EXPRO GROUP HOLDINGS N.V. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

PART I

Item 1. Business

General

Expro Group Holdings N.V. is a Netherlands limited liability company (Naamloze Vennootschap) and includes the activities of Expro Group Holdings International Limited, Frank’s International C.V. and their wholly owned subsidiaries (either individually or together, as context requires, “Expro,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”).

On March 10, 2021, the Company and New Eagle Holdings Limited, an exempted company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Expro Group Holdings International Limited (“Legacy Expro”) providing for the merger of Legacy Expro with and into Merger Sub in an all-stock transaction, with Merger Sub surviving the merger as a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”). The Merger closed on October 1, 2021, and the Company, previously known as Frank’s International N.V. (“Frank’s”), was renamed Expro Group Holdings N.V. The Merger has been accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting with Legacy Expro being identified as the accounting acquirer. The historical financial statements presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”) reflect the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of only Legacy Expro for all periods prior to the Merger and of the combined company (including activities of Frank’s) for all periods subsequent to the Merger. 

Our Operations

With roots dating to 1938, the Company is a leading provider of energy services, offering cost-effective, innovative solutions and what the Company considers to be best-in-class safety and service quality. The Company’s extensive portfolio of capabilities spans well construction, well flow management, subsea well access, and well intervention and integrity solutions. The Company provides services in many of the world’s major offshore and onshore energy basins, with operations in approximately 60 countries. The Company’s broad portfolio of products and services provides solutions to enhance production and improve recovery across the well lifecycle, from exploration through abandonment.

Description of Business Segments

Our operations are comprised of four operating segments which also represent our reporting segments and are aligned with our geographic regions as follows:

The table below shows our consolidated revenue and each segment’s revenue and percentage of consolidated revenue for the periods indicated (revenue in thousands):

Our broad portfolio of products and services includes:

Corporate Strategy

The combination of Legacy Expro and Frank’s brought together two companies with decades of market leadership to create a leading energy services provider with an extensive portfolio of capabilities across the well lifecycle. As a result of the Merger and the progress that we have made in integrating the business and operations of Legacy Expro and Frank’s, we believe we are well positioned to support our customers around the world, improve profitability and invest in emerging growth opportunities. Our corporate strategy is designed to leverage existing capabilities and position Expro as a solutions provider with a technologically differentiated offering. In particular, our objectives for 2023, which we expect will drive our performance in the year ahead, include: (i) exceeding industry expectations in regard to safety and operational performance; (ii) advancing our products and services portfolio to provide customers with cost-effective, innovative solutions to produce oil, gas and geothermal resources more efficiently and with a lower carbon footprint; (iii) improving financial performance by continuing to realize Merger-related synergies, sustaining our relentless drive for efficiency and better utilizing existing assets; (iv) nurturing our culture based on core values and agreed behaviors, empowering our people to be innovative, to be agile and responsive, and to embrace diversity; and (v) leveraging the power of data to improve our own business practices and to deliver more value to our customers.

Human Capital

At Expro, people are at the heart of our success and we are united by our Code of Conduct (“Code of Conduct”) and our core values; People, Performance, Partnerships, and Planet. We are committed to living our values through corporate responsibility efforts that help people across the globe live better lives and build sustainable, vibrant, stable communities where highly motivated people can engineer futures. We strive to consistently improve the ways in which we work to keep our employees safe, minimize our impact on the environment and to provide for robust and transparent governance.

As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 7,600 employees worldwide. We are a party to collective bargaining agreements or other similar arrangements in certain international areas in which we operate. As of  December 31, 2022, approximately 17% of our employees were subject to collective bargaining agreements, with 8% being under agreements that expire within one year. We consider our relations with our employees to be positive. In the United States of America ("U.S."), where approximately 17% of our employees are located, most employees are at-will employees and, therefore, not subject to any type of employment contract or agreement. Outside the U.S., we enter into employment contracts and agreements in those countries in which such relationships are mandatory or customary. Based upon the geographic diversification of our employees, we believe any risk of loss from employee strikes or other collective actions would not be material to the conduct of our operations taken as a whole.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Expro, we strive to be a safe, diverse, inclusive and people-focused company that positively impacts local communities and society. Most people recognize the importance of diversity at work and the benefits it can bring to an organization and its people. However, diversity is only half of the story. The other half is inclusion: building a work environment in which people feel valued for who they are, bring their whole selves to work and contribute fully. In an inclusive work environment, people with different backgrounds, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, ethnicity and other differences feel like they belong.

We are committed to ensure the equal treatment of all employees, job applicants and associated personnel regardless of race, color, nationality, ethnic or nation originals, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, or any other factors prohibited by law. We aim to create a work environment free of harassment and bullying, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Diversity and inclusiveness are important to our current and future success by providing varied experiences, ideas and insights to inform decisions, identify new approaches, and solve business challenges. Our goal is to put the right people forward to do the right work for the right customers, in the right places, attracting, retaining and nurturing a talented and diverse workforce to turn our growth ambitions into reality.

Employee Learning and Development

We demonstrate our commitment to our values through our employee development initiatives. We invest in our people through learning and development programs that reinforce and update existing skill sets, and which develop employees’ competencies into new and complementary areas of expertise. Employees are empowered to drive their career progression through various learning platforms to facilitate achievement and career progression. A key tenet of our development is our strong performance management culture that enables and informs development plans and succession planning.

We also actively solicit employee feedback and constantly strive to make the Company an employer of choice, one such program being the 2022 Global Employee Survey which was carried out to understand and act upon areas where we can positively influence and develop Expro’s culture. We empower employees with an ownership mindset that encourages accountability and creativity, leading to new and better solutions.

Compensation and Benefits

We offer opportunities for a challenging career in an energetic and friendly work environment. Providing our workforce with a career path, training, fair pay, and challenging, rewarding work are key tenets of our success. Our benefit packages are tailored to the local market of operation and are designed to attract and retain the best talent in the industry.

Employee Health and Wellbeing

The health and wellbeing of our people is, and will continue to be, a priority at Expro. We appreciate that emotional wellbeing can affect how individuals face life every day, and acknowledge that anyone can suffer from poor mental or physical health at any time. As leaders, we understand the need to recognize when an individual needs help and we encourage all managers and employees to be approachable in providing time, support and mentorship.

We are committed to safeguarding our employees’ health and wellbeing and to providing encouragement to our teams to build supportive networks and a collaborative culture across our organization. An example of the programs we have put into place is our employee-driven regional online wellness hubs, which promote employee and cross-company participation in health and wellbeing initiatives.

In addition, we also offer 24/7 online support through resources within Expro’s Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”), which provides health and wellbeing support and advice globally. The EAP covers a wide range of subjects for employees and their families, delivered across multiple channels and languages.

Corporate Social Responsibility / Community Involvement 

Across our global operations, we encourage and celebrate participation in diverse community activities which align with our values of People, Partnerships, Performance and Planet. From tree planting to supporting those less fortunate, we are proud of the work our teams continue to put back into our communities. Our company-wide social steering committee helps to champion our social efforts. This team acts as a conduit for the broader employee community to gain input and perspective to ultimately support in enhancing our culture.

Safety

Safety is a critical component of our People and Performance core values. Many of our customers have safety standards we must satisfy before we can perform services. We continually monitor and seek to improve our safety performance through the evaluation of safety observations, job and customer surveys, and safety data. The primary measures for our safety performance are the tracking of the Lost Time Injury Frequency rate (“LTIF”) and the Total Recordable Case Frequency rate (“TRCF”). LTIF is a measure of the frequency of injuries that result in lost work time, normalized on the basis of per million man-hours worked. TRCF is a measure of the frequency of recordable workplace injuries, normalized on the basis of per million man-hours worked. A recordable injury includes occupational death, nonfatal occupational illness, and other occupational injuries that involve loss of consciousness, lost time injuries, restriction of work or motion cases, transfer to another job, or medical treatment cases other than first aid.

The table below presents the worldwide LTIF and TRCF for the Company for the year ended December 31, 2022 and on a combined basis for Legacy Expro and Frank’s for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

We have comprehensive compliance policies, programs and training that are applied globally to our entire workforce. We also standardize our global training processes to ensure all jobs are executed to high standards of safety and quality.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We pledge to be forthright in all our business interactions and conduct our business to the highest ethical standards. That commitment extends to strict compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and business standards. We have comprehensive compliance programs and policies that are applied globally to our entire workforce. Our ethical foundation is our Code of Conduct, the provisions of which all employees are expected to understand and comply with. Our compliance and ethics policies undergo regular review.

We require every employee worldwide to certify compliance with our Code of Conduct annually as well as to bi-annually complete an online Code of Conduct training course, which addresses conflicts of interest, confidentiality, fair dealing with others, proper use of company assets, compliance with laws, insider trading, maintenance of books and records, zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment in the work environment. We encourage reporting of violations of our Code of Conduct and other policies, and we have safeguards to prevent retribution against persons that report potential violations in good faith.  

Suppliers and Raw Materials

We acquire component parts, products and raw materials from suppliers, including foundries, forge shops, and original equipment manufacturers. The prices we pay for our raw materials may be affected by, among other things, energy, steel and other commodity prices, tariffs and duties on imported materials and foreign currency exchange rates. Certain equipment utilized within our product lines are only available from a limited number of suppliers.

Our ability to source low-cost raw materials and components, such as steel castings and forgings, is critical to our ability to manufacture our products competitively. In order to purchase raw materials and components in a cost-effective manner, we have sought to develop a broad international sourcing capability and we maintain quality assurance and testing programs to analyze and test these raw materials and components.

Intellectual Property

We own and control a variety of intellectual property, including patents, proprietary information, trade secrets and software tools and applications. We currently hold multiple U.S. and international patents and have a number of pending patent applications. Although in the aggregate our patents and licenses are important to us, we do not regard any single patent or license as critical or essential to our business as a whole.

Seasonality

Seasonal changes in weather and significant weather events can temporarily affect the delivery of our products and services and otherwise impact our business. For example, the winter months in the North Sea and the monsoon season in South and Southeast Asia can produce severe weather conditions that can temporarily reduce levels of activity. In addition, hurricanes and typhoons can disrupt coastal and offshore operations. Furthermore, customer spending patterns may result in higher or lower activity in the fourth quarter of the year based on year-to-date spending relative to their approved annual budgets and higher or lower activity in the first quarter of the year based on whether or not the new year’s budget has been approved.

Customers

We derive our revenue from services and product sales to customers primarily in the oil and gas industry. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. One customer in our MENA segment accounted for 16% of our consolidated revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Competition

The markets in which we operate are competitive. We compete with a number of companies, some of which have financial and other resources greater than ours. We believe the principal competitive factors in the markets in which we participate include the technologies and solutions offered; the quality, price and availability of products and services; safety and service quality; operating footprint; and responsiveness to customer needs.

We believe several factors support our strong competitive position. Our portfolio of technology-enabled products and services fulfill a wide range of our customers’ requirements. We also seek to differentiate ourselves from our competitors by providing a high level of customer service, by providing innovative products and solutions, and by supporting our customers on a global basis. Finally, our quality assurance systems, experienced personnel, and track record all support a strong reputation for safe operations, environmental stewardship, compliance with laws, and ethical commercial engagement.

Governmental Regulations

We are subject to numerous environmental and other governmental and regulatory requirements related to our operations worldwide.

Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation

Our operations are subject to numerous and complex laws and regulations governing the emission and discharge of materials into the environment, occupational health and safety aspects of our operations, or otherwise relating to environmental protection. Failure to comply with these laws or regulations or to obtain or comply with permits may result in the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties, imposition of investigatory, remedial or corrective actions, the required incurrence of capital expenditures, the occurrence of restrictions, delays or cancellations in the permitting, development or expansion of projects, and the imposition of orders or injunctions to prohibit or restrict certain activities or force future compliance.

Certain environmental laws may impose joint and several strict liability, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, on classes of persons who are considered to be responsible for the release of a hazardous substance into the environment. The trend in environmental regulation is to typically place more stringent restrictions and limitations on activities that may impact the environment, and thus, any changes in environmental laws and regulations or in enforcement policies that result in more stringent and costly waste handling, storage, transport, disposal, or remediation requirements could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial position. Moreover, accidental releases or spills of regulated substances may occur in the course of our operations, and we cannot assure that we will not incur significant costs and liabilities as a result of such releases or spills, including any third-party claims for damage to property, natural resources or persons.

The following is a summary of the more significant existing environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations to which our business operations are subject and for which compliance could have a material adverse impact on our capital expenditures, results of operations or financial position.

Climate Change

Climate change continues to attract considerable attention in the U.S. and other countries. Numerous proposals have been made and could continue to be made at the international, national, regional and state levels of government to monitor and limit existing emissions of greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) as well as to restrict or eliminate such future emissions. As a result, our operations are subject to a series of regulatory, political, litigation, and financial risks associated with the transport of fossil fuels and emission of GHGs.

Separately, various governments have adopted or are considering adopting legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that are focused on such areas as GHG cap and trade programs, carbon taxes, reporting and tracking programs, and restriction of emissions. At the international level, there is a non-binding agreement, the United Nations-sponsored “Paris Agreement,” for nations to limit their GHG emissions through individually-determined reduction goals every five years after 2020. While the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement under the Trump Administration, effective November 4, 2020, President Biden issued an executive order on January 20, 2021 recommitting the U.S. to the Paris Agreement. Under the Paris Agreement, the Biden Administration has committed the United States to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 - 52% from 2005 levels by 2030. In November 2021, the U.S. and other countries entered into the Glasgow Climate Pact, which includes a range of measures designed to address climate change, including but not limited to the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies, reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030, and cooperating toward the advancement of the development of clean energy. With the U.S. recommitting to the Paris Agreement, executive orders may be issued or federal legislation or regulatory initiatives may be adopted to achieve the agreement’s goals. Within the U.S., President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, which contains tax inducements and other provisions that incentivize investment, development, and deployment of alternative energy sources and technologies, which could increase operating costs within the oil and gas industry and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

There are also increasing risks of litigation related to climate change effects. Governments and third-parties have brought suit against some fossil fuel companies alleging, among other things, that such companies created public nuisances by marketing fuels that contributed to global warming effects, such as rising sea levels, and therefore are responsible for roadway and infrastructure damages as a result, or alleging that the companies have been aware of the adverse effects of climate change for some time but defrauded their investors by failing to adequately disclose those impacts. Similar or more demanding cases are occurring in other jurisdictions where we operate. For example, in December 2019, the High Council of the Netherlands ruled that the government of the Netherlands has a legal obligation to decrease the country’s GHG emissions, and in May 2021, the Hague District Court ordered Royal Dutch Shell plc to reduce its worldwide emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. Such litigation has the potential to adversely affect the production of fossil fuels, which in turn could result in reduced demand for our services.

Financial risks also exist for fossil fuel producers (and companies that provide products and services to fossil fuel producers) as shareholders who are currently invested in such fossil fuel companies but are concerned about the potential effects of climate change may elect in the future to shift some or all of their investments into other sectors. Banks and institutional lenders that provide financing to fossil fuel companies (and their suppliers and service providers) also have become more attentive to sustainable lending practices and some of them may elect not to provide funding for fossil fuel companies. Additionally, in recent years, the practices of institutional lenders have been the subject of intensive lobbying efforts not to provide funding for such companies. Oftentimes this pressure has been public in nature, by environmental activists, proponents of the international Paris Agreement, and foreign citizenry concerned about climate change. Limitation of investments in and financings for fossil fuel companies could result in the restriction, delay or cancellation of production of crude oil and natural gas, which could in turn decrease demand for our services. Our own operations could also face limitations on access to capital as a result of these trends, which could adversely affect our business and results of operation.

The adoption and implementation of new or more stringent international, federal or state legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that impose more stringent standards for GHG emissions from the oil and natural gas sector or otherwise restrict the areas in which this sector may produce oil and natural gas or generate GHG emissions could result in increased costs of compliance or costs of consuming, and thereby reduce demand for, oil and natural gas, which could reduce demand for our services and products. Additionally, political, litigation and financial risks may result in our oil and natural gas customers restricting or canceling production activities, incurring liability for infrastructure damages as a result of climatic changes, or impairing their ability to continue to operate in an economic manner, which also could reduce demand for our services and products. Moreover, the increased competitiveness of alternative energy sources (such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and biofuels) could reduce demand for hydrocarbons, and therefore for our products and services, which would lead to a reduction in our revenues. Over time, one or more of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is an important and common practice in the oil and gas industry. The process involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into a formation to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production of hydrocarbons. While we may provide supporting products through our cementing product offering, we do not perform hydraulic fracturing, but many of our onshore customers utilize this technique. Certain environmental advocacy groups and regulatory agencies have suggested that additional federal, state and local laws and regulations may be needed to more closely regulate the hydraulic fracturing process, and have made claims that hydraulic fracturing techniques are harmful to surface water and drinking water resources and may cause earthquakes. Various governmental entities (within and outside the U.S.) are in the process of studying, restricting, regulating or preparing to regulate hydraulic fracturing, directly or indirectly. Additionally, states and local governments may also seek to limit hydraulic fracturing activities through time, place, and manner restrictions on operations or ban the process altogether. The adoption of legislation or regulatory programs that restrict hydraulic fracturing could adversely affect, reduce or delay well drilling and completion activities, increase the cost of drilling and production, and thereby reduce demand for our services. There also exists the potential for states and local governments to pursue new or amended laws, regulations, executive actions and other regulatory initiatives that could impose more stringent restrictions on hydraulic fracturing, including potential restrictions on hydraulic fracturing by banning new oil and gas permitting on federal lands.

Offshore Regulatory and Marine Safety

Spurred on by environmental and safety concerns, governing bodies from time to time have pursued moratoria and legislation or regulatory initiatives that would materially limit or prohibit offshore drilling in certain areas, including areas where we or our oil and gas exploration and production customers conduct operations such as on the federal Outer Continental Shelf waters in the U.S. and Gulf of Mexico.

Employee Health and Safety

We are subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act and comparable state statutes, establishing requirements to protect the health and safety of workers. In addition, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration hazard communication standard, the EPA community right-to-know regulations under Title III of the federal Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act and comparable state statutes require that information be maintained concerning hazardous materials used or produced in our operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and local government authorities and the public. Substantial fines and penalties can be imposed and orders or injunctions limiting or prohibiting certain operations may be issued in connection with any failure to comply with laws and regulations relating to worker health and safety.

We also operate in non-U.S. jurisdictions, which may impose similar legal requirements. Historically, our environmental and worker safety costs to comply with existing environmental laws and regulations have not had a material adverse impact on us. However, we believe that it is reasonably likely that the trend in environmental legislation and regulation will continue toward stricter standards and, thus, we cannot give any assurance that such costs will not materially adversely affect us in the future.

Operating Risk and Insurance

We maintain insurance coverage of types and amounts that we believe to be customary and reasonable for companies of our size and with similar operations. In accordance with industry practice, however, we do not maintain insurance coverage against all of the operating risks to which our business is exposed. Therefore, there is a risk our insurance program may not be sufficient to cover any particular loss or all losses.

Currently, our insurance program includes, among other things, general liability, umbrella liability, sudden and accidental pollution, personal property, vehicle, workers’ compensation, and employer’s liability coverage. Our insurance includes various limits and deductibles or retentions, which must be met prior to or in conjunction with recovery. We generally do not procure or maintain business interruption insurance.

Available Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 1311 Broadfield Boulevard, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77084, and our telephone number at that address is (713) 463-9776. Our website address is www.expro.com, and we make available free of charge through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Proxy Statements, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Our website also includes general information about us, including our Code of Conduct, Financial Code of Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Whistleblower Policy and charters for the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Environmental, Social and Governance Committee of our Board of Directors (the “Board”). We may from time to time provide important disclosures to investors by posting them in the investor relations section of our website, as allowed by Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules. Also, it is our intention to provide disclosure of amendments and waivers by website posting. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference herein and does not constitute a part of this report.

Information about Our Executive Officers and Other Key Employees

The following table sets forth, as of February 21, 2023, the names, ages and experience of our executive officers and other key employees, including all offices and positions held by each for the past five years.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the risks described below together with the other information contained in this Form 10-K. Realization of any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Business and Operations

Our business depends on the level of activity in the oil and gas industry.

Our business depends on the level of activity in oil and gas exploration, development and production in market sectors worldwide. Oil and gas prices and market expectations of potential changes in these prices significantly affect this level of activity. However, higher commodity prices do not necessarily translate into increased drilling or well construction and completion activity, since customers’ expectations of future commodity prices typically drive demand for our services and products. In addition, the effects of world events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war in Ukraine and an economic slowdown or recession in the U.S. and other countries, have and may continue to materially impact the demand for crude oil and natural gas, which has contributed further to price volatility. Prices are also impacted by decisions made by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) plus the countries of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan (together with OPEC, “OPEC+”) to either increase or cut production of oil and gas as well as their compliance with those decisions. Global economic conditions have a significant impact on oil and natural gas prices, and any stagnation or deterioration in these conditions could result in less demand for our products and services and could cause our customers to reduce their planned capital spending. Adverse global economic conditions also may cause our customers, vendors and/or suppliers to lose access to the financing necessary to sustain or increase their current level of operations, fulfill their commitments and/or fund future operations and obligations. Even during periods of high prices for oil and natural gas, companies exploring for oil and gas may cancel or curtail programs, seek to renegotiate contract terms, including the price of our products and services, or reduce their levels of capital expenditures for exploration and production for a variety of reasons. These risks are greater during periods of low or declining commodity prices. As a result of declining commodity prices, certain of our customers may be unable to pay their vendors and service providers, including us. A prolonged reduction in oil and natural gas prices may require us to record asset impairments. Such a potential impairment charge could have a material adverse impact on our operating results.

The availability of quality drilling prospects, exploration success, relative production costs, the stage of reservoir development and political and regulatory environments also affect the demand for our services and products. Worldwide military, political, economic and public health events have in the past contributed to volatility in demand and prices for oil and gas and continue to do so at present.

Demand for our offshore services and products substantially depends on the level of activity in offshore oil and gas exploration, development and production. The level of offshore activity is historically cyclical and characterized by large fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in a variety of factors, including oil and gas prices. Other factors that influence the demand for offshore services can include:

While the impact of these factors is difficult to predict, any one or more of these factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

Physical dangers and operating hazards are inherent in our operations and may expose us to significant potential losses.

Our services and products are provided in connection with potentially hazardous drilling, completion and production applications in the oil and gas industry where an accident can potentially have catastrophic consequences.

Risks inherent to these applications, such as equipment malfunctions and failures, equipment misuse and defects, explosions, blowouts and uncontrollable flows of oil, gas or well fluids and natural disasters, on land or in deepwater or shallow water environments, can cause personal injury, loss of life, suspension of operations, damage to formations, damage to facilities, business interruption and damage to or destruction of property, surface water and drinking water resources, equipment, natural resources and the environment.

We may face significant warranty, contract and other litigation claims and incur substantial fines, liabilities or losses as a result of these hazards. Our insurance and contractual indemnity protection may not be sufficient or effective to protect us under all circumstances or against all risks. The occurrence of a significant event, against which we are not fully insured or indemnified or the failure of a customer to meet its indemnification obligations to us, could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We may not be fully indemnified against financial losses in all circumstances where damage to or loss of property, personal injury, death or environmental harm occur.

As is customary in our industry, our contracts typically provide that our customers indemnify us for claims arising from the injury or death of their employees, the loss or damage of their equipment, damage to the reservoir, pollution emanating from the customer’s equipment or from the reservoir (including uncontained oil flow from a reservoir) and catastrophic events, such as a well blowout, fire or explosion. Conversely, we typically indemnify our customers for claims arising from the injury or death of our employees, the loss or damage of our equipment, or pollution emanating from our equipment. 

Our indemnification arrangements may not protect us in every case. For example, from time to time (i) we may enter into contracts with less favorable indemnities or perform work without a contract that protects us, (ii) our indemnity arrangements may be held unenforceable in some courts and jurisdictions or (iii) we may be subject to other claims brought by third parties or government agencies. Furthermore, the parties from which we seek indemnity may not be solvent, may become bankrupt, may lack resources or insurance to honor their indemnities, or may not otherwise be able to satisfy their indemnity obligations to us. The lack of enforceable indemnification could expose us to significant potential losses. Further, our assets generally are not insured against loss from political violence such as war, terrorism or civil unrest. If any of our assets are damaged or destroyed as a result of an uninsured cause, we could recognize a loss of those assets.

Our operations and revenue expose us to political, economic and other uncertainties inherent in doing business in each of the countries in which we operate.

We are exposed to risks inherent in doing business in each of the countries in which we operate, including, but not limited to, the following:

Instability and disruptions in the political, regulatory, economic and social conditions of the countries in which we conduct business, including economically and politically volatile areas such as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, could cause or contribute to factors that could have an adverse effect on the demand for the products and services we provide. Worldwide political, economic, and military events have contributed to oil and gas price volatility and are likely to continue to do so in the future. In particular, heightened levels of uncertainty related to the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, may lead to additional economic sanctions by the U.S. and the international community and could further disrupt financial and commodities markets. Depending on the market prices of oil and gas, oil and gas exploration and development companies may cancel or curtail their drilling or other programs, thereby reducing demand for our services.

In addition, in some countries our local managers may be personally liable for the acts of the Company, and may be subject to prosecution, detention, and the assessment of monetary levies, fines or penalties, or other actions by local governments in their individual capacity. Any such actions taken against our local managers could cause disruption of our business and operations and could cause us to incur significant costs.

While the impact of these factors is difficult to predict, any one or more of these factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

To compete in our industry, we must continue to develop new technologies and products to support our operations, secure and maintain patents related to our current and new technologies and products and protect and enforce our intellectual property rights.

The markets for our services and products are characterized by continual technological developments. Substantial improvements in the scope and quality of the equipment in the markets in which we operate may occur over a short period of time. Alternative products and services have been and may in the future be developed which compete with or displace our products and services. If we are not able to develop commercially competitive products in a timely manner, our ability to service our customers’ demands may be adversely affected.

We may encounter resource constraints, technical barriers, or other difficulties that would delay introduction of new services and products in the future. Our competitors may introduce new products or obtain patents before we do and achieve a competitive advantage. Additionally, the time and expense invested in product development may not result in commercial applications.

It may also be possible for a third party to design around our patents. Patent rights have territorial limits. We may not be able to enforce our patents against infringement occurring in international waters and other “non-covered” territories. We do not have patents in every jurisdiction in which we conduct business and our patent portfolio will not protect all aspects of our business and may relate to obsolete or unusual methods, which would not prevent third parties from entering the same market.

We attempt to limit access to and distribution of our technology and trade secrets by customarily entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, customers and potential customers and suppliers. However, our rights in our confidential information, trade secrets, and confidential know-how will not prevent third parties from independently developing similar information. Publicly available information (for example, information in expired issued patents, published patent applications, and scientific literature) can also be used by third parties to independently develop technology. We cannot provide assurance that this independently developed technology will not be equivalent or superior to our proprietary technology.

In addition, we may become involved in legal proceedings from time to time to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights. Third parties from time to time may initiate litigation against us by asserting that the conduct of our business infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates intellectual property rights. We may not prevail in any such legal proceedings related to such claims, and our products and services may be found to infringe, impair, misappropriate, dilute or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of others. Any legal proceeding concerning intellectual property could be protracted and costly and is inherently unpredictable and could have a material adverse effect on our business, regardless of its outcome. Further, our intellectual property rights may not have the value that management believes them to have and such value may change over time as we and others develop new product designs and improvements.

The industry in which we operate has undergone and may continue to undergo consolidation. 

Some of our largest customers have consolidated in recent years and are using their size and purchasing power to achieve economies of scale and pricing concessions. This consolidation may result in reduced capital spending by such customers or the acquisition of one or more of our other primary customers, which may lead to decreased demand for our products and services. If we cannot maintain sales levels for customers that have consolidated or replace such revenue with increased business activities from other customers, this consolidation activity could have a significant negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are unable to predict what effect consolidations in our industry may have on prices, capital spending by customers, selling strategies, competitive position, ability to retain customers or ability to negotiate favorable agreements with customers.

We are subject to the risk of supplier concentration.

Certain of our product lines depend on a limited number of third party suppliers. As a result of this concentration in some of our supply chains, our business and operations have been and may in the future be negatively affected if our key suppliers were to experience significant disruptions affecting the price, quality, availability or timely delivery of their products. The partial or complete loss of any one of our key suppliers, or a significant adverse change in the relationship with any of these suppliers, through consolidation or otherwise, would limit our ability to manufacture or sell certain of our products.

Seasonal and weather conditions, as well as natural disasters, could adversely affect demand for our services and products and could result in severe property damage or materially and adversely disrupt our operations.

Weather can have a significant impact on demand as consumption of energy is seasonal, and any variation from normal weather patterns, such as cooler or warmer summers and winters, can have a significant impact on demand. Adverse weather conditions, such as hurricanes and ocean currents in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico or typhoons in the Asia Pacific region, may interrupt or curtail our operations or our customers’ operations, cause supply disruptions and result in a loss of revenue and damage to our equipment and facilities, which may or may not be insured. In addition, acute or chronic physical impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise, coastal storm surge, inland flooding from intense rainfall and hurricane-strength winds may damage our facilities. Extreme winter conditions in Canada, Russia, or the North Sea, or droughts in more arid regions in which we do business may interrupt or curtail our operations, or our customers’ operations, and result in a loss of revenue. If the facilities we own are damaged by severe weather or any other disaster, accident, catastrophe or event, our operations could be significantly interrupted. Similar interruptions could result from damage to production or other facilities that provide supplies or other raw materials to our plants or other stoppages arising from factors beyond our control. These interruptions might involve significant damage to property, among other things, and repairs might take from a week or less for a minor incident to many months or more for a major interruption.

In addition, a portion of our business involves the movement of people and certain parts and supplies to or from foreign locations. Any restrictions on travel or shipments to and from foreign locations, due to the occurrence of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods or hurricanes, in these locations, could significantly disrupt our operations and decrease our ability to provide services to our customers. If a natural disaster were to impact a location where we have a high concentration of business and resources, our local facilities and workforce could be affected by such an occurrence or outbreak which could also significantly disrupt our operations and decrease our ability to provide services and products to our customers.

Investor and public perception related to the Company’s ESG performance as well as current and future ESG reporting requirements may affect our business and our operating results.

Increasing focus on ESG factors has led to enhanced interest in, and review of performance results by investors, banks, institutional lenders and other stakeholders, and the potential for reputational risk. Regulatory requirements related to ESG or sustainability reporting have been issued in the European Union (“EU”) that apply to financial market participants, with implementation and enforcement starting in 2021. In the U.S., such regulations have been issued related to pension investments in California, and for the responsible investment of public funds in Illinois. Additional regulation is pending in other states and federally, including the recent release of proposed rules by the SEC that would require companies to enhance and standardize disclosures related to climate change, specifically those associated with physical risks and transitional risks. We expect regulatory requirements related to ESG matters to continue to expand globally. The Company is committed to transparent and comprehensive reporting of our sustainability performance. If we are not able to meet future sustainability reporting requirements of regulators or current and future expectations of investors, customers or other stakeholders, our business and ability to raise capital may be adversely affected.

Events outside of our control, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, have and may further materially adversely affect our business.

We face risks related to pandemics, epidemics, outbreaks or other public health events that are outside of our control and could significantly disrupt our operations and adversely affect our financial condition, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which continues to cause significant global economic disruption. Any prolonged period of economic slowdown or recession in the U.S. and other countries or similar other events outside our control may negatively impact crude oil prices and the demand for our products and services and could have significant adverse consequences on our financial condition and the financial condition of our customers, suppliers and other counterparties, the ultimate impact of which is difficult to predict.

Our business could be negatively affected by cybersecurity threats and other disruptions.

We rely heavily on information systems to conduct and protect our business. These information systems are increasingly subject to sophisticated cybersecurity threats such as unauthorized access to data and systems, loss or destruction of data (including confidential customer information), computer viruses, ransomware, or other malicious code, phishing and cyberattacks, and other similar events. These threats arise from numerous sources, not all of which are within our control, including fraud or malice on the part of third parties, accidental technological failure, electrical or telecommunication outages, failures of computer servers or other damage to our property or assets, or outbreaks of hostilities or terrorist acts. Geopolitical tensions or conflicts, such as the Russian war in Ukraine, may further heighten the risk of cyberattacks.

Given the rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats, there can be no assurance that the systems we have designed and implemented to prevent or limit the effects of cyber incidents or attacks will be sufficient in preventing all such incidents or attacks or avoiding a material impact to our systems when such incidents or attacks do occur. We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, cyber intrusions and attacks to our information systems and our operational technology. To our knowledge, none of these incidents or attacks have resulted in a material cybersecurity intrusion or data breach.

If we were to be subject to a cyber incident or attack in the future, it could result in the disclosure of confidential or proprietary customer information, theft or loss of intellectual property, damage to our reputation with our customers and the market, failure to meet customer requirements or customer dissatisfaction, theft or exposure to litigation, damage to equipment (which could cause environmental or safety issues) and other financial costs and losses. A cyberattack or security breach could result in liability under data privacy laws, regulatory penalties, damage to our reputation or loss of confidence in us, or additional costs for remediation and modification or enhancement of our information systems to prevent future occurrences. In addition, as cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, we may be required to devote additional resources to continue to enhance our protective measures or to investigate or remediate any cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Our executive officers and certain key personnel are critical to our business, and these officers and key personnel may not remain with us in the future.

We depend on the efforts of our executive officers and other key employees to manage our operations. The loss or unavailability of any of our executive officers or other key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business.

If we are unable to adapt our business to the effects of the energy transition in a timely and effective manner, our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted.

The transition of the global energy sector from primarily a fossil fuel-based system to renewable energy sources could affect our customers’ levels of expenditures. Reduced activity in our areas of operation as a result of decreased capital spending could have a negative long-term impact on our business. Our business will need to adapt to changing customer preferences and government requirements. If the energy transition occurs faster than anticipated or in a manner we do not anticipate, demand for our services and products could be adversely affected. In addition, if we fail or are perceived to not effectively implement an energy transition strategy, or if investors, banks or institutional lenders shift funding away from companies in fossil fuel-related industries, our access to capital or the market for our securities could be negatively impacted.

The failure to integrate successfully the businesses of Frank’s and Legacy Expro could adversely affect the Company’s future results.

Prior to the Merger, Frank’s and Legacy Expro operated independently. During 2022, we substantially completed the integration of Frank's and Legacy Expro into the combined Company.

The success of the Merger, including anticipated benefits and cost savings, depends, in part, on our ability to successfully integrate the legacy companies. The integration of our operations following the Merger is a complex, and time-consuming process which began in October 2021 upon the closing of the Merger and remains ongoing. If we experience difficulties in this process, the anticipated benefits of the Merger may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected, which could have an adverse effect on us for an undetermined period. There can be no assurances that we will be successful or that we will realize the expected operational and financial scale, increased free cash flow, or enhanced corporate returns on invested capital currently anticipated from the Merger.

We are also incurring substantial integration-related costs related to the large number of processes, policies, procedures, operations, technologies and systems that must be integrated, including accounting and finance, asset management, benefits, billing, health, safety and environmental, human resources, maintenance, marketing, payroll and purchasing. We continue to assess the magnitude of these costs, and additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the integration of our operations.

Risks Related to Accounting and Financial Matters

Customer credit risks could result in losses.

The concentration of our customers in the energy industry may impact our overall exposure to credit risk as customers may be similarly affected by prolonged changes in economic and industry conditions. Further, laws in some jurisdictions in which we operate could make collection difficult or time consuming. We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers and do not generally require collateral in support of our trade receivables. While we maintain reserves for potential credit losses, we cannot assure such reserves will be sufficient to meet write-offs of uncollectible receivables or that our losses from such receivables will be consistent with our expectations.

In addition, customers experiencing financial difficulty may delay payment for our products and services. Such delays, even if accounts are ultimately paid in full, could reduce our cash resources available and materially and adversely impact our credit available from suppliers and financial institutions.

Restrictions in the agreement governing our Revolving Credit Facility ("RCF") could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.

The operating and financial restrictions in our RCF and any future financing agreements could restrict our ability to finance future operations or capital needs, or otherwise pursue our business activities. These limit our and our subsidiaries' ability to, among other things, prepay certain indebtness and pay dividends or buyback shares. Furthermore, our RCF contains financial covenants which if we fail to comply with could result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, would permit the exercise of remedies against us that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial position. In addition, any borrowings under our RCF may be at variable rates of interest that expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates continue to increase, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness will increase even though the amount borrowed will remain the same, and our net income and cash flows will correspondingly decrease.

Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Requirements

Our operations and our customers’ operations are subject to a variety of governmental laws and regulations that may increase our costs, limit the demand for our services and products or restrict our operations.

Our business and our customers’ businesses may be significantly affected by:

In addition, we depend on the demand for our services and products from the oil and gas industry. This demand is affected by changing taxes, price controls and other laws and regulations relating to the oil and gas industry in general. For example, the adoption of laws and regulations curtailing exploration and development drilling for oil and gas for economic or other policy reasons could adversely affect our operations by limiting demand for our services and products. In addition, some non-U.S. countries may adopt regulations or practices that give advantage to indigenous oil companies in bidding for oil leases or require indigenous companies to perform oilfield services currently supplied by the Company and other international service companies. To the extent that such companies are not our customers, or we are unable to develop relationships with them, our business may suffer. We cannot determine the extent to which our future operations and earnings may be affected by new legislation, new regulations or changes in existing regulations.

Because of our non-U.S. operations and sales, we are also subject to changes in non-U.S. laws and regulations that may encourage or require hiring of local contractors or require non-U.S. contractors to employ citizens of, or purchase supplies from, a particular jurisdiction. If we fail to comply with any applicable law or regulation, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. 

Our operations are subject to environmental and operational safety laws and regulations that may expose us to significant costs and liabilities.

Our oil and gas exploration and production customers’ operations in the U.S. and other countries are subject to stringent federal, state and local legal requirements governing environmental protection. These requirements may take the form of laws, regulations, executive actions and various other legal initiatives. See Part I, Item 1. “Business – Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation” for more discussion on these matters. Compliance with these regulations and other regulatory initiatives, or any other new environmental laws and regulations could, among other things, require us or our customers to install new or modified emission controls on equipment or processes, incur longer permitting timelines, and incur significantly increased capital or operating expenditures, which costs may be significant. Additionally, one or more of these developments that impact our customers could reduce demand for our products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our operations may be adversely affected by various laws and regulations in countries in which we operate relating to the equipment and operation of drilling units, oil and gas exploration and development, as well as import and export activities.

Governing bodies have enacted and may propose legislation or regulations that would materially limit or prohibit drilling in certain areas. The issuance of more stringent safety and environmental guidelines, regulations or moratoria for drilling could disrupt, delay or cancel drilling operations, increase the cost of drilling operations or reduce the area of operations for drilling. If laws are enacted or other governmental action is taken that restricts or prohibits drilling in our expected areas of operation, demand for our services and products could be reduced and our business could be materially adversely affected.

Governments in some foreign countries have been increasingly active in regulating and controlling the ownership of concessions and companies holding concessions, the exploration for oil and gas and other aspects of the oil and gas industries in their countries, including local content requirements for participating in tenders. Many governments favor or effectively require that contracts be awarded to local contractors or require foreign contractors to employ citizens of, or purchase supplies from, a particular jurisdiction. These practices may result in inefficiencies or put us at a disadvantage when we bid for contracts against local competitors.

In addition, the shipment of goods, services and technology across international borders subjects us to extensive trade laws and regulations. Our import and export activities are governed by unique customs laws and regulations in each of the countries where we operate. Moreover, many countries control the import and export of certain goods, services and technology and impose related import and export recordkeeping and reporting obligations. Governments also may impose economic sanctions against certain countries, persons and other entities that may restrict or prohibit transactions involving such countries, persons and entities. We are subject to U.S. anti-boycott laws. The U.S. and other countries also from time to time may impose special punitive tariff regimes targeting goods from certain countries.

The laws and regulations concerning import and export activity, recordkeeping and reporting, import and export control and economic sanctions are complex and constantly changing. These laws and regulations may be enacted, amended, enforced or interpreted in a manner materially impacting our operations. An economic downturn may increase some foreign governments’ efforts to enact, enforce, amend or interpret laws and regulations as a method to increase revenue. Materials that we import can be delayed and denied for varying reasons, some of which are outside our control and some of which may result from failure to comply with existing legal and regulatory regimes. Shipping delays or denials could cause unscheduled operational downtime. Any failure to comply with these applicable legal and regulatory obligations also could result in criminal and civil penalties and sanctions, such as fines, imprisonment, debarment from government contracts, seizure of shipments and loss of import and export privileges.

We are required to comply with a number of complex laws pertaining to business conduct, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar legislation enacted by Governments outside the U.S.

We operate internationally and in some countries with high levels of perceived corruption commonly gauged according to the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. We must comply with complex foreign and U.S. laws including the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which prohibit engaging in certain activities to obtain or retain business or to influence a person working in an official capacity. We do business and may in the future do additional business in countries and regions in which we may face, directly or indirectly, corrupt demands by officials, tribal or insurgent organizations, or by private entities in which corrupt offers are expected or demanded. Furthermore, many of our operations require us to use third parties to conduct business or to interact with people who are deemed to be governmental officials under the anticorruption laws. Thus, we face the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments or other things of value by our employees, contractors or agents. It is our policy to implement compliance procedures to prohibit these practices. However, despite those safeguards and any future improvements to them, our employees, contractors, and agents may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible, regardless of whether such conduct occurs within or outside the U.S. We may also be held responsible for any violations by an acquired company that occur prior to an acquisition, or subsequent to the acquisition but before we are able to institute our compliance procedures. In addition, our non-U.S. competitors that are not subject to the FCPA or similar anticorruption laws may be able to secure business or other preferential treatment in such countries by means that such laws prohibit with respect to us. A violation of any of these laws, even if prohibited by our policies, may result in severe criminal and/or civil sanctions and other penalties, and could have a material adverse effect on our business. Actual or alleged violations could damage our reputation, be expensive to defend, and impair our ability to do business.

We have conducted an internal investigation of the operations of certain of Frank’s foreign subsidiaries in West Africa including possible violations of the FCPA, our policies and other applicable laws. In  June 2016, we voluntarily disclosed the existence of our internal review to the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”). The DOJ has provided a declination, subject to the Company and the SEC reaching a satisfactory settlement of civil claims. We are discussing a possible resolution with the SEC and, based on the course of these discussions to date, we believe that a final resolution of this matter is likely to include a civil penalty in the amount of approximately $8 million. While we believe the final resolution of this matter is nearing a conclusion, there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final resolution, including the amount of any civil penalty, or that a settlement will be reached at all. In the event a settlement is not reached, litigation may ensue and, accordingly, the actual loss incurred in connection with this matter could exceed the expected amount and may have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Compliance with laws and regulations on trade sanctions and embargoes including those administered by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also poses a risk to us. We cannot provide products or services to or in certain countries subject to U.S. or other international trade sanctions or to certain individuals and entities subject to sanctions. Furthermore, the laws and regulations concerning import activity, export recordkeeping and reporting, export control and economic sanctions are complex and constantly changing. Any failure to comply with applicable trade-related laws and regulations, even if prohibited by our policies, could result in criminal and civil penalties and sanctions, such as fines, imprisonment, debarment from governmental contracts, seizure of shipments and loss of import and export privileges. It is our policy to implement procedures concerning compliance with applicable trade sanctions, export controls, and other trade-related laws and regulations. However, despite those safeguards and any future improvements to them, our employees, contractors, and agents may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible, regardless of whether such conduct occurs within or outside the U.S. We may also be held responsible for any violations by an acquired company that occur prior to an acquisition, or subsequent to the acquisition but before we are able to institute our compliance procedures.

There are various risks associated with greenhouse gases and climate change legislation or regulations that could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for our services.

The threat of climate change continues to attract considerable attention. Numerous proposals have been made and could continue to be made at the international, national, regional and state levels of government to monitor and limit existing emissions of GHGs as well as to restrict or eliminate such future emissions. As a result, our operations are subject to a series of regulatory, political, litigation, and financial risks associated with the production and processing of fossil fuels and emission of GHGs. See Part I, Item 1. “Business—Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation” for more discussion on the threat of climate and restriction of GHG emissions. The adoption and implementation of new or more stringent international, federal or state legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that impose more stringent standards for GHG emissions from the oil and natural gas sector or otherwise restrict the areas in which this sector may produce oil and natural gas or generate GHG emissions could result in increased costs of compliance or costs of consuming fossil fuels, and thereby reduce demand for, oil and natural gas, which could reduce demand for our services and products. Additionally, political, litigation and financial risks may result in our oil and natural gas customers restricting or canceling production activities, incurring liability for infrastructure damages as a result of climatic changes, or impairing their ability to continue to operate in an economic manner, which also could reduce demand for our services and products. One or more of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Data protection and regulations related to privacy, data protection and information security could increase our costs, and our failure to comply could result in fines, sanctions or other penalties, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, as well as have an impact on our reputation.

We are subject to regulations related to privacy, data protection and information security in the jurisdictions in which we do business. As privacy, data protection and information security laws are interpreted and applied, compliance costs may increase, particularly in the context of ensuring that adequate data protection and data transfer mechanisms are in place.

In recent years, there has been increasing regulatory enforcement and litigation activity in the areas of privacy, data protection and information security in the U.S. and in various countries in which we operate. In addition, legislators and/or regulators in the U.S., the EU and other jurisdictions in which we operate are increasingly adopting or revising privacy, data protection and information security laws that could create compliance uncertainty and could increase our costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business. Compliance with current or future privacy, data protection and information security laws could significantly impact our current and planned privacy, data protection and information security related practices, our collection, use, sharing, retention and safeguarding of employee information and information regarding others with whom we do business. Our failure to comply with privacy, data protection and information security laws could result in fines, sanctions or other penalties, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and overall business, as well as have an impact on our reputation. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations 2016/679 (the “GDPR”), as supplemented by any national laws (such as in the United Kingdom (“U.K.”), the Data Protection Act 2018) and further implemented through binding guidance from the European Data Protection Board, came into effect on May 25, 2018. The GDPR expanded the scope of the EU data protection law to all foreign companies processing personal data of European Economic Area individuals and imposed a stricter data protection compliance regime, including the introduction of administrative fines for non-compliance, as well as the right to compensation for financial or non-financial damages claimed by any individuals under Article 82 GDPR. Our business may also face reputational damages as a result of any personal data breach or violation of the GDPR.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

As a Dutch company with limited liability, the rights of our shareholders may be different from the rights of shareholders in companies governed by the laws of U.S. jurisdictions.

We are a Dutch company with limited liability (Naamloze Vennootschap). Our corporate affairs are governed by our articles of association and by the laws governing companies incorporated in the Netherlands. The rights of shareholders and the responsibilities of members of our Board may be different from those in companies governed by the laws of U.S. jurisdictions.

For example, resolutions of the general meeting of shareholders may be taken with majorities different from the majorities required for adoption of equivalent resolutions in, for example, Delaware corporations. Although shareholders will have the right to approve legal mergers or demergers, Dutch law does not grant appraisal rights to a company’s shareholders who wish to challenge the consideration to be paid upon a legal merger or demerger of a company.

In addition, if a third party is liable to a Dutch company, under Dutch law shareholders generally do not have the right to bring an action on behalf of the company or to bring an action on their own behalf to recover damages sustained as a result of a decrease in value, or loss of an increase in value, of their ordinary shares. Only in the event that the cause of liability of such third party to the company also constitutes a tortious act directly against such shareholder and the damages sustained are permanent, may that shareholder have an individual right of action against such third party on its own behalf to recover damages. The Dutch Civil Code provides for the possibility to initiate such actions collectively. A foundation or an association whose objective, as stated in its articles of association, is to protect the rights of persons having similar interests may institute a collective action. The collective action cannot result in an order for payment of monetary damages but may result in a declaratory judgment (verklaring voor recht), for example declaring that a party has acted wrongfully or has breached a fiduciary duty. The foundation or association and the defendant are permitted to reach (often on the basis of such declaratory judgment) a settlement which provides for monetary compensation for damages. A designated Dutch court may declare the settlement agreement binding upon all the injured parties, whereby an individual injured party will have the choice to opt-out within the term set by the court (at least three months). Such individual injured party may also individually institute a civil claim for damages within the before mentioned term.

Furthermore, certain provisions of Dutch corporate law have the effect of concentrating control over certain corporate decisions and transactions in the hands of our Board. As a result, holders of our shares may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions by members of our Board than if we were incorporated in the U.S. In the performance of its duties, our Board will be required by Dutch law to act in the interest of the Company and its affiliated business, and to consider the interests of our company, our shareholders, our employees and other stakeholders in all cases with reasonableness and fairness. It is possible that some of these parties will have interests that are different from, or in addition to, interests of our shareholders.

Our articles of association and Dutch corporate law contain provisions that may discourage a takeover attempt.

Provisions contained in our amended and restated articles of association and the laws of the Netherlands could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial to our shareholders. Provisions of our articles of association impose various procedural and other requirements, which could make it more difficult for shareholders to effect certain corporate actions. Among other things, these provisions do not provide for shareholder action by written consent, thereby requiring all shareholder actions to be taken at a general meeting of shareholders.

In addition, based on Dutch corporate law and our articles of association, the 2022 annual general meeting of shareholders has authorized our Board, for a period of eighteen months as of the date of the 2022 annual meeting, to issue common stock, up to 20% of the issued share capital, for any legal purpose, which could include defensive purposes, without further shareholder approval being needed.

These provisions, alone or together, could delay hostile takeovers and changes in control of our company or changes in our management.

It may be difficult for you to obtain or enforce judgments against us or some of our executive officers and directors in the U.S. or the Netherlands.

We were formed under the laws of the Netherlands and, as such, the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and the civil liability of our directors will be governed by the laws of the Netherlands and our amended and restated articles of association.

In the absence of an applicable convention between the U.S. and the Netherlands providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments (other than arbitration awards and divorce decrees) in civil and commercial matters, a judgment rendered by a court in the U.S. will not automatically be recognized by the courts of the Netherlands. In principle, the courts of the Netherlands will be free to decide, at their own discretion, if and to what extent a judgment rendered by a court in the United States should be recognized in the Netherlands.

Without prejudice to the above, in order to obtain enforcement of a judgment rendered by a U.S. court in the Netherlands, a claim against the relevant party on the basis of such judgment should be brought before the competent court of the Netherlands. During the proceedings such court will assess, when requested, whether a foreign judgment meets the above conditions. In the affirmative, the court may order that substantive examination of the matter shall be dispensed with. In such case, the court will confine itself to an order reiterating the foreign judgment against the party against whom it had been obtained. Otherwise, a new substantive examination will take place.

In all of the above situations, we note the following rules as applied by Dutch courts:

Under our amended and restated articles of association, we will indemnify and hold our officers and directors harmless against all claims and suits brought against them, subject to limited exceptions. Under our amended and restated articles of association, to the extent allowed by law, the rights and obligations among or between us, any of our current or former directors, officers and employees and any current or former shareholder will be governed exclusively by the laws of the Netherlands and subject to the jurisdiction of Dutch courts, unless those rights or obligations do not relate to or arise out of their capacities listed above. Although there is doubt as to whether U.S. courts would enforce such provision in an action brought in the U.S. under U.S. securities laws, this provision could make judgments obtained outside of the Netherlands more difficult to have recognized and enforced against our assets in the Netherlands or jurisdictions that would apply Dutch law. Insofar as a release is deemed to represent a condition, stipulation or provision binding any person acquiring our ordinary shares to waive compliance with any provision of the Securities Act or of the rules and regulations of the SEC, such release will be void.

Certain of the shareholders of the Company have the ability to exercise significant influence over certain corporate actions.

Entities affiliated with Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. and members of the Mosing family and entities they control could have significant influence over the outcome of matters requiring a shareholder vote, including the election of directors, the adoption of any amendment to the articles of association of the Company and the approval of mergers and other significant corporate transactions. Their influence over the Company may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or may adversely affect the voting and other rights of other shareholders. In addition, entities affiliated with Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. have the right to designate (i) two persons as its nominees for election to the Board as non-executive directors for so long as the Oak Hill Group (as defined in the Director Nomination Agreement) collectively owns shares of Common Stock equal to at least 20% of the total shares outstanding and (ii) one person as its nominee for election to the Board as a non-executive director for so long as the Oak Hill Group collectively owns shares of Common Stock equal to at least 10% (but less than 20%) of the total shares outstanding. Upon the Oak Hill Group ceasing to collectively own shares of Common Stock equal to at least 10% of the total shares outstanding, Oak Hill Advisors will not have a right to designate a director to the Board. Further, members of the Mosing family have the right to designate one person as their nominee for election to the Board as a non-executive director. Upon the Mosing Family Members (as defined in the Director Nomination Agreement) ceasing to collectively own shares of Common Stock equal to at least 10% of the total shares outstanding, the members of the Mosing family will not have a right to designate a director to the Board. Finally, if these shareholders were in the future to sell all or a material number of shares of Company Common Stock, the market price of Company’s Common Stock could be negatively impacted.

Risks Related to Tax Matters

Changes in tax laws, treaties or regulations or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our tax returns could adversely affect our financial results.

Our future effective tax rates could be adversely affected by changes in tax laws, treaties and regulations, both in the U.S. and internationally. Tax laws, treaties and regulations are highly complex and subject to interpretation. Consequently, we are subject to changing tax laws, treaties and regulations in and between countries in which we operate or are resident. Our income tax expense is based upon the interpretation of the tax laws in effect in various countries at the time that the expense was incurred. A change in these tax laws, treaties or regulations, or in the interpretation thereof, could result in a materially higher tax expense or a higher effective tax rate on our worldwide earnings. If any country successfully challenges our income tax filings based on our structure, or if we otherwise lose a material tax dispute, our effective tax rate on worldwide earnings could increase substantially and our financial results could be materially adversely affected.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

In order to design, manufacture and service the proprietary equipment that support our operations, as well as the products that we offer for sale directly to external customers, we maintain several manufacturing and service facilities around the world. We currently provide our services and products in approximately 60 countries.

The following table details our material facilities by segment, owned or leased by us as of December 31, 2022.

Our largest manufacturing facilities are located in Aberdeen, Scotland and Lafayette, Louisiana, where we design and manufacture a substantial portion of our service equipment. We believe the facilities that we currently occupy are suitable for their intended use.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Information related to Item 3. Legal Proceedings is included in Note 18 “Commitments and contingencies” to the consolidated financial statements.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “XPRO”. Prior to the Merger, our common stock traded on the NYSE under the symbol “FI”.

On February 21, 2023, we had 108,817,989 shares of common stock outstanding. The common shares outstanding at February 21, 2023, were held by approximately 20 record holders. The actual number of shareholders is greater than the number of holders of record.

Dividend Policy

The declaration and payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board and will depend upon, among other things, future earnings, general financial condition, liquidity, capital requirements, restrictions contained in our financing agreements and general business conditions. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will pay dividends.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

We did not have any sales of unregistered equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2022, that we have not previously reported on a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

On June 16, 2022, the Board approved a new stock repurchase program, under which we are authorized to acquire up to $50.0 million of our outstanding common stock through November 24, 2023 (the “Stock Repurchase Program”). Under the Stock Repurchase Program, we may repurchase shares of our common stock in open market purchases, in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. The Stock Repurchase Program is being utilized at management’s discretion and in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws. The timing and actual numbers of shares repurchased, if any, will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate requirements, the constraints specified in the Stock Repurchase Program along with general business and market conditions. The Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate us to repurchase any particular amount of common stock, and it could be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. From the inception of this program in June 2022 to date, we repurchased 1.1 million shares of our common stock for a total cost of approximately $13.0 million. Following is a summary of repurchases of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2022:

Performance Graph

The following performance graph compares the performance of our common stock to the Russell 2000 Index, the PHLX Oil Service Sector Index (“OSX”), the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (“XES”) and to a peer group established by management. The peer group consists of the following companies: Baker Hughes Company, ChampionX Corporation, Core Laboratories N.V., Dril-Quip, Inc., TechnipFMC plc, Halliburton Company, Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc., National Energy Services Reunited Corp., NexTier Oilfield Solutions Inc., Oceaneering International, Inc., NOV Inc. and Schlumberger Limited.

The graph below compares the cumulative total return to holders of our common stock with the cumulative total returns of the Russell 2000 Index, the OSX, the XES and our peer group for the period from December 31, 2017 through December 31, 2022. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our common stock was $100 at December 31, 2017 and for each index (including reinvestment of dividends) and tracks the return on the investment through December 31, 2022. The shareholder return set forth herein is not necessarily indicative of future performance.

The performance graph above and related information shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate by reference.

Item 6. Reserved

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Form 10-K includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements include those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact. Forward-looking statements include information regarding our future plans and goals and our current expectations with respect to, among other things:

These forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “plan,” “intend,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “may,” “outlook,” or other terms that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. The forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K speak only as of the date of this report; we disclaim any obligation to update these statements unless required by law, and we caution you not to rely on them unduly. Forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These risks, contingencies and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

These and other important factors that could affect our operating results and performance are described in (i) Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” and in Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Form 10-K, and elsewhere within this Form 10-K, (ii) our other reports and filings we make with the SEC from time to time and (iii) other announcements we make from time to time. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in the documents above or in this Form 10-K occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance, achievements or plans could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in this section.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” included in this Form 10-K.

This section contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and operations, and involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements because of various factors, including those described in the sections titled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2022 and 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021. Discussions of 2020 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Unless otherwise indicated, references to the terms “Frank’s” refers to Frank’s International N.V., the predecessor reporting entity prior to the Merger, references to “Legacy Expro” refer to Expro Group Holdings International Limited, the entity acquired by the Company, and references to “Expro,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Expro Group Holdings N.V., following the consummation of the Merger and unless the context otherwise requires, Frank’s prior to the consummation of the Merger.

Overview of Business

Working for clients across the entire well life cycle, we are a leading provider of energy services, offering cost-effective, innovative solutions and what we consider to be best-in-class safety and service quality. The Company’s extensive portfolio of capabilities spans well construction, well flow management, subsea well access, and well intervention and integrity solutions.

With roots dating to 1938, we have approximately 7,600 employees and provide services and solutions to leading exploration and production companies in both onshore and offshore environments in approximately 60 countries.

Our broad portfolio of products and services are designed to enhance production and improve recovery across the well lifecycle from exploration through abandonment, including:

We operate a global business and have a diverse and relatively stable customer base that is comprised of national oil companies (“NOC”), international oil companies (“IOC”), independent exploration and production companies (“Independents”) and service partners. We have strong relationships with a number of the world’s largest NOCs and IOCs, some of which have been our customers for decades. We are dedicated to safely and sustainably delivering maximum value to our customers.

We organize and manage our operations on a geographical basis. Our reporting structure and the key financial information used by our management team is organized around our four operating segments: (i) NLA, (ii) ESSA, (iii) MENA and (iv) APAC.

How We Generate Our Revenue

Our revenue is derived primarily from providing services in well construction, well flow management, subsea well access and well intervention and integrity to operators globally. Our revenue includes equipment service charges, personnel charges, run charges and consumables. Some of our contracts allow us to charge for additional deliverables, such as the costs of mobilization of people and equipment and customer specific engineering costs associated with a project. We also procure products and services on behalf of our customers that are provided by third parties for which we are reimbursed with a mark-up or in connection with an integrated services contract. We also design, manufacture and sell equipment, which is typically done in connection with a related operations and maintenance arrangement with a particular customer. In addition, we also generate revenue from the sale of certain well construction products.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, approximately 79% of our revenue was generated outside of the United States and approximately 70% of our revenue was generated by activities related to offshore oil and gas operations. Approximately 70% of our revenue was generated by services tied to drilling and completions-related activities, which are generally funded by customers’ capital expenditures, and approximately 30% of our revenue was generated by production optimization related activities, which are generally funded by customers’ operating expenditures rather than capital expenditures.

Market Conditions and Price of Oil and Gas

Fiscal year 2022 has seen positive signs of recovery in the market following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine. There are a number of market factors that have had, and may continue to have, an effect on our business, including:

Outlook

Demand continues to improve despite volatile oil prices, with oil demand forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels in early 2023. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) estimates that global liquids consumption will increase from an average of 99.4 million barrels per day ("b/d") in 2022 to 100.5 million b/d in 2023 (approximating 2019 consumption levels) and rise further to 102.2 million b/d in 2024.  The EIA expects continued OPEC+ production growth in 2023 and a further increase of 0.8 million b/d over 2022, to average 29.5 million b/d in 2024. The increase in OPEC+ production along with growth in U.S. oil production in 2023 (expected to rise to 12.4 million b/d in 2023 and 12.8 million b/d in 2024, greater than the highest annual average U.S. crude oil production on record) is expected to lead to an overall build in global oil inventories in 2023.  As a result, the EIA has reduced its forecast for Brent crude oil spot prices from its third quarter prediction to an average $83 per barrel in 2023 and $78 per barrel in 2024, compared to an average $101 per barrel in 2022. The EIA’s third quarter forecast was an average $102 per barrel in 2022 and $95 per barrel in 2023, so the EIA is increasingly forecasting a stabilizing oil price with lower price peaks.

In addition to the improving oil market outlook, global natural gas prices remain elevated due to a combination of sustained economic activity and energy security concerns in Europe driving continued strong demand for LNG to replace Russian pipeline gas. The global demand for natural gas is set to decline from the highs of 2022 as domestic consumption from the electric power and industrial sectors is reduced and LNG exports remain relatively flat, limiting further upwards pricing pressures in 2023.

The EIA expects Henry Hub spot prices to decrease to an average of $4.90 per million British thermal unit (“MMBtu”) in 2023, down close to 25% from $6.42 MMBtu in 2022, then falling to $4.80/MMBtu in 2024 as natural gas production outpaces an increase in LNG exports resulting from rising LNG export capacity. Rystad forecasts the European and Asian LNG spot price to trade at approximately $32.0/MMBtu and $30.0/MMBtu respectively in 2023, a reduction from previous forecasts as record-strong LNG supplies have driven a storage build, suggesting a comparably softer market for 2023. The market does however remain tight for 2023 with upside risks due to further reduction in Russian gas and LNG exports, cold spells in the northern hemisphere, and a recovery in Chinese demand.

The outlook for 2023 indicates a continuing recovery in exploration and production expenditures, with investments expected to reach pre-pandemic levels with growth maintained in offshore shelf activity, driven by Latin America, shale / tight oil led by the U.S. land markets, and significant investments in incremental capacity in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, in order to offset the decline in Russian gas supply.

As a result, we expect demand for our services and solutions to continue to trend positively through 2023. The following provides an outlook for 2023 by our reporting segments based on data from Spears and Associates, Inc.

NLA: In North America, activity is projected to increase in 2023 by approximately 12% to 810 active rigs and over 21,900 new well spuds, which will also support an increase of 6% in frac activity over 2022. Approximately 792 rigs are forecast to be active in onshore North America, and 18 rigs active offshore, a 20% increase over 2022 active offshore rig count. The rate of growth has decelerated recently, most likely due to increased oilfield inflation and fiscal discipline from operators looking to return excess cash to investors or use cash to reduce financial leverage. In Latin America, drilling activity is forecast to increase 19% in 2023 to 202 active rigs and approximately 2,700 new wells, driven by the continued recovery in Argentina and Mexico, two countries with the highest drilling activity in the region. Offshore drilling activity in Latin America is forecast to rise 13% to 44 active rigs and 280 wells, driven by Brazil and Mexico, but offshore activity in Guyana is also expected to remain buoyant.

ESSA: European drilling is projected to average 84 active rigs in 2023 (up 14%) accounting for approximately 775 new wells. Offshore drilling is projected to rise by 9% in 2023, averaging 35 rigs with 425 new wells. As a result of energy security concerns and a desire by European policy makers  to reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas imports, there remains an increased focus on North Sea operations and production optimization from existing assets, core areas of Expro’s expertise. In Sub-Saharan Africa, drilling activity is forecast to jump by 12% in 2023 to average 129 active rigs, drilling over 1,000 new wells. Sub-Saharan Africa growth is driven by offshore activity with 16% growth forecast in 2023, with the progression of development programs for a number of large offshore projects.  In addition, exploration campaigns in Namibia are also progressing. New gas and LNG projects are expected to boost Africa’s natural gas production to record levels over the next decade, driven by Europe’s demand for non-Russian imports and Africa’s own gas demand rising.

MENA: In the Middle East and North Africa, drilling activity is projected to rise substantially in 2023 (26%) to an average of 356 active rigs, drilling over 3,100 new wells as Saudi Arabia seeks to meet increased demand for its oil with several large oilfield expansion schemes. Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Iraq also plan to increase their production capacity. There also is increased focus on infield development and production optimization and enhancement projects to increase production rates (for example in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar), also adding to a positive future activity outlook.

APAC: In Asia-Pacific, drilling activity is forecast to increase by 11% with 189 active rigs drilling around 2,500 new wells in 2023. Offshore activity is forecast to grow 20% to an average of 49 rigs, with growth primarily in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.  In addition, carbon capture, utilization and storage project interest is growing, with opportunities being investigated in Thailand as well as in Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia.  Production enhancement, well intervention and well abandonment activities are also gaining momentum.

How We Evaluate Our Operations

We use a number of financial and operational measures to routinely analyze and evaluate the performance of our business, including Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations and Cash Conversion.

Revenue: We analyze our performance by comparing actual monthly revenue by operating segments and areas of capabilities to our internal projections for each month. Our revenue is primarily derived from well construction, well flow management, subsea well access and well intervention and integrity solutions.

Adjusted EBITDA: We regularly evaluate our financial performance using Adjusted EBITDA. Our management believes Adjusted EBITDA is a useful financial performance measure as it excludes non-cash charges and other transactions not related to our core operating activities and allows more meaningful analysis of the trends and performance of our core operations.

Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations: We regularly evaluate our operating cash flow performance using Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations. Our management believes Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations is a useful tool to measure the operating cash performance of the Company as it excludes exceptional payments, interest payments and non-cash charges not related to our core operating activities and allows more meaningful analysis of the trends and performance of our core operations.

Cash Conversion: We regularly evaluate our efficiency of generating cash from operations using Cash Conversion which provides a useful tool to measure Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations as a percentage of Adjusted EBITDA.

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations and Cash Conversion are non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable financial performance measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP and a reconciliation of Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations to net cash provided by operating activities, the most directly comparable liquidity measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Executive Overview

Year ended December 31, 2022 compared to year ended December 31, 2021

Certain highlights of our financial results and other key developments include:

Selected Unaudited Financial Information for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022

Operating Segment Results

The following table shows revenue by segment and revenue as a percentage of total revenue by segment for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022:

The following table shows the Segment EBITDA and Segment EBITDA as a percentage of total revenue by segment (“Segment EBITDA margin”) and a reconciliation to income (loss) before income taxes for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022:

Quarter ended December 31, 2022 compared to quarter ended September 30, 2022

NLA

Revenue for the NLA segment was $131.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $2.9 million, or 2.1%, compared to $134.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to lower well management services revenue in Mexico and the U.S., partially offset by higher well construction services revenue in the Gulf of Mexico driven by higher customer activities.

Segment EBITDA for the NLA segment was $35.2 million, or 26.7% of revenues, during the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $39.7 million, or 29.5% of revenues, during the three months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $4.5 million in Segment EBITDA was attributable to lower activity and the reduction in Segment EBITDA margin was attributable to a less favorable product mix during the three months ended December 31, 2022.

ESSA

Revenue for the ESSA segment was $117.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $17.5 million, or 17.6%, compared to $99.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in revenues was primarily driven by higher well flow management revenue in Congo from a new contract and in the U.K. from increased customer activities.

Segment EBITDA for the ESSA segment was $30.2 million, or 25.7% of revenues, for the three months ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $12.4 million, or 69.9%, compared to $17.8 million, or 17.8% of revenues, for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in Segment EBITDA and Segment EBITDA margin was primarily attributable to higher activity levels and a more favorable activity mix during the three months ended December 31, 2022.

MENA

Revenue for the MENA segment was $55.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $5.4 million, or 10.7%, compared to $50.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in revenue was driven by higher well flow management services revenue in Algeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Segment EBITDA for the MENA segment was $19.4 million, or 35.1% of revenues, for the three months ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $4.7 million, or 32.5%, compared to $14.7 million, or 29.3% of revenues, for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in Segment EBITDA and Segment EBITDA margin was primarily due to higher activity and a more favorable activity mix during the three months ended December 31, 2022.

APAC

Revenue for the APAC segment was $46.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $3.3 million, or 6.8%, compared to $49.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in revenue was primarily due to lower subsea well access revenue in Australia and Malaysia.

Segment EBITDA for the APAC segment was $3.7 million, or 7.9% of revenues, for the three months ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $12.3 million compared to $(8.6) million, or (17.3)% of revenues, for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in Segment EBITDA (despite the decrease in revenues) was primarily due to lower start-up and commissioning costs incurred on a large subsea project during the three months December 31, 2022, as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022. Excluding $4.8 million and $16.8 million of start-up and commissioning costs during the three months ended December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022, respectively, Segment EBITDA would have been $8.5 million and $8.1 million and Segment EBITDA margin would have been 18.2% and 16.3% respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We include in this Form 10-K the non-GAAP financial measures Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations and Cash Conversion. We provide reconciliations of net loss, the most directly comparable financial performance measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA. We also provide a reconciliation of Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations to net cash provided by operating activities, the most directly comparable liquidity measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations and Cash Conversion are used as supplemental financial measures by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others. These non-GAAP financial measures allow our management and others to assess our financial and operating performance as compared to those of other companies in our industry, without regard to the effects of our capital structure, asset base, items outside the control of management and other charges outside the normal course of business.

We define Adjusted EBITDA as net loss adjusted for (a) income tax expense (benefit), (b) depreciation and amortization expense, (c) impairment expense, (d) severance and other expense, net, (e) stock-based compensation expense, (f) merger and integration expense, (g) gain on disposal of assets, (h) other income, net, (i) interest and finance income (expense), net and (j) foreign exchange losses. Adjusted EBITDA margin reflects our Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues.

We define Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations as net cash provided by operating activities adjusted for cash paid during the period for interest, net, severance and other expense and merger and integration expense. We define Cash Conversion as Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations divided by Adjusted EBITDA.

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations and Cash Conversion have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. As Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations and Cash Conversion may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations and Cash Conversion may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA for each of the periods presented (in thousands):

The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations for each of the periods presented (in thousands):

Results of Operations

Operating Segment Results

We evaluate our business segment operating performance using segment revenue and Segment EBITDA, as described in Note 5 “Business segment reporting” in our consolidated financial statements. We believe Segment EBITDA is a useful operating performance measure as it excludes non-cash charges and other transactions not related to our core operating activities and corporate costs, and Segment EBITDA allows management to more meaningfully analyze the trends and performance of our core operations by segment as well as to make decisions regarding the allocation of resources to our segments.

The following table shows revenue by segment and revenue as a percentage of total revenue by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021:

The following table shows Segment EBITDA and Segment EBITDA margin by segment and a reconciliation to income (loss) before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021:

Year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021

NLA

Revenue for the NLA segment was $499.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of 306.6 million, or 158.7%, compared to $193.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Of the total increase, $257.8 million was attributable to higher well construction revenue, reflecting a full-year impact of the Merger (versus only the fourth quarter of 2021 in the prior year) and higher customer activities in Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. and Brazil during the year ended December 31, 2022. The remaining increase of $48.9 million was attributable to higher well flow management revenue in the U.S., Gulf of Mexico and Canada as well as higher well intervention and integrity revenue in Argentina and Brazil during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Segment EBITDA for the NLA segment was $135.2 million, or 27.1% of revenues, during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $32.3 million or 16.7% of revenues during the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $102.9 million. The increase was primarily attributable to a combination of the impact of the Merger and higher activities during the year ended December 31, 2022. Further, the increase in Segment EBITDA margin was due to a more favorable activity mix and lower support costs as a result of merger-related synergies, which together contributed to a higher fall-through from incremental revenue. 

ESSA

Revenue for the ESSA segment was $389.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $88.7 million, or 29.5%, compared to $300.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Merger contributed an increase of $85.6 million, reflecting well construction revenue during the year ended December 31, 2022. Additionally, well intervention and integrity services revenue was higher during the current period in the U.K. and Mozambique due to increased customer activities. We also benefited from higher well flow management revenue during the three months ended December 31, 2022, driven by a new long-term construction project in Congo. This increase was partially offset by lower well flow management business activity in Nigeria due to a large production equipment sale in 2021 that did not recur during the current period and lower well flow management services revenue in Norway from reduced customer activities.

Segment EBITDA for the ESSA segment was $74.7 million, or 19.2% of revenues, during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $53.3 million, or 17.7% of revenues, during the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $21.4 million, primarily due to the impact of the Merger and higher activities during the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in Segment EBITDA margin was primarily due to a more favorable activity mix.

MENA

Revenue for the MENA segment was $201.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $30.4 million, or 17.7%, compared to $171.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Of the total increase, $15.9 million was attributable to the Merger reflecting the well construction revenue during the year, and the remaining increase was primarily driven by well flow management equipment sales in Saudi Arabia and higher well flow management revenue in Algeria and Egypt, partially offset by lower well intervention and integrity activities in Algeria.

Segment EBITDA for the MENA segment was $63.3 million, or 31.4% of revenues, during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $56.3 million, or 32.9% of revenues during the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to a combination of the impact of the Merger and higher activities during the year ended December 31, 2022. The reduction in Segment EBITDA margin was primarily due to lower activity on higher margin contracts and a less favorable activity mix.

APAC

Revenue for the APAC segment was $188.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $27.9 million, or 17.3%, compared to $160.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Of the total increase, $26.5 million was attributable to the Merger with the addition of well construction revenue during the period, and the remaining increase was primarily attributable to higher subsea well access and well intervention and integrity services revenue in Australia and Brunei, respectively, partially offset by lower well flow management and well intervention and integrity revenue in Thailand.

Segment EBITDA for the APAC segment was $4.9 million, or 2.6% of revenues, during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $33.4 million, or 20.8% of revenues, during the year ended December 31, 2021. The reduction in Segment EBITDA and Segment EBITDA margin was primarily due to $27.7 million in start-up and commissioning costs incurred on a large subsea project during the year ended December 31, 2022 that did not occur during the year ended December 31, 2021, lower activity on higher margin contracts and a resulting less favorable activity mix. Excluding the $27.7 million of such start-up and commissioning costs during the year ended December 31, 2022, Segment EBITDA would have been $32.6 million and Segment EBITDA margin would have been 17.3%.

Corporate Costs

Corporate costs for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by $21.4 million, or 32.3%, to $87.6 million as compared to $66.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in the corporate costs is primarily driven by the impact of the Merger, whereby the statement of operations reflect the corporate costs of only Legacy Expro prior to the Merger and of the combined company (including activities of Frank’s) for all periods subsequent to the Merger, partially offset by lower support costs as a result of merger-related synergies.

Equity in income of joint ventures

Equity in income of joint ventures for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased by $1.0 million, or 6.1%, to $15.7 million as compared to $16.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease reflects lower income from our joint venture in China compared to the previous year.

Depreciation and amortization expense

Depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by $15.9 million, or 12.8%, to $139.8 million, as compared to $123.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 is primarily related to the Merger.

Merger and integration expense

Merger and integration expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased by $34.0 million, to $13.6 million as compared to $47.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower legal and other professional fees, and lower integration and other costs related to the Merger incurred during the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.

Stock-based compensation expense

Stock-based compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $18.5 million as compared to $54.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease is primarily attributable to the recognition of stock-based compensation expense for Legacy Expro’s Management Incentive Plan of $42.1 million as a result of the Merger during the previous year ended December 31, 2021 as the performance conditions within the stock-based compensation agreements were satisfied upon consummation of the Merger, as compared to $3.8 million of expenses incurred on the Legacy Expro’s Management Incentive Plan during the current year ended December 31, 2022.

Gain on disposal of assets

No gain on disposal of assets was recorded for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The gain during the previous year represented the earn-out consideration related to a sale of assets which occurred in 2020; the gain was recognized as the conditions upon which the consideration was contingent were met during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Interest and finance expense, net

Interest and finance expense, net, for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $0.2 million, a decrease of $8.6 million, or 97.7%, compared to $8.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in interest and finance expense was primarily due to fees incurred with respect to the New Facility established following the Merger during the previous year.

Income tax (expense) benefit

Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $41.2 million, compared to an income tax expense of $16.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Our statutory tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 25.8% as compared to 25.0% for the year ended December 31, 2021. The effective tax rate was 768.0% and (12.3%) for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 respectively. Our effective tax rate was impacted by the Merger in 2021 and the geographic mix of profits and losses between deemed profit and taxable profit jurisdictions.

Our effective income tax rate fluctuates from the statutory tax rate based on, among other factors, changes in pretax income in jurisdictions with varying statutory tax rates along with jurisdictions utilizing a deemed profit taxation regime, the impact of valuation allowances, foreign inclusions and other permanent differences related to the recognition of income and expense.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity

Our financial objectives include the maintenance of sufficient liquidity, adequate financial resources and financial flexibility to fund our business. At December 31, 2022, total available liquidity was $348.5 million, including cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of $218.5 million and $130.0 million available for borrowings under our New Facility. Expro believes these amounts, along with cash generated by ongoing operations, will be sufficient to meet future business requirements for the next 12 months and beyond. Our primary sources of liquidity have been cash flows from operations. Our primary uses of capital have been for capital expenditures and acquisitions. We monitor potential capital sources, including equity and debt financing, in order to meet our investment and liquidity requirements.

Our total capital expenditures are estimated to range between $120.0 million and $130.0 million for 2023. Our total capital expenditures were $81.9 million for year ended December 31, 2022, out of which approximately 90% were used for the purchase and manufacture of equipment to directly support customer-related activities and approximately 10% for other property, plant and equipment, inclusive of software costs. The actual amount of capital expenditures for the purchase and manufacture of equipment may fluctuate based on market conditions. Our total capital expenditures (exclusive of the Merger) were $81.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which were generally used for the purchase and manufacture of equipment to directly support customer-related activities. We continue to focus on preserving and protecting our strong balance sheet, optimizing utilization of our existing assets and, where practical, limiting new capital expenditures.

On June 16, 2022, the Board approved the Stock Repurchase Program. Under the Stock Repurchase Program, we may repurchase shares of our common stock in open market purchases, in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. The Stock Repurchase Program is being utilized at management’s discretion and in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws. The timing and actual numbers of shares repurchased, if any, will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate requirements, the constraints specified in the Stock Repurchase Program along with general business and market conditions. The Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate us to repurchase any particular amount of common stock, and it could be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 1.1 million shares at an average price of $11.81 per share, for a total cost of $13.0 million under this $50.0 million program.

Credit Facility

Revolving Credit Facility

On November 5, 2018, certain subsidiaries of Frank’s entered into an asset-based revolving credit facility (the “ABL Credit Facility”) with aggregate commitments of $100.0 million secured by certain assets of the subsidiary guarantors.

On December 20, 2018, subsidiaries of Legacy Expro entered into a revolving credit facility (the “2018 RCF”) with aggregate commitments of $150.0 million with up to $100.0 million available for drawdowns as loans and up to $50 million for bonds and guarantees. The 2018 RCF was secured by a fixed and floating charge on certain assets of some of our wholly owned subsidiaries. On October 1, 2021, following the closing of the Merger, the ABL Credit Facility and 2018 RCF were cancelled.

Concurrently with the cancelation of the ABL Credit Facility and the 2018 RCF, we entered into the New Facility with DNB Bank ASA, London Branch, as agent, with total commitments of $200.0 million, of which $130.0 million is available for drawdowns as loans and $70.0 million is available for letters of credit. Proceeds of the New Facility may be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. Please see Note 16 “Interest bearing loans” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

On July 21, 2022, the Company entered into an agreement to increase the facility available for letters of credit to $92.5 million, on the same terms as the current facility, increasing total facility commitments to $222.5 million.

Cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities

Cash flows provided by (used in) our operations, investing and financing activities are summarized below (in thousands):

Analysis of cash flow changes between the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

Net cash provided by operating activities

Net cash provided by operating activities was $80.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to $16.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase of $64.1 million in net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to improvements in Adjusted EBITDA of $80.3 million, a decrease in payment of merger and integration expenses related to the Merger by $9.8 million, and a decrease in payment of severance and other expense by $4.1 million partially offset by unfavorable movements in working capital of $15.9 million and an increase in income tax payments by $13.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations during the year ended December 31, 2022 was $115.3 million compared to $65.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. Our primary uses of net cash provided by operating activities were capital expenditures and funding obligations related to our financing arrangements.

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities was $71.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to net cash provided by investing activities of $112.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. Our principal recurring investing activity is our capital expenditures. The change in net cash used in investing activities was primarily due to cash of $189.7 million acquired as part of the Merger during the year ended December 31, 2021 and an acquisition of technology of $8.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2022, partially offset by proceeds from sale / maturity of investments of $11.3 million and an increase in proceeds from disposal of assets by $3.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. Capital expenditures during the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 both approximated $82 million.

Net cash used in financing activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $25.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to $7.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase of $18.4 million in cash used in financing activities is primarily related to repurchase of common stock of $13.0 million, an increase in payment of financed insurance premium of $7.0 million, and an increase in payment of withholding taxes on stock-based compensation plans of $3.4 million, partially offset by lower payment of loan issuance and other transaction costs of $5.0 million during 2022.

Off-balance sheet arrangements

We have outstanding letters of credit/guarantees that relate to performance bonds, custom/excise tax guaranties and facility lease/rental obligations. These were entered into in the ordinary course of business and are customary practices in the various countries where we operate. It is not practicable to estimate the fair value of these financial instruments. None of the off-balance sheet arrangements either has, or is likely to have, a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2022, we had no material off-balance sheet financing arrangements other than those discussed above.

Critical accounting policies and estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires Expro to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues and associated costs as well as reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosures of contingent liabilities. Certain accounting policies involve judgments and uncertainties. We evaluate estimates and assumptions on a regular basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We consider the following policies to be the most critical to understanding the judgments that are involved and the uncertainties that could impact our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Revenue recognition

Service revenue is recognized over a period of time as services are performed or rendered and the customer simultaneously consumes the benefit of the service while it is being rendered, and, therefore, reflects the amount of consideration to which we have a right to invoice. We generally perform services either under direct service purchase orders or master service agreements which are supplemented by individual call-out provisions. For customers contracted under such arrangements, an accrual is recorded in unbilled receivable for revenue earned but not yet invoiced. Revenue from the sale of goods is generally recognized at the point in time when the control has passed onto the customer which generally coincides with delivery and, where applicable, installation. We also regularly assess customer credit risk inherent in the carrying amounts of receivables, contract costs and estimated earnings, including the risk that contractual penalties may not be sufficient to offset our accumulated investment in the event of customer termination.

We also recognize revenue for “bill and hold” sales, once the following criteria have been met: (1) there is a substantive reason for the arrangement, (2) the product is identified as the customer’s asset, (3) the product is ready for delivery to the customer, and (4) we cannot use the product or direct it to another customer.

Where contractual arrangements contain multiple performance obligations, judgment is involved to analyze each performance obligation within the sales arrangement to determine whether they are distinct. The revenue for contracts involving multiple performance obligations is allocated to each distinct performance obligation based on relative selling prices and is recognized on satisfaction of each of the distinct performance obligations.

We recognize revenue for long-term construction-type contracts, involving significant design and engineering efforts in order to satisfy custom designs for customer-specific applications, on an over a period of time basis, using an input method, which represents the ratio of actual costs incurred to date on the project in relation to total estimated project costs. The estimate of total project costs has a significant impact on both the amount of revenue recognized as well as the related profit on a project. Revenue and profits on contracts can also be significantly affected by change orders and claims. Profits are recognized based on the estimated project profit multiplied by the percentage complete. Due to the nature of these projects, adjustments to estimates of contract revenue and total contract costs are often required as work progresses. Any expected losses on a project are recorded in full in the period in which they are identified.

We are required to determine the transaction price in respect of each of our contracts with customers. In making such judgment, we assess the impact of any variable consideration in the contract, due to discounts or penalties, the existence of any significant financing component and any non-cash consideration in the contract. In determining the impact of variable consideration, we use the “most-likely amount” method whereby the transaction price is determined by reference to the single most likely amount in a range of possible consideration amounts.

Business Combinations

We record business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. All of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at estimated fair value as of the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired is recorded as goodwill.

The application of the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions in the determination of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, in order to properly allocate purchase price consideration between assets that are depreciated and amortized from goodwill. The fair value assigned to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed are based on management’s estimates and assumptions, as well as other information compiled by management, including valuations that utilize customary valuation procedures and techniques. Significant assumptions and estimates include, but are not limited to, the cash flows that an asset is expected to generate in the future and what we believe to be an appropriate weighted-average cost of capital.

If the actual results differ from the estimates and judgments used in these estimates, the amounts recorded in the consolidated financial statements may be exposed to potential impairment of long-lived assets, including intangible assets and goodwill. The Merger of Frank’s with Legacy Expro pursuant to the Merger Agreement was completed on October 1, 2021. Refer to Note 3 “Business combinations and dispositions” of our consolidated financial statements for further details.

Goodwill and identified intangible assets

We record the excess of purchase price over the fair value of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed as goodwill. Goodwill is not subject to amortization and is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. A qualitative assessment is allowed to determine if goodwill is potentially impaired. We have the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The qualitative assessment determines whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount. If it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying amount, then a quantitative impairment test is performed. The quantitative goodwill impairment test is used to identify both the existence of impairment and the amount of impairment loss. The test compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded based on that difference.

No impairment expense was recorded for goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2022 or December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded impairment expense of $191.9 million, relating to our goodwill. Refer to Note 4 “Fair value measurements” of our consolidated financial statements for details regarding the facts and circumstances that led to this impairment and other details. We used the income approach and the market approach to estimate the fair value of our reporting units. The income approach estimates the fair value by discounting the reporting unit’s estimated future cash flows using what we believe to be an appropriate risk-adjusted rate. The market approach includes the use of comparative multiples to corroborate the discounted cash flow results and involves significant judgment in the selection of the appropriate peer group companies and valuation multiples. The inputs used in the determination of fair value are generally level 3 inputs.

We review our identified intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances arise that may indicate that the carrying amount of its intangible assets may not be recoverable. These events and changes can include significant current period operating losses or negative cash flows associated with the use of an intangible asset, or group of assets, combined with a history of such factors, significant changes in the manner of use of the assets, and current expectations that it is more likely than not that an intangible asset will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life. When impairment indicators are present, we compare undiscounted future cash flows, including the eventual disposition of the asset group at market value, to the asset group’s carrying value to determine if the asset group is recoverable. If the carrying values are in excess of undiscounted expected future cash flows, we measure any impairment by comparing the fair value of the asset or asset group to its carrying value. Estimating future cash flows requires significant judgment, and projections may vary from the cash flows eventually realized, which could impact our ability to accurately assess whether an asset has been impaired.

No impairment expense was recorded for identified intangible assets during the year ended December 31, 2022 or December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded impairment expense relating to our identified intangible assets of $60.4 million. Refer to Note 4 “Fair value measurements” of our consolidated financial statements for further details.

Defined benefit plans

Our post-retirement benefit obligations are described in detail in Note 19 “Post-retirement benefits” of our consolidated financial statements. Defined pension benefits are calculated using significant inputs to the actuarial models that measure pension benefit obligations and related effects on operations. Two assumptions, discount rate and expected return on assets, are important elements of plan asset/liability measurement and are updated on an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances so indicate.

We evaluate these critical assumptions at least annually on a plan and country specific basis. We periodically evaluate other assumptions involving demographic factors such as retirement age, mortality and turnover, and update them to reflect our experience and expectations for the future. Actual results in any given year will often differ from actuarial assumptions because of economic and other factors.

The discount rate that we use reflects the market rate of a portfolio of high-quality corporate bonds with maturities approximately matching the expected timing of payment of the related benefit obligations. The discount rates used to determine the benefit obligations for our principal pension plans were 4.7% in 2022, 1.8% in 2021 and 1.3% in 2020, reflecting market interest rates. As of December 31, 2022, we estimate that a 1% increase or decrease in the discount rate would result in an impact of approximately $18.5 million to our present value of defined benefit obligations at December 31, 2022.

The expected rate of return on plan assets represents the average rate of return expected to be earned on plan assets over the period that benefits included in the benefit obligation are expected to be paid, with consideration given to the distribution of investments by asset class and historical rates of return for each individual asset class. The weighted average expected rate of return on plan assets for the pension plans was 5.6% in 2022, 3.2% in 2021 and 2.7% in 2020. A change in the expected rate of return of 1% would impact our net periodic pension expense by $2.7 million.

Income Taxes

We use the asset and liability method to account for income taxes whereby we calculate the deferred tax asset or liability account balances using tax laws and rates in effect at that time. Under this method, the balances of deferred tax liabilities and assets at the end of each period are determined using the tax rate expected to be in effect when taxes are actually paid or recovered. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce gross deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the gross deferred tax assets will not be realized. In determining the need for valuation allowances, we have made judgments and considered estimates regarding estimated future taxable income and available tax planning strategies. These estimates and judgments include some degree of uncertainty, therefore changes in these estimates and assumptions could require us to adjust the valuation allowances for our deferred tax assets accordingly. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the generation of sufficient taxable income in the applicable taxing jurisdictions.

We operate in approximately 60 countries. As a result, we are subject to numerous domestic and foreign taxing jurisdictions and tax agreements and treaties among various governments. Determination of taxable income in any jurisdiction requires the interpretation of the related tax laws and regulations and the use of estimates and assumptions regarding future events, including the amount, timing and character of income, deductions, and tax credits. Changes in tax laws, regulations or agreements in each taxing jurisdiction could have an impact on the amount of income taxes that we provide during any given year.

Our tax filings for various periods are subject to audit by the tax authorities in most jurisdictions in which we operate, and these assessments can result in additional taxes. Estimating the outcome of audits and assessments by the tax authorities involves uncertainty. We review the facts of each case and apply judgments and assumptions to determine the most likely outcome and provide for taxes, interest and penalties on this basis. In line with U.S. GAAP, we recognize the effects of a tax position in the consolidated financial statements when it is more likely than not that, based on the technical merits, some level of tax benefit related to a tax position will be sustained upon audit by tax authorities. Our experience has been that the estimates and assumptions used to provide for future tax assessments have proven to be appropriate. However, past experience is only a guide, and the potential exists that tax resulting from the resolution of current and potential future tax disputes may differ materially from the amount accrued. In such an event, we will record additional tax expense or tax benefit in the period in which such resolution occurs.

New accounting pronouncements

See Note 2 “Basis of presentation and significant accounting policies” in our consolidated financial statements under the heading “Recent accounting pronouncements.”

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Financial risk factors

Our operations expose us to several financial risks, principally market risk (foreign currency risk and interest rate risk) and credit risk.

Foreign currency risk

Cash flow exposure

We expect many of the subsidiaries of our business to have future cash flows that will be denominated in currencies other than the United States Dollar ("USD"). Our primary cash flow exposures are revenues and expenses. Changes in the exchange rates between USD and other currencies in which our subsidiaries transact will cause fluctuations in the cash flows we expect to receive or pay when these cash flows are realized or settled. We generally attempt to minimize our currency exchange risk by seeking to naturally hedge our exposure by offsetting non-USD denominated inflows with non-USD denominated local expenses. We generally do not enter into forward hedging agreements, and our largest exposures are to the British pound and Norwegian kroner, mainly driven by facility costs and employee compensation and benefits.

Transaction exposure

Many of our subsidiaries have assets and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than the USD. Changes in the exchange rates between USD and the other currencies in which such liabilities are denominated can create fluctuations in our reported consolidated statements of operations and cash flows.

As of December 31, 2022, we estimate that a 5% appreciation (depreciation) in USD would result in a change in our net loss of approximately $3.2 million.

Interest rate risk

We currently have no outstanding variable interest rate bearing debt and accordingly, we are not exposed to variability in interest expense and cash flows due to interest rate changes.

Credit risk

Our exposure to credit risk is primarily through cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and accounts receivable, including unbilled balances. Our liquid assets are invested in cash, with a mix of local and international banks, and highly rated, short-term money market deposits, generally with original maturities of less than 90 days. We monitor the ratings of such investments and mitigate counterparty risks as appropriate.

We extend credit to customers and other parties in the normal course of business and are thus subject to concentrations of customer credit risk. We have established various procedures to manage our credit exposure, including credit evaluations and maintaining an allowance for credit losses. We are also exposed to credit risk because our customers are concentrated in the oil and natural gas industry. This concentration of customers impacts overall exposure to credit risk because our customers may be similarly affected by changes in economic and industry conditions, including changes in oil and gas prices. We operate in approximately 60 countries and as such, our receivables are spread over many countries and customers. Accounts receivable in Algeria and the U.S. represented approximately 13% and 17%, respectively, of our net accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2022. No other country accounted for greater than 10% of our accounts receivable balance. Our customer base is comprised of a large number of IOC, NOC, Independents and service partners from all major oil and gas locations around the world. The majority of our accounts receivable are due for payment in less than 90 days and largely comprise amounts receivable from IOCs and NOCs. We closely monitor accounts receivable and raise provisions for expected credit losses where it is deemed appropriate.

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