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Acquisitions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Asset Acquisition [Abstract]  
Acquisitions Acquisitions
Acquisition of Pipeline and Related Terminal Facility Assets

On October 22, 2020, we and our subsidiary, GulfMark Terminals, LLC (“GMT”) entered into a purchase and sale agreement with EnLink Midstream Operating, L.P. for the purchase of the outstanding equity interests of Victoria Express Pipeline, LLC (“VEX”) and certain related pipeline terminal facility assets for $20.0 million, plus a cash payment of $0.5 million for working capital items. Of the purchase price, $10.0 million was paid at closing, with the remainder to be paid in four quarterly installments of $2.5 million, plus interest at a rate of 4.0 percent per annum, beginning in March 2021. The equity interests in GMT, VEX and the other acquired assets were pledged to secure the payment of the installment portions of the purchase price as part of the agreement.

The VEX Pipeline System, with truck and storage terminals at both Cuero and the Port of Victoria, Texas, is a crude oil and condensate pipeline system, which connects the heart of the Eagle Ford Basin to the Gulf Coast waterborne market. The VEX Pipeline System includes 56 miles of 12-inch pipeline, which spans DeWitt County to Victoria County, Texas, with 350,000 barrels of above ground storage, two 8 bay truck offload stations, and access to two docks at the Port of Victoria. The VEX Pipeline System is able to receive crude oil by pipeline and truck, and has downstream pipeline connections to two terminals, with potential for additional downstream connection opportunities in the future. The pipeline system has a current capacity of 90,000 barrels per day.

The VEX Pipeline System and related terminal assets have been included in our new pipeline and storage segment. We expect that this acquisition will further strengthen our ability to provide excellent service to the producers in the Gulf Coast region, as well as more effectively service our end-user markets along the Gulf Coast. In addition, the VEX Pipeline System complements our existing storage terminal and dock at the Port of Victoria, where we now control approximately 450,000 barrels of storage with three docks after giving effect to the acquisition.

In addition to the purchase price of $20.0 million and a cash payment of $0.5 million for working capital items, we also incurred approximately $0.6 million of acquisition costs in connection with this acquisition, which has been included in the allocation of the total purchase price of $21.0 million to the assets acquired. We accounted for this acquisition as an asset acquisition as substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets is concentrated in a group of similar identifiable assets.
The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase price based on the estimated fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired at the acquisition date (in thousands):

Accounts receivable and other current assets$80 
Linefill and base gas1,013 
Property and equipment — Pipeline and related terminal facilities20,542 
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities(598)
Total purchase price$21,037 

The estimated fair value of the acquired property and equipment was determined using the cost approach, specifically determining the replacement cost value of each type of asset.

In connection with the acquisition, we recorded an asset retirement obligation of approximately $0.7 million related to legal and regulatory requirements to perform specified retirement activities, including purging and sealing the pipeline if it is abandoned.

Acquisition of Transportation Assets — CTL

On May 17, 2020, we entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Comcar Industries, Inc. (“Comcar”), a bulk carrier trucking company, for the purchase of substantially all of the transportation assets of Comcar’s subsidiary, CTL Transportation, LLC (“CTL”). CTL provides short-haul delivery services to customers in the chemical industry, with operations in nine locations in the southeastern United States. On June 26, 2020, we closed on the asset acquisition for approximately $9.0 million in cash. This acquisition added approximately 163 tractors and 328 trailers to our existing transportation fleet, and these assets were included in our transportation segment. This acquisition added new customers, new market areas and new product lines to our transportation segment portfolio. As a result of the acquisition, we added services to new and existing customers in six new market areas, including new terminals in Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Georgia and Florida.

We also incurred approximately $0.1 million of acquisition costs in connection with this acquisition, which has been included in the allocation of the total purchase price of $9.2 million to the assets acquired.

The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase price based on the estimated fair value of the assets acquired at the acquisition date (in thousands):

Property and equipment — tractors and trailers$5,901 
Materials and supplies87 
Intangible assets — customer relationships3,175 
Total purchase price$9,163 

The estimated fair value of the acquired property and equipment was determined using the estimated market value of each type of asset. The estimated fair value of the acquired customer relationship intangible assets was determined using an income approach, specifically a discounted cash flow analysis. The income approach estimates the future benefits of the customer relationships and deducts the expenses incurred in servicing the relationships and the contributions from the other business assets to derive the future net benefits of these assets. The future net benefits are discounted back to present value using the appropriate discount rate, which results in the value of the customer relationships.
A customer relationship intangible asset is the relationship between CTL and various customers to whom we did not have a previous relationship. The customer relationships we acquired in this transaction provide us with access to those customers to whom we did not have a previous relationship and allows us to enter product markets in which we have not previously participated. Because of the highly competitive and fragmented transportation market, we believe access to these customers will provide us with an entry into new market areas.

The discounted cash flow analysis used to estimate the fair value of the CTL customer relationships relied on Level 3 fair value inputs. Level 3 fair values are based on unobservable inputs. Unobservable inputs are used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are not available, thereby allowing for situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset at the measurement date. With respect to the CTL customer relationships, the Level 3 inputs included the rate of retention of the current customers of CTL as of the valuation date, our transportation segment’s historical customer retention rate and projected future revenues associated with the customers. The CTL customers expected to remain with us after the transaction were included in the valuation of the customer relationships. We are amortizing the customer relationship intangible assets over a period of seven years, using a modified straight-line approach. See Note 8 for further information regarding our intangible assets.

In connection with the acquisition, we entered into a finance lease agreement for an additional 40 trailers with a six year term. See Note 17 for further information regarding finance leases.

Acquisition of Transportation Assets — EH Transport

On April 10, 2019, we entered into a purchase and sale agreement with EH Transport, Inc. and affiliates (collectively, “EH Transport”), a Houston, Texas based bulk carrier trucking company, for the purchase of certain transportation assets. On May 6, 2019, we closed on the asset acquisition for approximately $6.4 million, which consisted of $5.6 million in cash after post-closing adjustments related to equipment qualifications, 11,145 of our common shares valued at $0.4 million and contingent consideration valued at approximately $0.4 million.

This acquisition added approximately 39 tractors and 51 trailers to our existing transportation fleet, and these assets were included in our transportation segment. This acquisition added new customers and new product lines to our transportation segment portfolio, which allows us to grow into new markets. As a result of the acquisition, in addition to general chemical products, we transport liquefied petroleum gas, asphalt and bleach for customers.

We incurred approximately $0.1 million of acquisition costs in connection with this acquisition, which has been included in the allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired.

The following table summarizes the consideration paid for the EH Transport assets and the estimated fair value of the assets acquired at the acquisition date (in thousands):

Consideration:
Cash$5,624 
Value of AE common shares issued392 
Contingent consideration arrangement431 
Fair value of total consideration transferred$6,447 
Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired:
Property and equipment — tractors and trailers$4,576 
Shop, office and telecommunication equipment20 
Intangible assets — customer relationships1,851 
Total purchase price$6,447 
The fair market value of the common shares issued in this transaction was determined based upon the closing share price of AE common stock on May 6, 2019 of $35.15.

We assumed no liabilities in this acquisition. The estimated fair value of the acquired property and equipment was determined using the estimated market value of each type of asset. The estimated fair value of the acquired customer relationship intangible assets was determined using an income approach, specifically a discounted cash flow analysis. The income approach estimates the future benefits of the customer relationships and deducts the expenses incurred in servicing the relationships and the contributions from the other business assets to derive the future net benefits of these assets. The future net benefits are discounted back to present value using the appropriate discount rate, which results in the value of the customer relationships.

A customer relationship intangible asset is the relationship between EH Transport and various customers to whom we did not have a previous relationship. The customer relationships we acquired in this transaction provide us with access to those customers to whom we did not have a previous relationship and allows us to enter product markets in which we had not previously participated. Because of the highly competitive and fragmented transportation market, we believe access to these customers and product lines will provide us with an entry into new markets.

The discounted cash flow analysis used to estimate the fair value of the EH Transport customer relationships relied on Level 3 fair value inputs. Level 3 fair values are based on unobservable inputs. Unobservable inputs are used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are not available, thereby allowing for situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset at the measurement date. With respect to the EH Transport customer relationships, the Level 3 inputs include the rate of retention of the current customers of EH Transport as of the valuation date, our transportation segment’s historical customer retention rate and projected future revenues associated with the customers. The EH Transport customers expected to remain with us after the transaction were included in the valuation of the customer relationships. We are amortizing the customer relationship intangible assets over a period of seven years, using a modified straight-line approach. See Note 8 for further information regarding our intangible assets.
The purchase and sale agreement included a contingent consideration arrangement that required us to pay the former owner of the assets up to a quarterly maximum amount of $146,875 (undiscounted) plus interest for the first four quarters following the closing date of the acquisition. The amount to be paid was based upon the number of qualified truck drivers that were employed by us at the end of each quarter. The potential undiscounted amount of all future payments that could be required to be paid under the contingent consideration arrangement was between $0 and $587,500. The fair value of the contingent consideration arrangement of $0.4 million was estimated by applying an income valuation approach, which is based on Level 3 inputs, including the number of qualified truck drivers we expect will be employed at each payment date. At December 31, 2021, all amounts outstanding under the contingent consideration arrangement had been paid.