KBR Announces Third Quarter 2009 Results

$0.45 per diluted share for third quarter 2009 net income attributable to KBR, Inc.

• Press Release
• Source: KBR
• On 6:28 am EDT, Thursday October 29, 2009

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBR (NYSE:KBR - News):

• Revenue for the first nine months of 2009 increased 12% over the first nine months of the previous year
• Operating income for the first nine months of 2009 increased 6% over the first nine months of 2008
• Solid backlog at the end of September 30, 2009 of $13.5 billion, up 9% over the sequential quarter; no material project cancellations during the third quarter of 2009
• Continued strong balance sheet with $1.0 billion cash and equivalents
• Corporate G&A for the first nine months of 2009 down 4% compared to the first nine months of 2008, despite increased revenue over the same time period

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KBR (NYSE:KBR - News) announced today that third quarter 2009 net income attributable to KBR was $73 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, compared to net income attributable to KBR of $85 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2008. Net income attributable to KBR for the third quarter of 2008 included income from discontinued operations of $11 million, or $0.07 per diluted share resulting from foreign tax credits related to the sale of KBR’s 51% ownership interest in Devonport Management Limited.

Consolidated revenue in the third quarter of 2009 was $2.8 billion compared to $3.0 billion in the third quarter of 2008. Consolidated operating income was $131 million in the third quarter of 2009 compared to $144 million in the third quarter of 2008.

For the third quarter of 2009, consolidated operating income included a $17 million reduction of a prior 2008 charge related to an unfavorable jury verdict on the LogCAP III contract and a net $25 million charge related to equipment failures, subcontractor claims, schedule delays, and project close out issues on three LNG projects which are now commercially operational. Net income for the third quarter of 2009 included a $10 million tax benefit related to a return to accrual adjustment for the 2008 tax year, partially offset by a $6 million impairment of goodwill at a staffing company acquired as part of the BE&K acquisition.

“The highlight of the quarter was the award for the Gorgon LNG project for engineering, procurement, and construction management services. KBR has been involved in this world-class project for several years and we are excited to have the opportunity to deliver quality execution on this project for our customers,” said Bill Utt, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of KBR. “Operationally, our business delivered solid performance, despite experiencing several isolated items related to the completion or near completion of several LNG projects. In addition, we had a 15 percent quarter over quarter decline in our LogCAP revenue, consistent with reduced activity levels in Iraq.”

2009 Third Quarter Business Unit Results

Upstream business unit income was $48 million in the third quarter of 2009 compared to business unit income of $53 million in the third quarter of 2008. Business unit income in the third quarter of 2009 had positive contributions from various gas monetization projects, including the Pearl GTL, Skikda LNG, Gorgon LNG, and Escravos GTL projects, an offshore related project in the Caspian area, the PNG LNG project, and several topside engineering projects.

Government and Infrastructure business unit income was $89 million in the third quarter of 2009 compared to business unit income of $104 million in the third quarter of 2008. Business unit income in the third quarter of 2009 had positive contributions from Iraq-related activities, the Allenby & Connaught project, work on the CENTCOM project, and numerous infrastructure projects, including the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway. Business unit income in the third quarters of 2009 and 2008 included a $17 million and $13 million reduction of a previous $40 million charge related to an unfavorable jury verdict from litigation with a subcontractor on the LogCAP III contract in the second quarter of 2008, respectively.

Services business unit income was $36 million in the third quarter of 2009 compared to business unit income of $27 million in the third quarter of 2008. Business unit income in the third quarter of 2009 had positive contributions from power projects in Georgia and Texas, the Scotford Upgrader project in Canada, construction and maintenance work in Texas, the offshore service vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, and an activated carbon project in Louisiana.

Downstream business unit income was $10 million in the third quarter of 2009 compared to business unit income of $15 million in the third quarter of 2008. Business unit income in the third quarter of 2009 had positive contributions from program management services for the Ras Tanura project in Saudi Arabia, the Lobito refinery FEED in Angola, and several other refining projects.

Technology business unit income was $7 million in the third quarter of 2009 compared to business unit income of $4 million in the third quarter of 2008. Business unit income in the third quarter of 2009 had positive contributions from several ammonia license and basic engineering projects in South America, one project in India, and one project completion in Trinidad.

Ventures business unit income was $4 million in the third quarter of 2009 compared to business unit income of $0 million in the third quarter of 2008. Business unit income in the third quarter of 2009 had positive contributions from increased construction progress and lower maintenance costs on the Aspire Defence project, as well as lower indexed linked interest expense on two of our U.K. projects.

Corporate general and administrative expense in the third quarter of 2009 was $54 million, down slightly from the $55 million reported in the prior year third quarter.

Total cash flows used in operating activities for the third quarter of 2009 were $19 million, which includes a net $116 million decrease in advanced payments associated with consolidated joint ventures and a contract in progress. Total cash flows used in operating activities for the first nine months of 2009 were $27 million, which includes a net $149 million decrease in advanced payments associated with consolidated joint ventures and a contract in progress.

Significant Achievements and Awards

• KBR announced that a KBR led Joint Venture consisting of partners JGC, Clough and Hatch (Kellogg Joint Venture Group - KJVG) was awarded by Chevron Australia Pty Ltd an estimated AUD ~ 2.7 billion contract to Engineer, Procure and Construction Manage (EPCM) the LNG downstream and logistics portion of the multi-billion dollar Chevron-operated Gorgon LNG Project. KJVG will execute and construct the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility on Barrow Island, consisting of three 5 million tonne per annum LNG trains, gas processing and treatment facilities, product storage and offloading, complete offsites, utilities and accommodations. The EPCM effort is a modular construction strategy to minimize impact on the island during the construction phase and is being conducted from two main operating centers located in Perth, Australia and London, UK with support from global centers in USA, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan. KJVG plans to utilize several fabrication yards across South East Asia and Australia to support the planned 250,000 tons of LNG modules.
• KBR announced it was awarded a contract by the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) to provide front-end engineering and design (FEED), and Project Management Services (PMS) for its Shaybah Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Program at Shaybah field located in Saudi Arabia. KBR will provide FEED and PMS services to develop the process design, layout, develop equipment and material specifications, prepare bid packages and develop an estimate for the construction for several projects related to the Shaybah NGL Program facilities.
• KBR announced its M.W. Kellogg Ltd. (MWKL) subsidiary has been awarded two contracts by StatoilHydro at the Kårstø Gas Plant, near Stavanger, Norway. MWKL will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction Assistance (EPCa) for the Double Inlet Crossover Project (DIXO) and NGL Metering Project. The NGL Metering Upgrade project is to take place in parallel to the KEP 2010 EPCa project already being undertaken by MWKL, so the effective interface, coordination, and planning for all phases of the project is critical to the success of the project.
• KBR announced it was awarded a contract by Sonangol, E.P. to provide license and engineering services for grassroots FCC and Hydroprocessing technologies for the Sonaref Refinery to be located in Lobito, Angola. KBR will provide licensing services for the state of the art Orthoflow FCC technology and a Moderate Pressure Hydrocracking Unit. This integrated solution will provide Sonangol the flexibility to control the gasoline to diesel ratio and to take advantage of seasonal demands. The company will also deliver Diesel Hydrotreating and Kerosene Hydrotreating technologies, for the production of premium distillate products.
• KBR announced it was awarded a contract by ConocoPhillips and the Saudi Arabian Oil Company to provide detailed engineering and procurement services for the utilities package and the interconnecting systems and pipe racks for the companies’ joint Yanbu Export Refinery Project. The project is under engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tendering process for the final investment decision by the project sponsors, and consists of a 400,000 barrel-per-day, full-conversion refinery in Yanbu Industrial City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This award is an extension of KBR’s current project management contract (PMC) with ConocoPhillips and Saudi Aramco and follows the completion of front-end engineering and design services for the Yanbu Refinery by KBR.
• KBR announced it was awarded a contract by Verkhnechonskneftegas (VCNG) to provide front-end engineering and design services for the VC FFD Project located in the Eastern Siberia region of Russia. KBR will provide FEED services for a single new build, 140,000 barrels of oil per day facility, which will be tied back via a new 85-kilometer pipeline, to the existing East Siberian Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline. The VC oil & gas field is planned to produce a plateau production of 140-kbopd from 430 production wells, and there will be 215 water injection wells. The field development will involve a total of 645 wells distributed over 75 well pads.

KBR is a global engineering, construction and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power, and industrial markets. For more information, visit www.kbr.com.

NOTE: The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance and backlog information, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company’s indemnities from Halliburton Company; changes in capital spending by the company’s customers; the company’s ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates, escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company’s ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company’s customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company.

KBR’s Annual Report on Form 10-K dated February 25, 2009, recent Current Reports on Forms 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

(a) Due to the effect of rounding, the sum of the individual per share amounts may not equal the total shown.

(a) Due to the effect of rounding, the sum of the individual per share amounts may not equal the total shown.

(a) Backlog is presented differently depending on if the contract is consolidated by KBR or is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Backlog related to consolidated projects is presented as 100% of the expected revenue from the project. Backlog related to projects accounted for under the equity method of accounting is presented as KBR’s share of the expected future revenue from the project. Our backlog for projects related to unconsolidated joint ventures totaled $2.2 billion, $2.3 billion, and $2.4 billion at September 30, 2009, June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, respectively. Our backlog related to consolidated joint ventures with noncontrolling interest totaled $4.8 billion, $3.0 billion, and $3.1 billion at September 30, 2009, June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, respectively.

As of September 30, 2009, 18% of our backlog for continuing operations was attributable to fixed-price contracts and 82% was attributable to cost-reimbursable contracts. For contracts that contain both fixed-price and cost-reimbursable components, we classify the components as either fixed-price or cost-reimbursable according to the composition of the contract except for smaller contracts where we characterize the entire contract based on the predominate component.

(b) The Government and Infrastructure unit backlog attributable to firm orders in the amount of $2.4 billion, $2.4 billion, and $3.3 billion as of September 30, 2009, June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, respectively. Government and Infrastructure business unit backlog attributable to unfunded orders was $0.1 billion as of September 30, 2009, $0.1 billion as of June 30, 2009 and $0.2 billion as of December 31, 2008.

KBR
Rob Kukla, Jr., 713-753-5082
Director, Investor Relations
or
Heather Browne, 713-753-3775
Director, Communications