and state laws impose liability, without regard to fault or the lawfulness of the original conduct, for the release of certain types or quantities of hazardous substances into the environment. Violation of these laws and regulations could lead to substantial liabilities, fines and penalties, the denial or revocation of permits necessary for our operations,
governmental orders to shut down our facilities or capital expenditures related to pollution control equipment or remediation measures that could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
As anthe owner and the operator of the Driftwood Project and other related assets we could be liable for the costs of investigating and cleaning up hazardous substances released into the environment and for damage to natural resources, whether caused by us or our contractors or existing at the time construction commences. Hazardous substances present in soil, groundwater and dredge spoils may need to be processed, disposed of or otherwise managed to prevent releases into the environment. Tellurian or its affiliates may be responsible for the investigation, cleanup, monitoring, removal, disposal and other remedial actions with respect to hazardous substances on, in or under properties that Tellurian owns or operates, or
released at a site where materials are disposed of from our operations, without regard to fault or the origin of such hazardous substances. Such liabilities may involve material costs that are unknown and not predictable.
Changes in legislation and regulations could have a material adverse impact on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Tellurian’s business will be subject to governmental laws, rules, regulations and permits that impose various restrictions and obligations that may have material effects on the results of our operations. Each of the applicable regulatory requirements and limitations is subject to change, either through new regulations enacted on the federal, state or local level, or by new or modified regulations that may be implemented under existing law. The nature and effects of these changes in laws, rules, regulations and permits may be unpredictable and may have material effects on our business. Future legislation and regulations, such as those relating to the transportation and security of LNG exported from our proposed LNG facilities through the Calcasieu Ship Channel, could cause additional expenditures, restrictions and delays in connection with the proposed LNG facilities and their construction, the extent of which cannot be predicted and which may require Tellurian to limit substantially, delay or cease operations in some circumstances. Revised, reinterpreted or additional laws and regulations that result in increased compliance costs or additional operating costs and restrictions could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Our operations will be subject to significant risks and hazards, one or more of which may create significant liabilities and losses that could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
We will face numerous risks in developing and conducting our operations. For example, the plan of operations for the proposed Driftwood Project isand related assets are subject to the inherent risks associated with LNG, pipeline and upstream operations, including explosions, pollution, leakage or release of toxic substances, fires, hurricanes and other adverse weather conditions, leakage of hydrocarbons, and other hazards, each of which could result in significant delays in commencement or interruptions of operations and/or result in damage to or destruction of the proposed Driftwood Project, related pipelines, or upstream assets, or damage to persons and property. In addition, operations at the proposed Driftwood Project, related pipelines, upstream assets, and vessels or facilities of third parties on which Tellurian’s operations are dependent could face possible risks associated with acts of aggression or terrorism.
In 2005, 2008 and 2017, hurricanesHurricanes have damaged coastal and inland areas located in the Gulf Coast area, resulting in disruption and damage to certain LNG terminals located in the area. Future storms and related storm activity and collateral effects, or other disasters such as explosions, fires, floods or accidents, could result in damage to, or interruption of operations at, the Driftwood terminal or related infrastructure, as well as delays or cost increases in the construction and the development of the Driftwood terminal or other facilities. Storms, disasters and accidents could also damage or interrupt the activities of vessels that we or third parties operate in connection with our LNG business. Changes in the global climate may have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, floods and rising sea levels. If any such effects were to occur, they could have an adverse effect on our coastal operations.
Our LNG business will face other types of risks and liabilities as well. For instance, our LNG marketing activities will expose us to possible financial losses, including the risk of losses resulting from adverse changes in the index prices upon which contracts for the purchase and sale of LNG cargoescargos are based. Our LNG marketing activities willare also be subject to various domestic and international regulatory and foreign currency risks.
Tellurian does not, nor does it intend to, maintain insurance against all of these risks and losses, and many risks are not insurable. Tellurian may not be able to maintain desired or required insurance in the future at rates that it considers reasonable. The occurrence of a significant event not fully insured or indemnified against could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
Risks Relating to Our Natural Gas and Oil ProductionOperating Activities
Acquisitions of natural gas and oil properties are subject to the uncertainties of evaluating reserves and potential liabilities, including environmental uncertainties.
We expect to pursue acquisitions of natural gas and oil properties from time to time. Successful acquisitions require an assessment of a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include reserves, development potential, future commodity prices, operating costs, title issues, and potential environmental and other liabilities. Such assessments are inexact, and their accuracy is inherently uncertain. In connection with our assessments, we perform due diligence that we believe is generally consistent with industry practices.
However, our due diligence activities are not likely to permit us to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to fully assess their deficiencies and capabilities. We do not inspect every well prior to an acquisition, and our ability to evaluate undeveloped acreage is inherently imprecise. Even when we inspect a well, we may not always discover structural, subsurface,
and environmental problems that may exist or arise. In some cases, our review prior to signing a definitive purchase agreement may be even more limited. In addition, we may acquire acreage without any warranty of title except as to claims made by, through or under the transferor.
When we acquire properties, we will generally have potential exposure to liabilities and costs for environmental and other problems existing on the acquired properties, and these liabilities may exceed our estimates. We may not be entitled to contractual indemnification associated with acquired properties. We may acquire interests in properties on an “as is” basis with limited or no remedies for breaches of representations and warranties.
Therefore, we could incur significant unknown liabilities, including environmental liabilities or losses due to title defects, in connection with acquisitions for which we have limited or no contractual remedies or insurance coverage. In addition, the acquisition of undeveloped acreage is subject to many inherent risks, and we may not be able to realize efficiently, or at all, the assumed or expected economic benefits of acreage that we acquire.
In addition, acquiring additional natural gas and oil properties, or businesses that own or operate such properties, when attractive opportunities arise is a significant component of our strategy, and we may not be able to identify attractive acquisition opportunities. If we do identify an appropriate acquisition candidate, we may be unable to negotiate mutually acceptable terms with the seller, finance the acquisition or obtain the necessary regulatory approvals. It may be difficult to agree on the economic terms of a transaction, as a potential seller may be unwilling to accept a price that we believe to be appropriately reflective of prevailing economic conditions. If we are unable to complete suitable acquisitions, it will be more difficult to pursue our overall strategy.
Natural gas and oil prices fluctuate widely, and lower prices for an extended period of time may have a material adverse effect on the profitability of our natural gas or oil productionoperating activities.
The revenues, operating results and profitability of our natural gas or oil productionoperating activities will depend significantly on the prices we receive for the natural gas or oil we sell. We will require substantial expenditures to replace reserves, sustain production and fund our business plans. Low natural gas or oil prices can negatively affect the amount of cash available for acquisitions and capital expenditures and our ability to raise additional capital and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, cash flow and reserves. In addition, low natural gas or oil prices may result in write-downs of our natural gas or oil properties.properties, such as the $81.1 million impairment charge we incurred in 2020. Conversely, any substantial or extended increase in the price of natural gas would adversely affect the competitiveness of LNG as a source of energy. See risksenergy (as discussed above in “ — Risks Relating to Our LNG Business — Failure of exported LNG to be a competitive source of energy for international markets could adversely affect our customers and could materially and adversely affect our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects”.” Part of our strategy involves adjusting the level of our natural gas development activities based on our judgment as to whether it will be most cost-effective to source natural gas for the Driftwood terminal from our own production or, instead, from natural gas produced by third parties. In some circumstances, making these adjustments may involve costs. For example, a decrease in our activities may result in the expiration of leases or an increase in costs on a per-unit basis.
Historically, the markets for natural gas and oil have been volatile, and they are likely to continue to be volatile. Wide fluctuations in natural gas or oil prices may result from relatively minor changes in the supply of or demand for natural gas or oil, market uncertainty and other factors that are beyond our control. The volatility of the energy markets makes it extremely difficult to predict future natural gas or oil price movements, and we will be unable to fully hedge our exposure to natural gas or oil prices.
Significant capital expenditures will be required to grow our natural gas or oil productionoperating activities in accordance with our plans.
Our planned development and acquisition activities will require substantial capital expenditures. We intend to fund our capital expenditures for our natural gas and oil productionoperating activities through cash on hand and financing transactions that may include public or private equity or debt offerings or borrowings under additional debt agreements. We expect to generate only
modest cash flows for a significant period of time from our producing properties. Our ability to generate operating cash flow in the future will be subject to a number of risks and variables, such as the level of production from existing wells, the price of natural gas or oil, our success in developing and producing new reserves and the other risk factors discussed in this section. If we are unable to fund our capital expenditures for natural gas or oil productionoperating activities as planned, we could experience a curtailment of our development activity and a decline in our natural gas or oil production, and that could affect our ability to pursue our overall strategy.
We have limited control over the activities on properties we do not operate.
Some of the properties in which we have an interest are operated by other companies and involve third-party working interest owners. As a result, we have limited ability to influence or control the operation or future development of such properties, including compliance with environmental, safety and other regulations, or the amount of capital expenditures that we will be required to fund with respect to such properties. Moreover, we are dependent on the other working interest owners of
such projects to fund their contractual share of the capital expenditures of such projects. In addition, a third-party operator could also decide to shut-in or curtail production from wells, or plug and abandon marginal wells, on properties owned by that operator during periods of lower natural gas or oil prices. These limitations and our dependence on the operator and third-party working interest owners for these projects could cause us to incur unexpected future costs, reduce our production and materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Drilling and producing operations can be hazardous and may expose us to liabilities.
Natural gas and oil operations are subject to many risks, including well blowouts, explosions, pipe failures, fires, formations with abnormal pressures, uncontrollable flows of oil, natural gas, brine or well fluids, leakages or releases of hydrocarbons, severe weather, natural disasters, groundwater contamination and other environmental hazards and risks. For our non-operated properties, we will be dependent on the operator for regulatory compliance and for the management of these risks.
These risks could materially and adversely affect our revenues and expenses by reducing production from wells, causing wells to be shut in or otherwise negatively impacting our projected economic performance. If any of these risks occurs, we could sustain substantial losses as a result of:
•injury or loss of life;
•severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources or equipment;
•pollution or other environmental damage;
•facility or equipment malfunctions and equipment failures or accidents;
•clean-up responsibilities;
•regulatory investigations and administrative, civil and criminal penalties; and
•injunctions resulting in limitation or suspension of operations.
Any of these events could expose us to liabilities, monetary penalties or interruptions in our business operations. In addition, certain of these risks are greater for us than for many of our competitors in that some of the natural gas we produce has a high sulphur content (sometimes referred to as “sour” gas), which increases its corrosiveness and the risk of an accidental release of hydrogen sulfide gas, exposure to which can be fatal. We may not maintain insurance against such risks, and some risks are not insurable. Even when we are insured, our insurance may not be adequate to cover casualty losses or liabilities. Also, in the future, we may not be able to obtain insurance at premium levels that justify its purchase. The occurrence of a significant event against which we are not fully insured may expose us to liabilities.
Our drilling efforts may not be profitable or achieve our targeted returns and our reserve estimates are based on assumptions that may not be accurate.
Drilling for natural gas and oil may involve unprofitable efforts from wells that are either unproductive or productive but do not produce sufficient commercial quantities to cover drilling, completion, operating and other costs. In addition, even a commercial well may have production that is less, or costs that are greater, than we projected. The cost of drilling, completing and operating a well is often uncertain, and many factors can adversely affect the economics of a well or property. Drilling operations may be curtailed, delayed or canceled as a result of unexpected drilling conditions, equipment failures or accidents, shortages of equipment or personnel, environmental issues and for other reasons. Natural gas and oil reserve engineering requires estimates of underground accumulations of hydrocarbons and assumptions concerning future prices, production levelsrates and operating and development costs. As a result, estimated quantities of proved reserves and projections of future production rates and the timing of development expenditures may be incorrect. Our estimates of proved reserves are determined atbased in part on costs at the date of the estimate. Any significant variance from these costs could greatly affect our estimates of reserves. At December 31, 2019,2021, approximately 89%77% of our estimated proved reserves (by volume) were undeveloped. These reserve estimates reflected our plans to make significant capital expenditures to
convert our PUDs into proved developed reserves. The estimated development costs may not be accurate, development may not occur as scheduled and results may not be as estimated. If we choose not to develop PUDs, or if we are not otherwise able to successfully develop them, we will be required to remove the associated volumes from our reported proved reserves. In addition, under the SEC’s reserve reporting rules, PUDs generally may be booked only if they relate to wells scheduled to be drilled within five years of the date of booking, and we may therefore be required to downgradereclassify to probable or possible any PUDs that are not developed within this five-year time frame.
Our productionnatural gas operating activities are subject to complex laws and regulations relating to environmental protection that can adversely affect the cost, manner and feasibility of doing business, and further regulation in the future could increase costs, impose additional operating restrictions and cause delays.
Our natural gas productionoperating activities and properties are (and to the extent that we acquire oil producing properties, these properties will be) subject to numerous federal, regional, state and local laws and regulations governing the release of pollutants or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations govern the following, among other things:
•conduct of drilling, completion, production and midstream activities;
•amounts and types of emissions and discharges;
•generation, management, and disposal of hazardous substances and waste materials;
•reclamation and abandonment of wells and facility sites; and
•remediation of contaminated sites.
In addition, these laws and regulations may result in substantial liabilities for our failure to comply or for any contamination resulting from our operations, including the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties; the imposition of investigatory, remedial, and corrective action obligations or the incurrence of capital expenditures; the occurrence of delays in the development of projects; and the issuance of injunctions restricting or prohibiting some or all of our activities in a particular area.
Environmental laws and regulations change frequently, and these changes are difficult to predict or anticipate. Future environmental laws and regulations imposing further restrictions on the emission of pollutants into the air, discharges into state or U.S. waters, wastewater disposal and hydraulic fracturing, or the designation of previously unprotected species as threatened or endangered in areas where we operate, may negatively impact our natural gas or oil production. We cannot predict the actions that future regulation will require or prohibit, but our business and operations could be subject to increased operating and compliance costs if certain regulatory proposals are adopted. In addition, such regulations may have an adverse impact on our ability to develop and produce our reserves.
Federal, state or local legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays.
Several states are considering adoptingLaws or regulations that could impose more stringent permitting, public disclosure and/or well construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. In additionoperations are proposed from time to time at the federal, state laws, someand local municipalities have adopted or are considering adopting land use restrictions, such as city ordinances, that may restrict or prohibit the performance of well drilling in general and/or hydraulic fracturing in particular. There are also certain governmental reviews either underway or being proposed that focus on deep shalelevels. Regulatory bodies and other formation completion and production practices, including hydraulic fracturing. These studiesothers from time to time assess, among other things, the risks of groundwater contamination and earthquakes caused by hydraulic fracturing and other exploration and production activities. Depending on the outcome of these studies,assessments, federal and state legislatures and agencies may seek to further regulate or even ban such activities, as some state and local governments have already done. We cannot predict whether additional federal, state or local laws or regulations applicable to hydraulic fracturing will be enacted in the future and, if so, what actions any such laws or regulations would require or prohibit. If additional levels of regulation or permitting requirements were imposed on hydraulic fracturing operations, our business and operations could be subject to delays, increased operating and compliance costs and process prohibitions. Among other things, this could adversely affect the cost to produce natural gas, either by us or by third-party suppliers, and therefore LNG, and this could adversely affect the competitiveness of LNG relative to other sources of energy.
We expect to drill the locations we acquire over a multi-year period, making them susceptible to uncertainties that could materially alter the occurrence or timing of drilling.
Our management team has identified certain well locations on our natural gas properties. Our ability to drill and develop these locations depends on a number of uncertainties, including natural gas prices, the availability and cost of capital, drilling and production costs, availability of drilling services and equipment, drilling results, lease expirations, gathering system and pipeline transportation constraints, access to and availability of water sourcing and distribution systems, regulatory approvals and other factors. Because of these factors, we do not know if the well locations we have identified will ever be drilled or if we will be able to produce natural gas from these or any other potential locations.
The unavailability or high cost of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel and services could adversely affect our ability to execute our development plans within budgeted amounts and on a timely basis.
The demand for qualified and experienced field and technical personnel to conduct our operations can fluctuate significantly, often in correlation with hydrocarbon prices. The price of services and equipment may increase in the future and availability may decrease.
In addition, it is possible that oil prices could increase without a corresponding increase in natural gas prices, which could lead to increased demand and prices for equipment, facilities and personnel without an increase in the price at which we
sell our natural gas to third parties. This could have an adverse effect on the competitiveness of the LNG produced from the Driftwood terminal. In this scenario, necessary equipment, facilities and services may not be available to us at economical prices. Any shortages in availability or increased costs could delay us or cause us to incur significant additional expenditures, which could have a material adverse effect on the competitiveness of the natural gas we sell and therefore on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our natural gas and oil production may be adversely affected by pipeline and gathering system capacity constraints.
Our natural gas and oil production activities will rely on third parties to meet our needs for midstream infrastructure and services. Capital constraints and public opposition to projects could limit the construction of new infrastructure by us and third parties. In addition, increased production from us and other operators could lead to capacity constraints. We may experience delays in producing and selling natural gas or oil from time to time when adequate midstream infrastructure and services are not available. Such an event could reduce our production or result in other adverse effects on our business.
Risks Relating to Our Business in General
We are pursuing a strategy of participating in multiple aspects of the natural gas business, which exposes us to risks.
We plan to develop, own and operate a global natural gas business and to deliver natural gas to customers worldwide. We may not be successful in executing our strategy in the near future, or at all. Our management will be required to understand and manage a diverse set of business opportunities, which may distract their focus and make it difficult to be successful in increasing value for shareholders.
Tellurian will be subject to risks related to doing business in, and having counterparties based in, foreign countries.
Tellurian may engage in operations or make substantial commitments and investments, or enter into agreements with counterparties, located outside the U.S., which would expose Tellurian to political, governmental, and economic instability, and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.fluctuations and corruption risk.
Any disruption caused by these factors could harm Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects. Risks associated with operations, commitments and investments outside of the U.S. include but are not limited to risks of:
•currency fluctuations;
•war or terrorist attack;
•expropriation or nationalization of assets;
•renegotiation or nullification of existing contracts;
•changing political conditions;
•changing laws and policies affecting trade, taxation, and investment;
•multiple taxation due to different tax structures;
•compliance with laws and regulations of foreign jurisdictions, and with U.S. laws and regulations related to foreign operations;
•general hazards associated with the assertion of sovereignty over areas in which operations are conducted; and
•the unexpected credit rating downgrade of countries in which Tellurian’s LNG customers are based.
Because Tellurian’s reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, any of the operations conducted outside the U.S. or denominated in foreign currencies would face additional risks of fluctuating currency values and exchange rates, hard currency shortages and controls on currency exchange. In addition, Tellurian would be subject to the impact of foreign currency fluctuations and exchange rate changes on its financial reports when translating the value of its assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses from operations outside of the U.S. into U.S. dollars at then-applicable exchange rates. These translations could result in changes to the results of operations from period to period.
Potential legislative and regulatory actions addressing climate change, and the physical effects of climate change, could significantly impact us.
Various state governments and regional organizations have considered enacting new legislation and promulgating new regulations governing or restricting the emission of GHGs, including GHG emissions from stationary sources such as oil and natural gas production equipment and facilities. At the federal level, the EPA has already made findings and issued regulations that will require us to establish and report an inventory of GHG emissions. Additional legislative and/or regulatory proposals fortargeting the elimination of or restricting GHG emissions or otherwise addressing climate change could require us to incur
additional operating costs.costs or otherwise impact our financial results. The potential increase in our operating costs could include new or increased costs to obtain permits, operate and maintain our equipment and facilities, install new emission controls on our equipment and facilities, acquire allowances to authorize our GHG emissions, pay taxes related to our GHG emissions and administer and manage a GHG emissions program. Even without federal legislation or regulation of GHG emissions, states may impose these requirements either directly or indirectly.
SomeMany scientists have concluded that increasing concentrations of GHGs in the earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as higher sea levels, increased frequency and severity of storms, droughts, floods, and other climatic events. If any suchSuch effects were to occur, they could adversely affect our facilities and operations, and have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Further, adverse weather events may accelerate changes in law and regulations aimed at reducing GHG emissions, which could result in declining demand for natural gas and LNG, and could adversely affect our business generally. In addition, customers are focusing more on sustainability and the environmental impacts of operations of companies. An inability to respond to customer demands with respect to these issues could have an impact to our financial results.
A major health and safety incident relating to our business could be costly in terms of potential liabilities and reputational damage.
Tellurian will be subject to extensive federal, state and local health and safety regulations and laws. Health and safety performance is critical to the success of all areas of our business. Any failure in health and safety performance may result in personal harm or injury, penalties for non-compliance with relevant laws and regulations or litigation, and a failure that results in a significant health and safety incident is likely to be costly in terms of potential liabilities. Such a failure could generate public concern and have a corresponding impact on our reputation and our relationships with relevant regulatory agencies and local communities, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
A terrorist attack or military incident could result in delays in, or cancellation of, construction or closure of our facilities or other disruption to our business.
A terrorist or military incident could disrupt our business. For example, an incident involving an LNG carrier or LNG facility may result in delays in, or cancellation of, construction of new LNG facilities, including our proposed LNG facilities, which would increase our costs and decrease our cash flows. A terrorist incident may also result in the temporary or permanent closure of Tellurian facilities or operations, which could increase costs and decrease cash flows, depending on the duration of the closure. Our operations could also become subject to increased governmental scrutiny that may result in additional security measures at a significant incremental cost. In addition, the threat of terrorism and the impact of military campaigns may lead to continued volatility in prices for natural gas or oil that could adversely affect Tellurian’s business and customers, including by impairing the ability of Tellurian’s suppliers or customers to satisfy their respective obligations under Tellurian’s commercial agreements.
Cyber-attacks targeting systems and infrastructure used in our business may adversely impact our operations.
We depend on digital technology in many aspects of our business, including the processing and recording of financial and operating data, analysis of information, and communications with our employees and third parties. Cyber-attacks on our systems and those of third-party vendors and other counterparties occur frequently and have grown in sophistication. A successful cyber-attack on us or a vendor or other counterparty could have a variety of adverse consequences, including theft of proprietary or commercially sensitive information, data corruption, interruption in communications, disruptions to our existing or planned activities or transactions, and damage to third parties, any of which could have a material adverse impact on us. Further, as cyber-attacks continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks.
Failure to retain and attract key personnel such as Tellurian’s Executive Chairman, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer or other skilled professional and technical employees could have an adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
The success of Tellurian’s business relies heavily on key personnel such as its Executive Chairman, Vice Chairman and Vice Chairman.Chief Executive Officer. Should such persons be unable to perform their duties on behalf of Tellurian, or should Tellurian be unable to retain or attract other members of management, Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects could be materially impacted.
Additionally, we are dependent upon an available labor pool of skilled employees. We will compete with other energy companies and other employers to attract and retain qualified personnel with the technical skills and experience required to construct and operate our facilities and to provide our customers with the highest quality service. A shortage of skilled workers or other general inflationary pressures or changes in applicable laws and regulations could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified personnel and could require an increase in the wage and benefits packages that we offer, or increases
in the amounts we are obligated to pay our contractors, thereby increasing our operating costs. Any increase in our operating costs could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.
Competition is intense in the energy industry and some of Tellurian’s competitors have greater financial, technological and other resources.
Tellurian plans to operate in various aspects of the natural gas and oil business and will face intense competition in each area. Depending on the area of operations, competition may come from independent, technology-driven companies, large, established companies and others.
For example, many competing companies have secured access to, or are pursuing development or acquisition of, LNG facilities to serve the North American natural gas market, including other proposed liquefaction facilities in North America. Tellurian may face competition from major energy companies and others in pursuing its proposed business strategy to provide liquefaction and export products and services at its proposed Driftwood terminal. In addition, competitors have developed and are developing additional LNG terminals in other markets, which will also compete with our proposed LNG facilities.
As another example, our business will face competition in, among other things, buying and selling reserves and leases and obtaining goods and services needed to operate properties and market natural gas and oil. Competitors include multinational oil companies, independent production companies and individual producers and operators.
Many of our competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, larger staffs and substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources than Tellurian currently possesses. The superior resources that some of these competitors have available for deployment could allow them to compete successfully against Tellurian, which could have a material adverse effect on Tellurian’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
In July 2017, Tellurian Investments Inc. (now known as Tellurian Investments LLC), Driftwood LNG, Martin Houston, and three other individuals were named as third-party defendants in a lawsuit filed in state court in Harris County, Texas between Cheniere Energy, Inc. and one of its affiliates, on the one hand (collectively, “Cheniere”), and Parallax Enterprises LLC and certain of its affiliates (not including Parallax Services LLC, now known as Tellurian Services LLC) on the other hand (collectively, “Parallax”). In October 2017, Driftwood Pipeline LLC and Tellurian Services LLC were also named by Cheniere as third-party defendants in the lawsuit. In April 2019, Charif Souki was also named by Cheniere as a third-party defendant in the lawsuit. Cheniere alleged that it entered into a note and a pledge agreement with Parallax. Cheniere claimed, among other things, that the third-party defendants tortiously interfered with the note and pledge agreement and aided in the fraudulent transfer of Parallax assets. Cheniere sought unspecified amounts of monetary damages and certain equitable relief.None.
In December 2019, Cheniere withdrew its claims against each of the three individuals other than Martin Houston named as third-party defendants in the lawsuit when it was first filed in July 2017. On January 30, 2020, Cheniere withdrew all claims it had asserted against our subsidiaries and directors, and all such claims were dismissed with prejudice.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
None.
None.
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information, Holders and Dividends
Our common stock trades on the NasdaqNYSE American under the symbol “TELL.” As of February 14, 2020,7, 2022, there were approximately 693518.5 million shares outstanding held by 777 record holders of Tellurian’s common stock. The Company does not intend to pay cash dividends on its common stock in the foreseeable future.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None that occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2019.
Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities
None.2021.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None that occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2019.2021.
Stock Performance Graph
The information contained in this Stock Performance Graph section shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or “filed” or incorporated by reference in future filings with the SEC, or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act, of 1934, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into a document filed under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Act. The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return, calculated on a dividend reinvested basis, on $100.00 invested at the closing of the market on December 31, 2014,2016, through and including the market close on December 31, 2019,2021, with the cumulative total return for the same time period of the same amount invested in the Russell 2000 index, and a peer group index. Ourcurrent peer group index consists ofand the following companies: (1) Cheniere Energy Partners LP (CQP), (2) ONEOK, Inc. (OKE), (3) Golar LNG Limited (GLNG), (4) Enable Midstream Partners LP (ENBL), (5) Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG), (6) Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (TGP), (7) Teekay Corporation (TK), (8) GasLog Ltd (GLOG) and (9) Targa Resources Corporation (TRGP). We have not changed our peer group index used in the current period, except that Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) has been removed as a resultcorresponding section of its merger with Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY)our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the “prior peer group”). ThisThe current peer group was selected based on a review of publicly available information about these companies and our determination that they met one or more of the following criteria: (i) comparable industries, (ii) similar market capitalization and (iii) similar operational characteristics, capital intensity, business and operating risks. Our current peer group index consists of the following companies:
Shareholder returns over | | | | | |
| Current peer group |
| APA Corporation (APA) | NextDecade Corporation (NEXT) |
| Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG) | NuStar Energy L.P. (NS) |
| Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) | ONEOK, Inc. (OKE) |
| Continental Resources, Inc. (CLR) | Range Resources Corporation (RRC) |
| Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) | Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) |
| EQT Corporation (EQT) | Targa Resources Corp. (TRGP) |
| Gibson Energy Inc. (GEI) | The Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB) |
| Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) | |
We have not changed our current peer group relative to the indicated period areprior peer group except that (i) we have removed the following companies due to (1) merger or acquisition transactions, (2) a focus on companies of more comparable size based on historical datarelative enterprise value and should not be considered indicative of future shareholder returns.assets and (3) an effort to distribute more evenly the sub-industry representation across oil and gas sectors (i.e. fewer transportation companies): Cheniere Energy Partners LP (CQP), Enable Midstream Partners LP (ENBL), GasLog Ltd (GLOG), Golar LNG Limited (GLNG), Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (TGP) and Teekay Corporation (TK) and (ii) we have added the following companies to distribute more evenly the sub-industry representation across oil and gas sectors (i.e. more midstream, upstream and LNG companies): APA Corporation (APA), Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK), Continental Resources, Inc. (CLR), EQT Corporation (EQT), Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD), Gibson Energy Inc. (GEI), Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI), NextDecade Corporation (NEXT), NuStar Energy L.P. (NS), Range Resources Corporation (RRC), Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) and The Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB).
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Year Ended December 31, | |
| | | | | 2016 | | 2017 | | 2018 | | 2019 | | 2020 | | 2021 | |
| Tellurian Inc. | | | | | 100 | | 87 | | 62 | | 65 | | 11 | | 27 | |
| Russell 2000 | | | | | 100 | | 113 | | 99 | | 123 | | 146 | | 165 | |
| Current peer group | | | | | 100 | | 86 | | 70 | | 77 | | 54 | | 83 | |
| Prior peer group | | | | | 100 | | 114 | | 92 | | 95 | | 65 | | 98 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year Ended December 31, |
| 2014 | | 2015 | | 2016 | | 2017 | | 2018 | | 2019 |
| Tellurian Inc. | 100 |
| | 8 |
| | 155 |
| | 134 |
| | 95 |
| | 100 |
|
| Russell 2000 | 100 |
| | 94 |
| | 113 |
| | 127 |
| | 112 |
| | 138 |
|
| Peer Group | 100 |
| | 55 |
| | 75 |
| | 81 |
| | 73 |
| | 72 |
|
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA[Reserved]
The selected financial data set forth below (in thousands, except per share amounts) are not necessarily indicative of the results of future operations and should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes. We have derived the selected financial data presented below as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 and for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 (the “Successor”) from our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in this report. We have derived the selected financial data for the Successor as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for the year ended December 31, 2016 from financial statements that are not included in this report. We have derived the selected financial data presented below as of April 9, 2016 and December 31, 2015 and for the period from January 1, 2016 to April 9, 2016 and for the year ended December 31, 2015 (the “Predecessor”) from financial statements that are not included in this report. See Explanatory Note in Item 7.
The activities we have proposed will require significant amounts of capital and are subject to risks and delays in completion. We have received all major regulatory approvals and plan to commencefor the construction of the Driftwood terminalPhase 1 and, Driftwood pipeline in 2020, produce the first LNG in 2023 and achieve full operations in 2026. Asas a result, our business success will depend to a significant extent upon our ability to obtain the funding necessary to construct assets on a commercially viable basis and to finance the costs of staffing, operating and expanding our company during that process. We have initiated certain owner construction activities necessary to proceed under our LSTK EPC agreements and have increased our upstream development activities.
The following table summarizes costs and expenses for the periods presented (in thousands):
