U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. announced net income of $14.8 million or $0.28 per basic and $0.27 per diluted share for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015, compared with net income of $18.4 million or $0.34 per basic share and diluted share for the first quarter of 2014. Earnings per share during the quarter were negatively impacted by $8.3 million of business development expenses, $7.6 million of which was related to an adverse, unanticipated arbitration ruling.
The company also incurred $1.4 million in restructuring costs for actions designed to help bring the business more in line with current market conditions. Excluding these additional expenses, EPS for the quarter was $0.40 per basic share.
“I am very proud of our performance in the quarter against the backdrop of rapidly falling oil prices and declining rig count. Our results demonstrate the strength of our business model, assets, team and customer base,” said Bryan Shinn, president and chief executive officer. “However, given the magnitude of the reduction in drilling and completions activity, we expect that volumes and pricing of frac sand will remain under pressure, resulting in lower profitability in the second quarter. We will continue to work closely with our customers during this energy sector downturn to help them be more competitive and we expect to continue to gain market share.”
He added, “While we are clearly focused on maximizing near term business results, we are also continuing to focus on our longer term goals. Specifically, we plan to continue to strengthen our position in the oil and gas proppant market, grow and diversify our industrial business and prepare for future growth,” Shinn noted.