Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) said it expects to post banner full-year 2021 results and drive even stronger earnings next year.

Bolstered by exceptional winter demand for natural gas earlier in the year, the Houston-based operator is projecting it would earn 76 cents/share this year. Seismic first quarter sales gains made amid surging demand and soaring gas prices last February during Winter Storm Uri have played an outsized role. Excluding the largely nonrecurring impact of Uri, 2021 earnings would come in around 39 cents/share, the company estimated.

Looking ahead, CEO Steven Kean said the midstream giant in 2022 would build on its $1 billion acquisition in July of Stagecoach Gas Services LLC’s storage and pipeline assets. KMI expects earnings/share to swell to $1.09 next...