ION reports first quarter 2020 results

HOUSTON, May 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ION Geophysical Corporation (NYSE: IO) today reported total net revenues of $56.4 million in the first quarter 2020, a 53% increase compared to total net revenues of $37.0 million one year ago  primarily due to an increase in 2D multi-client data library sales.  ION's operating income was $6.3 million compared to an operating loss of $15.9 million in the first quarter 2019.  ION's net loss was $2.3 million, or a loss of $0.16 per share, compared to a net loss of $21.4 million, or a loss of $1.52 per share in the first quarter 2019.  Excluding special items in both periods, the Company reported an Adjusted net income of $4.7 million, or $0.33 per share, compared to an Adjusted net loss of $16.9 million, or a loss of $1.20 per share in the first quarter 2019.  A reconciliation of special items to the reported financial results can be found in the tables of this press release.

The Company reported Adjusted EBITDA of $22.9 million for the first quarter 2020, an increase from $(0.1) million one year ago.  A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the closest comparable GAAP numbers can be found in the tables of this press release.

"We achieved the best first quarter performance in six years despite challenges from both coronavirus and oil price volatility," said Chris Usher, ION's President and Chief Executive Officer.  "Our strong revenues of $56 million generated positive operating income and $23 million in Adjusted EBITDA, and, as a result, we expect our liquidity position to improve as revenues are collected in the second quarter. Our first quarter results reflect the value of our offshore data library and validate the combined effectiveness of our strategic refocus and over $20 million cost reductions.  Our team creatively closed a number of large multi-client contracts, some of which were delayed from the fourth quarter, even after E&P market dynamics changed.  I remain confident in ION's value proposition to cost-effectively support customers' data-driven decision-making in this lower-for-longer exploration and production environment.

"In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and oil price volatility, we worked closely with our clients to understand the impact of E&P budget reductions and proactively re-planned the business.  Our asset light strategy avoids significant fixed costs and provides flexibility to quickly scale the business to meet demand.  In April, we announced another $18 million of cost reductions, building on the over $20 million of cost savings made in January, to preserve cash and manage liquidity.  We also qualified for and received $6.9 million of government relief in April. In addition, we expect the sale of our 49% share in the non-strategic INOVA land seismic equipment joint venture with BGP to deliver an additional $12 million liquidity boost in the second half of the year, subject to closing conditions.

"I couldn't be prouder of our team's response during this unprecedented pandemic.  They rallied and rapidly adjusted to new ways of working while maintaining business continuity and accelerating our strategy execution.  Our employees were dynamic in their response and looked for opportunities instead of simply hunkering down and cutting costs.  We quickly shifted to new digital engagement models with customers and deployed new technology solutions that facilitate remote offshore operations management.  For example, Marlin™ SmartPort is being used by port staff to control port operations from home, and our Software group launched a 'smart operations' navigation and simultaneous operations offering for E&P customers to remotely oversee their offshore operations.

"I am also gratified to have resolved our decade-long patent litigation with WesternGeco, closing a significant chapter that once threatened the survival of our business.  Over the course of the case, the companies' portfolios and competitive landscape changed dramatically and we both believe expanding our mutually beneficial multi-client collaboration makes more sense moving forward.

"The combination of our business continuity plans and cost reduction initiatives enable ION to remain agile and support clients while navigating these uncertain times.  I believe we are better positioned given our first quarter results, and with backlog and recurring revenue in some parts of our business, that we can mitigate some of the immediate impacts of the market disruption."

FIRST QUARTER 2020

The Company's segment revenues for the first quarter were as follows (in thousands):

Within the E&P Technology & Services segment, multi-client revenues were $41.6 million, an increase of 78%. This result was driven by increased sales of ION's global 2D data library, partly offset by a reduction in new venture revenues.  Imaging and Reservoir Services revenues were $4.9 million, an increase of 34%, from working through existing backlog.

Within the Operations Optimization segment, Optimization Software & Services revenues were $4.4 million, a 12% decrease from the first quarter 2019 due to reduced command and control hardware sales, and to a lesser extent, a COVID-19 reduced seismic activity and associated services demand. Devices revenues were $5.5 million, a 14% increase from the first quarter 2019, due to increased sales of towed streamer equipment spares and repairs.

Consolidated gross margin for the quarter was 50%, compared to 27% in the first quarter 2019.  Gross margin in E&P Technology & Services was 51% compared to 20% one year ago.  The improved E&P Technology & Services gross margin resulted from the increase in 2D data library revenues.  Operations Optimization gross margin was 47%, a slight increase compared to 46% one year ago.

Consolidated operating expenses were $22.0 million, compared to $25.8 million, and operating margin was 11%, compared to (43)% in the first quarter 2019.  Excluding special items, consolidated operating expenses, as adjusted, were $15.9 million, compared to $21.4 million in the first quarter 2019, and operating margin, as adjusted, was 24%, compared to (31)% in the first quarter 2019.  The improvement in operating margin, as adjusted, was primarily due to the increase in revenues, combined with lower operating expenses, from cost reduction measures.

Income tax expense was $5.9 million compared to $1.4 million in the first quarter 2019. The income tax expense includes $2.2 million of valuation allowance established against our recognized deferred tax assets in our non-U.S. businesses. The Company's income tax expense primarily relates to results generated by our non-U.S. businesses.

At March 31, 2020, the Company had total liquidity of $53.8 million, consisting of $42.7 million of cash on hand and $11.1 million of remaining available borrowing capacity under its maximum $50.0 million revolving credit facility.   In response to the market uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and weaker oil and gas prices, the Company drew $27.0 million under its revolving credit facility in March that remains outstanding and in its cash balances.  As of May 5, 2020, the Company's cash on hand increased to a balance of $52.8 million, including revolver borrowings of $27.0 million, compared to $42.7 million at March 31, 2020.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Company has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, May 7, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time that will include a slide presentation to be posted in the Investor Relations section of the ION website by 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.  To participate in the conference call, dial (877) 407-0672 at least 10 minutes before the call begins and ask for the ION conference call.  A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the live broadcast ends and will be accessible until May 21, 2020.  To access the replay, dial (877) 660-6853 and use pass code 13698479#.

Investors, analysts and the general public will also have the opportunity to listen to the conference call live over the Internet by visiting iongeo.com.  An archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call on the Company's website.

About ION

Leveraging innovative technologies, ION delivers powerful data-driven decision-making to offshore energy, ports and defense industries, enabling clients to optimize operations and deliver superior returns. Learn more at iongeo.com.

Contact

Mike Morrison
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
+1.281.552.3011

The information herein contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include information and other statements that are not of historical fact. Actual results may vary materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the risks associated with the timing and development of ION Geophysical Corporation's products and services; pricing pressure; decreased demand; changes in oil prices; political, execution, regulatory, and currency risks; the COVID-19 pandemic; and agreements made or adhered to by members of OPEC and other oil producing countries to maintain production levels. For additional information regarding these various risks and uncertainties, see our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed on February 6, 2020. Additional risk factors, which could affect actual results, are disclosed by the Company in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks filed during the year. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements.

Tables to follow

ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Loss
(Non-GAAP Measure)
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

The term EBITDA (excluding non-recurring items) represents net loss before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization and other non-recurring charges such as impairment charges and severance expenses.  The term Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA (excluding non-recurring items) but also excludes the impact of fair value adjustments related to the Company's outstanding stock appreciation awards.  EBITDA (excluding non-recurring items) and Adjusted EBITDA are not measures of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles and should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for net income (loss) or cash flow measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or as a measure of profitability or liquidity.  Additionally, EBITDA (excluding non-recurring items) and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. The Company has included EBITDA (excluding non-recurring items) and Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental disclosure because its management believes that EBITDA (excluding non-recurring items) and Adjusted EBITDA provides investors a helpful measure for comparing its operating performance with the performance of other companies that have different financing and capital structures or tax rates.

ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Description of Special Items and Reconciliation of GAAP (As Reported) to Non-GAAP (As Adjusted) Measures
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

The financial results are reported in accordance with GAAP.  However, management believes that certain non-GAAP performance measures may provide users of this financial information, additional meaningful comparisons between current results and results in prior operating periods. One such non-GAAP financial measure is adjusted income (loss) from operations or adjusted net income (loss), which excludes certain charges or amounts.  This adjusted income (loss) amount is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Accordingly, it should not be considered as a substitute for income (loss) from operations, net income (loss) or other income data prepared in accordance with GAAP.  See the tables below for supplemental financial data and the corresponding reconciliation to GAAP financials for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:

SOURCE ION Geophysical Corporation