e424b3
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333-121937
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To prospectus dated March 9, 2005)
6,750,000 Shares
Universal Compression Holdings, Inc.
Common Stock
This prospectus relates to the sale by Weatherford International
Ltd. of 6,750,000 shares of our common stock. We are not
selling any shares of common stock under this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus and will not receive
any of the proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling
stockholder. We are purchasing from the underwriter 2,439,024 of
the shares covered by this prospectus supplement at a price of
$41.00 per share. Prior to this offering, the selling
stockholder owned approximately 21% of our issued and
outstanding common stock. After completion of this offering, the
selling stockholder will no longer hold any of our common stock.
Our common stock is listed on The New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol UCO. Last reported sales price of our
common stock on The New York Stock Exchange on December 8,
2005 was $41.61 per share.
Investing in our common stock involves risks. See Risk
Factors beginning on page 1 of the accompanying
prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
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Per Share | |
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Total | |
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Initial price to public
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$ |
41.25 |
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$ |
277,827,744 |
(1) |
Underwriting discount(2)
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$ |
0.25 |
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$ |
1,077,744 |
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Proceeds to the
selling stockholder
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$ |
41.00 |
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$ |
276,750,000 |
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(1) The total initial price to the public reflects the sale
to us of 2,439,024 shares at a price of $41.00 per
share.
(2) The underwriter will receive no underwriting discount
or commission on the sale of the 2,439,024 shares to us.
Delivery of the shares of common stock will be made on or about
December 14, 2005.
JPMorgan
The date of this prospectus supplement is December 8, 2005.
Table of contents
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Page | |
Prospectus supplement
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S-1
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S-1
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S-2
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S-2
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S-3
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S-4
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S-4
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Prospectus
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Universal Compression Holdings,
Inc.
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1 |
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Risk Factors
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1 |
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About This Prospectus
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7 |
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Where You Can Find
More Information
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7 |
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Disclosure Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
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8 |
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Use Of Proceeds
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9 |
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Selling Stockholder
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9 |
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Plan of Distribution
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10 |
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Legal Matters
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12 |
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Experts
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12 |
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You should rely only on the information contained in this
document or to which we have referred you. We have not
authorized anyone to provide you with information that is
different. This document may only be used where it is legal to
sell these securities. The information in this document may only
be accurate on the date of this document.
About this prospectus supplement
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus
supplement, which describes the specific terms of the common
stock being offered by the selling stockholder. The second part,
the accompanying prospectus dated March 9, 2005, gives more
general information about the common stock which may be sold by
the selling stockholder. You should read the entire prospectus
supplement, the accompanying prospectus, as well as the
information incorporated by reference in this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus, before making an
investment decision.
You should rely only on the information contained or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus. If the description of the offering
varies between this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus, you should rely on the information in this
prospectus supplement. Neither we nor the selling stockholder
has authorized anyone to provide you with information different
from that contained or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Under no
circumstances should the delivery to you of this prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus or any sale made
pursuant to this prospectus supplement create any implication
that the information contained in this prospectus supplement and
the accompanying prospectus is correct as of any time after the
date of this prospectus supplement.
Unless we indicate otherwise, references in this prospectus
supplement to Universal Compression Holdings, Inc.,
we, our and us are to
Universal Compression Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated
subsidiaries.
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The offering
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Common stock offered by the
Selling Stockholder
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6,750,000 shares
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Common stock outstanding after
this offering
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29,825,067(1) shares
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Use of proceeds
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We will not receive any proceeds
from the sale of shares by the selling stockholder
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New York Stock Exchange symbol
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UCO
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The number of shares outstanding after the offering is based on
the number of common shares outstanding as of December 8,
2005 and excludes 4,835,286 shares reserved for future
issuance under our stock option plans, of which options to
purchase 2,239,777 shares at a weighted average exercise
price of $25.81 are outstanding.
All of the shares of common stock in this offering are being
sold by the selling stockholder. We are purchasing from the
underwriter 2,439,024 of the shares covered by this prospectus
supplement at a price of $41.00 per share. Prior to this
offering, the selling stockholder owned approximately 21% of our
issued and outstanding common stock. After completion of this
offering, the selling stockholder will no longer hold any of our
common stock.
To fund our acquisition of the shares to be purchased from the
underwriter in this offering, we intend to borrow approximately
$80 million under our revolving credit facility with the
balance of the funding of our purchase to come from available
cash. Our current interest rate under the revolving credit
facility is LIBOR plus 1.25%.
Use of proceeds
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the common
stock covered by this prospectus supplement.
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(1) |
After giving effect to our purchase from the underwriter of
2,439,024 of the shares covered by this prospectus supplement,
which shares will cease to be outstanding after completion of
this offering. |
S-1
Price range of common stock
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol UCO. As of December 8, 2005,
32,264,091(1) shares of our common stock were issued and
held of record by 487 holders. On December 8, 2005,
the last reported sales price of our common stock on the New
York Stock Exchange was $41.61. The following table presents,
for the periods indicated, the range of high and low quarterly
closing sales prices of our common stock, as reported on the New
York Stock Exchange.
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Price Range | |
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High | |
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Low | |
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Year Ended March 31,
2004
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First Quarter
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$ |
22.00 |
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$ |
16.88 |
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Second Quarter
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$ |
24.73 |
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$ |
19.00 |
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Third Quarter
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$ |
26.99 |
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$ |
21.97 |
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Fourth Quarter
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$ |
34.09 |
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$ |
25.95 |
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Year Ended March 31,
2005
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First Quarter
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$ |
32.75 |
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$ |
28.81 |
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Second Quarter
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$ |
34.55 |
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$ |
30.93 |
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Third Quarter
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$ |
37.30 |
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$ |
32.66 |
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Fourth Quarter
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$ |
39.41 |
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$ |
33.20 |
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Year Ended March 31,
2006
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First Quarter
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$ |
39.13 |
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$ |
33.65 |
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Second Quarter
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$ |
41.85 |
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$ |
35.78 |
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Third Quarter (through
December 8, 2005)
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$ |
41.61 |
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$ |
34.60 |
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Dividend policy
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends to our
stockholders and do not plan to pay any cash dividends in the
foreseeable future.
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(1) |
Before giving effect to our purchase from the underwriter of
2,439,024 of the shares covered by this prospectus supplement. |
S-2
Underwriting
Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting
agreement dated the date of this prospectus supplement, the
underwriter has agreed to purchase all of the shares offered
hereby. We are purchasing from the underwriter
2,439,024 shares of the 6,750,000 shares of common
stock covered by this prospectus supplement at a price of
$41.00 per share. The underwriter will receive no
underwriting discount or commission on the sale of the
2,439,024 shares of common stock to us.
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligation of the
underwriter to purchase the shares included in this offering is
subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other
conditions. The underwriter is obligated to purchase all the
shares if they purchase any of the shares.
The underwriter proposes to initially offer some of the shares
directly to the public at the public offering price set forth on
the cover page of this prospectus supplement. If all of the
shares are not sold at the public offering price, the
underwriter may change the public offering price and the other
selling terms.
The underwriter has represented, warranted and agreed that:
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It has not offered or sold and, prior to the expiry of a period
of six months from the closing date, will not offer or sell any
shares included in this offering to persons in the United
Kingdom except to persons whose ordinary activities involve them
in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of investments (as
principal or agent) for the purposes of their businesses or
otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and will not
result in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom within
the meaning of the Public Offers of Securities Regulations 1995; |
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It has only communicated and caused to be communicated and will
only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or
inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning
of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act
2000 (FSMA)) received by it in connection with the
issue or sale of any shares included in this offering in
circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not
apply to us; and |
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It has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions
of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to
the shares included in this offering in, from or otherwise
involving the United Kingdom. |
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol UCO.
The selling stockholder is to pay an underwriting discount to
the underwriter of $0.25 per share (excluding the
2,439,024 shares we will purchase), or $1,077,744 in total,
in connection with this offering.
In connection with the offering, the underwriter may purchase
and sell shares of common stock in the open market. These
transactions may include short sales and stabilizing
transactions. Short sales involve sales of common stock in
excess of the number of shares to be purchased by the
underwriter in the offering, which creates a short position. The
underwriter must close out any short position by purchasing
shares of common stock in the open market. A short position is
more likely to be created if the underwriter is concerned that
there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the
open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors
who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist
of bids for or purchases of shares in the open market while the
offering is in progress.
Any of these activities may have the effect of preventing or
retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock.
They may also cause the price of the common stock to be higher
than the
S-3
price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the
absence of these transactions. The underwriter may conduct these
transactions on the New York Stock Exchange or in the
over-the-counter market, or otherwise. If the underwriter
commences any of these transactions, it may discontinue them at
any time.
We have agreed to pay certain expenses relating to the
registration of the shares of the selling stockholder covered by
this prospectus supplement. We estimate that the total expenses
incurred by us in connection with this offering and the related
shelf registration statement will be approximately $200,000,
excluding underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriter has engaged in, and may in the future engage in,
investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary
course of business with us. They have received customary fees
and commissions for these transactions. In particular, an
affiliate of the underwriter is a lender under our credit
facility.
We and the selling stockholder have each agreed, subject to
limited exceptions, that, for a period of 30 days from the
date of this prospectus supplement, we and the selling
stockholder will not, without the prior written consent of
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., offer, sell, contract to
sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of any shares of our common
stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for our
common stock. J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., in its sole
discretion, may release any of the securities subject to these
lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
We and the selling stockholder have agreed to indemnify the
underwriter against certain liabilities, including liabilities
under the Securities Act of 1933, or to contribute to payments
the underwriter may be required to make because of any of those
liabilities.
Legal matters
Certain legal matters with respect to the shares of common stock
offered hereby will be passed upon for Universal Compression
Holdings, Inc. by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Houston, Texas.
Certain legal matters related to the offering will be passed
upon for the underwriter by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.,
Houston, Texas.
Experts
The consolidated financial statements, the related financial
statement schedule and managements report on the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting
incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference from the
Annual Report on Form 10-K of Universal Compression
Holdings, Inc. for the year ended March 31, 2005 have been
audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered
public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are
incorporated herein by reference, and have been so incorporated
in reliance on the reports of such firm given upon their
authority as experts in auditing and accounting.
S-4
PROSPECTUS
UNIVERSAL COMPRESSION HOLDINGS, INC.
6,750,000 Shares
of
Common Stock
This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time
of up to 6,750,000 shares of our common stock by the selling
stockholders identified in this prospectus. We are registering
shares of our common stock for resale by the selling
stockholders. We are not selling any shares of our common stock
under this prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds
from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders.
The selling stockholders may offer the shares from time to time
through public or private transactions at prevailing market
prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at
other negotiated prices. The selling stockholders may sell none,
some or all of the shares offered by this prospectus. We cannot
predict when or in what amounts the selling stockholders may
sell any of the shares offered by this prospectus.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol UCO. On March 3, 2005, the last
reported sales price for our common stock on the New York Stock
Exchange was $38.05 per share.
INVESTING IN OUR COMMON STOCK INVOLVES RISKS, WHICH ARE
DESCRIBED IN THE RISK FACTORS SECTION BEGINNING ON
PAGE 1 OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date of this prospectus is March 9, 2005
Table of contents
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Universal Compression Holdings,
Inc.
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1 |
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Risk Factors
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1 |
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About This Prospectus
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7 |
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Where You Can Find More Information
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7 |
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Disclosure Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
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8 |
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Use Of Proceeds
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9 |
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Selling Stockholders
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9 |
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Plan Of Distribution
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10 |
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Legal Matters
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12 |
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Experts
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12 |
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Universal Compression Holdings, Inc.
We are the second largest natural gas compression services
company in the world in terms of compressor fleet horsepower,
with a fleet as of December 31, 2004 of approximately 7,200
compressor units comprising approximately 2.4 million
horsepower. We provide a full range of contract compression
services, sales, operations, maintenance and fabrication
services and products to the natural gas industry, both
domestically and internationally. These services and products
are essential to the natural gas industry as gas must be
compressed to be delivered from the wellhead to end-users.
In this document, the terms Universal,
company, we, our and
us refer to Universal Compression Holdings, Inc. and
its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise or
unless otherwise noted.
For more information about our business, please refer to the
publicly available annual, quarterly and other reports and
statements we file with the SEC, as described in Where You
Can Find More Information. Our principal executive offices
are located at 4444 Brittmoore Road, Houston, Texas 77041, and
our telephone number at that address is (713) 335-7000.
Risk factors
As described in Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements, this prospectus, and the information
incorporated by reference herein, contains forward-looking
statements regarding us, our business and our industry. The risk
factors described below, among others, could cause our actual
results to differ materially from the expectations reflected in
the forward-looking statements. If any of the following risks
actually occur, our business, financial condition and operating
results could be negatively impacted. You should carefully
consider, in addition to the other information contained in, or
incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any
accompanying prospectus supplement, the risks described below
before deciding whether an investment in our common stock is
appropriate for you.
We depend on strong demand for natural gas and a
prolonged, substantial reduction in this demand would adversely
affect the demand for our services and products.
Gas contract compression operations are significantly dependent
upon the demand for natural gas. Demand may be affected by,
among other factors, natural gas prices, weather, demand for
energy and availability of alternative energy sources. Any
prolonged, substantial reduction in the demand for natural gas
would, in all likelihood, depress the level of production,
exploration and development activity and result in a decline in
the demand for our contract compression services and products.
Similarly, a decrease in capital spending by our customers could
result in reduced demand for our fabrication and aftermarket
services businesses.
Our international operations subject us to risks that are
difficult to predict.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2004, we derived
approximately 31% of our revenues from international operations.
We intend to continue to expand our business in Latin America,
Asia Pacific and, ultimately, other international markets. This
may make it more difficult for us to manage our business.
Reasons for this include, but are not limited to, the following:
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political and economic instability in foreign markets; |
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foreign governments restrictive trade policies; |
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inconsistent product regulation or sudden policy changes by
foreign agencies or governments; |
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the burden of complying with multiple and potentially
conflicting laws; |
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the imposition of duties, taxes or government royalties; |
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foreign exchange rate risks; |
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difficulty in collecting international accounts receivable; |
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potentially longer payment cycles; |
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increased costs in maintaining international manufacturing and
marketing efforts; |
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the introduction of non-tariff barriers and higher duty rates; |
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difficulties in enforcement of contractual obligations; |
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restrictions on repatriation of earnings or expropriation of
property; and |
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the geographic, time zone, language and cultural differences
between personnel in different areas of the world. |
Any of these factors may cause us to experience economic loss or
negatively impact our earnings or net assets.
We face significant competition that may cause us to lose
market share and harm our financial performance.
The contract compression, fabrication, and aftermarket services
businesses are highly competitive and there are low barriers to
entry for individual projects. In addition, some of our
competitors are large national and multinational companies that
provide contract compression and fabrication services to third
parties, some of these have greater financial and other
resources than we do. If our competitors substantially increase
the resources they devote to the development and marketing of
competitive products and services, we may not be able to compete
effectively.
We are dependent on particular suppliers and are
vulnerable to product shortages and price increases.
As a consequence of having a highly standardized contract
compression fleet, some of the components used in our products
are obtained from a single source or a limited group of
suppliers. Our reliance on these suppliers involves several
risks, including price increases, inferior component quality and
a potential inability to obtain an adequate supply of required
components in a timely manner. The partial or complete loss of
certain of these sources could have a negative impact on our
results of operations and could damage our customer
relationships. Further, a significant increase in the price of
one or more of these components could have a negative impact on
our results of operations.
Most of our domestic contract compression agreements have
short initial terms, and we may not recoup the costs of our
investment if we are unable to subsequently re-apply the
compressors.
In most cases, the initial terms of our contract compression
agreements with customers are short, with the most common
initial term being six months and continuing on a month-to-month
basis thereafter. The initial terms of our agreements are
generally too short to enable us to recoup the average cost of
acquiring or fabricating compressors for contract compression
customers. As a result, we assume substantial risk of not
recovering our entire investment in the equipment we acquire or
fabricate for contract compression customers. Although we
historically have been successful in subsequently re-applying
our compressors, we may not be able to continue to do so and a
substantial number of our contract compression customers could
terminate their agreements at approximately the same time. If
such an event were to occur, even if we are successful in
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reapplying our compressors as we have been in the past, we may
not be able to obtain favorable contract compression rates. This
would have an adverse effect on our revenues and cash flow.
We do not insure against all potential losses and could be
seriously harmed by unexpected liabilities.
Natural gas service operations are subject to inherent risks
such as equipment defects, malfunction and failures, and natural
disasters that can result in uncontrollable flows of gas or well
fluids, fires and explosions. These risks could expose us to
substantial liability for personal injury, death, property
damage, pollution and other environmental damages. Although we
have obtained insurance against many of these risks, our
insurance may be inadequate to cover our liabilities. Further,
insurance covering the risks we face or in the amounts we desire
may not be available in the future or, if available, the
premiums may not be commercially justifiable. If we were to
incur substantial liability and such damages were not covered by
insurance or were in excess of policy limits, or if we were to
incur liability at a time when we are not able to obtain
liability insurance, our business, results of operations and
financial condition could be negatively impacted.
The sale of stock by Weatherford, which currently owns
approximately 21% of our common stock, may depress our stock
price.
Pursuant to this prospectus, Weatherford International Ltd. (or
Weatherford) may sell up to 6,750,000 of its shares of our
common stock. The sale of substantial amounts of our stock owned
by Weatherford in the public market, or the belief that these
sales may occur, could reduce the market price of our stock,
making it more difficult for us to raise funds through future
offerings of our common stock and to acquire businesses using
our stock as consideration.
Weatherfords current stock ownership allows it to
designate three directors to our board. The combination of
Weatherfords voting power and the number of appointed
directors gives it the ability to exercise substantial control
over the outcome of matters submitted to a vote of our
stockholders. Weatherfords interests could conflict with
our other stockholders.
Currently, Weatherford owns 6,750,000 shares, or approximately
21%, of our outstanding common stock. In addition to its voting
power, Weatherford and its affiliates are entitled to designate
three persons to serve on our board of directors for so long as
they own at least 20% of our outstanding common stock. If
Weatherfords ownership falls below 20%, Weatherford may
designate only two directors. If Weatherfords ownership
falls below 10%, it will no longer have the right to designate
directors to our board.
This significant stock ownership and board representation gives
Weatherford the ability to exercise substantial influence over
our ownership, policies, management and affairs and significant
control over actions requiring approval of our stockholders.
Weatherfords interests could conflict with our other
stockholders.
We are highly leveraged. A significant portion of our cash
flow must be used to service our obligations, and we are
vulnerable to interest rate increases.
We have now and will continue to have a significant amount of
debt. As of February 15, 2005, we had approximately
$885.5 million in outstanding debt obligations consisting
primarily of $508.6 million outstanding under our senior
secured credit facility, $175.0 million outstanding of
71/4%
senior notes due 2010, and $200.0 million outstanding under
the asset-backed securitization lease facility (the ABS
lease facility). This amount excludes approximately
$21.1 million of letters of credit, as of February 15,
2005 issued under our senior secured credit facility.
3
Our high level of debt could have important consequences to you,
including the following:
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require us to use a substantial portion of our cash flow from
operations to pay our debt and lease payments, thereby reducing
the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital,
capital expenditures, operations, expansion of our fleet and
other business activities; |
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make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations under
our senior notes; |
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increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and
industry conditions; |
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limit, along with financial and other restrictive covenants in
our debt instruments, our ability to borrow additional funds or
dispose of assets; |
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restrict us from making strategic acquisitions or exploiting
business opportunities; |
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limit our ability to make capital expenditures to maintain our
facilities and compressor fleet in good working order and repair; |
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limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes
in our business and the industry in which we operate; and |
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place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our
competitors that have less debt. |
As of February 15, 2005, approximately $423.9 million
of our outstanding debt bore interest at floating rates. Changes
in economic conditions could result in higher interest rates,
thereby increasing our interest expense and reducing our funds
available to make payments of interest and principal on the
notes and for capital investment, operations or other purposes.
Our significant leverage increases our vulnerability to general
adverse economic and industry conditions.
Our credit facilities and the ABS lease facility impose
restrictions on us that may affect our ability to successfully
operate our business.
Our credit facilities and the ABS lease facility include certain
covenants that, among other things, restrict our ability to:
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borrow money; |
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create liens, other than liens securing our senior secured
credit facility, the ABS lease facility or in connection with
permitted acquisitions; |
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make investments, other than in any subsidiary or in connection
with permitted acquisitions; |
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declare dividends or make certain distributions; |
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sell or dispose of property; and |
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merge into or consolidate with any third party or sell or
transfer all or substantially all of our property. |
As of February 15, 2005, we were also required by our
credit facilities and the ABS lease facility to maintain various
financial ratios, including a collateral coverage ratio (market
value of compression collateral to amount of indebtedness
outstanding under our senior secured credit facility) of greater
than or equal to 1.25 to 1, a total leverage ratio (total debt
to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization expense) of less than or equal to 5 to 1, and an
interest coverage ratio (earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization expense to interest expense) of
greater than or equal to 2.5 to 1. As of February 15, 2005,
we were in compliance with all of these financial covenants.
These covenants may restrict our ability to expand or to pursue
our business strategies. Our ability to comply with these and
other provisions of the credit facilities may be affected by
changes in our operating and financial performance, changes in
business conditions or results of operation, adverse regulatory
developments or other events beyond our
4
control. The breach of any of these covenants could result in a
default under our debt, which could cause those obligations to
become due and payable. If any of our indebtedness were to be
accelerated, we may not be able to repay or refinance it.
If our cash flow and capital resources are insufficient to
fund our debt obligations, we could default on our debt
obligations resulting in us being forced to sell assets, seek
additional equity or debt capital or restructure our
debt.
If our cash flow and capital resources are insufficient to fund
our debt obligations, we may be forced to sell assets, seek
additional equity or debt capital, or restructure our debt. Our
cash flow and capital resources may be insufficient for payment
of interest on and principal of our debt in the future and any
alternative measures may be unsuccessful or may not permit us to
meet scheduled debt service obligations, which could cause us to
default on our obligations and impair our liquidity.
We are exposed to exchange rate fluctuations in the
foreign markets in which we operate. A decrease in the value of
any of these currencies relative to the U.S. dollar could
reduce our profits from foreign operations and the value of our
foreign net assets.
Our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. Historically, our
foreign operations, including assets and liabilities and
revenues and expenses, have been denominated in various
currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and we expect that our
foreign operations will continue to be so denominated. As a
result, the U.S. dollar value of our foreign operations has
varied, and will continue to vary, with exchange rate
fluctuations. In this respect, historically we have been
primarily exposed to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the
Argentine peso, Brazilian real, Thai baht, Mexican peso,
Australian dollar and Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar.
A decrease in the value of any of these currencies relative to
the U.S. dollar could reduce our profits from foreign operations
and the value of the net assets of our foreign operations when
reported in U.S. dollars in our financial statements. This could
have a negative impact on our business, financial condition or
results of operations as reported in U.S. dollars.
In addition, fluctuations in currencies relative to currencies
in which the earnings are generated may make it more difficult
to perform period-to-period comparisons of our reported results
of operations. For purposes of accounting, the assets and
liabilities of our foreign operations, where the local currency
is the functional currency, are translated using period-end
exchange rates, and the revenues and expenses of our foreign
operations are translated using average exchange rates during
each period.
Although we attempt to match costs and revenues in local
currencies, we anticipate that there may be instances in which
costs and revenues will not be matched with respect to currency
denomination. As a result, to the extent we continue our
expansion on a global basis, we expect that increasing portions
of our revenues, costs, assets and liabilities will be subject
to fluctuations in foreign currency valuations. We may
experience economic loss and a negative impact on earnings or
net assets solely as a result of foreign currency exchange rate
fluctuations. Further, the markets in which we operate could
restrict the removal or conversion of the local or foreign
currency, resulting in our inability to hedge against these
risks.
Our ability to manage our business effectively will be
weakened if we lose key personnel.
We depend on the continuing efforts of our executive officers
and senior management. The departure of any of our key personnel
could have a significant negative effect on our business,
operating results, financial condition and on our ability to
compete effectively in the marketplace. We do not maintain key
man life insurance coverage with respect to our executive
officers or key
5
management personnel. We are not aware of the upcoming
retirement of any of our executive officers or senior management
personnel. In addition, we believe that our success depends on
our ability to attract and retain additional qualified employees.
We are subject to substantial environmental regulation,
and changes in these regulations could increase our costs or
liabilities.
We are subject to stringent and complex foreign, federal, state
and local laws and regulatory standards, including laws and
regulations regarding the discharge of materials into the
environment, emission controls and other environmental
protection and occupational health and safety concerns.
Environmental laws and regulations may, in certain
circumstances, impose strict liability for environmental
contamination, rendering us liable for remediation costs,
natural resource damages and other damages as a result of our
conduct that was lawful at the time it occurred or the conduct
of, or conditions caused by, prior owners or operators or other
third parties. In addition, where contamination may be present,
it is not uncommon for neighboring land owners and other third
parties to file claims for personal injury, property damage and
recovery of response costs. Remediation costs and other damages
arising as a result of environmental laws and regulations, and
costs associated with new information, changes in existing
environmental laws and regulations or the adoption of new
environmental laws and regulations could be substantial and
could negatively impact our financial condition or results of
operations. Moreover, failure to comply with these environmental
laws and regulations may result in the imposition of
administrative, civil and criminal penalties.
We routinely deal with natural gas, oil and other petroleum
products. As a result of our fabrication and aftermarket
services operations, we generate, manage and dispose of or
recycle hazardous wastes and substances such as solvents,
thinner, waste paint, waste oil, washdown wastes and sandblast
material. Although it is our policy to use generally accepted
operating and disposal practices in accordance with applicable
environmental laws and regulations, hydrocarbons or other
hazardous substances or wastes may have been disposed or
released on, under or from properties owned, leased or operated
by us or on or under other locations where such substances or
wastes have been taken for disposal. These properties may be
subject to investigatory, remediation and monitoring
requirements under foreign, federal, state and local
environmental laws and regulations.
We believe that our operations are in substantial compliance
with applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Nevertheless, the modification or interpretation of existing
environmental laws or regulations, the more vigorous enforcement
of existing environmental laws or regulations, or the adoption
of new environmental laws or regulations may also negatively
impact oil and natural gas exploration and production companies,
which in turn could have a negative impact on us and other
similarly situated service companies.
Our charter and bylaws contain provisions that may make it
more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even
if a change in control would result in the purchase of your
shares at a premium to the market price or would otherwise be
beneficial to you.
There are provisions in our restated certificate of
incorporation and bylaws that may make it more difficult for a
third party to acquire control of us, even if a change in
control would result in the purchase of your shares at a premium
to the market price or would otherwise be beneficial to you. For
example, our restated certificate of incorporation authorizes
our board of directors to issue preferred stock without
stockholder approval. If our board of directors elects to issue
preferred stock, it could be more difficult for a third party to
acquire us. In addition, provisions of our restated certificate
of incorporation, such as a staggered board of directors and
limitations on the removal of directors, no stockholder action
by written consent, and on stockholder proposals at
6
meetings of stockholders, could make it more difficult for a
third party to acquire control of us. Delaware corporation law
may also discourage takeover attempts that have not been
approved by our board of directors.
About this prospectus
You should rely only on the information contained or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus. No one has been
authorized to provide you with different information. This
prospectus is not an offer of these securities in any state
where an offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the
information contained and incorporated by reference in this
prospectus or in any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any
date other than the date on the front of the document.
Where you can find more information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements
and other information with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (or SEC). Our SEC filings are available to the public
from the SECs Web site at http:/ /www.sec.gov. You may
also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its
public reference facilities at 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtain copies of the documents
at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section
of the SEC at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549.
Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on
the operation of the public reference facilities. Our SEC
filings are also available at the office of the New York Stock
Exchange, Inc., 11 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005.
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on
Form S-3 covering the shares offered by this prospectus.
This prospectus is only a part of the registration statement and
does not contain all of the information in the registration
statement. For further information on us and the common stock
being offered, please review the registration statement and the
exhibits that are filed with it. Statements made in this
prospectus that describe documents may not necessarily be
complete. We recommend that you review the documents that we
have filed with the registration statement to obtain a more
complete understanding of those documents.
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this
prospectus information that we file with the SEC (File
No. 001-15843 for Universal Compression Holdings, Inc. and
File No. 333-48279 for Universal Compression, Inc.), which
means that we may disclose important information to you by
referring to those documents. The information incorporated by
reference is an important part of the prospectus. In addition,
information that we file with the SEC after the date of this
prospectus will automatically update and supersede the
prospectus. We incorporate by reference the documents listed
below and, except as otherwise set forth herein, any future
filings that we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
Exchange Act):
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(1) Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended March 31, 2004; |
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(2) The information specifically incorporated by reference
into our Annual Report on Form 10-K from our Proxy
Statement on Schedule 14A filed on June 14, 2004; |
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(3) Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the
fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2004, September 30,2004 and
December 31, 2004; |
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(4) Our Current Reports on Form 8-K, or portions
thereof, filed (but not furnished) May 20, 2004,
June 25, 2004, July 27, 2004, October 26, 2004,
December 2, 2004, December 7, 2004,
January 19,2005, February 18, 2005 and
February 22, 2005; and |
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(5) The description of our Common Stock included in our
Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated April 20,
2000, as amended on May 15, 2000. |
7
We will provide upon written or oral request without charge to
each person to whom this prospectus is delivered a copy of any
or all of the documents that are incorporated by reference in
this prospectus (other than exhibits to those documents unless
those exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into
the documents that this prospectus incorporates). Written
requests for copies should be directed to Universal Compression
Holdings, Inc., Investor Relations, 4444 Brittmoore Road,
Houston, Texas 77041. Our telephone number is
(713) 335-7000. You also may access the above filings and
any future filings at www.universalcompression.com. Information
on our website is not incorporated into this prospectus and is
not a part of this prospectus.
Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements
This prospectus and our filings with the SEC incorporated by
reference in this prospectus contain forward-looking
statements intended to qualify for the safe harbors from
liability established by the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of
historical fact included in this prospectus are forward-looking
statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding
future financial position, business strategy, proposed
acquisitions, budgets, litigation, projected costs and plans and
objectives of management for future operations. You can identify
many of these statements by looking for words such as
believes, expects, will,
intends, projects,
anticipates, estimates,
continues or similar words or the negative thereof.
Such forward-looking statements in this prospectus include,
without limitation:
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our business growth strategy and projected costs; |
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our future financial position; |
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the sufficiency of available cash flows to fund continuing
operations; |
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the expected amount of our capital expenditures; |
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anticipated cost savings, future revenues, gross profits and
other financial measures related to our business and our primary
business segments; |
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the future value of our equipment; and |
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plans and objectives of our management for our future operations. |
Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those anticipated as of the date of this
prospectus. The risks related to our business described under
Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus could
cause our actual results to differ from those described in, or
otherwise projected or implied by, the forward-looking
statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected
in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable
assumptions, no assurance can be given that these expectations
will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause our
actual results to differ materially from the expectations
reflected in these forward-looking statements include, among
other things:
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conditions in the oil and gas industry, including a sustained
decrease in the level of supply or demand for natural gas and
the impact of the price of natural gas; |
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competition among the various providers of natural gas
compression services; |
8
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changes in political or economic conditions in key operating
markets, including international markets; |
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changes in safety and environmental regulations pertaining to
the production and transportation of natural gas; |
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acts of war or terrorism or governmental or military responses
thereto; |
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introduction of competing technologies by other companies; |
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our ability to retain and grow our customer base; |
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our level of indebtedness and ability to fund our business; |
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our ability to recoup our investment by re-leasing our
compressors after typically short initial lease terms; |
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currency exchange rate fluctuations; |
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employment workforce factors, including loss of key employees;
and |
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liability claims related to the use of our products and services. |
All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus are
based on information available to us on the date of this
prospectus. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent written
and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or
persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their
entirety by the cautionary statements contained throughout this
prospectus.
Use of proceeds
We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the
shares of common stock offered by the selling stockholders. All
sales of the common stock will be by or for the account of the
selling stockholders listed in this prospectus.
Selling stockholders
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we
filed pursuant to registration rights granted to the selling
stockholders under an agreement we entered into in connection
with our acquisition of Weatherford Global Compression Services,
L.P. in February 2001. In connection with the Weatherford Global
acquisition, we entered into a registration rights agreement
with WEUS Holding, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Weatherford International, Inc. In connection with the
June 26, 2002 restructuring of Weatherford International,
Inc., WEUS Holdings rights under the registration rights
agreement were transferred to Weatherford International Ltd. On
March 23, 2004, the registration rights agreement was
amended and restated.
Pursuant to the terms of the amended and restated registration
rights agreement, the selling stockholders have the right to
require us to file a registration statement under the Securities
Act of 1933 so that they may sell the shares of our common stock
that they own. Under the agreement and subject to certain
exceptions and limitations, we are not obligated to file more
than one registration statement for the selling stockholders
within a 180 day period, and we are not obligated to make
more than three registrations at their request (now one, after
giving effect to the inclusion of shares in this prospectus and
the shares registered under our registration statement that was
filed in April 2004). The selling stockholders also have the
right to include their shares in certain other registration
statements we file involving our common stock. In addition, we
9
will pay all expenses of registering the shares under the
Securities Act of 1933, including all registration and filing
fees, printing expenses and the fees and disbursements of our
counsel and accountants. We are also obligated to reimburse
selling stockholders for the reasonable fees and disbursements
of their counsel. The amended and restated registration rights
agreement also provides that we will indemnify the selling
stockholders against certain civil liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933. The selling
stockholders will pay all discounts, brokerage fees, commissions
and expenses for any shares that are registered and that they
sell. We expect to withdraw registration of any unsold shares
approximately one year from date set forth on the cover of this
prospectus.
Also in connection with our acquisition of Weatherford Global,
WEUS Holding was granted the right to designate three members to
our board of directors for so long as it owns at least 20% of
our outstanding common stock. In connection with the
June 26, 2002 restructuring of Weatherford International,
Inc., WEUS Holdings right to designate members to our
board was transferred to Weatherford International Ltd. If
Weatherford International Ltd.s ownership of our common
stock falls below 20%, it may designate only two directors, and
if its ownership falls below 10%, it may no longer designate
directors to our board. Weatherford International Ltd.s
current designees to our board, including through WEUS
Holdings previous designations, are Mr. Uriel E.
Dutton, Ms. Lisa W. Rodriguez and Mr. Bernard J.
Duroc-Danner.
The following table sets forth information provided by the
selling stockholder about the ownership of common stock of the
selling stockholder before and after the offering covered by
this prospectus.
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Shares Beneficially |
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Shares Beneficially |
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Owned Prior to the |
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Owned After the |
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Offering(2) |
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Number of |
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Offering(3) |
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Shares |
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Selling stockholder |
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Number |
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Percent |
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Being Offered |
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Number |
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Percent |
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Weatherford International Ltd.(1)
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6,750,000 |
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21.3 |
% |
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6,750,000 |
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-0- |
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-0- |
% |
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(1) |
Bernard J. Duroc-Danner is Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Weatherford International Ltd. and has been
a member of our board of directors since 2001. Lisa W. Rodriguez
is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
Weatherford International Ltd. and has been a member of our
board of directors since 2002. Mr. Duroc-Danner and
Ms. Rodriguez disclaim any beneficial ownership of shares
held by Weatherford International Ltd. |
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(2) |
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with
Rule 13d-3(d) promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange
Act. The percentage of beneficial ownership for the selling
stockholders is based on 31,634,710 shares of common stock
outstanding as of February 7, 2005. |
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(3) |
The selling stockholders may offer shares under this prospectus
from time to time and may elect to sell none, some or all of the
shares set forth above. As a result, we cannot estimate the
number of shares of our common stock that the selling
stockholders will beneficially own after termination of sales
under this prospectus. For the purposes of this table, however,
we have assumed that the selling stockholders sell all of their
shares available for sale hereunder. In addition, the selling
stockholders may have sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of
all or a portion of its shares of our common stock since the
date on which it provided information for this table. |
Plan of distribution
The shares of common stock covered by this prospectus may be
offered and sold from time to time by the selling stockholders.
The term selling stockholders includes donees,
pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest selling
shares received after the date of this prospectus from a
10
selling stockholder as a gift, pledge, stockholder distribution
or other non-sale related transfer. The selling stockholders
will act independently of us in making decisions with respect to
the timing, manner and size of each sale.
The shares offered by this prospectus are subject to
restrictions under the amended and restated registration rights
agreement referred to above under Selling
Stockholders. Subject to those restrictions, sales of
shares by the selling stockholders referred to in this
prospectus may be made from time to time in one or more
transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, in the
over-the-counter market or any other exchange or quotation
system on which shares of our common stock may be listed or
quoted, in negotiated transactions or in a combination of any
such methods of sale. Sales may be at fixed prices that may be
changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at
prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated
prices. The shares may be offered directly to purchasers or to
or through underwriters or agents designated from time to time
or to or through brokers or dealers, or through any combination
of these methods of sale.
The methods by which the shares may be sold include:
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block trades (which may involve crosses) in which the broker or
dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may
position and resell a portion of the block as principal to
facilitate the transaction; |
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purchases by a broker or dealer as principal and resale by such
broker or dealer for its own account pursuant to this prospectus; |
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exchange distributions or secondary distributions in accordance
with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange or other relevant
markets; |
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short sales, ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in
which the broker solicits purchasers; |
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transactions in options, swaps or other derivatives, whether
exchange-listed or otherwise; |
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firm commitment or best efforts underwritings; and |
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privately negotiated transactions. |
In addition, sales not covered by this prospectus may also be
made by the selling stockholders pursuant to Rule 144 or
another applicable exemption under the Securities Act of 1933.
From time to time Weatherford International Ltd. may distribute
a portion or all of its shares to its stockholders. In the event
of such a distribution, and to the extent these stockholders
intend to use this prospectus to sell any of such shares, if
required these stockholders will be identified in a supplement
to this prospectus filed with the SEC. Furthermore, to the
extent required, this prospectus also may be amended or
supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of
distribution or any material arrangement that a selling
stockholder has entered into for the sale of shares, including
the details of any underwritten distribution.
In connection with distributions of shares or otherwise, the
selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with
broker-dealers or other agents. In connection with such
transactions, broker-dealers or other agents may engage in short
sales of shares in the course of hedging the positions they
assume with the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders
may also sell shares short and redeliver the shares to close out
such short positions. The selling stockholders may also enter
into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other
financial institutions that require the delivery to such
broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered
by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other
financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as
supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction). The
selling stockholders may also pledge or grant a security
interest in shares and, upon a default in the performance of
11
the secured obligation, such pledgee or secured party may effect
sales of the pledged shares pursuant to this prospectus (as
supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
In effecting sales, broker-dealers or agents engaged by the
selling stockholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to
participate. Broker-dealers, underwriters or agents may receive
commissions, discounts or concessions from the selling
stockholders and/or purchasers of the shares for whom they may
act as agents.
In offering the shares covered by this prospectus, the selling
stockholders and any broker-dealers, underwriters or agents who
execute sales for the selling stockholders may be deemed to be
underwriters within the meaning of the Securities
Act of 1933 in connection with such sales. Any profits realized
by the selling stockholders and the compensation of any
broker-dealer, underwriter or agent may be deemed to be
underwriting discounts and commissions. No underwriter,
broker-dealer or agent has been engaged by us in connection with
the distribution of the shares.
To comply with the securities laws of certain states, if
applicable, the shares must be sold in such jurisdictions only
through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition,
in certain states the shares may not be sold unless they have
been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or
an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement
is available and is complied with.
The selling stockholders and any other person participating in a
distribution of the shares covered by this prospectus will be
subject to the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder. Regulation M of the
Exchange Act may limit the timing of purchases and sales of
shares by the selling stockholders and any other person. In
addition, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any
person engaged in the distribution of the shares to engage in
market-making activities with respect to our common stock for a
period of up to five business days before the distribution.
We have agreed to indemnify and hold harmless, among others, the
selling stockholders and the directors, officers and controlling
persons of each of them against specified liabilities that
arise, under the Securities Act in connection with the sale of
shares covered by this prospectus.
Legal matters
The validity of the common stock offered in this prospectus will
be passed upon for us by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Houston,
Texas.
Experts
The financial statements and the related financial statement
schedule as of March 31, 2004 and 2003, and for each of the
three years in the period ended March 31, 2004,
incorporated by reference in this prospectus have been audited
by Deloitte and Touche LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are
incorporated by reference herein, and has been so incorporated
in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their
authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
12
6,750,000 Shares
Common stock
Prospectus supplement
JPMorgan
The date of this prospectus supplement is December 8, 2005.