FINDLAY, Ohio, March 14, 2016 - Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) and MPLX LP (NYSE: MPLX) have executed definitive agreements for the contribution of MPC's inland marine business to MPLX. In exchange, MPLX will issue equity to MPC valued at $600 million. MPLX expects 98 percent of the equity to be issued in the form of common units and the remainder in general partner units, at an approximate price of $26.09 per unit.

The total transaction consideration represents an implied multiple of approximately five times the inland marine business' projected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the next 12 months. MPC has agreed to waive first-quarter 2016 distributions, including incentive distribution rights and general partner distributions, with respect to the common units issued in the transaction. Pending customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close as of March 31 and will be immediately accretive to unitholders.

The inland marine business, comprised of 18 tow boats and 205 barges, transports light products, heavy oils, crude oil, renewable fuels, chemicals and feedstocks in the Midwest and U.S. Gulf Coast regions, and accounts for nearly 60 percent of the total volumes MPC ships by inland marine vessels.

"The addition of these high-quality, well-maintained marine assets to the partnership under a fee-for-capacity contract with MPC adds approximately $120 million of annual EBITDA, providing a highly predictable income and cash-flow stream that further diversifies the earnings mix for MPLX," said MPLX Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary R. Heminger. "The acquisition price reflects MPC's ongoing and strong support of the partnership."

Heminger noted that issuing new equity to MPC in consideration for the assets eliminates the need for MPLX to access the public equity markets to fund the transaction.

The terms of the acquisition were approved by the Conflicts Committee of the board of directors of MPLX's general partner. The committee is comprised entirely of independent directors, and is being advised principally by Evercore Partners as to financial matters, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld as to legal matters and K&L Gates as to admiralty and maritime law matters.

 

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About Marathon Petroleum Corporation
MPC is the nation's fourth-largest refiner, with a crude oil refining capacity of approximately 1.8 million barrels per calendar day in its seven-refinery system. Marathon brand gasoline is sold through approximately 5,600 independently owned retail outlets across 19 states. In addition, Speedway LLC, an MPC subsidiary, owns and operates the nation's second-largest convenience store chain, with approximately 2,770 convenience stores in 22 states. MPC owns, leases or has ownership interests in approximately 8,400 miles of crude and light product pipelines and more than 5,000 miles of gas gathering and natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines. MPC also has ownership interests in more than 50 gas processing plants, more than 10 NGL fractionation facilities and one condensate stabilization facility. Through subsidiaries, MPC owns the general partner of MPLX LP, a midstream master limited partnership. MPC's fully integrated system provides operational flexibility to move crude oil, NGLs, feedstocks and petroleum-related products efficiently through the company's distribution network and midstream service businesses in the Midwest, Northeast, East Coast, Southeast and Gulf Coast regions.

About MPLX LP
MPLX is a diversified, growth-oriented master limited partnership formed in 2012 by Marathon Petroleum Corporation to own, operate, develop and acquire midstream energy infrastructure assets. We are engaged in the gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas; the gathering, transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of NGLs; and the transportation and storage of crude oil and refined petroleum products. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, MPLX's assets consist of a network of common carrier crude oil and products pipeline assets located in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions of the United States, a butane storage cavern located in West Virginia with approximately 1 million barrels of natural gas liquids storage capacity, crude oil and product storage facilities (tank farms) with approximately 4.5 million barrels of available storage capacity, a barge dock facility with approximately 78,000 barrels per day of crude oil and product throughput capacity and gathering and processing assets which includes more than 5,000 miles of gas gathering and NGL pipelines, over 50 gas processing plants, more than 10 NGL fractionation facilities and one condensate stabilization facility.

Investor Relations Contacts:
Lisa D. Wilson (419) 421-2071
Teresa Homan (419) 421-2965
Kevin Hawkins (866) 858-0482

Media Contacts:
Chuck Rice (419) 421-2521
Jamal Kheiry (419) 421-3312

Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws regarding Marathon Petroleum Corporation ("MPC") and MPLX LP ("MPLX").These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations, estimates and projections concerning the business and operations of MPC and MPLX. You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "design," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "guidance," "imply," "intend," "objective," "opportunity," "outlook," "plan," "position," "pursue," "prospective," "predict," "project," "potential," "seek," "strategy," "target," "could," "may," "should," "would," "will" or other similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the companies' control and are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause MPC's actual results to differ materially from those implied in the forward-looking statements include: risks described below relating to MPLX and the MPLX/MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. ("MarkWest") transaction; changes to the expected construction costs and timing of pipeline projects; continued/further volatility in and/or degradation of market and industry conditions; the availability and pricing of crude oil and other feedstocks; slower growth in domestic and Canadian crude supply; the effects of the lifting of the U.S. crude oil export ban; completion of pipeline capacity to areas outside the U.S. Midwest; consumer demand for refined products; transportation logistics; the reliability of processing units and other equipment; MPC's ability to successfully implement growth opportunities; modifications to MPLX earnings and distribution growth objectives; federal and state environmental, economic, health and safety, energy and other policies and regulations, including the cost of compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard; MPC's ability to successfully integrate the acquired Hess retail operations and achieve the strategic and other expected objectives relating to the acquisition; changes to MPC's capital budget; other risk factors inherent to MPC's industry; and the factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in MPC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, filed with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Factors that could cause MPLX's actual results to differ materially from those implied in the forward-looking statements include: negative capital market conditions, including a persistence or increase of the current yield on common units, which is higher than historical yields, adversely affecting MPLX's ability to meet its distribution growth guidance; risk that the synergies from the acquisition of MarkWest by MPLX may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; disruption from the MPLX/MarkWest transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; risks relating to any unforeseen liabilities of MarkWest; the adequacy of MPLX's capital resources and liquidity, including, but not limited to, availability of sufficient cash flow to pay distributions, and the ability to successfully execute its business plans and growth strategy; the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices and demand for crude oil, refined products, feedstocks or other hydrocarbon-based products; continued/further volatility in and/or degradation of market and industry conditions; completion of midstream infrastructure by competitors; disruptions due to equipment interruption or failure, including electrical shortages and power grid failures; the suspension, reduction or termination of MPC's obligations under MPLX's commercial agreements; modifications to earnings and distribution growth objectives; the level of support from MPC, including drop-downs, alternative financing arrangements, taking equity units, and other methods of sponsor support, as a result of the capital allocation needs of the enterprise as a whole and its ability to provide support on commercially reasonable terms; federal and state environmental, economic, health and safety, energy and other policies and regulations; changes to MPLX's capital budget; other risk factors inherent to MPLX's industry; and the factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in MPLX's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, filed with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included herein could be affected by general domestic and international economic and political conditions. Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed here, in MPC's Form 10-K or in MPLX's Form 10-K could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements. Copies of MPC's Form 10-K are available on the SEC website, MPC's website at http://ir.marathonpetroleum.com or by contacting MPC's Investor Relations office. Copies of MPLX's Form 10-K are available on the SEC website, MPLX's website at http://ir.mplx.com or by contacting MPLX's Investor Relations office.

The EBITDA forecast related to MPC's inland marine business was determined on an EBITDA-only basis. Accordingly, information related to the elements of net income, including tax, and interest, are not available and, therefore, a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure has not been provided.
 


MPC-MPLX Marine drop-down



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The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: MPLX LP via Globenewswire

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