Aris Water Solutions, Inc. Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

All dollar amounts, except per share amounts, in the condensed consolidated financial statements and tables in the notes are stated in thousands of dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Interim Financial Statements

Interim Financial Statements

These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). These financial statements have not been audited by our independent registered public accounting firm.

These condensed consolidated financial statements include the adjustments and accruals, all of which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. These interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Consolidation

We have determined that the members with equity at risk in Solaris LLC lack the authority, through voting rights or similar rights, to direct the activities that most significantly impact Solaris LLC’s economic performance; therefore, Solaris LLC is considered a variable interest entity (“VIE”). As the managing member of Solaris LLC, we operate and control the business and affairs of Solaris LLC, as well as have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could be potentially significant to us. Therefore, we are considered the primary beneficiary and consolidate Solaris LLC.

Noncontrolling Interest

As of September 30, 2023, we own approximately 52% of Solaris LLC. Our consolidated financial statements include a noncontrolling interest representing the percentage of Solaris LLC units not held by us.

Use of Estimates

Management has made certain estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts in these condensed consolidated financial statements and disclosures of contingencies. These estimates include, among others, determining the fair values of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and/or contingent consideration paid in acquisitions or nonmonetary exchanges or disposed of through sale, determining the fair value and related impairment of assets held for sale, determining the fair value of performance-based restricted stock units (“PSUs”), useful lives of property, plant and equipment and amortizable intangible assets, goodwill impairment testing, the fair value of asset retirement obligations (“ARO”), accruals for environmental matters, the income tax provision, valuation allowances for deferred tax assets and the liability associated with our Tax Receivable Agreement (the “TRA liability”). Management evaluates estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including current economic and industry conditions. Actual results could differ from management’s estimates as additional information or actual results become available in the future, and those differences could be material.

Reclassification of Prior Year Presentation

Reclassification of Prior Year Presentation

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the reported results of operations.

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies

See Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 for the discussion of our significant accounting policies. There were no significant updates or revisions to our accounting policies during the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Goodwill

Goodwill

All of our goodwill is assigned to a single reporting unit. We perform our annual goodwill impairment test during the fourth quarter of our fiscal year, and more frequently if impairment indicators exist.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2023, we conducted a quantitative interim test of goodwill due to a decline in the price of our Class A common stock during the period. As a result of our interim test, no goodwill impairment was identified. The fair value of our reporting unit exceeded the carrying value by more than 10%. We concluded there were no new impairment triggering events as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. As such, there was no goodwill impairment as of September 30, 2023.

Some of the inherent estimates and assumptions used in determining the fair value of our reporting unit are outside the control of management, including interest rates, cost of capital, tax rates, market multiples and credit ratings. While we believe we have made reasonable estimates and assumptions to calculate the fair value of our reporting unit, it is possible a material change could occur. If our actual results are not consistent with our estimates and assumptions used to calculate fair value, it could result in a material impairment of our goodwill.

Fair Value Information

Fair Value Information

The fair value of our 7.625% Senior Sustainability-Linked Notes (the “Notes”), which are fixed-rate debt, is estimated based on the published market prices for the same or similar issues. Management has designated this measurement as a Level 2 fair value measurement. The fair value of our Credit Facility (as defined below) approximates carrying value as the debt bears interest at a variable rate which is reflective of current rates otherwise available to us. Management has designated this measurement as Level 3. Fair value information regarding our debt is as follows:


(in thousands)	September 30, 2023				December 31, 2022
	Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair
	Amount		Value		Amount		Value
Senior Sustainability-Linked Notes	$	400,000	$	387,308	$	400,000	$	398,828
Credit Facility	$	34,000	$	34,000	$	35,000	$	35,000

The carrying values of our other financial instruments, consisting of cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable, approximate their fair values due to the short maturity of such instruments.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets are net of accumulated amortization of $125.1 million and $96.8 million at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

Related Parties

We and ConocoPhillips, one of our principal owners, are parties to a long-term water gathering and handling agreement, pursuant to which ConocoPhillips dedicates all the produced water generated from its current and future acreage in a defined area of mutual interest in New Mexico and Texas. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had accounts receivable from ConocoPhillips of $23.3 million and $46.0 million, respectively, that were recorded in accounts receivable from affiliate, and we had payables to ConocoPhillips of $1.1 million and $3.0 million, respectively, that were recorded in payables to affiliate. Revenues and expenses related to ConocoPhillips were as follows:


(in thousands)	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2023		2022		2023		2022
Revenues from ConocoPhillips	$	31,084	$	30,464	$	93,552	$	80,724
Operating Expenses Reimbursed to ConocoPhillips		(1,160)		403		(1,177)		1,163

Operating expenses reimbursed to ConocoPhillips are related to ConocoPhillips’ costs incurred on our behalf and other ongoing operating expenses.

Collaborative Agreements

In November 2022, we announced that we had entered into a strategic agreement (the “Beneficial Reuse Strategic Agreement”) with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and ConocoPhillips to develop and pilot technologies and processes to treat produced water for potential beneficial reuse opportunities. In January 2023, Exxon Mobil Corporation (together with the Company, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and ConocoPhillips, the “alliance members”) joined the Beneficial Reuse Strategic Agreement.

The Company reviewed the Beneficial Reuse Strategic Agreement and determined that it should be accounted for as a collaborative arrangement pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification 808, “Collaborative Arrangements” (“ASC 808”), as the arrangement involves a joint operating activity pursuant to which the Company is an active participant and is exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of the activity. ASC 808 describes arrangements within its scope and considerations

surrounding presentation and disclosure, with recognition matters subjected to other authoritative guidance, in certain cases by analogy. The Company has concluded that ASC 730, “Research and Development,” should be applied to the Beneficial Reuse Strategic Agreement.

The Company accounts for reimbursements of research and development costs under the Beneficial Reuse Strategic Agreement as contra-expenses in the period such expenses are incurred. This reflects the joint risk sharing nature of these activities within the collaborative arrangement. The Company classifies payments owed or receivables recorded as “Accrued and Other Current Liabilities” or “Other Receivables,” respectively, on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred $1.8 million and $3.9 million, respectively, in total research and development expenses relating to the Beneficial Reuse Strategic Agreement, which was offset by $1.4 million and $2.9 million, respectively, in amounts due from the other alliance members for reimbursement of these shared costs. As of September 30, 2023, the Company recorded $1.5 million due from the other alliance members for reimbursement of shared costs in “Other Receivables” on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” The ASU provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) interest rate or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. This guidance was to be effective prospectively upon issuance through December 31, 2022 and applied from the beginning of an interim period that included the issuance date of this ASU. However, in December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848” which deferred the sunset date from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024. All other provisions of ASU 2020-04 were unchanged. In May 2023, the Credit Agreement (as defined below) was amended to, among other things, transition the loans under the Credit Facility to be made at the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) instead of LIBOR. The Company adopted this accounting pronouncement with the execution of the First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement in May 2023. See Note 6. Long-Term Debt for further discussion of the Company's accounting for its outstanding debt, credit facility and related issuance costs. This guidance provides an optional practical expedient that allows qualifying modifications to be accounted for as a debt modification rather than be analyzed under existing guidance to determine if the modification should be accounted for as a debt extinguishment. In adopting this accounting standard, we have elected to apply this optional expedient. Adopting this accounting standard did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.