Business Description We are a limited partnership formed in 2008 to engage in the business of
management and leasing of coal properties and collection of coal production
royalties in the Western Kentucky region of the Illinois Basin. We currently
own approximately 65 million tons of coal reserves and, as of March 31, 2012,
had a 50.81% undivided interest in approximately 140 million tons of coal
reserves owned by Armstrong Energy, all located in Ohio and Muhlenberg counties
in Western Kentucky. Our coal is generally low chlorine, high sulfur coal. Our
outstanding limited partnership interests (“common units”), representing 98.36%
of our common units, are owned by investment funds managed by Yorktown Partners
LLC (collectively, “Yorktown”). We are not engaged in the permitting,
production or sale of coal, nor in the operation or reclamation of coal mining
activity. We are a fee mineral and surface rights owning entity. It is our
intention to remain a coal leasing enterprise and not to engage in coal
production ourselves.
We currently lease all of our reserves to Armstrong Energy, our sole lessee, in
exchange for royalty payments in the amount of 7% of the revenue received from
coal sold from those reserves. Armstrong Energy is a diversified producer of
low chlorine, high sulfur thermal coal from the Illinois Basin with both
surface and underground mines. Armstrong Energy is currently deferring the cash
payment of those royalty payments. Partially as a result of those deferrals, as
of December 31, 2011 we were owed approximately $5.7 million from Armstrong
Energy.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to purchase an additional
estimated 8% to 10% partial undivided interest in the reserves in which we had,
as of March 31, 2012, a 50.81% interest. The actual percentage acquired will
depend on the fair value of the reserves at the time of the acquisition and the
net proceeds received in this offering. In addition, our interest as a joint
tenant in common with Armstrong Energy in the majority of Armstrong Energy’s
coal reserves could be increased as a result of an additional acquisition
through the offset of unpaid deferred royalties owed to us.
We expect Armstrong Energy to continue to defer royalty payments due to us and
we do not plan to pay distributions to any of our unitholders, except for
amounts necessary to enable unitholders to pay anticipated income tax
liabilities, for the foreseeable future. As a result, we expect to continue to
acquire an increasing percentage undivided interest in Armstrong Energy’s coal
reserves for the foreseeable future through the offset of deferred royalties
owed to us by Armstrong Energy.
We are a co-borrower under Armstrong Energy’s $100.0 million term loan (the
“Senior Secured Term Loan”) and a guarantor on the $50.0 million revolving
credit facility (the “Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility,” and together
with the Senior Secured Term Loan, the “Senior Secured Credit Facility”) and
the Senior Secured Term Loan. Substantially all of our assets and Armstrong
Energy’s assets are pledged to secure borrowings under the Senior Secured
Credit Facility. Under the terms of the Senior Secured Credit Facility, without
the consent of all lenders (if there are fewer than three lenders at the time
of any dividend or distribution) or the lenders having more than 50% of the
aggregate commitments (if there are three or more lenders at the time of any
dividend or distribution) under that facility, we are currently prohibited from
making dividend payments or other distributions to our unitholders in excess of
$5.0 million per year and $10.0 million in aggregate, except for dividends or
other distributions in amounts necessary to enable unitholders to pay
anticipated income tax liabilities arising from their ownership interests in
the Partnership until February 9, 2016, the date on which the Senior Secured
Credit Facility matures. We are not permitted to borrow additional funds under
the Senior Secured Credit Facility and as such, it is not a source of liquidity
for us.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Armstrong Energy, Inc., Elk Creek GP, LLC (“Elk
Creek GP”), is our general partner. Pursuant to our Second Amended and Restated
Agreement of Limited Partnership, to be effective upon the closing of this
offering (the “Partnership Agreement”), Elk Creek GP has the exclusive
authority to conduct, direct and manage all of our activities. By virtue of
Armstrong Energy’s control of Elk Creek, GP, our results are consolidated in
Armstrong Energy’s historical consolidated financial statements. Pursuant to
our existing partnership agreement, effective October 1, 2011 (the “Existing
Partnership Agreement”), Yorktown unilaterally may remove Elk Creek GP as our
general partner in some circumstances. As a result, Armstrong Energy will no
longer consolidate our results in its financial statements (the
“Deconsolidation”).
2011 was the first year we recognized revenue under our leases to Armstrong
Energy. Based on its coal production during 2011 and the three months ended
March 31, 2012, Armstrong Energy is obligated to pay us $7.2 million and $2.1
million, respectively, for production royalties under our leases for such
period. In addition, we earned a credit and collateral support fee as a result
of our financing activities in the amount of $1.15 million and $0.3 million in
2011 and the three months ended March 31, 2012, respectively.
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Our principal executive offices are located at 7733 Forsyth Boulevard, Suite
1625, St. Louis, Missouri 63105 and our telephone number is (314) 721-8202. Our
corporate website address is www.armstrongresourcepartners.com. |