May 8, 2021
Operator
Welcome to the Q1 2021 Frank's International N.V. Earnings Conference Call.
My name is James, and I'll be your operator for today's call. And I'd now like to turn the call over to Melissa Cougle.
Melissa, you may begin.
Melissa Cougle
Good morning, and welcome to the Frank's International conference call to discuss our first quarter 2021 earnings. Our speakers today, as shown on Slide 2 of the earnings presentation, are Mike Kearney, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer; and myself, Melissa Cougle, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
A presentation has been posted on our website that we will refer to throughout this call. If you'd like to view this presentation, please go to the Investors section of our corporate website at franksinternational.com.
Mike Kearney
Thank you, Melissa. We appreciate everyone joining us for the call today.
Turning to Slide 5. We delivered solid first quarter results with adjusted EBITDA increasing 44% sequentially to $6.7 million.
Total revenue was largely in line with the prior quarter and our previously disclosed expectations. Our profitability continues to improve from prior quarters attributable to our cost reduction activities undertaken in 2020 as well as improvement in our Tubular Running Services segment.
From an operational perspective, we experienced higher customer activity levels in all of our international operating basins and accelerated improvement in our U.S. Land business.
The improvement in our Tubular Running Services segment was principally driven by higher activity levels and, in particular, rigs returning to work in the North Sea and offshore West Africa. We were also aided by the full quarter impact of project start-ups in the Middle East and accelerated improvement in U.S.
Land, with the U.S. Land rig count increasing another 25% in the first quarter.
Melissa Cougle
Thank you, Mike. Referring to Slide 7, revenue decreased 1.6% sequentially, in line with our previously disclosed expectations.
We experienced sequential improvement in both our Tubular Running Services and Cementing Equipment segments this quarter, and relatively lower performance in our Tubular segment as some of our pipe deliveries have been pulled forward into the fourth quarter of 2020.
Mike Kearney
Thank you, Melissa. Before we close out today's call, I would like to reiterate a few key points.
First, we are excited about our planned combination with Expro Group, which is expected to close by the end of the third quarter. The teams of both respective companies remain excited and dedicated to creating one of the strongest oilfield services companies in the industry, providing some of the most innovative solutions to our customers globally.
Second, Frank's expects to experience material improvement in the second quarter as we maintain a strong line of sight on additional rig deployments and project start-ups in the second quarter as well as throughout the second half of 2021. Finally, we will continue to focus on operational execution, capital discipline and cost reduction efforts, which has enabled us to maintain one of the strongest balance sheets in the oilfield services space.
This enviable position puts the new combined company on solid footing as it progresses through the integration process and positions itself for future growth and expansion. In closing, I would like to reiterate my continued thanks to all of our employees for their hard work and dedication to the Frank's organization.
As we move closer to finalizing the merger with Expro Group, it will be the hard work and dedication of our employees that enable our organization to stay focused on providing the absolute best service quality and safety for our customers. We look forward to updating you on our progress in the near future as a combined entity.
Many thanks to everyone on the call for your continued interest in Frank's. We hope you enjoy the rest of your day.
Goodbye.
Operator
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. This concludes today's conference.
Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.
End of Q&A