DT Midstream (DTM) saw a slight decrease in volumes on its network in third-quarter 2024. But the gas-focused midstream company isn鈥檛 too trouble, with forecasts showing growing demand for natural gas in 2025.
The company announced a final investment decision on its LEAP Gathering System Phase 4 Expansion project, which will increase capacity by 200 MMcf/d to 2.1 Bcf/d. The system is located on the Louisiana side of the Haynesville Shale. Completion is slated for the first half of 2026.
鈥淚'd say some of the items we announced today feel encouraging鈥攊n terms of signaling that in 2025, at least in the Haynesville鈥攐ur renewed interest in growing volumes again,鈥� said David Slater, DT Midstream president and CEO, during the company鈥檚 Oct. 29 third-quarter earnings call. 鈥淭he market clearly is seeing incremental demand coming.鈥�
DT Midstream鈥檚 third-quarter net income of $91 million translated into a profit of $0.90 per share, $0.05 below market expectations.
In the latter half of 2024, natural gas prices have remained depressed and production has remained flat. Gas-focused DTM鈥檚 operations are based in the Appalachian Basin and the Haynesville Shale in Louisiana and Texas.
Over the quarter, traffic on DTM鈥檚 Appalachian network decreased, while volumes in the Haynesville increased slightly, said Jeff Jewell, executive vice president and CFO. Overall volumes averaged 2.88 Bcf/d, compared to 2.97 Bcf/d in the prior quarter and 2.99 Bcf/d in third-quarter 2023. The company expects volumes to increase in the coming winter months.
DTM鈥檚 2024 net income is $19 million more than it posted during the same time last year. The company also raised its 2024 adjusted guidance EBITDA by 1% at the midpoint. DTM鈥檚 upped its EBITDA estimates to $965 million at the midpoint, up $10 million from its previous outlook of $955 million.
鈥淭he portfolio has been incredibly durable this year as we've gone through the commodity cycle,鈥� Slater said. 鈥淲e're very happy with how the year's played out, and it's allowed us to increase the guidance as we were navigating into Q4.鈥�
The Detroit-based company鈥檚 board approved an approximately $0.74 per share dividend on its common stock. Fitch Ratings upgraded the company with an investment-grade rating over the quarter, raising its rate to 鈥楤BB-鈥� from 鈥楤B+鈥�.
Slater said the company is currently in talks to supply natural gas to power data centers, but the projects were not ready to be announced.
The company is also adjusting to a major move in the natural gas E&P sector in 2024鈥擟hesapeake and Southwestern鈥檚 merger to become Expand Energy. Expand Energy, now the largest natural gas producer in the U.S., is a major customer of DT Midstream, both in the Appalachian Basin and Haynesville Shale.
鈥淲e're patiently waiting for them to get through what I'll call the post-close activity, so we can sit down and have those conversations,鈥� Slater said. 鈥淚'm highly confident that the acreage that we gather for them is premium acreage in their portfolio in the Haynesville.鈥�
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