Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Organization and Description of Business

v3.22.2.2
Organization and Description of Business
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization and Description of Business
NOTE 1 - Organization and Description of Business
Archaea Energy Inc. (“Archaea” or the "Company"), a Delaware corporation (formerly named Rice Acquisition Corp.), is one of the largest RNG producers in the U.S., with an industry-leading RNG platform primarily focused on capturing and converting waste emissions from landfills and livestock farms into low-carbon RNG and electricity. As of September 30, 2022, Archaea owns, through wholly-owned entities or joint ventures, a diversified portfolio of 46 LFG recovery and processing facilities across 20 states, including 13 operated facilities that produce pipeline-quality RNG and 33 LFG to renewable electricity production facilities, including one non-operated facility and one facility that is not operational.
Archaea develops, designs, constructs, and operates RNG facilities. Archaea, through wholly-owned entities or joint ventures, has entered into long-term agreements with biogas site hosts which grant Archaea the rights to utilize gas produced at their sites and to construct and operate facilities on their sites to produce RNG and renewable electricity.
Merger Agreement
On October 16, 2022, the Company and Opco entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with BP Products North America Inc., a Maryland corporation (“Parent”), Condor RTM Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”), and Condor RTM LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Opco Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Company Merger”), and Opco Merger Sub will merge with and into Opco with Opco continuing as the surviving company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Opco Merger” and, together with the Company Merger, the “Merger”).
As a result of the Merger, (i) at the effective time of the Company Merger (the “Effective Time”), each share of Class A Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (subject to certain exceptions, including shares of Class A Common Stock owned by stockholders of the Company who have not voted in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and have properly exercised appraisal rights in accordance with Delaware law) will automatically be converted into the right to receive $26.00, without interest thereon (the “Per Share Price”) in cash, subject to applicable withholding taxes, and (ii) at the effective time of the Opco Merger (the “Opco Merger Effective Time”), each Class A Opco Unit outstanding immediately prior to the Opco Merger Effective Time that is held by a holder other than the Company or any of its subsidiaries will automatically be converted into the right to receive the Per Share Price in cash, subject to applicable withholding taxes. Also, at the Effective Time, each share of Class B Common Stock will be automatically cancelled and extinguished without any conversion thereof or consideration paid therefor.
Immediately following the Opco Merger Effective Time, each of the outstanding Private Placement Warrants will be redeemed for cash in accordance with the terms of the Warrant Agreement, as amended in connection with the Company’s entry into the Merger Agreement, which provides that immediately following the Opco Merger Effective Time, each Private Placement Warrant that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be automatically redeemed for the right to receive an amount, in cash, equal to (i) the Per Share Price minus (ii) the Warrant Price (as defined in the Warrant Agreement and which is currently $11.50) as reduced pursuant to the calculation provided in Section 4.4 of the Warrant Agreement, without interest.
The parties are targeting closing the Merger by the end of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by the Company’s stockholders and receipt of regulatory approvals. Upon closing of the Merger, the Class A Common Stock will no longer be listed on any public market. See “Note 21 - Subsequent Events” for more information regarding the Merger.
The Business Combinations
On September 15, 2021, Archaea consummated the business combinations pursuant to (i) the Business Combination Agreement, dated April 7, 2021 (as amended, the “Aria Merger Agreement”), by and among Rice Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“RAC”), Rice Acquisition Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and direct subsidiary of RAC (“RAC Opco”), LFG Intermediate Co, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and direct subsidiary of RAC Opco (“RAC Intermediate”), LFG Buyer Co, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and direct subsidiary of RAC Intermediate (“RAC Buyer”), Inigo Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and direct subsidiary of RAC Buyer (“Aria Merger Sub”), Aria Energy LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Aria”), and Aria Renewable Energy Systems LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, pursuant to which, among other things, Aria Merger Sub was merged with and into Aria, with Aria surviving the merger and becoming a direct subsidiary of RAC Buyer, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein (the transactions contemplated by the Aria Merger Agreement, the “Aria Merger”), and (ii) the Business Combination Agreement, dated April 7, 2021 (as amended, the “Archaea Merger Agreement”), by and among RAC, RAC Opco, RAC Intermediate, RAC Buyer, Fezzik Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and direct subsidiary of RAC Buyer (“Archaea Merger Sub”), Archaea Energy LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Archaea Energy II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Legacy Archaea”), pursuant to which, among other things, Archaea Merger Sub was merged with and into Legacy Archaea, with Legacy Archaea surviving the merger and becoming a direct subsidiary of RAC Buyer, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein (the transactions contemplated by the Archaea Merger Agreement, the “Archaea Merger” and, together with the Aria Merger, the “Business Combinations”). Legacy Archaea was determined to be the accounting acquirer of the Business Combinations, and Aria was determined to be the predecessor to the Company. Unless the context otherwise requires, the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer, for periods prior to the completion of the Business Combinations, to Legacy Archaea and its subsidiaries and, for periods upon or after the completion of the Business Combinations, to Archaea Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Legacy Archaea and Aria Energy LLC.
Archaea has retained its “up-C” structure, whereby (i) all of the equity interests in Aria and Legacy Archaea are held indirectly by Opco through RAC Buyer and RAC Intermediate, (ii) Archaea’s only assets are its equity interests in Opco, and (iii) Sponsor, Atlas, the RAC independent directors, the Legacy Archaea Holders and the Aria Holders own or owned economic interests directly in Opco. In connection with the consummation of the Business Combinations, Rice Acquisition Holdings LLC was renamed LFG Acquisition Holdings LLC. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810 - Consolidation, Opco is considered a VIE with Archaea as its sole managing member and primary beneficiary. As such, Archaea consolidates Opco, and the remaining unitholders that hold economic interests directly in Opco are presented as redeemable noncontrolling interests on the Company’s financial statements.
Subsequent to the Business Combinations, transactions impacting the ownership of Class A Opco Units include warrant exercises, repurchases from Aria Renewable Energy Systems LLC, redemption of certain other Class A Opco Units in exchange for Class A Common Stock, and issuances related to vested restricted stock units (“RSUs”). The ownership structure of Opco upon closing of the Business Combinations and as of September 30, 2022, which gives rise to the redeemable noncontrolling interest at Archaea, is as follows:
September 30, 2022 September 15, 2021
Equity Holder
Class A Opco Units
% Interest
Class A Opco Units
% Interest
Archaea
81,592,637  67.6  % 52,847,195  45.9  %
Total controlling interests
81,592,637  67.6  % 52,847,195  45.9  %
Aria Holders
—  —  % 23,000,000  20.0  %
Legacy Archaea Holders
33,350,385  27.6  % 33,350,385  29.0  %
Sponsor, Atlas and RAC independent directors
5,702,283  4.7  % 5,931,350  5.2  %
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests
39,052,668  32.4  % 62,281,735  54.1  %
Total
120,645,305  100.0  % 115,128,930  100.0  %
Holders of Class A Opco Units other than Archaea have the right (a “redemption right”), subject to certain limitations, to redeem Class A Opco Units and a corresponding number of shares of Class B Common Stock for, at Opco’s option, (i) shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like, or (ii) a corresponding amount of cash.