Recent Highlights
Strategic
In August 2020, Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC (“SPL”) entered into an agreement with certain Cheniere Energy, Inc. (“Cheniere”) subsidiaries to provide the ability, in limited circumstances, to fulfill commitments to LNG buyers in the event operational conditions impact operations at either the SPL Project (defined below) or Cheniere’s Corpus Christi liquefaction facility. The purchase price for such cargoes would be (i) 115% of the applicable natural gas feedstock purchase price or (ii) a free-on-board U.S. Gulf Coast LNG market price, whichever is greater.
Operational
As of October 31, 2020, more than 1,075 cumulative LNG cargoes totaling approximately 75 million tonnes of LNG have been produced, loaded, and exported from the SPL Project.
In August and September 2020, we coordinated with Cheniere’s Corpus Christi liquefaction facility and with our counterparties to fulfill all of our commercial obligations despite the operational impacts of Hurricane Laura, which included a temporary suspension of operations at the SPL Project.
Financial
In July 2020, the board of directors of our general partner confirmed and approved that, following the distribution with respect to the three months ended June 30, 2020, the financial tests required for conversion of our subordinated units were met under the terms of the partnership agreement. Accordingly, effective August 17, 2020, the first business day following the payment of the distribution, all of our subordinated units were automatically converted into common units on a one-for-one basis and the subordination period was terminated.
Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. reported net loss of $67 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to net income of $110 million for the comparable 2019 period. The increase in net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to decreased total margins4, partially offset by decreased costs related to certain maintenance and related activities at the SPL Project which occurred in the 2019 period. Total margins decreased during the three months ended September 30, 2020 primarily due to the accelerated recognition of revenues in prior periods related to elections by our long-term SPA customers to not take delivery of LNG cargoes that were scheduled for delivery during the current period, partially offset by an increase in margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income.
Cheniere Partners reported net income of $774 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $727 million for the comparable 2019 period. The increase in net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to increased total margins, partially offset by increases in interest expense, loss on modification or extinguishment of debt, and costs incurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Total margins increased during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 primarily due to increased LNG revenues including both cargoes delivered to customers and cargoes for which customers notified us that they would not take delivery, primarily as a result of an additional Train in operation and slightly increased margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income, partially offset by an increase in net losses from changes in fair value of commodity derivatives.
Margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income increased during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 primarily due to a higher proportion of total volumes sold under higher-margin long-term contracts.
Adjusted EBITDA1 was $352 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $543 million for the comparable 2019 period. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA during the three months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to a decrease in total margins as detailed above, partially offset by decreased costs related to certain maintenance and related activities at the SPL Project which occurred in the 2019 period.
Adjusted EBITDA was $1.99 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $1.74 billion for the comparable 2019 period. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to increased LNG revenues including both cargoes delivered to customers and cargoes for which customers notified us that they would not take delivery, primarily as a result of an additional Train in operation and slightly increased margins per MMBtu of LNG delivered to customers and recognized in income as detailed above, partially offset by costs incurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, we recognized $109 million and $513 million, respectively, in revenues recognized from LNG cargoes for which customers have notified us that they will not take delivery, of which $21 million would have otherwise been recognized subsequent to September 30, 2020, if the cargoes were lifted pursuant to the delivery schedules with the customers. LNG revenues during the three months ended September 30, 2020 excluded $244 million that would have otherwise been recognized during the quarter if the cargoes were lifted pursuant to the delivery schedules with the customers, as these revenues were recognized during the three months ended June 30, 2020. Excluding the impact of cargo cancellations related to periods subsequent to September 30, 2020 and those received in prior periods for the current periods, our total revenues would have been $1.21 billion and $4.15 billion for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, 36 and 186 LNG cargoes, respectively, were exported from the SPL Project and recognized in income. Additionally, during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, SPL recognized in income three cargoes totaling approximately 11 TBtu of LNG which were procured from Cheniere’s Corpus Christi liquefaction facility due to the operational impact of Hurricane Laura.
Cargo Cancellation Revenue Summary
The following table summarizes the timing impacts of revenue recognition related to cargoes for which customers elected to not take delivery on our revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 (in millions):
SPL Project
We operate five natural gas liquefaction Trains and are constructing one additional Train for a total production capacity of approximately 30 million tonnes per annum (“mtpa”) of LNG at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal (the “SPL Project”).
Distributions to Unitholders
We will pay a cash distribution of $0.650 per common unit to unitholders of record as of November 6, 2020 and the related general partner distribution on November 13, 2020.
