Overview.
We are a manufacturer of lime and limestone products, supplying primarily the construction (including highway, road and building contractors), industrial (including paper and glass manufacturers), metals (including steel producers), environmental (including municipal sanitation and water treatment facilities and flue gas treatment processes), roof shingle manufacturers, agriculture (including poultry and cattle feed producers), and oil and gas services industries. We are headquartered in Dallas, Texas and operate lime and limestone plants and distribution facilities in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Arkansas Lime Company, ART Quarry TRS LLC (DBA Carthage Crushed Limestone), Colorado Lime Company, Mill Creek Dolomite, LLC (“Mill Creek”), Texas Lime Company, U.S. Lime Company, U.S. Lime Company – Shreveport, U.S. Lime Company – St. Clair, and U.S. Lime Company – Transportation.
We have identified one reportable segment based on the distinctness of our activities and products: lime and limestone operations. All operations are within a single geographic region in the United States.
In addition to our lime and limestone operations, we hold natural gas interests through our wholly owned subsidiary, U.S. Lime Company – O&G, LLC. The revenues, gross profit and operating profit from our natural gas interests are included in Other for our reportable segment disclosures. Assets related to our natural gas interests, unallocated corporate assets, and cash items are included in Other identified assets. We do not believe that our natural gas interests are material to the current or prior periods.
On February 9, 2022, we acquired 100% of the equity interest of Mill Creek, a dolomite mining and production company located in Mill Creek, Oklahoma, for $5.6 million cash. Upon acquisition, Mill Creek’s assets and liabilities were recorded at fair value, with $5.4 million of the purchase price allocated to property, plant, and equipment. Mill Creek contributed $1.1 million and $1.9 million to our revenues for the three- and six-months ended June 30, 2022, respectively. We believe that this acquisition will complement our existing geographic footprint.
Our revenues increased 23.0% and 22.6% in the second quarter and first six months 2022, respectively, compared to the second quarter and first six months 2021. The increases in our revenues in the second quarter and first six months 2022 resulted primarily from 18.0% and 18.5% increases in sales volumes of our lime and limestone products, respectively, principally due to increased demand from our construction and industrial customers. Additionally, lime and limestone revenues for the six months 2022 benefited from increased sales to our oil and gas services customers. Revenues in in the second quarter and first six months 2022 were also favorably impacted by increases in the average selling prices for our lime and limestone products of 4.3% and 3.5%, respectively.
Our gross profit decreased 1.9% in the second quarter 2022 and increased 8.2% in the first six months 2022, compared to the second quarter and first six months 2021. The decrease in gross profit in the second quarter 2022, compared to the second quarter 2021, resulted primarily from increased lime and limestone production costs, principally from higher energy, transportation, labor, and supplies costs, partially offset by the increased revenues discussed above. The increase in gross profit in the first six months 2022, compared to the first six months 2021, resulted primarily from the increased revenues discussed above, partially offset by increased production costs.
We continue to be challenged by a persistent overall inflationary environment that is disproportionately impacting our lime and limestone production costs. We are also adjusting and acclimating to longer lead times as supply chain delays have settled into a new normal.
While we were able to increase our lime and limestone product prices in the first six months 2022, our price increases were not nearly enough to offset the increasing cost pressures that we have been experiencing. In an effort to maintain or improve our margins, we have been working with our valued customers to pass along additional price increases during the second half of the year. If our increased production costs, particularly costs associated with energy and transportation, continue at their current rate, or accelerate, it could adversely affect our profitability going forward.
Liquidity and Capital Resources.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $22.4 million in the first six months 2022, compared to $27.4 million in the first six months 2021, a decrease of $5.0 million, or 18.3%. Our net cash provided by operating activities is composed of net income, depreciation, depletion and amortization (“DD&A”), deferred income taxes, stock-based compensation, other non-cash items included in net income and changes in working capital. In the first six months 2022,