MRC GLOBAL INC. - Quarter Report: 2023 September (Form 10-Q)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)

MRC GLOBAL INC.

(in millions, except per share amounts)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

MRC GLOBAL INC.

(in millions, except per share amounts)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (UNAUDITED)

MRC GLOBAL INC.

(in millions)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (UNAUDITED)

MRC GLOBAL INC.

(in millions)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)

MRC GLOBAL INC.

(in millions)

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

MRC GLOBAL INC.

NOTE 1 – BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Business Operations: MRC Global Inc. is a holding company headquartered in Houston, Texas. Our wholly owned subsidiaries are global distributors of pipe, valves, fittings (“PVF”) and infrastructure products and services across each of the following sectors:

We have service centers in industrial, chemical, gas distribution and hydrocarbon producing and refining areas throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. We obtain products from a broad range of suppliers.

Basis of Presentation: We have prepared our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X for interim financial statements. These statements do not include all information and footnotes that generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") require for complete annual financial statements. However, the information in these statements reflects all normal recurring adjustments that are, in our opinion, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, are not necessarily indicative of the results that will be realized for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. We have derived our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022, from the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022. You should read these condensed consolidated financial statements in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2022. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MRC Global Inc. and its wholly owned and majority owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the "Company" or by terms such as "we", "our" or "us"). All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards: In the fourth quarter of 2022, we early adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that the discontinuation of certain reference rates, including the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), impacts. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

NOTE 2 – REVENUE RECOGNITION

We recognize revenue when we transfer control of promised goods or services to our customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. We recognize substantially all of our revenue when products are shipped or delivered to our customers, and payment is due from our customers at the time of billing with a majority of our customers having 30-day terms. We estimate and record returns as a reduction of revenue. Amounts received in advance of shipment are deferred and recognized when the performance obligations are satisfied. Sales taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and, therefore, we exclude these taxes from sales in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. Cost of sales includes the cost of inventory sold and related items, such as vendor rebates, inventory allowances and reserves and shipping and handling costs associated with inbound and outbound freight, as well as depreciation and amortization of intangible assets. In some cases, particularly with third-party pipe shipments, we consider shipping and handling costs to be separate performance obligations, and as such, we record the revenue and cost of sales when the performance obligation is fulfilled.

Our contracts with customers ordinarily involve performance obligations that are one year or less. Therefore, we have applied the optional exemption that permits the omission of information about our unfulfilled performance obligations as of the balance sheet dates.

Contract Balances: Variations in the timing of revenue recognition, invoicing and receipt of payment result in categories of assets and liabilities that include invoiced accounts receivable, uninvoiced accounts receivable, contract assets and deferred revenue (contract liabilities) on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Generally, revenue recognition and invoicing occur simultaneously as we transfer control of promised goods or services to our customers. We consider contract assets to be accounts receivable when we have an unconditional right to consideration and only the passage of time is required before payment is due. In certain cases, particularly those involving customer-specific documentation requirements, we delay invoicing until we are able to meet the documentation requirements. In these cases, we recognize a contract asset separate from accounts receivable until those requirements are met, and we are able to invoice the customer. Our contract asset balance associated with these requirements as of September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, was $12 million and $24 million, respectively. These contract asset balances are included within accounts receivable in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

We record contract liabilities, or deferred revenue, when we receive cash payments from customers in advance of our performance, including amounts that are refundable. The deferred revenue balance at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $6 million and $9 million, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we recognized $3 million and $8 million of revenue that was deferred as of December 31, 2022. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recognized $0 million and $3 million of revenue that was deferred as of December 31, 2021. Deferred revenue balances are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Disaggregated Revenue:

The following table presents our revenue disaggregated by revenue source (in millions):

NOTE 3 – INVENTORIES

The composition of our inventory is as follows (in millions):

The Company uses the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method of valuing U.S. inventories. The use of the LIFO method has the effect of reducing net income during periods of rising inventory costs (inflationary periods) and increasing net income during periods of falling inventory costs (deflationary periods). Valuation of inventory under the LIFO method can be made only at the end of each year based on the inventory levels and costs at that time. Accordingly, we base interim LIFO calculations on management’s estimates of expected year-end inventory levels and costs and these estimates are subject to the final year-end LIFO inventory determination. 

NOTE 4 – LEASES

We lease certain distribution centers, warehouses, office space, land and equipment. Substantially all of these leases are classified as operating leases. We recognize lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet.

Many of our facility leases include one or more options to renew, with renewal terms that can extend the lease term from one year to 15 years with a maximum lease term of 30 years, including renewals. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion; therefore, renewals to extend the terms of most leases are not included in our right of use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities as they are not reasonably certain of exercise. In the case of our regional distribution centers and certain corporate offices, where the renewal is reasonably certain of exercise, we include the renewal period in our lease term. Leases with escalation adjustments based on an index, such as the consumer price index, are expensed based on current rates. Leases with specified escalation steps are expensed based on the total lease obligation ratably over the life of the lease. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the expected lease term. Non-lease components, such as payment of real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance and other operating expenses, have been excluded from the determination of our lease liability.

As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of the lease payments using a portfolio approach. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

Expense associated with our operating leases was $11 million and $31 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, and $10 million and $30 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, which we have classified in selling, general and administrative expenses. Cash paid for leases recognized as liabilities was $10 million and $30 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, and $10 million and $31 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022.

The maturity of lease liabilities is as follows (in millions):

The term and discount rate associated with leases are as follows:

Amounts maturing after 2027 include expected renewals for leases of regional distribution centers and certain corporate offices through dates up to 2048. Excluding these optional renewals, our weighted-average remaining lease term is 6 years.

NOTE 5 – LONG-TERM DEBT

The components of our long-term debt are as follows (in millions):

Senior Secured Term Loan B: We have a Senior Secured Term Loan B (the “Term Loan”) with an original principal amount of $400 million, which amortizes in equal quarterly installments of 1% per year with the balance payable in September 2024, when the facility matures. In accordance with ASC 470, we have classified the Term Loan as a non-current liability as of  September 30, 2023, as the Company has the intent and ability to refinance the Term Loan with its Global ABL Facility on a long-term basis. The Term Loan has an applicable interest rate margin of 300 basis points in the case of loans incurring interest based on LIBOR, and 200 basis points in the case of loans incurring interest based on the base rate. Beginning  July 1, 2023, the LIBOR interest rate is now calculated as the aggregate Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME") Term SOFR plus the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) credit adjustment spread. "Term SOFR" is the forward-looking, per annum secured overnight financing rate administered by CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited and published on the applicable Thompson Reuters Corporation website page for each of 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month maturities. The Term Loan allows for incremental increases in facility size by up to an aggregate of $200 million, plus an additional amount such that the Company’s first lien leverage ratio (as defined under the Term Loan) would not exceed 4.00 to 1.00. MRC Global (US) Inc. is the borrower under this facility, which MRC Global Inc. as well as all of its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries guarantees. In addition, the Term Loan is secured by a second lien on the assets securing our Global ABL Facility, defined below (which includes accounts receivable and inventory) and a first lien on substantially all of the other assets of MRC Global Inc. and those of its U.S. subsidiaries as well as a pledge of all of the capital stock of our domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of first tier, non-U.S. subsidiaries. In addition, the Term Loan contains a number of customary restrictive covenants. We are required to repay the Term Loan with the proceeds from certain asset sales and certain insurance proceeds. In addition, on an annual basis, we are required to repay an amount equal to 50% of excess cash flow, as defined in the Term Loan, reducing to 25% if our first lien leverage ratio is no more than 2.75 to 1.00. No payment of excess cash flow is required if the first lien leverage ratio is less than or equal 2.50 to 1.00. The amount of cash used in the determination of the senior secured leverage ratio is limited to $75 million.

Global ABL Facility: The Company is a party to a multi-currency, global asset-based lending facility (the “Global ABL Facility”), including certain of its subsidiaries, its lenders and Bank of America, N.A. as administrative agent, security trustee and collateral agent. The Global ABL Facility is a revolving credit facility of $750 million, which matures in September 2026. The Global ABL Facility is comprised of $705 million in revolver commitments in the United States, which includes a $30 million sub-limit for Canada, $12 million in Norway, $10 million in Australia, $10.5 million in the Netherlands, $7.5 million in the United Kingdom and $5 million in Belgium. The Global ABL Facility contains an accordion feature that allows us to increase the principal amount of the facility by up to $250 million, subject to securing additional lender commitments. MRC Global Inc. and each of its current and future wholly owned material U.S. subsidiaries guarantee the obligations of our borrower subsidiaries under the Global ABL Facility. Additionally, each of our non-U.S. borrower subsidiaries guarantees the obligations of our other non-U.S. borrower subsidiaries under the Global ABL Facility. Outstanding obligations are generally secured by a first priority security interest in accounts receivable, inventory and related assets. In December 2022, the Company and Administrative Agent entered into an amendment to the Global ABL Facility to replace the London Interbank Offered Rate with a new prevailing benchmark interest rate known as Term SOFR for all U.S. dollar borrowings. U.S. borrowings under the amended facility bear interest at the Term SOFR plus a margin varying between 1.25% and 1.75% based on our fixed charge coverage ratio. Canadian borrowings under the facility bear interest at the Canadian Dollar Bankers' Acceptances Rate ("BA Rate") plus a margin varying between 1.25% and 1.75% based on our fixed charge coverage ratio. Borrowings under our foreign borrower subsidiaries bear interest at a benchmark rate, which varies based on the currency in which such borrowings are made, plus a margin varying between 1.25% and 1.75% based on our fixed charge coverage ratio. Availability is dependent on a borrowing base comprised of a percentage of eligible accounts receivable and inventory, which is subject to redetermination from time to time. Excess Availability, as defined under our Global ABL Facility, was $696 million as of  September 30, 2023.

Interest on Borrowings: The interest rates on our outstanding borrowings at  September 30, 2023, including a floating to fixed interest rate swap at December 31, 2022, which expired in March 2023, are set forth below:

NOTE 6 – REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK

Preferred Stock Issuance

In June 2015, we issued 363,000 shares of Series A Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) and received gross proceeds of $363 million. The Preferred Stock ranks senior to our common stock with respect to dividend rights and rights on liquidation, winding-up and dissolution. The Preferred Stock has a stated value of $1,000 per share, and holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to cumulative dividends payable quarterly in cash at a rate of 6.50% per annum. In June 2018, the holders of Preferred Stock designated one member to our board of directors. If we fail to declare and pay the quarterly dividend for an amount equal to six or more dividend periods, the holders of the Preferred Stock would be entitled to designate an additional member to our board of directors. Holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote together with the holders of the common stock as a single class, in each case, on an as-converted basis, except where law requires a separate class vote of the common stockholders. Holders of Preferred Stock have certain limited special approval rights, including with respect to the issuance of pari passu or senior equity securities of the Company.

The Preferred Stock is convertible at the option of the holders into shares of common stock at an initial conversion rate of 55.9284 shares of common stock for each share of Preferred Stock, which represents an initial conversion price of $17.88 per share of common stock, subject to adjustment. The Company currently has the option to redeem, in whole but not in part, all the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock at par value, subject to certain redemption price adjustments. We may elect to convert the Preferred Stock, in whole but not in part, into the relevant number of shares of common stock if the last reported sale price of the common stock has been at least 150% of the conversion price then in effect for a specified period. The conversion rate is subject to customary anti-dilution and other adjustments.

Holders of the Preferred Stock may, at their option, require the Company to repurchase their shares in the event of a fundamental change, as defined in the agreement. The repurchase price is based on the original $1,000 per share purchase price except in the case of a liquidation, in which case the holders would receive the greater of $1,000 per share and the amount that would be received if they held common stock converted at the conversion rate in effect at the time of the fundamental change. Because this feature could require redemption as a result of the occurrence of an event not solely within the control of the Company, the Preferred Stock is classified as temporary equity on our balance sheet.

MRC Global Inc. may not enter into any new, or amend, or modify any existing agreement or arrangement that by its terms restricts, limits, prohibits or prevents the Company from paying dividends on the Preferred Stock, redeeming or repurchasing the Preferred Stock or effecting the conversion of the Preferred Stock. Any such agreement, amendment or modification would require the consent of the holder of the Preferred Stock.

NOTE 7 – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Equity Compensation Plans

The Company's Omnibus Incentive Plan permits the issuance of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units and other stock-based and cash-based awards. Since the adoption of the Plan, the Company’s board of directors has periodically granted stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and performance share units to directors and employees, but no other types of awards have been granted under the plan. Options and stock appreciation rights may not be granted at prices less than the fair market value of our common stock on the date of the grant, nor for a term exceeding ten years. For employees, vesting generally occurs over a three-year period on the anniversaries of the date specified in the employees’ respective agreements, subject to accelerated vesting under certain circumstances set forth in the agreements, and in any event, no less than one year. Vesting for directors generally occurs on the one-year anniversary of the grant date. A Black-Scholes option-pricing model is used to estimate the fair value of the stock options. A Monte Carlo simulation is completed to estimate the fair value of performance share unit awards with a stock price performance component. We expense the fair value of all equity grants, including performance share unit awards, on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. In 2023, 335,959 performance share unit awards, 135,019 restricted stock awards, and 745,039 shares of restricted stock units have been granted to executive management, members of our Board of Directors and employees.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Accumulated other comprehensive loss in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets consists of the following (in millions):

Earnings per Share 

Earnings per share are calculated in the table below (in millions, except per share amounts):

Equity awards and shares of Preferred Stock are disregarded in the calculation of diluted earnings per share if they are determined to be anti-dilutive. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, all of the shares of the Preferred Stock were dilutive. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, all of the shares of the Preferred Stock were anti-dilutive. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we had approximately 1.2 million and 1.3 million dilutive stock options, restricted stock units, and performance units. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, we had approximately 1.4 million and 1.3 million dilutive stock options, restricted stock units, and performance units.

NOTE 8 – SEGMENT INFORMATION

Our business is comprised of three operating and reportable segments: U.S., Canada and International. Our International segment consists of our operations outside of the U.S. and Canada. These segments represent our business of selling PVF to the energy sector across each of the Gas Utilities, Downstream, Industrial and Energy Transition, and Production and Transmission Infrastructure sectors.

The following table presents financial information for each reportable segment (in millions):

Our sales by product line are as follows (in millions):

NOTE 9 – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

From time to time, we use derivative financial instruments to help manage our exposure to interest rate risk and fluctuations in foreign currencies.

Interest Rate Swap: In March 2018, we entered into a five-year interest rate swap that became effective on March 31, 2018, with a notional amount of $250 million from which the Company received payments at 1-month LIBOR and made monthly payments at a fixed rate of 2.7145% with settlement and reset dates on or near the last business day of each month until maturity. The fair value of the swap at inception was zero.

We designated the interest rate swap as an effective cash flow hedge utilizing the guidance under ASU 2017-12. As such, the valuation of the interest rate swap was recorded as an asset or liability, and the gain or loss on the derivative was recorded as a component of other comprehensive income (loss). Interest rate swap agreements are reported on the accompanying balance sheets at fair value utilizing observable Level 2 inputs such as yield curves and other market-based factors. We obtain dealer quotations to value our interest rate swap agreements. The fair value of our interest rate swap was estimated based on the present value of the difference between expected cash flows calculated at the contracted interest rates and the expected cash flows at current market interest rates. The fair value of the interest rate swap was an asset of $1 million as of  December 31, 2022.

On March 31, 2023, the interest rate swap agreement expired and was not extended with any new agreements or amendments. An immaterial net gain recorded as a component of other comprehensive loss was reclassified to interest expense as of March 31, 2023.  

Foreign Exchange Forward Contracts:

With the exception of long-term debt, the fair values of our financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, trade accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate carrying value. The carrying value of our debt was $303 million and $340 million at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. We estimate the fair value of the Term Loan using Level 2 inputs or quoted market prices. The fair value of our debt was $301 million and $337 million at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

NOTE 10 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Litigation

Asbestos Claims.  We are one of many defendants in lawsuits that plaintiffs have brought seeking damages for personal injuries that exposure to asbestos allegedly caused. Plaintiffs and their family members have brought these lawsuits against a large volume of defendant entities as a result of the defendants’ manufacture, distribution, supply or other involvement with asbestos, asbestos containing-products or equipment or activities that allegedly caused plaintiffs to be exposed to asbestos. These plaintiffs typically assert exposure to asbestos as a consequence of third-party manufactured products that our MRC Global (US) Inc. subsidiary purportedly distributed. As of September 30, 2023, we are named a defendant in approximately 548 lawsuits involving approximately 1,113 claims. No asbestos lawsuit has resulted in a judgment against us to date, with a majority being settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved. Applicable third-party insurance has substantially covered these claims, and insurance should continue to cover a substantial majority of existing and anticipated future claims. Accordingly, we have recorded a liability for our estimate of the most likely settlement of asserted claims and a related receivable from insurers for our estimated recovery, to the extent we believe that the amounts of recovery are probable. It is not possible to predict the outcome of these claims and proceedings. However, in our opinion, the likelihood that the ultimate disposition of any of these claims and legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our condensed consolidated financial statements is remote.

Other Legal Claims and Proceedings.  From time to time, we have been subject to various claims and involved in legal proceedings incidental to the nature of our businesses. We maintain insurance coverage to reduce financial risk associated with certain of these claims and proceedings. It is not possible to predict the outcome of these claims and proceedings. However, in our opinion, the likelihood that the ultimate disposition of any of these claims and legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our condensed consolidated financial statements is remote.

Product Claims.  From time to time, in the ordinary course of our business, our customers may claim that the products that we distribute are either defective or require repair or replacement under warranties that either we or the manufacturer may provide to the customer. These proceedings are, in the opinion of management, ordinary and routine matters incidental to our normal business. Our purchase orders with our suppliers generally require the manufacturer to indemnify us against any product liability claims, leaving the manufacturer ultimately responsible for these claims. In many cases, state, provincial or foreign law provides protection to distributors for these sorts of claims, shifting the responsibility to the manufacturer. In some cases, we could be required to repair or replace the products for the benefit of our customer and seek our recovery from the manufacturer for our expense. In our opinion, the likelihood that the ultimate disposition of any of these claims and legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our condensed consolidated financial statements is remote.

Customer Contracts

We have contracts and agreements with many of our customers that dictate certain terms of our sales arrangements (pricing, deliverables, etc.). While we make every effort to abide by the terms of these contracts, certain provisions are complex and often subject to varying interpretations. Under the terms of these contracts, our customers have the right to audit our adherence to the contract terms. Historically, any settlements that have resulted from these customer audits have not been material to our condensed consolidated financial statements.

Purchase Commitments

We have purchase obligations consisting primarily of inventory purchases made in the normal course of business to meet operating needs. While our vendors often allow us to cancel these purchase orders without penalty, in certain cases, cancellations may subject us to cancellation fees or penalties depending on the terms of the contract.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. As used in this Form 10-Q, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references to the “Company,” “MRC Global,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to MRC Global Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (as well as other sections of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q) contain 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 preceded by, followed by or including the words “will,” “expect,” “intended,” “anticipated,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “propose,” “plan,” “estimate,” “enable” and similar expressions, including, for example, statements about our business strategy, our industry, our future profitability, growth in the industry sectors we serve, our expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, prospects and assumptions, and estimates and projections of future activity and trends in the oil and natural gas industry. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on management’s expectations that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, including the factors described under “Risk Factors,” that may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things:

Undue reliance should not be placed on our forward-looking statements. Although forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs, reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except to the extent law requires.

Overview

We are the leading global distributor of pipe, valves, fittings ("PVF") and other infrastructure products and services to diversified energy, industrial and gas utility end-markets. We provide innovative supply chain solutions, technical product expertise and a robust digital platform to customers globally through our leading position across each of our diversified end-markets including the following sectors:

We offer over 250,000 SKUs, including an extensive array of PVF, oilfield supply, valve automation and modification, measurement, instrumentation and other general and specialty products from our global network of over 9,000 suppliers. With over 100 years of experience, our approximately 2,900 employees serve approximately 10,000 customers through 218 service locations including regional distribution centers, service centers, corporate offices and third-party pipe yards, where we often deploy pipe near customer locations.

Key Drivers of Our Business

We derive our revenue predominantly from the sale of PVF and other supplies to energy, industrial and gas utility customers globally. Our business is dependent upon both the current conditions and future prospects in these industries and, in particular, our customers' maintenance and expansionary operating and capital expenditures. The outlook for PVF spending is influenced by numerous factors, including the following:

Recent Trends and Outlook

During the three months ended September 30, 2023, revenue increased 2% sequentially from the three months ended June 30, 2023, and decreased 2% from the three months ended September 30, 2022. We are now projecting lower growth for the remainder of 2023 for our U.S. segment than we previously anticipated primarily due to reduced activity in our Gas Utilities sector sales. 

Gas Utilities
Our Gas Utility business continues to be our largest sector, making up 36% of our total company revenue for the first nine months of 2023. Sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, were flat compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Although the long-term growth fundamentals of this sector remain intact, several key gas utilities customers are currently focused on reducing their own product inventory levels due to more certainty in the supply chain and associated lead times. Higher interest rates and inflation in construction costs are also causing customers to delay project activity. Although we have experienced lower sales activity in this sector over the last few quarters, the long-term market drivers remain positive due to distribution integrity upgrade programs as well as new home construction in certain U.S. states. The majority of the work we perform with our gas utility customers are multi-year programs where they continually evaluate, monitor and implement measures to improve their pipeline distribution networks, ensuring the safety and the integrity of their system. As of 2022, which is the most recently available information, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) estimates approximately 35% of the gas distribution main and service line miles are over 40 years old or of unknown origin. This infrastructure requires continuous replacement and maintenance as these gas distribution networks continue to age. We supply many of the replacement products including valves, line pipe, smart meters, risers and other gas products. A large percentage of the line pipe we sell is sold to our gas utilities customers for line replacement and new sections of their distribution network. Additionally, as our gas utility customers connect new homes and businesses to their gas distribution network, the growth in the housing market creates new revenue opportunities for our business to supply the related infrastructure products. While new housing market starts have declined with interest rate increases, we do not anticipate this to have a significant impact, as customers will generally reallocate their budgets towards integrity upgrade projects. The compound annual growth rate since 2016 for this sector is 12% and based on market fundamentals and new market share opportunities, we expect this area of our business to continue to have steady growth. Additionally, this sector has proven historically to be less sensitive to a scenario of economic slowdown due to its reduced dependency on energy demand and commodity prices.

Downstream, Industrial and Energy Transition (DIET)
DIET generated 30% of our total company revenue and grew 5% from the first nine months of 2022. Although lower than our original expectations, we continue to expect this sector to deliver strong growth in 2023 driven by increased customer activity levels related to new energy transition related projects, liquified natural gas ("LNG") projects, maintenance, repair and operations ("MRO") activities, and project turnaround activity in refineries and chemical plants. This sector has a significant amount of project activity, which can create substantial variability between quarters.

The energy transition portion of our business is growing rapidly, particularly for biofuel refinery projects. The outlook for energy transition projects in the coming years is robust as pressure to decarbonize the economy rises and government incentives and policy such as those in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 begin to support the development of carbon energy alternatives. Also, many of our customers have made commitments to net zero emissions to address climate change. Our customer base represents many of the primary leaders in the energy transition movement and is positioned to lead the effort to decarbonize through nearer-term efforts such as renewable or biodiesel refineries and offshore wind power generation as well as longer-term efforts such as carbon capture and storage and hydrogen. These types of projects require similar products that we currently provide today to these customers. We also sell low-emission valves, which represent 96% of the valves we currently sell. Low-emission valves restrict the release of methane and other greenhouse gases into the environment. We are well positioned to grow our energy transition business as we supply products for these projects through our long-standing customer relationships and our product and global supply chain expertise.

Production and Transmission Infrastructure (PTI)
The PTI sector of our business is the most cyclical, and in the first nine months of 2023 this sector represented 34% of our company revenues with a 14% increase from the nine months ended September 30, 2022. During the first nine months of 2023, Brent crude oil price averaged approximately $82 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") oil prices averaged approximately $77 per barrel. Recent OPEC+ production cuts have maintained prices at levels that support continued growth in drilling and completion activity by our customers. Natural gas prices also drive customer activity and have experienced recent volatility and declines, which if this remains sustainably low, could negatively impact our business. Additionally, the war between Israel and Hamas that began on October 7, 2023, may result in volatility in oil and gas prices.

To the extent completion activity and related production increases, this could improve our revenue opportunities in our PTI sector. New well completions and higher production levels drive the need for additional surface equipment and gathering and processing infrastructure, benefitting this sector's revenue. The majority of the revenue in this sector is driven by large independents and major exploration and production companies, which are expected to strongly influence the increase in capital spending this year and the coming years for this sector. This group of customers make up the majority of our sales within the PTI sector.

Russia-Ukraine War
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, which has had several consequences to the broader economy, global attitudes toward energy security and the pace of the energy transition. Government actions to reduce dependency on Russian fuels through embargoes and encourage an end to the conflict through sanctions on Russia have spurred a commodity price spike, supply constraints and various policy changes to address energy security. While we have no operations or sales in Ukraine, Belarus or Russia, the conflict has impacted several macro energy trends.

As Europe looks to replace Russian natural gas with more stable sources, LNG with its related infrastructure, is being considered as an alternative to Russian gas supplies, with new projects being considered in the U.S. and Europe. To the extent new LNG infrastructure is built, our PTI and DIET sectors are well-positioned to benefit from this growth.

Supply Chain and Labor
Our strong inventory position has allowed us to navigate supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the majority of our products, lead times have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Transportation costs are also generally in-line with pre-pandemic rates.

Inflation for the majority of our products has eased and we do not expect to see significant increases for the rest of the year. To the extent further pricing fluctuations impact our products, the impact on our revenue and cost of goods sold, which is determined using the last-in, first-out ("LIFO") inventory costing methodology, remains subject to uncertainty and volatility. However, our supply chain expertise, relationships with our key suppliers and inventory position has allowed us to manage the supply chain for both inflationary and deflationary pressures. In addition, our contracts with customers generally allow us to pass price increases along to customers within a reasonable time after they occur.

Many customers are focused on reducing their own product inventory levels due to more certainty in the supply chain and associated lead times. We have also been able to reduce our inventory levels from the peak in early second quarter 2023, due to this normalization in supply chain. 

There has been little impact to our supply chain directly from the conflict in Ukraine. However, despite the relaxed COVID-19 restrictions in China, recent geopolitical conflicts could have the potential to further constrain the global supply chain and impact the availability of component parts, particularly for valves and meters.

Globally, we are being impacted by labor constraints as the post-pandemic recovery has lowered unemployment rates and created increased competition among companies to attract and retain personnel, which has increased our selling, general and administrative expense. We proactively monitor market trends in the areas where we have operations and, due to our efficient sourcing practices, have experienced little to no disruption supporting our customers.

Backlog

We determine backlog by the amount of unshipped customer orders, which the customer may revise or cancel in certain instances. The table below details our backlog by segment (in millions):

There can be no assurance that the backlog amounts will ultimately be realized as revenue or that we will earn a profit on the backlog of orders, but we expect that substantially all of the sales in our backlog will be realized within twelve months.

Key Industry Indicators

The following table shows key industry indicators for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 Compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2022

The breakdown of our sales by sector for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in millions):

For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the following table summarizes our results of operations (in millions):