Calumet Announces First Quarter 2024 Operational Update

INDIANAPOLIS, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: CLMT) (the "Partnership," "Calumet," "we," "our" or "us"), today provided an operational update for the first quarter of 2024.

As previously reported, Montana Renewables (MRL) resumed production at its Great Falls, MT, site in December 2023.  The site operated well throughout the first quarter of 2024 as volumes sequentially improved each month.  First quarter results for the MRL business are expected to reflect the significant burden of higher priced feedstock purchased prior to the summer 2023 slowdown related to a steam system issue.  Entering the second quarter of 2024, the old, expensive feedstock has been processed.

Further, first quarter 2024 results will reflect a planned turnaround at our Shreveport site in March, which was completed on time and on budget. We begin the second quarter of 2024 at Shreveport with solid operating momentum.  In the first quarter of 2024, we were negatively impacted by seasonal weakness in our fuels and asphalt products, particularly in PADD IV.

"A year after commissioning began, our Montana Renewables business is now consistently processing approximately 12,000 barrels per day of renewable feedstock, including over 10,000 barrels per day of feed from our next generation feed pretreater," said Todd Borgmann, CEO of Calumet.  "With these key operational milestones now reached, stable operations have allowed us to process an overhang of old expensive feedstock inventory. Given this progress, we are optimistic that we will achieve representative financial performance at Montana Renewables going forward, clearly demonstrating the strong competitive position of the business. Our advantaged feed and technology positions are complemented by agile product marketing and our position as the largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel in the Western Hemisphere, with current production levels running at a 30 million gallon per year pace. Significant further expansion of SAF production remains a strategic priority, and we remain encouraged by the well-advanced DOE loan program discussions.

"This operational progress supports our strategy of two competitively advantaged businesses, both of which are expected to generate cash toward our deleveraging strategy. We also continue to track towards a second quarter conversion of Calumet into a C-Corp, substantially widening our potential investor base. We believe that the culmination of all these actions should allow us to create substantial shareholder value."

About Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.

Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: CLMT) manufactures, formulates and markets a diversified slate of specialty branded products and renewable fuels to customers across a broad range of consumer-facing and industrial markets.  Calumet is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and operates twelve facilities throughout North America.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication relates to the proposed corporate reorganization (the "Conversion") between Calumet and Calumet Inc., a newly formed Delaware corporation ("New Calumet"). This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed Conversion. The proposed Conversion will be submitted to Calumet's unitholders for their consideration. In connection with the proposed Conversion, Calumet and New Calumet have prepared and filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Form S-4") containing a proxy statement/prospectus (the "Proxy Statement/Prospectus") to be distributed to Calumet's unitholders in connection with Calumet's solicitation of proxies for the vote of Calumet's unitholders in connection with the proposed Conversion and other matters as described in such Proxy Statement/Prospectus. The Proxy Statement/Prospectus will also serve as the prospectus relating to the offer of the securities to be issued to equityholders of Calumet and Calumet GP, LLC, the general partner of Calumet (the "General Partner"), in connection with the completion of the proposed Conversion. Calumet and New Calumet may file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed Conversion. The definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be mailed to Calumet's unitholders when available. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED CONVERSION, INVESTORS AND UNITHOLDERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED CONVERSION (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONVERSION.

The Proxy Statement/Prospectus, any amendments or supplements thereto and other relevant materials, and any other documents filed by Calumet or New Calumet with the SEC, may be obtained once such documents are filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or free of charge from Calumet at www.calumet.com or by directing a written request to Calumet at 2780 Waterfront Parkway East Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46214.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Participants in the Solicitation

Calumet, the General Partner and certain of the General Partner's executive officers, directors, other members of management and employees may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed to be "participants" in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed Conversion. Information regarding the General Partner's directors and executive officers is available in Calumet's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on February 29, 2024 (the "Annual Report"). To the extent that holdings of Calumet's securities have changed from the amounts reported in the Annual Report, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, are contained, or will be contained, in the Form S-4, the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials relating to the proposed Conversion filed or to be filed with the SEC when they become available. Unitholders and other investors should read the Proxy Statement/Prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements." The words "will," "may," "intend," "believe," "expect," "outlook," "forecast," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "plan," "should," "could," "would," or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. The statements discussed in this press release that are not purely historical data are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the statements regarding (i) demand for finished products in markets we serve, (ii) our expectation regarding our business outlook and cash flows, including with respect to the Montana Renewables business and our plans to de-leverage our balance sheet, (iii) our expectation regarding anticipated capital expenditures and strategic initiatives, such as MaxSAF, (iv) the DOE loan process, our ability to meet our financial commitments, debt service obligations, debt instrument covenants, contingencies and anticipated capital expenditures, (v) our expected results for the first quarter of 2024 and (vi) the anticipated completion of the Conversion and the timing thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on us. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we anticipate. All comments concerning our current expectations for future sales and operating results are based on our forecasts for our existing operations and do not include the potential impact of any future acquisition or disposition transactions. Our forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. Known material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include: the overall demand for specialty products, fuels, renewable fuels and other refined products; the level of foreign and domestic production of crude oil and refined products; our ability to produce specialty products, fuel products, and renewable fuel products that meet our customers' unique and precise specifications; the marketing of alternative and competing products; the impact of fluctuations and rapid increases or decreases in crude oil and crack spread prices, including the resulting impact on our liquidity; the results of our hedging and other risk management activities; our ability to comply with financial covenants contained in our debt instruments; the availability of, and our ability to consummate, acquisition or combination opportunities and the impact of any completed acquisitions; labor relations; our access to capital to fund expansions, acquisitions and our working capital needs and our ability to obtain debt or equity financing on satisfactory terms; successful integration and future performance of acquired assets, businesses or third-party product supply and processing relationships; our ability to timely and effectively integrate the operations of acquired businesses or assets, particularly those in new geographic areas or in new lines of business; environmental liabilities or events that are not covered by an indemnity, insurance or existing reserves; maintenance of our credit ratings and ability to receive open credit lines from our suppliers; demand for various grades of crude oil and resulting changes in pricing conditions; fluctuations in refinery capacity; our ability to access sufficient crude oil supply through long-term or month-to-month evergreen contracts and on the spot market; the effects of competition; continued creditworthiness of, and performance by, counterparties; the impact of current and future laws, rulings and governmental regulations, including guidance related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the costs of complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard, including the prices paid for renewable identification numbers ("RINs"); shortages or cost increases of power supplies, natural gas, materials or labor; hurricane or other weather interference with business operations; our ability to access the debt and equity markets; accidents or other unscheduled shutdowns; and general economic, market, business or political conditions, including inflationary pressures, instability in financial institutions, the prospect of a shutdown of the U.S. federal government, general economic slowdown or a recession, political tensions, conflicts and war (such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and their regional and global ramifications).

For additional information regarding factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our projected results, please see our filings with the SEC, including the risk factors and other cautionary statements in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC.

We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and you should not rely unduly on them, as they involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that we cannot predict. In addition, we have based many of these forward-looking statements on assumptions about future events that may prove to be inaccurate. While our management considers these assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from the future performance that we have expressed or forecast in our forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. Certain public statements made by us and our representatives on the date hereof may also contain forward-looking statements, which are qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained above.

SOURCE Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.