Western Midstream Partners Lp Stock Price, News & Analysis
Company Description
Western Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) is a master limited partnership formed to develop, acquire, own, and operate midstream energy assets. According to the company’s public disclosures, WES focuses on midstream activities that support the movement and handling of hydrocarbons and produced water for its customers in key U.S. energy-producing regions.
WES reports that it has midstream assets located in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Across these areas, the partnership is engaged in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas. It also undertakes gathering, stabilizing, and transporting condensate, natural-gas liquids (NGLs), and crude oil. In addition, WES states that it is involved in gathering, transporting, recycling, treating, and disposing of produced water for its customers, reflecting a broader three-stream midstream focus that includes gas, liquids, and water.
In its capacity as a natural-gas processor, WES explains that it buys and sells residue gas, NGLs, and condensate on behalf of itself and its customers under certain gas processing contracts. The partnership also notes that a substantial majority of its cash flows are protected from direct exposure to commodity price volatility through fee-based contracts, which means a large portion of its revenues are tied to contracted fees rather than commodity prices.
Business model and activities
Based on the company’s own descriptions, Western Midstream’s business model centers on owning and operating midstream infrastructure that supports upstream producers. Its activities include:
- Natural gas services: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas.
- Liquids handling: gathering, stabilizing, and transporting condensate, NGLs, and crude oil.
- Produced water management: gathering, transporting, recycling, treating, and disposing of produced water for customers.
- Commodity marketing related to processing: buying and selling residue gas, NGLs, and condensate under certain gas processing contracts.
According to multiple company press releases, WES characterizes itself as a master limited partnership focused on midstream assets, and emphasizes that fee-based contracts help shield a substantial majority of its cash flows from direct commodity price swings.
Geographic footprint
WES states that its midstream assets are located in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. In various public communications, the partnership highlights activity in the Delaware Basin, which is part of its Texas and New Mexico footprint, particularly in connection with produced-water gathering, recycling, transportation, disposal, and related flow-assurance services.
Water and three-stream midstream capabilities
Through its operations and the completed acquisition of Aris Water Solutions, Inc., WES describes itself as one of the largest three-stream midstream providers in the Delaware Basin, with capabilities across natural gas, liquids, and produced water. Company communications around the Aris acquisition indicate that WES is focused on produced-water gathering, recycling, transportation, disposal, and beneficial reuse for producer customers in Texas and New Mexico. WES also refers to itself as a full-service, integrated produced-water management provider in this area.
Capital structure and financing activities
Western Midstream Partners, LP is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WES. Through its subsidiary Western Midstream Operating, LP, the partnership has issued senior notes under an indenture structure. A Form 8-K dated December 4, 2025, reports that Western Midstream Operating, LP completed a public offering of 4.800% Senior Notes due 2031 and 5.500% Senior Notes due 2035. The filing explains that these notes were issued under a base indenture and a fifteenth supplemental indenture, and that they rank equally with other existing and future senior indebtedness of Western Midstream Operating, LP.
The same filing states that net proceeds from this notes offering are intended to be used to repay maturing senior notes due 2026, repay amounts outstanding under the commercial paper program (including borrowings used to fund the cash consideration of the Aris acquisition), and for general partnership purposes, including funding capital expenditures.
Corporate transactions
WES has disclosed a significant transaction involving Aris Water Solutions, Inc.. A Form 8-K dated October 15, 2025, reports that on that date WES completed its previously announced transaction with Aris under an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated August 6, 2025. The filing describes a series of mergers involving subsidiaries of WES and Aris, resulting in Aris becoming an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of WES.
According to this Form 8-K, each issued and outstanding share of Aris Class A common stock and each Aris OpCo stapled unit was converted into the right to receive one of three forms of consideration from WES: (1) common units representing limited partner interests in WES, (2) cash, or (3) a combination of WES common units and cash, subject to proration terms. The filing further states that approximately 26.6 million WES common units were issued and $415.0 million in cash was paid to Aris securityholders as part of the merger consideration, excluding certain equity award-related amounts.
Company press releases associated with this transaction state that the completion of the Aris acquisition solidifies WES’s position as one of the largest three-stream midstream, flow-assurance providers in the Delaware Basin and that WES aims to be an integrated water solutions provider in that basin.
Financial reporting and communications
Western Midstream regularly communicates its financial and operating results through press releases and SEC filings. For example, a November 4, 2025 press release, referenced in a Form 8-K, reports third-quarter 2025 net income attributable to limited partners, Adjusted EBITDA, cash flows provided by operating activities, and free cash flow, along with throughput metrics for natural gas, crude oil, NGLs, and produced water. The same release notes that WES declared a quarterly cash distribution per unit and provides summarized balance sheet and cash flow information.
WES also issues announcements about quarterly distributions, earnings conference calls, and post-earnings interviews with senior finance and commercial executives. These communications typically reiterate the partnership’s description as a master limited partnership focused on midstream assets and restate its core activities in gas, liquids, and produced water handling, as well as its reliance on fee-based contracts for a substantial majority of cash flows.
Risk and regulatory disclosures
In its press releases and SEC filings, WES includes forward-looking statements sections that refer readers to the “Risk Factors” section of its most recent Form 10-K and other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These disclosures highlight that actual results may differ from projections due to a range of factors, including commodity prices, operational performance, project timing, and regulatory matters.
FAQs about Western Midstream Partners, LP (WES)
- What does Western Midstream Partners, LP do?
According to the company’s public statements, Western Midstream Partners, LP develops, acquires, owns, and operates midstream assets. Its activities include gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing, and transporting condensate, natural-gas liquids, and crude oil; and gathering, transporting, recycling, treating, and disposing of produced water for customers. - Where does WES operate?
WES reports that its midstream assets are located in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Company communications also highlight its presence in the Delaware Basin within Texas and New Mexico, particularly for three-stream midstream and produced-water services. - How does Western Midstream generate cash flows?
The partnership states that it earns cash flows from fee-based contracts associated with its midstream services, including gathering, processing, transportation, and produced-water management. WES notes that a substantial majority of its cash flows are protected from direct exposure to commodity price volatility through these fee-based arrangements. - What is WES’s role as a natural-gas processor?
In its capacity as a natural-gas processor, WES reports that it buys and sells residue gas, natural-gas liquids, and condensate on behalf of itself and its customers under certain gas processing contracts, in addition to providing processing and related services. - What was the significance of the Aris Water Solutions acquisition?
A Form 8-K dated October 15, 2025, and related press releases state that WES completed its acquisition of Aris Water Solutions, Inc. WES describes this transaction as solidifying its position as one of the largest three-stream midstream, flow-assurance providers in the Delaware Basin and supporting its strategy to provide integrated produced-water management and water solutions in that region. - On which exchange does WES trade and under what symbol?
Company press releases identify Western Midstream Partners, LP as trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol WES. - What types of debt securities has WES issued?
A Form 8-K dated December 4, 2025, reports that Western Midstream Operating, LP, a subsidiary of WES, completed a public offering of 4.800% Senior Notes due 2031 and 5.500% Senior Notes due 2035. These notes were issued under an existing base indenture and a fifteenth supplemental indenture and are described as ranking equally with other senior indebtedness of Western Midstream Operating, LP. - How does WES describe its exposure to commodity prices?
In multiple public communications, WES states that a substantial majority of its cash flows are protected from direct exposure to commodity price volatility through fee-based contracts, meaning that many of its revenues are based on contracted fees rather than direct commodity price movements.