As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 14, 2012
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
DCP MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP
DCP MIDSTREAM OPERATING, LP
(Exact name of registrants as specified in charter)
| Delaware | 03-0567133 | |
| Delaware | 20-3471253 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
370 17th Street, Suite 2775
Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 633-2900
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrants’ principal executive offices)
Michael S. Richards, Esq.
Vice President & General Counsel
370 17th Street, Suite 2775
Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 633-2900
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Lucy S. Stark
Amy L. Bowler
Holland & Hart LLP
555 17th Street, Suite 3200
Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 295-8000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: ¨
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. x
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
DCP Midstream Partners, LP Large Accelerated Filer x Accelerated filer ¨ Non-Accelerated Filer ¨ Smaller reporting company ¨
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered(1) |
Amount to be Registered(2) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Security |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price |
Amount of Registration Fee(3) | ||||
| Common Units |
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| Debt Securities(4) |
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| (1) | Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder. |
| (2) | There is being registered hereunder such indeterminate number or amount of common units and debt securities as may from time to time be issued by the registrant at indeterminate prices and as may be issuable upon conversion, redemption, exchange, exercise or settlement of any securities registered hereunder, including under any applicable antidilution provisions. Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable on conversion, exchange or exercise of other securities. |
| (3) | In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee, except for $22,384.12 that has already been paid pursuant to Registration Statement No. 333-167108, which was initially filed on May 26, 2010, and was not utilized thereunder. Pursuant to Rule 457(p) under the Securities Act of 1933, such unutilized filing fees shall be applied to the first $22,384.12 of the filing fee payable pursuant to this Registration Statement. This amount was calculated based on the amount of securities remaining under Registration Statement No. 333-167108, using the rate of $71.30 per million that was in effect when Registration Statement No. 333-167108 was filed. Any additional registration fees will be paid subsequently on a pay-as-you-go basis. |
| (4) | DCP Midstream Partners, LP will unconditionally guarantee the obligations of DCP Midstream Operating, LP under the debt securities. No separate consideration will be received in respect of any such guarantees and no separate fee is payable with respect to the guarantees of the debt securities being registered. |
PROSPECTUS
DCP MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP
Common Units Representing Limited Partner Interests
DCP MIDSTREAM OPERATING, LP
Debt Securities Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed
by DCP Midstream Partners, LP
We may from time to time offer and sell common units representing limited partner interests in DCP Midstream Partners, LP. Our common units are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under the symbol “DPM.” On June 13, 2012, the last reported sale price of our common units on the NYSE was $39.20.
DCP Midstream Operating, LP, may, in one or more offerings, offer and sell its debt securities, which will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by us, and may also be guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries. We will provide information in the related prospectus supplement for the trading market, if any, for any debt securities DCP Midstream Operating, LP may offer.
This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to these securities and the general manner in which they may be offered. Each time we sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the specific terms of the securities offered. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein carefully before you invest in our securities. You should also read the documents we have referred you to in the “Where You Can Find More Information” section of this prospectus for information about us, including our financial statements.
We will sell these securities directly to investors, or through agents, dealers or underwriters as designated from time to time, or through a combination of these methods, on a continuous or delayed basis.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our securities unless it is accompanied by the applicable prospectus supplement.
Investing in our common units or debt securities involves a high degree of risk. Limited partnerships are inherently different than corporations. Please read “Risk Factors” referred to on page 6 of this prospectus, and contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein before you make an investment in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is June 14, 2012.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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| OUR CASH DISTRIBUTION POLICY AND RESTRICTIONS ON DISTRIBUTIONS |
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| INVESTMENT IN DCP MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS |
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You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or any “free writing prospectus” we may authorize to be delivered to you. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information or to make additional representations. We are not making or soliciting an offer of any securities other than the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. We are not making or soliciting an offer of these securities in any state or jurisdiction where an offer is not permitted or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should not assume that the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of each of those documents.
This prospectus is part of an “automatic shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined under the Securities Act. Under the shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and sell in one or more offerings, the common units of DCP Midstream Partners, LP or the debt securities of DCP Midstream Operating, LP and the related guarantees of DCP Midstream Partners, LP. This prospectus generally describes us, the common units of DCP Midstream Partners, LP, the debt securities of DCP Midstream Operating, LP and the related guarantees of the debt securities.
Each time we sell common units or debt securities and guarantees with this prospectus, we will describe in a prospectus supplement, which will be delivered with this prospectus, specific information about the offering and the terms of the particular securities offered. The prospectus supplement also may add to, update, or change the information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information contained in this prospectus and any information incorporated by reference in this prospectus, on the one hand, and the information contained in any applicable prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference therein, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in the applicable prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in the prospectus supplement.
Wherever references are made in this prospectus to information that will be included in a prospectus supplement, to the extent permitted by applicable law, rules, or regulations, we may instead include such information or add, update, or change the information contained in this prospectus by means of a post-effective amendment to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, through filings we make with the SEC that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus or by any other method as may then be permitted under applicable law, rules, or regulations.
Statements made in this prospectus, in any prospectus supplement or in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement as to the contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete. In each instance we refer you to the copy of the contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or as an exhibit to the documents incorporated by reference. You may obtain copies of those documents as described in this prospectus under “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any sale made hereunder implies that there has been no change in our affairs or that the information in this prospectus is correct as of any date after the date of this prospectus. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, including any information incorporated in this prospectus by reference, the accompanying prospectus supplement or any “free writing prospectus” we may authorize to be delivered to you, is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of each of those documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
Throughout this prospectus, when we use the terms “we,” “us,” or “DCP,” we are referring either to DCP Midstream Partners, LP or to DCP Midstream Partners, LP and its operating subsidiaries collectively, as the context requires. References to DCP Operating refer to DCP Midstream Operating, LP, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DCP, which may be the issuer of debt securities hereunder. References in this prospectus to our “general partner” refer to DCP Midstream GP, LP and/or DCP Midstream GP, LLC, the general partner of DCP Midstream GP, LP, as the context requires.
ABOUT DCP MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP
We are a Delaware limited partnership formed in August 2005 by DCP Midstream, LLC to own, operate, acquire and develop a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. We are currently engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting, storing and selling natural gas;
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producing, fractionating, transporting, storing and selling natural gas liquids, or NGLs, and condensate; and transporting, storing and selling propane in wholesale markets. Supported by our relationship with DCP Midstream, LLC and its parents, Spectra Energy Corp. and Phillips 66, we have a management team dedicated to executing our growth strategy by acquiring and constructing additional assets.
Our operations are organized into three business segments, Natural Gas Services, NGL Logistics and Wholesale Propane Logistics. A map representing the geographic location and type of our assets for all segments is set forth below. Additional maps detailing the individual assets can be found on our website at www.dcppartners.com. Our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated by reference into this prospectus. For more information on our segments, see “Business—Our Operating Segments” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Partnership Structure and Management
Our operations are conducted through, and our operating assets are owned by, our subsidiaries. Our interests in our subsidiaries are held through our 100% ownership interest in our operating partnership, DCP Midstream Operating, LP. DCP Midstream GP, LLC is the general partner of our general partner, DCP Midstream GP, LP, and has sole responsibility for conducting our business and managing our operations.
Our principal executive office is located at 370 17th Street, Suite 2775, Denver, Colorado 80202. Our telephone number is (303) 633-2900. Our common units are traded on the NYSE under the symbol “DPM.”
DCP Midstream Operating, LP, is our wholly owned subsidiary. All of our operations are conducted through DCP Midstream Operating, LP.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are subject to the disclosure requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended or the Exchange Act, and file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other information with the SEC. The public may read and copy any reports or other information that we file with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room located at: 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-2521. The public may obtain information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-732-0330. Our SEC filings are also available to the public from commercial document retrieval services
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and at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Unless specifically listed under “Incorporation by Reference” below, the information contained on the SEC website is not intended to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and you should not consider that information a part of this prospectus.
Our SEC filings can also be inspected and copied at the offices of the NYSE located at: 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005. We will also provide to you, at no cost, a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and any exhibits specifically incorporated by reference in those documents. You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference into this prospectus (including exhibits to those documents specifically incorporated by reference in this document), at no cost, by visiting DCP’s website at www.dcppartners.com, or by writing or calling us at the following address:
DCP Midstream Partners, LP
370 17th Street, Suite 2775
Denver, Colorado 80202
Attention: Secretary
Telephone: (303) 633-2900
You may also inspect our SEC reports on our website at www.dcppartners.com. We make available free of charge on or through our Internet website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not intended to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and you should not consider that information a part of this prospectus.
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus, the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and may replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any information furnished under Items 2.02 or 7.01 on any current report on Form 8-K) after the date of this prospectus:
| • | Our Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-32678) for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed with the SEC on February 29, 2012, as modified by our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 14, 2012; |
| • | Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2012; |
| • | Our Current Reports on Form 8-K and 8-K/A filed with the SEC on January 9, 2012, February 22, 2012, March 1, 2012, March 2, 2012, March 9, 2012, March 13, 2012, April 5, 2012, April 13, 2012, May 1, 2012, May 31, 2012 and June 14, 2012; and |
| • | The description of our common units contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-32678) filed on November 18, 2005. |
These reports contain important information about us, our financial condition and our results of operations.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or considered to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus shall be considered to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a
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statement contained in this prospectus or in any subsequently filed document that is or is considered to be incorporated by reference modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement that is modified or superseded shall not, except as so modified or superseded, constitute a part of this prospectus.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, or any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered to you. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone else to provide you with any information. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of each document.
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Limited partner interests are inherently different than the capital stock of a corporation, although many of the business risks to which we are subject are similar to those that would be faced by a corporation engaged in a similar business. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider the risk factors included in this prospectus and our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, that are incorporated herein by reference. You should also carefully consider any risk factors that may be included in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference herein or therein in evaluating an investment in our securities.
If any of the risks discussed in the foregoing documents were to actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow could be materially adversely affected. In that case, our ability to make distributions to our unitholders or pay interest on, or the principal of, any debt securities, may be reduced, the trading price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Some of the information included in this prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein contain “forward-looking” statements. All statements that are not statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected costs and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can typically identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words, such as “may,” “could,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “potential,” “plan,” “forecast” and other similar words. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein.
These forward-looking statements reflect our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside our control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include known and unknown risks. Known risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (i) the risks described in Item 1A of Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference, (ii) risks described in any of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and (iii) the risks described in any applicable prospectus supplement. Some of these risks are summarized below:
| • | the extent of changes in commodity prices and the demand for our products and services, our ability to effectively limit a portion of the adverse impact of potential changes in prices through derivative financial instruments, and the potential impact of price and producers’ access to capital on natural gas drilling, and the volume of NGLs and condensate extracted; |
| • | general economic, market and business conditions; |
| • | the level and success of natural gas drilling around our assets, the level and quality of gas production volumes around our assets and our ability to connect supplies to our gathering and processing systems in light of competition; |
| • | our ability to grow through acquisitions, contributions from affiliates, or organic growth projects, and the successful integration and future performance of such assets; |
| • | our ability to access the debt and equity markets and the resulting cost of capital, which will depend on general market conditions, our financial and operating results, inflation rates, interest rates and our ability to effectively limit a portion of the adverse effects of potential changes in interest rates by |
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| entering into derivative financial instruments, our ability to comply with the covenants in our loan agreements and our debt securities, as well as our ability to maintain our credit ratings; |
| • | The demand for NGL products by the petrochemical, refining or other industries or by the fuel markets; |
| • | our ability to purchase propane from our principal suppliers and make associated profitable sales transactions for our wholesale propane logistics business; |
| • | our ability to construct facilities in a timely fashion, which is partially dependent on obtaining required construction, environmental and other permits issued by federal, state and municipal governments, or agencies thereof, the availability of specialized contractors and laborers, and the price of and demand for materials; |
| • | the creditworthiness of counterparties to our transactions; |
| • | weather and other natural phenomena, including their potential impact on demand for the commodities we sell and the operation of company-owned and third-party-owned infrastructure; |
| • | new additions to and changes in laws and regulations, particularly with regard to taxes, safety and protection of the environment, including climate change legislation and hydraulic fracturing regulations, or the increased regulation of our industry; |
| • | our ability to obtain insurance on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, as well as the adequacy of insurance to cover our losses; |
| • | industry changes, including the impact of consolidations, increased delivery of liquefied natural gas to the United States, alternative energy sources, technological advances and changes in competition; and |
| • | the amount of collateral we may be required to post from time to time in our transactions, including changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. |
You should read these statements carefully because they discuss our expectations about our future performance, contain projections of our future operating results or our future financial condition, or state other “forward-looking” information. Before you invest, you should be aware that the occurrence of any of the events described in the “Risk Factors” sections of the documents that are incorporated in this prospectus by reference could substantially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking statements might not occur or might occur to a different extent or at a different time than we have described. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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Unless we specify otherwise in any prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds (after the payment of any offering expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions) from our sale of securities for general partnership purposes, which may include, among other things:
| • | paying or refinancing all or a portion of our indebtedness outstanding at the time; and |
| • | funding working capital, capital expenditures, or acquisitions (which may consist of acquisitions of discrete assets or businesses). |
The actual application of proceeds from the sale of any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering. The precise amount and timing of the application of these proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability and cost of other funds.
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The ratio of earnings to fixed charges for DCP Midstream Partners, LP for each of the periods indicated is as follows:
| Three Months Ended March 31 |
Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ratio of earnings to fixed charges |
2.62x | 4.33x | 4.10x | 1.20x | 6.27x | 2.19x | ||||||||||||||||||
For purposes of determining the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings are defined as pretax income or loss from continuing operations before adjustments for earnings from unconsolidated affiliates, plus fixed charges, plus distributed earnings from unconsolidated affiliates, less capitalized interest. Fixed charges consist of interest expensed, capitalized interest, amortization of deferred loan costs, and an estimate of the interest within rental expense.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON UNITS
The Units
We currently have outstanding common units, which are limited partner interests in us. The holders of our common units are entitled to participate in partnership distributions and exercise the rights or privileges available to limited partners under our partnership agreement. For a description of the relative rights and preferences in and to partnership distributions of holders of common units and holders of other partnership interests in us, please read this section and “Our Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions on Distributions”. For a general discussion of the expected federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of common units, please read “Material Tax Consequences”.
Our outstanding common units are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPM”. Any additional common units we issue will also be listed on the NYSE.
Subordinated Units
Subordinated units were issued to DCP Midstream, LLC in our initial public offering. The subordinated units were a separate class of limited partner interests in our partnership, and the rights of holders of subordinated units to participate in distributions to partners differed from, and were subordinated to, the rights of the holders of our common units. During the subordination period, our subordinated units were not entitled to receive any distributions until our common units had received the minimum quarterly distribution plus any arrearages from prior quarters. In February 2008, we satisfied the financial tests contained in our partnership agreement that provided for the early conversion of 50% of the outstanding subordinated units held by DCP Midstream, LLC into common units on a one-for-one basis. Before the February 2008 conversion, DCP Midstream, LLC held 7,142,857 subordinated units, and after the conversion, DCP Midstream, LLC held 3,571,429 subordinated units. In February 2009, we satisfied the financial tests contained in our partnership agreement that provided for the early conversion of the remaining 3,571,429 outstanding subordinated units held by DCP Midstream, LLC into common units on a one-for-one basis. After the February 2009 conversion, there were no outstanding subordinated units.
Class B Units
Our general partner has the right, at a time when there are no subordinated units outstanding and it has received incentive distributions at the highest level to which it is entitled (48%) for each of the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters, to reset the initial cash target distribution levels at higher levels based on the distribution at the time of the exercise of the reset election. In connection with resetting these target distribution levels, our general partner will be entitled to receive a number of Class B units. The Class B units will be entitled to the same cash distributions per unit as our common units and will be convertible into an equal number of common units. The number of Class B units to be issued will be equal to that number of common units whose aggregate quarterly cash distributions equaled the average of the distributions to our general partner on the incentive distribution rights in the prior two quarters. For a more detailed description of our general partner’s right to reset the target distribution levels upon which the incentive distribution payments are based and the concurrent right of our general partner to receive Class B units in connection with this reset, please read “Our Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions on Distributions—General Partner’s Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels”.
Class C Units
On November 1, 2006, we issued to DCP LP Holdings, LP, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DCP Midstream, LLC, 200,312 Class C units as partial consideration for the acquisition of Gas Supply Resources, LLC, by the Partnership. On July 2, 2007, the Class C units were converted to common units. After the July 2007 conversion, there were no outstanding Class C units.
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Class D Units
On April 1, 2009, we issued 3,500,000 Class D units to DCP LP Holdings LLC and our general partner as consideration for the acquisition of a limited liability company interest in DCP East Texas Holdings, LLC. On August 17, 2009, the Class D units were converted to common units. After the August 2009 conversion, there were no outstanding Class D units.
Number of Units
As of June 1, 2012, we had outstanding 52,094,641 common units, no subordinated units, no Class B units, no Class C units, and no Class D units.
Voting Rights
The following is a summary of the unitholder vote required for the matters specified below. Matters requiring the approval of a “unit majority” require the approval of a majority of the common units and Class B units, if any, voting as a class.
In voting their common units or Class B units, if any, our general partner and its affiliates will have no fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners.
| Issuance of additional units |
No approval right. |
| Amendment of the partnership agreement |
Certain amendments may be made by the general partner without the approval of the unitholders. Other amendments require the approval of a unit majority. Please read “—Amendment of the Partnership Agreement”. |
| Merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets |
Unit majority in certain circumstances. Please read “—Merger, Consolidation, Conversion, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets”. |
| Dissolution of our partnership |
Unit majority. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution”. |
| Continuation of our business upon dissolution |
Unit majority. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution”. |
| Withdrawal of the general partner |
Under most circumstances, the approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required for the withdrawal of our general partner prior to December 31, 2015 in a manner that would cause dissolution of our partnership. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner”. |
| Removal of the general partner |
Not less than 66 2/3% of the outstanding units, voting as a single class, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner”. |
| Transfer of the general partner interest |
Our general partner may transfer all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest in us without a vote of our unitholders to an affiliate or another person in connection with its merger or consolidation with or into, or transfer by our general partner of all or substantially all of its assets, to such person. The approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by the general partner and its affiliates, is required in other circumstances for a transfer of the general partner interest to a third party prior to December 31, 2015. See “—Transfer of General Partner Units”. |
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| Transfer of incentive distribution rights |
Except for transfers to an affiliate or another person as part of our general partner’s merger or consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of its assets or the sale of all of the ownership interests in such holder, the approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by the general partner and its affiliates, is required in most circumstances for a transfer of the incentive distribution rights to a third party prior to December 31, 2015. Please read “—Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights”. |
| Transfer of ownership interests in our general partner |
No approval required at any time. Please read “—Transfer of Ownership Interests in the General Partner”. |
Limited Liability
Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, or the Delaware Act, and that such limited partner otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of the partnership agreement, such limited partner’s liability under the Delaware Act will be limited, subject to possible exceptions, to the amount of capital such limited partner is obligated to contribute to us for its common units plus its share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it were determined, however, that the right, or exercise of the right, by the limited partners as a group:
| • | to remove or replace the general partner; |
| • | to approve some amendments to the partnership agreement; or |
| • | to take other action under the partnership agreement; |
constituted “participation in the control” of our business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the laws of Delaware, to the same extent as the general partner. This liability would extend to persons who transact business with us who reasonably believe that the limited partner is a general partner. Neither the partnership agreement nor the Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against the general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited liability through any fault of the general partner. While this does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal recourse, we know of no precedent for this type of a claim in Delaware case law.
Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a distribution to a partner if, after the distribution, all liabilities of the limited partnership, other than liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of the partnership, would exceed the fair value of the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose of determining the fair value of the assets of a limited partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is limited shall be included in the assets of the limited partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was in violation of the Delaware Act shall be liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years. Under the Delaware Act, a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of its assignor to make contributions to the partnership, except that such person is not obligated for liabilities unknown to it at the time it became a limited partner and that could not be ascertained from the partnership agreement.
Our subsidiaries conduct business in 22 states and we may have subsidiaries that conduct business in other states in the future. Maintenance of our limited liability as a limited partner of the operating partnership may require compliance with legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which the operating partnership conducts business, including qualifying our subsidiaries to do business there.
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Limitations on the liability of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partner have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. If, by virtue of our partnership interest in our operating partnership or otherwise, it were determined that we were conducting business in any state without compliance with the applicable limited partnership or limited liability company statute, or that the right or exercise of the right by the limited partners as a group to remove or replace the general partner, to approve some amendments to the partnership agreement, or to take other action under the partnership agreement constituted “participation in the control” of our business for purposes of the statutes of any relevant jurisdiction, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the law of that jurisdiction to the same extent as the general partner under the circumstances. We will operate in a manner that the general partner considers reasonable and necessary or appropriate to preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.
Issuance of Additional Securities
Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional partnership securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our general partner without the approval of the unitholders.
It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional common units, subordinated units or other partnership securities. Holders of any additional common units that we issue in the future will be entitled to share equally in our distributions of available cash with the then-existing holders of common units. In addition, the issuance of additional common units or other partnership securities may dilute the value of the interests of the then-existing holders of common units in our net assets.
In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership securities that, as determined by our general partner, may have special voting rights to which the common units are not entitled. In addition, our partnership agreement does not prohibit the issuance by our subsidiaries of equity securities, which may effectively rank senior to the common units.
Upon issuance of additional partnership securities (other than the issuance of partnership securities issued in connection with a reset of the incentive distribution target levels relating to our general partner’s incentive distribution rights or the issuance of partnership securities upon conversion of outstanding partnership securities), our general partner will be entitled, but not required, to make additional capital contributions to the extent necessary to maintain its proportionate general partner interest in us. As a result of our issuance of common units, or units convertible into common units, since our initial public offering that have diluted the general partner’s interest in us, the general partner’s interest in us currently consists of a general partner interest of approximately 0.7% and a limited partner interest of approximately 1.1%. Our general partner’s interest in us will be further reduced if we issue additional units in the future and our general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to maintain its general partner interest in us. Moreover, our general partner will have the right, which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates, to purchase common units or other partnership securities whenever, and on the same terms that, we issue those securities to persons other than our general partner and its affiliates, to the extent necessary to maintain the percentage interest of the general partner and its affiliates, including such interest represented by our common units, that existed immediately prior to each issuance. Further, our general partner may participate in future contributions to us and may receive additional common units or other partnership securities for such contributions. The holders of common units will not have preemptive rights to acquire additional common units or other partnership securities.
Amendment of the Partnership Agreement
General. Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of our general partner. However, our general partner will have no duty or obligation to propose any amendment and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners. In order to adopt a proposed
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amendment, other than the amendments discussed below, our general partner is required to seek written approval of the holders of the number of units required to approve the amendment or call a meeting of the limited partners to consider and vote upon the proposed amendment. Except as described below, an amendment must be approved by a unit majority.
Prohibited Amendments. No amendment may be made that would:
| • | enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or class of limited partner interests so affected; or |
| • | enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable by us to our general partner or any of its affiliates without the consent of our general partner, which consent may be given or withheld at its option. |
The provision of our partnership agreement preventing the amendments having the effects described in any of the clauses above can be amended upon the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units voting together as a single class (including units owned by our general partner and its affiliates), only if DCP obtains an opinion of counsel to the effect that such amendment will not affect the limited liability of any limited partner under the Delaware Act. As of June 1, 2012, our general partner and its affiliates owned approximately 25.9% of the outstanding common units.
No Unitholder Approval. Our general partner may generally make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee to reflect:
| • | a change in our name, the location of our principal place of our business, our registered agent or our registered office; |
| • | the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners in accordance with our partnership agreement; |
| • | a change that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate to qualify or continue our qualification as a limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that neither we nor the operating partnership nor any of its subsidiaries will be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes; |
| • | an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of our counsel, to prevent us or our general partner or its directors, officers, agents or trustees from, in any manner, being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA, whether or not substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor; |
| • | an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the authorization of additional partnership securities or rights to acquire partnership securities, including any amendment that our general partner determines is necessary or appropriate in connection with: |
| • | the adjustments of the minimum quarterly distribution, first target distribution, second target distribution and third target distribution in connection with the reset of our general partner’s incentive distribution rights as described under “Our Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions on Distributions—General Partner’s Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels;” |
| • | the implementation of the provisions relating to our general partner’s right to reset its incentive distribution rights in exchange for Class B units; and |
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| • | any modification of the incentive distribution rights made in connection with the issuance of additional partnership securities or rights to acquire partnership securities, provided that, any such modifications and related issuance of partnership securities have received approval by a majority of the members of the conflicts committee of our general partner; |
| • | an amendment expressly permitted in our partnership agreement to be made by our general partner acting alone; |
| • | an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger agreement that has been approved under the terms of our partnership agreement; |
| • | an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the formation by us of, or our investment in, any corporation, partnership or other entity, as otherwise permitted by our partnership agreement; |
| • | a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and related changes; |
| • | conversions into, mergers with or conveyances to another limited liability entity that is newly formed and has no assets, liabilities or operations at the time of the conversion, merger or conveyance other than those it receives by way of the conversion, merger or conveyance; or |
| • | any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters described in the clauses above. |
In addition, our general partner may make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner if our general partner determines that those amendments:
| • | do not adversely affect the limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect; |
| • | are necessary or appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute; |
| • | are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the trading of limited partner interests or to comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any national securities exchange on which the limited partner interests are or will be listed or admitted to trading; |
| • | are necessary or appropriate for any action taken by our general partner relating to splits or combinations of units under the provisions of our partnership agreement; or |
| • | are required to effect the intent expressed in our original registration statement on Form S-1 (File No.: 333-128378), filed with the SEC on September 16, 2005, as amended or supplemented, or the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or are otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement. |
Opinion of Counsel and Unitholder Approval. Our general partner will not be required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will not result in a loss of limited liability to the limited partners or result in our being treated as an entity for federal income tax purposes in connection with any of the amendments described above. No other amendments to our partnership agreement will become effective without the approval of holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units voting as a single class unless we first obtain an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment will not affect the limited liability under applicable law of any of our limited partners.
In addition to the above restrictions, any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any type or class of outstanding units in relation to other classes of units will require the approval of at least a majority of the type or class of units so affected. Any amendment that reduces the voting percentage required to take any action is required to be approved by the affirmative vote of limited partners whose aggregate outstanding units constitute not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced.
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Merger, Consolidation, Conversion, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
A merger, consolidation or conversion of us requires the prior consent of our general partner. However, our general partner will have no duty or obligation to consent to any merger, consolidation or conversion and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interest of us or the limited partners.
In addition, the partnership agreement generally prohibits our general partner, without the prior approval of the holders of a unit majority, from causing us to, among other things, sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination, or approving on our behalf the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of our subsidiaries. Our general partner may, however, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of our assets without that approval. Our general partner may also sell all or substantially all of our assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon those encumbrances without that approval. Finally, our general partner may consummate any merger without the prior approval of our unitholders if we are the surviving entity in the transaction, our general partner has received an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters, the transaction would not result in a material amendment to the partnership agreement, each of our units will be an identical unit of our partnership following the transaction, and the partnership securities to be issued in connection with such merger or consolidation do not exceed 20% of our outstanding partnership securities immediately prior to the transaction.
If the conditions specified in the partnership agreement are satisfied, our general partner may convert us or any of our subsidiaries into a new limited liability entity or merge us or any of our subsidiaries into, or convey all of our assets to, a newly formed entity if the sole purpose of that conversion, merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in our legal form into another limited liability entity, our general partner has received an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters, and the governing instruments of the new entity provide the limited partners and the general partner with the same rights and obligations as contained in the partnership agreement. The unitholders are not entitled to dissenters’ rights of appraisal under the partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of a conversion, merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially all of our assets or any other similar transaction or event.
Termination and Dissolution
We will continue as a limited partnership until terminated under our partnership agreement. We will dissolve upon:
| • | the election of our general partner to dissolve us, if approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority; |
| • | there being no limited partners, unless we are continued without dissolution in accordance with the Delaware Act; |
| • | the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of our partnership; or |
| • | the withdrawal or removal of our general partner or any other event that results in its ceasing to be our general partner other than by reason of a transfer of its general partner interest in accordance with our partnership agreement or withdrawal or removal following approval and admission of a successor. |
Upon a dissolution under the last clause above, the holders of a unit majority may also elect, within specific time limitations, to continue our business on the same terms and conditions described in our partnership agreement by appointing as a successor general partner an entity approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority, subject to our receipt of an opinion of counsel to the effect that:
| • | the action would not result in the loss of limited liability of any limited partner; and |
| • | neither our partnership, our operating partnership, nor any of our other subsidiaries would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue. |
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Liquidation and Distribution of Proceeds
Upon our dissolution, unless we are continued as a new limited partnership, the liquidator authorized to wind up our affairs will act with all of the powers of our general partner that are necessary or appropriate to liquidate our assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as described in “Our Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions on Distributions—Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation”. The liquidator may defer liquidation or distribution of our assets for a reasonable period of time or distribute assets to our partners. The liquidator may distribute our assets, in whole or in part, in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to our partners.
Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner
Except as described below, our general partner has agreed not to withdraw voluntarily as our general partner prior to December 31, 2015 without obtaining the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by the general partner and its affiliates, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. On or after December 31, 2015, our general partner may withdraw as general partner without obtaining approval of any unitholder by giving 90 days’ written notice, provided that such withdrawal will not constitute a violation of our partnership agreement.
Notwithstanding the information above, our general partner may withdraw without unitholder approval upon 90 days’ notice to the limited partners if at least 50% of the outstanding common units are held or controlled by one person and its affiliates other than the general partner and its affiliates. In addition, the partnership agreement permits our general partner in some instances to sell or otherwise transfer all of its general partner interest in us without the approval of the unitholders. Please read “—Transfer of General Partner Units” and “—Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights”.
Upon withdrawal of our general partner under any circumstances, other than as a result of a transfer by our general partner of all or a part of its general partner interest in us, the holders of a unit majority, voting as a single class, may select a successor to the withdrawing general partner. If a successor is not elected, or is elected but an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters cannot be obtained, we will be dissolved, wound up and liquidated, unless within a specified period after that withdrawal, the holders of a unit majority agree in writing to continue our business and to appoint a successor general partner. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution”.
Our general partner may not be removed unless that removal is approved by the vote of the holders of not less than 66 2/3% of the outstanding units, voting together as a single class, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates, and we receive an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. Any removal of our general partner is also subject to the approval of a successor general partner by the vote of a unit majority. The ownership of more than 33 1/3% of the outstanding units by our general partner and its affiliates would give them the ability to prevent our general partner’s removal.
Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general partner is removed as our general partner under circumstances where cause does not exist and units held by the general partner and its affiliates are not voted in favor of that removal:
| • | any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units will be extinguished; and |
| • | our general partner will have the right to convert its general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests based on the fair market value of those interests at that time. |
In the event of removal of a general partner under circumstances where cause exists or withdrawal of a general partner where that withdrawal violates our partnership agreement, a successor general partner will have
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the option to purchase the general partner interest and incentive distribution rights of the departing general partner for a cash payment equal to the fair market value of those interests. Under all other circumstances where a general partner withdraws or is removed by the limited partners, the departing general partner will have the option to require the successor general partner to purchase the general partner interest of the departing general partner and its incentive distribution rights for fair market value. In each case, this fair market value will be determined by agreement between the departing general partner and the successor general partner. If no agreement is reached, an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected by the departing general partner and the successor general partner will determine the fair market value. Or, if the departing general partner and the successor general partner cannot agree upon an expert, then an expert chosen by agreement of the experts selected by each of them will determine the fair market value.
If the option described above is not exercised by either the departing general partner or the successor general partner, the departing general partner’s general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights will automatically convert into common units equal to the fair market value of those interests as determined by an investment banking firm or other independent expert selected in the manner described in the preceding paragraph.
In addition, we will be required to reimburse the departing general partner for all amounts due the departing general partner, including, without limitation, all employee-related liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred for the termination of any employees employed by the departing general partner or its affiliates for our benefit.
Transfer of General Partner Units
Except for transfer by our general partner of all, but not less than all, of its general partner units to:
| • | an affiliate of our general partner (other than an individual); or |
| • | another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of our general partner with or into another entity or the transfer by our general partner of all or substantially all of its assets to another entity, |
our general partner may not transfer all or any of its general partner units to another person prior to December 31, 2015 without the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must assume, among other things, the rights and duties of our general partner, agree to be bound by the provisions of our partnership agreement, and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters.
On or after December 31, 2015, our general partner and its affiliates may at any time, transfer units to one or more persons, without unitholder approval.
Transfer of Ownership Interests in the General Partner
At any time, DCP Midstream, LLC and its affiliates may sell or transfer all or part of their partnership interests in our general partner, or their membership interest in DCP Midstream GP, LLC, the general partner of our general partner, to an affiliate or third party without the approval of our unitholders.
Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights
Prior to December 31, 2015, our general partner or its affiliates or any subsequent holder may transfer any or all of the incentive distribution rights held by such holder without any consent of the unitholders to (a) an affiliate of such holder (other than an individual), or (b) another entity in connection with the merger or consolidation of such holder of incentive distribution rights with or into such other entity, the transfer by such holder of all or substantially all of its assets to such other entity, or the sale of all the ownership interests in such
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holder. Any other transfer of the incentive distribution rights prior to December 31, 2015 will require the prior approval of holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units (excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates). On or after September 30, 2015, our general partner or any other holder of incentive distribution rights may transfer any or all of its incentive distribution rights without unitholder approval.
Change of Management Provisions
Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to remove DCP Midstream GP, LP as our general partner or otherwise change our management. If any person or group other than our general partner and its affiliates acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units, that person or group will lose voting rights with respect to all of its units. This loss of voting rights does not apply to any person or group that acquires the units from our general partner or its affiliates and any transferees of that person or group approved by our general partner or to any person or group who acquires the units with the prior approval of the board of directors of our general partner. Other provisions in the partnership agreement relating to removal are described above under “—Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner”.
Limited Call Right
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 80% of the then-issued and outstanding limited partner interests of any class, our general partner will have the right, which it may assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the limited partner interests of the class held by unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by our general partner, on at least 10 but not more than 60 days notice. The purchase price in the event of this purchase is the greater of:
| • | the highest cash price paid by either of our general partner or any of its affiliates for any limited partner interests of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which our general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those limited partner interests; and |
| • | the current market price as of the date three days before the date the notice is mailed. |
As a result of our general partner’s right to purchase outstanding limited partner interests, a holder of limited partner interests may have its limited partner interests purchased at a price that may be lower than market prices at various times prior to such purchase or lower than a unitholder may anticipate the market price to be in the future. The tax consequences to a unitholder of the exercise of this call right are the same as a sale by that unitholder of its common units in the market. Please read “Material Tax Consequences—Disposition of Common Units”.
Meetings; Voting
Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, record holders of units on the record date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited.
Our general partner does not anticipate that any meeting of unitholders will be called in the foreseeable future. Any action that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken are signed by holders of the number of units necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting. Meetings of the unitholders may be called by our general partner or by unitholders owning at least 20% of the outstanding units of the class for which a meeting is proposed. Unitholders may vote either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a majority of the outstanding units of the class or classes for which a meeting has been called represented in person or by proxy will constitute a quorum unless any action by the unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of the units, in which case the quorum will be the greater percentage.
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Each record holder of common units has a vote according to its percentage interest in us, although additional limited partner interests having special voting rights may be issued in the future. Please read “—Issuance of Additional Securities”. However, if at any time any person or group, other than our general partner and its affiliates, or a direct or subsequently approved transferee of our general partner or its affiliates, acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, that person or group will lose voting rights on all of its units and the units may not be voted on any matter and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of unitholders, calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes. Common units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and its nominee provides otherwise. Except as our partnership agreement otherwise provides, common units will vote together with Class B units, if any, as a single class.
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required or permitted to be given or made to record holders of common units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the record holder by us or by the transfer agent.
Status as Limited Partner
By transfer of common units in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of common units shall be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the common units transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our books and records. Except as described under “—Limited Liability”, the common units will be fully paid, and unitholders will not be required to make additional contributions.
Non-Citizen Assignees; Redemption
If we, or any of our affiliates, are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we, or our affiliates, have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner, we may redeem the units held by such limited partner at their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited partner to furnish information about its nationality, citizenship or related status. If a limited partner fails to furnish information about its nationality, citizenship or other related status within 30 days after a request for the information or our general partner determines after receipt of the information that the limited partner is not an eligible citizen, such limited partner may be treated as a non-citizen assignee. A non-citizen assignee is entitled to an interest equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating distributions. However, a non-citizen assignee does not have the right to direct the voting of its units and shall not receive distributions in-kind upon our liquidation.
Indemnification
Under our partnership agreement, in most circumstances, we will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages or similar events:
| • | our general partner; |
| • | any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was an affiliate of a general partner or any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was a director, officer, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of any entity set forth in the preceding three bullet points; |
| • | any person who is or was serving as a director, officer, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person at the request of our general partner or any departing general partner; and |
| • | any other person designated by our general partner. |
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Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, our general partner will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or lend funds or assets to us to enable us to effectuate, indemnification. We may purchase insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons for our activities, regardless of whether we would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under our partnership agreement.
Reimbursement of Expenses
Our partnership agreement requires us to reimburse our general partner for all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or payments it makes on our behalf and all other expenses allocable to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner in connection with operating our business. These expenses include salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons who perform services for us or on our behalf and expenses allocated to our general partner by its affiliates. The general partner is entitled to determine the expenses that are allocable to us.
Books and Reports
Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our business at our principal offices. The books must be maintained for both tax and financial reporting purposes on an accrual basis. For tax and fiscal reporting purposes, our fiscal year is the calendar year.
We will furnish or make available to record holders of common units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, an annual report containing audited financial statements and a report on those financial statements by our independent public accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish or make available summary financial information within 90 days after the close of each quarter.
We will furnish each record holder of a unit with information reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within 90 days after the close of each calendar year. This information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that some complex calculations normally required of partners can be avoided. Our ability to furnish this summary information to unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders in supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will receive information to assist it in determining its federal and state tax liability and filing its federal and state income tax returns, regardless of whether it supplies us with information.
Right to Inspect Our Books and Records
Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can, for a purpose reasonably related to its interest as a limited partner, and upon reasonable written demand stating the purpose of such demand and at such limited partner’s own expense, have furnished to it:
| • | a current list of the name and last known address of each partner; |
| • | a copy of our federal, state and local income tax returns; |
| • | information as to the amount of cash, and a description and statement of the agreed value of any other property or services, contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on which each partner became a partner; |
| • | copies of our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited partnership, related amendments and powers of attorney under which each has been executed; |
| • | information regarding the status of our business and financial condition; and |
| • | any other information regarding our affairs as is just and reasonable. |
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Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from the limited partners trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith is not in our best interests, that could damage our or our affiliates’ businesses, or that we or our affiliates are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.
Registration Rights
Under our partnership agreement, we have agreed to register for resale under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws any common units, subordinated units or other partnership securities proposed to be sold by our general partner or any of its affiliates or their assignees if an exemption from the registration requirements is not otherwise available. These registration rights continue for two years following any withdrawal or removal of DCP Midstream GP, LP as general partner. We are obligated to pay all expenses incidental to the registration, excluding underwriting discounts and a structuring fee.
Transfer of Common Units
By transfer of common units in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of common units shall be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the common units transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our books and records. Each transferee:
| • | represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and authority to become bound by our partnership agreement; |
| • | automatically agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of, and is deemed to have executed, our partnership agreement; and |
| • | gives the consents, approvals and waivers contained in our partnership agreement, such as the approval of all transactions and agreements that we entered into in connection with our formation and our initial public offering. |
A transferee will automatically become a substituted limited partner of our partnership for the transferred common units upon the recording of the transfer on our books and records. Our general partner will cause any transfers to be recorded on our books and records from time to time.
We may, at our discretion, treat the nominee holder of a common unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder’s rights are limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.
Common units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfers of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to become a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units.
Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.
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OUR CASH DISTRIBUTION POLICY AND RESTRICTIONS ON DISTRIBUTIONS
General
Rationale for Our Cash Distribution Policy. Our cash distribution policy reflects a basic judgment that our unitholders will be better served by the distribution of our cash available after expenses and reserves rather than retaining it. We believe we will generally finance any non-maintenance capital investments from external financing sources and distribute available cash to unitholders. Because we are not subject to an entity-level federal income tax, we have more cash to distribute to you than would be the case were we subject to such a tax. Our cash distribution policy is consistent with the terms of our partnership agreement, which requires that we distribute all of our available cash quarterly.
Limitations on Cash Distributions and Our Ability to Change Our Cash Distribution Policy. There is no guarantee that unitholders will receive quarterly distributions from us. Our distribution policy is subject to certain restrictions and may be changed at any time, including:
| • | The board of directors of our general partner will have the authority to establish reserves for the proper conduct of our business (including for future capital expenditures or credit needs), to comply with applicable law and any of our agreements or obligations, and for future cash distributions to our unitholders, and the establishment of those reserves could result in a reduction in cash distributions to you from levels we currently anticipate pursuant to our stated distribution policy. |
| • | While our partnership agreement requires us to distribute all of our available cash, our partnership agreement, including provisions requiring us to make cash distributions contained therein, may be amended. Our partnership agreement can be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding common units and the Class B units issued upon the reset of incentive distribution rights, if any, voting as a single class (including common units held by affiliates of DCP Midstream, LLC). |
| • | Even if our cash distribution policy is not modified or revoked, the amount of distributions we pay under our cash distribution policy and the decision to make any distribution is determined by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of our partnership agreement. |
| • | Under Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, we may not make a distribution to you if the distribution would cause our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets. |
| • | We may lack sufficient cash to pay distributions to our unitholders due to increases in our general and administrative expense, principal and interest payments on our outstanding debt, tax expenses, working capital requirements and anticipated cash needs. |
| • | We have partial ownership interests in a number of joint venture legal entities, including Discovery Producer Services, LLC, Collbran Valley Gas Gathering, LLC, Jackson Pipeline Company, Pine Tree Propane Limited Liability Company, and Texas Express Pipeline LLC. The governing agreements for each of these entities contain the requirements and restrictions on distributing cash from these joint ventures. We may be unable to control the timing and the amount of cash we will receive from the operation of these entities and we could be required to contribute significant cash to fund our share of their operations, which could adversely affect our ability to make distributions. |
Our Ability to Grow is Dependent on Our Ability to Access External Expansion Capital. As required by our partnership agreement, we expect that we will distribute all of our available cash to our unitholders. As a result, we expect that we will rely primarily upon external financing sources, including commercial bank borrowings and the issuance of debt and equity securities, to fund our acquisitions and expansion capital expenditures. Therefore, to the extent we are unable to finance growth externally, our cash distribution policy will significantly impair our ability to grow. In addition, because we distribute all of our available cash, our growth may not be as fast as businesses that reinvest their available cash to expand ongoing operations. To the extent we issue additional units in connection with any acquisitions or expansion capital expenditures, the payment of distributions on those additional units may increase the risk that we will be unable to maintain or increase our per
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unit distribution level, which in turn may impact the available cash that we have to distribute on each unit. There are no limitations in our partnership agreement or our credit facility that limit our ability to issue additional units, including units ranking senior to the common units. The incurrence of additional commercial borrowings or other debt to finance our growth strategy would result in increased interest expense, which in turn may impact the available cash that we have to distribute to our unitholders.
Distributions of Available Cash
General. Our partnership agreement requires that, within 45 days after the end of each quarter, we distribute all of our available cash to unitholders of record on the applicable record date.
Definition of Available Cash. Available cash, for any quarter, consists of all cash on hand at the end of that quarter:
| • | less the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to: |
| • | provide for the proper conduct of our business (including future capital expenditures and credit needs); |
| • | comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements to which we or any of our subsidiaries are a party; or |
| • | provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and to our general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters; |
| • | plus, if our general partner so determines, all or a portion of cash on hand on the date of determination of available cash for such quarter. |
Minimum Quarterly Distribution. The minimum quarterly distribution, as defined in our partnership agreement, is $0.35 per unit per quarter, or $1.40 per unit on an annualized basis. Our most recent quarterly distribution was $0.66 per unit per quarter, or $2.64 per unit on an annualized basis. There is no guarantee that we will maintain our current level of distribution or pay the minimum quarterly distribution on the units in any quarter. Even if our cash distribution policy is not modified or revoked, the amount of distributions paid under our policy and the decision to make any distribution is determined by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of our partnership agreement.
General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution Rights. As of June 1, 2012, the general partner was entitled to a percentage of all quarterly distributions equal to its general partner interest of approximately 0.7% and limited partner interest of 1.1%. The general partner has the right, but not the obligation, to contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its current general partner or limited partner interest. The general partner’s interest may be reduced if we issue additional units in the future and our general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its current general partner or limited partner interest.
Our general partner also currently holds incentive distribution rights that entitle it to receive increasing percentages, up to a maximum of 48% plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, of the cash we distribute from operating surplus (as defined below) in excess of $0.4025 per unit per quarter. The maximum distribution of 48% plus the general partner’s pro rata interest does not include any distributions that our general partner may receive on limited partner units that it owns. Please read “—General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution Rights” for additional information.
Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus
General. All cash distributed to unitholders will be characterized as either “operating surplus” or “capital surplus”. Our partnership agreement requires that we distribute available cash from operating surplus differently than available cash from capital surplus.
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Operating Surplus. Operating surplus consists of:
| • | an amount equal to four times the amount needed for any one quarter for us to pay a distribution on all of our units (including the general partner units) and the incentive distribution rights at the same per unit amount as was distributed in the immediately preceding quarter; plus |
| • | all of our cash receipts since our initial public offering, excluding cash from borrowings, sales of equity and debt securities, sales or other dispositions of assets outside the ordinary course of business, the termination of interest rate swap agreements, capital contributions or corporate reorganizations or restructurings; less |
| • | all of our operating expenditures since our initial public offering, but excluding the repayment of borrowings, and including maintenance capital expenditures; less |
| • | the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to provide funds for future business needs. |
Maintenance capital expenditures represent cash expenditures where we add on to or improve capital assets owned or acquire or construct new capital assets if such expenditures are made to maintain, including over the long term, our operating capacity or revenues. Expansion capital expenditures represent cash expenditures for acquisitions or capital improvements (where we add on to or improve the capital assets owned, or acquire or construct new gathering lines, treating facilities, processing plants, fractionation facilities, pipelines, terminals, docks, truck racks, tankage and other storage, distribution or transportation facilities and related or similar midstream assets) in each case if such addition, improvement, acquisition or construction is made to increase our operating capacity or revenues.
Capital Surplus. Capital surplus consists of:
| • | borrowings; |
| • | sales of our equity and debt securities; |
| • | sales or other dispositions of assets for cash, other than inventory, accounts receivable and other current assets sold in the ordinary course of business or as part of normal retirement or replacement of assets; |
| • | the termination of interest rate swap agreements; |
| • | capital contributions; and |
| • | corporate reorganizations or restructurings. |
Characterization of Cash Distributions. Our partnership agreement requires that we treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since our initial public offering equals the operating surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available cash. Our partnership agreement requires that we treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus. As reflected above, operating surplus includes an amount equal to four times the amount needed for any one quarter for us to pay a distribution on all of our units (including the general partner units) and the incentive distribution rights at the same per-unit amount as was distributed in the immediately preceding quarter. This amount does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, it is a provision that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to this amount of cash we receive in the future from non-operating sources, such as asset sales, issuances of securities, and borrowings, that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus. We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from capital surplus for the foreseeable future.
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Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
Our partnership agreement requires that we make distributions of available cash from operating surplus for any quarter in the following manner:
| • | first, to all unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until we distribute for each outstanding unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter; and |
| • | thereafter, in the manner described in “—General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution Rights” below. |
General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution Rights
As of March 31, 2012, the general partner was entitled to a percentage of all quarterly distributions equal to its general partner interest of approximately 0.7% and limited partner interest of 1.1%. The general partner has the right, but not the obligation, to contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its current general partner or limited partner interest. The general partner’s interest may be reduced if we issue additional units in the future and our general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its current general partner or limited partner interest. The incentive distribution rights held by our general partner entitle it to receive an increasing share of available cash as pre-defined distribution targets have been achieved. Currently, our distribution to our general partner related to its incentive distribution rights is at the highest level. Our general partner’s incentive distribution rights were not reduced as a result of our recent common unit offerings, and will not be reduced if we issue additional units in the future and the general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its current general partner or limited partner interest.
If for any quarter we have distributed available cash from operating surplus to the general partner and the common unitholders so that each unitholder has received an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution (including any amounts necessary to eliminate any cumulative arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly distribution) then our partnership agreement requires that we distribute any available cash from operating surplus with respect to any quarter among the unitholders and the general partner in the following manner:
| • | first, to all unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.4025 per unit for that quarter (the “first target distribution”); |
| • | second, 13% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.4375 per unit for that quarter (the “second target distribution”); |
| • | third, 23% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata until each unitholder receives a total of $0.525 per unit for that quarter (the “third target distribution”); and |
| • | thereafter, 48% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders in accordance with their pro rata interest. |
General Partner’s Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels
Our general partner, as the holder of our incentive distribution rights, has the right under our partnership agreement to elect to relinquish the right to receive incentive distribution payments based on the initial cash target distribution levels and to reset, at higher levels, the minimum quarterly distribution amount and cash target distribution levels upon which the incentive distribution payments to our general partner would be set. Our general partner’s right to reset the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels upon which the incentive distributions payable to our general partner are based may be exercised, without approval of our unitholders or the conflicts committee of our general partner, at any time when there are no subordinated
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units outstanding and we have made cash distributions to the holders of the incentive distribution rights at the highest level of incentive distribution for each of the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters. The reset minimum quarterly distribution amount and target distribution levels will be higher than the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels prior to the reset such that our general partner will not receive any incentive distributions under the reset target distribution levels until cash distributions per unit following this event increase as described below. We anticipate that our general partner would exercise this reset right in order to facilitate acquisitions or internal growth projects that would otherwise not be sufficiently accretive to cash distributions per common unit, taking into account the existing levels of incentive distribution payments being made to our general partner.
In connection with the resetting of the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels and the corresponding relinquishment by our general partner of incentive distribution payments based on the target cash distributions prior to the reset, our general partner will be entitled to receive a number of newly issued Class B units based on a predetermined formula described below that takes into account the “cash parity” value of the average cash distributions related to the incentive distribution rights received by our general partner for the two quarters prior to the reset event as compared to the average cash distributions per common unit during this period.
The number of Class B units that our general partner would be entitled to receive from us in connection with a resetting of the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels then in effect would be equal to (x) the average amount of cash distributions received by our general partner in respect of its incentive distribution rights during the two consecutive fiscal quarters ended immediately prior to the date of such reset election divided by (y) the average of the amount of cash distributed per common unit during each of these two quarters. Each Class B unit will be convertible into one common unit at the election of the holder of the Class B unit at any time following the first anniversary of the issuance of these Class B units.
Following a reset election by our general partner, the minimum quarterly distribution amount will be reset to an amount equal to the average cash distribution amount per common unit for the two fiscal quarters immediately preceding the reset election (such amount is referred to as the “reset minimum quarterly distribution”) and the target distribution levels will be reset to be correspondingly higher such that we would distribute all of our available cash from operating surplus for each quarter thereafter as follows:
| • | first, to all unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until each unitholder receives an amount equal to 115% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter; |
| • | second, 13% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata until each unitholder receives an amount per unit equal to 125% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter; |
| • | third, 23% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata until each unitholder receives an amount per unit equal to 150% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter; and |
| • | thereafter, 48% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders in accordance with their pro rata interest. |
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The following table illustrates the percentage allocation of available cash from operating surplus between the unitholders and our general partner at various levels of cash distribution levels pursuant to the cash distribution provision of our partnership agreement as well as following a hypothetical reset of the minimum quarterly distribution and target distribution levels based on the assumptions that the general partner owns a 0.7% interest and the average quarterly cash distribution amount per common unit during the two fiscal quarters immediately preceding the reset election was $0.65.
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Quarterly Distribution |
Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions |
Quarterly Distribution per Unit Following Hypothetical Reset | ||||||||||
| Unitholders | General Partner |
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| Minimum Quarterly Distribution |
$0.35 | 99.3 | % | 0.7 | % | $0.65000 | ||||||
| First Target Distribution |
up to $0.4025 | 99.3 | % | 0.7 | % | up to $0.74750 | ||||||
| Second Target Distribution |
above $0.4025 up to $0.4375 | 86.3 | % | 13.7 | % | above $0.74750(1) up to $0.81250(2) | ||||||
| Third Target Distribution |
above $0.4375 up to $0.525 | 76.3 | % | 23.7 | % | above $0.81250(2) up to $0.97500(3) | ||||||
| Thereafter |
above $0.525 | 51.3 | % | 48.7 | % | above $0.97500(3) | ||||||
| (1) | This amount is 115% of the hypothetical reset minimum quarterly distribution. |
| (2) | This amount is 125% of the hypothetical reset minimum quarterly distribution. |
| (3) | This amount is 150% of the hypothetical reset minimum quarterly distribution |
The following table illustrates the total amount of available cash from operating surplus that would be distributed to the unitholders and the general partner, including in respect of incentive distribution rights, or IDRs, based on an average of the amounts distributed for a quarter for the two quarters immediately prior to the reset. The table assumes that there are 52,094,641 common units and 373,892 general partner units, representing an approximate 0.7% general partner interest, outstanding, and that the average distribution to each common unit is $0.65 for the two quarters prior to the reset.
| Quarterly Distribution per Unit Prior to Reset |
Common Unitholders Cash Distributions Prior to Reset |
General Partner Cash
Distributions Prior to Reset |
Total Distribution |
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| Class B Units |
0.7% General Partner Interest |
IDRs | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minimum Quarterly Distribution |
$0.35 | $ | 18,233,125 | $ | — | $ | 130,862 | $ | — | $ | 130,862 | $ | 18,363,987 | |||||||||||||
| First Target Distribution |
up to $0.4025 | 2,734,969 | — | 19,629 | — | 19,629 | 2,754,598 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Second Target Distribution |
above $0.4025 up to $0.4375 |
1,823,312 | — | 15,058 | 274,699 | 289,757 | 2,113,069 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Third Target Distribution |
above $0.4375 up to $0.525 |
4,558,281 | — | 42,579 | 1,374,283 | 1,416,862 | 5,975,143 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thereafter |
above $0.525 | 6,511,830 | — | 90,477 | 6,094,437 | 6,184,914 | 12,696,744 | |||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 33,861,517 | $ | — | $ | 298,605 | $ | 7,743,419 | $ | 8,042,024 | $ | 41,903,541 | |||||||||||||||
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The following table illustrates the total amount of available cash from operating surplus that would be distributed to the unitholders and the general partner with respect to the quarter in which the reset occurs. The table reflects that as a result of the reset there are 52,094,641 common units, 11,912,952 Class B units and 459,392 general partner units, representing an approximate 0.7% general partner interest, outstanding, and that the average distribution to each common unit is $0.65. The number of Class B units was calculated by dividing (x) the $7,743,419 received by the general partner in respect of its incentive distribution rights, or IDRs, as the average of the amounts received by the general partner in respect of its incentive distribution rights for the two quarters prior to the reset as shown in the table above by (y) the $0.65 of available cash from operating surplus distributed to each common unit as the average distributed per common unit for the two quarters prior to the reset.
| Quarterly Distribution per Unit After Reset |
Common Unitholders Cash Distributions After Reset |
General Partner Cash
Distributions After Reset |
Total Distribution |
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| Class B Units |
0.7% General Partner Interest |
IDRs | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minimum Quarterly Distribution |
$0.65000 | $ | 33,861,517 | $ | 7,743,419 | $ | 298,605 | $ | — | $ | 8,042,024 | $ | 41,903,541 | |||||||||||||
| First Target Distribution |
up to $0.74750 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| Second Target Distribution |
above $0.74750 up to $0.81250 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| Third Target Distribution |
above $0.81250 up to $0.97500 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| Thereafter |
above $0.97500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
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| $ | 33,861,517 | $ | 7,743,419 | $ | 298,605 | $ | — | $ | 8,042,024 | $ | 41,903,541 | |||||||||||||||
Our general partner will be entitled to cause the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels to be reset on more than one occasion, provided that it may not make a reset election except at a time when it has received incentive distributions for the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters based on the highest level of incentive distributions that it is entitled to receive under our partnership agreement.
Percentage Allocations of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of available cash from operating surplus between the unitholders and our general partner based on the specified target distribution levels. The amounts set forth under “Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions” are the percentage interests of our general partner and the unitholders in any available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and including the corresponding amount in the column “Total Quarterly Distribution Per Unit,” until available cash from operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target distribution level, if any. The percentage interests shown for the unitholders and the general partner for the minimum quarterly distribution are also applicable to quarterly distribution amounts that are less than the minimum quarterly distribution. The percentage interests set forth below for our general partner assumes a 0.7% general partner interest and assumes that our general partner has contributed any additional capital to maintain its 0.7% general partner interest and has not transferred its incentive distribution rights.
| Total Quarterly Distribution per Unit Target Amount |
Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions |
|||||||||
| Unitholders | General Partner |
|||||||||
| Minimum Quarterly Distribution |
$0.35 | 99.3 | % | 0.7 | % | |||||
| First Target Distribution |
up to $0.4025 | 99.3 | % | 0.7 | % | |||||
| Second Target Distribution |
above $0.4025 up to $0.4375 | 86.3 | % | 13.7 | % | |||||
| Third Target Distribution |
above $0.4375 up to $0.525 | 76.3 | % | 23.7 | % | |||||
| Thereafter |
above $0.525 | 51.3 | % | 48.7 | % | |||||
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Distributions from Capital Surplus
How Distributions from Capital Surplus Will Be Made. Our partnership agreement requires that we make distributions of available cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner:
| • | first, to all unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until we distribute with respect to each common unit an amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to the initial public offering price, as if the holder of a common unit held that common unit from the date of our initial public offering; |
| • | second, to the common unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until we distribute for each common unit, an amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to any unpaid arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units; and |
| • | thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus. |
Effect of a Distribution from Capital Surplus. Our partnership agreement treats a distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial unit price from the initial public offering. The initial public offering price less any distributions of capital surplus per unit is referred to as the “unrecovered initial unit price”. Each time a distribution of capital surplus is made, the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels will be reduced in the same proportion as the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered initial unit price. Because distributions of capital surplus will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution, after any of these distributions are made, it may be easier for the general partner to receive incentive distributions. However, any distribution of capital surplus before the unrecovered initial unit price is reduced to zero cannot be applied to the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution or any arrearages.
Once we distribute capital surplus on a unit issued in our initial public offering in an amount equal to the initial unit price, our partnership agreement specifies that the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels will be reduced to zero. Our partnership agreement specifies that we then make all future distributions from operating surplus, with 48% being paid to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder being paid to all unitholders. This assumes the general partner has not transferred the incentive distribution rights.
Adjustment to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels
In addition to adjusting the minimum quarterly distribution and target distribution levels to reflect a distribution of capital surplus, if we combine our units into fewer units or subdivide our units into a greater number of units, our partnership agreement specifies that the following items will be proportionately adjusted:
| • | the minimum quarterly distribution; |
| • | target distribution levels; and |
| • | the unrecovered initial unit price. |
For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should occur, the minimum quarterly distribution, the target distribution levels and the unrecovered initial unit price would each be reduced to 50% of its initial level. Our partnership agreement provides that we not make any similar adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional units for cash or property.
In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is modified or interpreted by a governmental taxing authority, so that we become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax purposes, our partnership agreement specifies that the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels for each quarter will be reduced by multiplying each distribution level by a fraction, the numerator of which is available cash for that quarter and the denominator of which is the sum of
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available cash for that quarter plus the general partner’s estimate of our aggregate liability for the quarter for such income taxes payable by reason of such legislation or interpretation. To the extent that the actual tax liability differs from the estimated tax liability for any quarter, the difference will be accounted for in subsequent quarters.
Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation
General. If we dissolve in accordance with the partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any remaining proceeds to the unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their capital account balances, as adjusted to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of our assets in liquidation.
The allocations of gain and loss upon liquidation are intended, to the extent possible, to permit common unitholders to receive their unrecovered initial unit price plus the minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter during which liquidation occurs plus any unpaid arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units. However, there may not be sufficient gain upon our liquidation to enable the holders of common units to fully recover all of these amounts, even though there may be cash available for distribution to the holders of subordinated units. Any further net gain recognized upon liquidation will be allocated in a manner that takes into account the incentive distribution rights of the general partner.
Manner of Adjustments for Gain. The manner of the adjustment for gain is set forth in the partnership agreement. We will generally allocate any gain on liquidation to the partners in the following manner:
| • | first, to the general partner and the holders of units who have negative balances in their capital accounts to the extent of and in proportion to those negative balances; |
| • | second, to the common unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until the capital account for each common unit is equal to the sum of: (1) the unrecovered initial unit price; and (2) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter during which our liquidation occurs; |
| • | third, to the Class B unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until the capital account for each Class B unit is equal to the sum of: (1) the unrecovered initial unit price; and (2) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter during which our liquidation occurs; |
| • | fourth, to all unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the first target distribution per unit over the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less (2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution per unit that we distributed to the unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, for each quarter of our existence; |
| • | fifth, 13% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the second target distribution per unit over the first target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less (2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the first target distribution per unit that we distributed 13% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata for each quarter of our existence; |
| • | sixth, 23% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the third target distribution per unit over the second target distribution per unit for each |
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| quarter of our existence; less (2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the second target distribution per unit that we distributed 23% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders pro rata for each quarter of our existence; and |
| • | thereafter, 48% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all unitholders in accordance with their pro rata interest. |
If the liquidation occurs when there are no Class B units outstanding, the distributions described under the third bullet point above will not be made.
Manner of Adjustments for Losses. The manner of the adjustment for loss is set forth in the partnership agreement. We will generally allocate any loss on liquidation to the general partner and the unitholders in the following manner:
| • | first, to the holders of common units in proportion to the positive balances in their capital accounts and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until the capital accounts of the common unitholders have been reduced to zero; and |
| • | thereafter, 100% to the general partner. |
Adjustments to Capital Accounts. Our partnership agreement requires that we make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In this regard, our partnership agreement specifies that we allocate any unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and the general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation. In the event that we make positive adjustments to the capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units, our partnership agreement requires that we allocate any later negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting from the issuance of additional units or upon our liquidation in a manner which results, to the extent possible, in the general partner’s capital account balances equaling the amount which they would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to the capital accounts had been made.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DEBT SECURITIES
The following sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the base indenture under which the debt securities are to be issued, unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement. The particular terms of the debt securities to be sold will be set forth in a prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities.
The debt securities will be issued solely by DCP Midstream Operating, LP, as the issuer. References in this “Description of the Debt Securities” to “us,” “we,” or “our” refer only to DCP Midstream Operating, LP, as issuer, and not to DCP Midstream Partners, LP or to any of its subsidiaries. References in this “Description of the Debt Securities” to “the master partnership” or “the guarantor” refer only to DCP Midstream Partners, LP, and not to any of its subsidiaries.
The debt securities will represent our unsecured general obligations, unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. As indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will either be senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities, and may be guaranteed by subsidiary guarantors. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be issued under an indenture that has been entered into between us and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee on September 30, 2010, that has been filed as an exhibit to DCP Midstream Partners, LP’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 30, 2010, subject to such amendments or supplemental indentures as are adopted from time to time. The following summary of certain provisions of that indenture does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to all the provisions of that indenture, including the definitions therein of certain terms. Wherever particular sections or defined terms of the indenture are referred to, it is intended that such sections or defined terms shall be incorporated herein by reference. We urge you to read the indenture filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part because that indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time, and not this description, governs your rights as a holder of debt securities.
General
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that may be issued thereunder. The applicable prospectus supplement and indenture supplement with respect to any debt securities will set forth the terms of the debt securities offered pursuant thereto, including some or all of the following:
| • | the title and series of such debt securities; |
| • | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of such debt securities of such series; |
| • | whether such debt securities will be in global or other form; |
| • | the date or dates on which principal and any premium on such debt securities is payable, or the method or methods by which such dates will be determined; |
| • | the interest rate or rates (or method by which such rate or rates will be determined), if any; |
| • | the dates on which any such interest will be payable and the method of payment; |
| • | whether and under what circumstances any additional amounts are payable with respect to such debt securities; |
| • | the notice, if any, to holders of such debt securities regarding the determination of interest on a floating rate debt security; |
| • | the basis upon which interest on such debt securities shall be calculated, if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months; |
| • | if in addition to or other than the Borough of Manhattan, City of New York, the place or places where the principal of and premium, interest or additional amounts, if any, on such debt securities will be payable; |
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| • | whether and under what terms, conditions and price such debt securities may be redeemed at our option; |
| • | any redemption or sinking fund provisions and whether and under what terms and conditions such debt securities must be redeemed or repurchased by us at the option of the holder of the debt securities; |
| • | the denominations of such debt securities, if other than $2,000 and multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof; |
| • | if the debt securities will be convertible, the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be convertible into other securities, cash or property; |
| • | if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that will be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof (or the method by which such portion is to be determined); |
| • | the foreign currency in which payment of principal or any premium, interest or additional amounts on such debt securities will be payable if they are payable other than in U.S. dollars; |
| • | the terms, if any, by which the amount of payments of principal or any premium, interest or additional amounts on such debt securities may be determined by reference to an index, formula, financial or economic measure or other methods; |
| • | any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the events of default or covenants described herein; |
| • | whether such debt securities will be subject to defeasance or covenant defeasance; |
| • | the terms, if any, upon which such debt securities are to be issuable upon the exercise of warrants; |
| • | the identity of any trustees other than The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., and any authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars or any other agents with respect to such debt securities; |
| • | whether such debt securities are senior or subordinated debt securities, and if they are subordinated securities, the terms on which such debt securities will be subordinate to other debt of ours; |
| • | whether such debt securities will be guaranteed and the identity of any guarantors; |
| • | whether such debt securities will be secured by collateral and the terms of such security; and |
| • | any other terms of such debt securities and any other deletions from or additions to or modifications of the indenture with respect to such debt securities. |
This description of debt securities will be deemed modified, amended or supplemented by any description of any series of debt securities set forth in a prospectus supplement related to that series.
The prospectus supplement may also describe any material U.S. federal income tax consequences or other special considerations regarding the applicable series of debt securities.
Debt securities may be presented for exchange, conversion, or transfer in the manner, at the places and subject to the restrictions set forth in the indenture, as amended or supplemented, and the applicable prospectus supplement. Such services will be provided without charge, other than any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith, but subject to the limitations provided in the indenture, as amended or supplemented.
The indenture does not contain any covenant or other specific provision affording protection to holders of the debt securities in the event of a highly leveraged transaction or a change in control of us, except to the limited extent described below under “—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” or as provided in any supplemental indenture.
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Guarantees
Our payment obligations under any series of debt securities may be jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the master partnership or by one or more of the subsidiary guarantors if and to the extent provided in a prospectus supplement and an indenture supplement. Unless described otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, each guarantor of the debt securities of such series, and any entity that is a successor thereto, will fully, unconditionally and absolutely guarantee the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on such debt securities, and all other amounts due and payable under the indenture and such debt securities by us to the trustee and the holders of such debt securities. The terms of any such guarantees of the subsidiary guarantors may provide for their release upon the occurrence of certain events. If a series of debt securities is so guaranteed, each guarantor will execute a notation of guarantee as further evidence of its guarantee. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any guarantee by the master partnership or any subsidiary guarantor.
Any guarantee of a subsidiary guarantor may be released in connection with any defeasance or covenant defeasance. In addition, if no default has occurred and is continuing under the indenture, the relevant subsidiary guarantor will be unconditionally released and discharged from the guarantee automatically upon any sale, exchange or transfer, to any person that is not our affiliate, of all of our direct or indirect equity interests in such subsidiary guarantor.
Modification and Waiver
The indenture provides that we and the trustee may enter into one or more supplemental indentures for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of the indenture or for the purpose of modifying in any manner the rights of the holders of debt securities of a series under the indenture or the debt securities of such series, with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority (or such greater amount as is provided for with respect to such series) in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series. No such supplemental indenture may, however, without the consent of the holder of each debt security affected thereby:
(a) change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any premium, installment of interest on or additional amounts with respect to, such debt securities, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the interest rate thereon or any additional amounts, or reduce any premium payable on redemption thereof or otherwise, or change our obligation to pay additional amounts with respect thereto, or reduce the amount of the principal of debt securities issued with original issue discount that would be due and payable upon an acceleration of the maturity thereof or the amount thereof provable in bankruptcy, or change the redemption provisions or adversely affect the right of repayment at the option of any holder, or change the place of payment for any debt security or the currency in which the principal of, or any premium, interest or additional amounts with respect to, any debt security is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the payment of principal of, premium or interest on, or additional amounts with respect to, such debt securities after such payment is due;
(b) reduce the percentage of outstanding debt securities of any series, the consent of the holders of which is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose holders is required for any waiver, or reduce the requirements for a quorum or for voting;
(c) modify any of the provisions of the sections of the indenture relating to amending the indenture, or waiving events of defaults and covenants, except to increase any necessary percentage of principal amount of debt securities required for such actions, or to provide that certain other provisions of the indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security affected thereby;
(d) release any guarantor from any of its obligations under its guarantee or the indenture, other than in accordance with the indenture;
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(e) modify any guarantee in any manner adverse to the holders of each outstanding debt security covered by such guarantee; or
(f) make any change that adversely affects the right to convert or exchange any debt security into or for common units or other securities, cash or other property in accordance with the terms of the applicable debt security.
The indenture provides that a supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of the indenture that has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of debt securities, or that modifies the rights of the holders of debt securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under the indenture of the holders of debt securities of any other series.
The indenture provides that we and the trustee may, without the consent of the holders of any debt securities issued thereunder, enter into one or more supplemental indentures for any of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another person to us or any guarantor and the assumption by any such successor of our covenants or those of such guarantor in the indenture and in the debt securities issued thereunder or in the guarantees;
(b) to add to our covenants or those of any guarantor or to surrender any right or power conferred on us or any guarantor pursuant to the indenture;
(c) to establish the form and terms of debt securities issued thereunder;
(d) to evidence and provide for a successor trustee under the indenture with respect to one or more series of debt securities issued thereunder or to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture as are necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts under the indenture by more than one trustee;
(e) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision in the indenture that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision of the indenture, to comply with any applicable mandatory provision of law, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under such indenture, so long as no such action adversely affects the interests of the holders of any series of then outstanding debt securities issued thereunder in any material respect;
(f) to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of securities under the indenture;
(g) to add any additional events of default with respect to all or any series of debt securities;
(h) to supplement any of the provisions of the indenture as may be necessary for the defeasance and discharge of any series of debt securities, so long as action does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of an outstanding debt security of such series or any other debt security in any material respect;
(i) to make provisions with respect to the conversion or exchange rights of holders of debt securities of any series;
(j) to reflect the release of any guarantor otherwise permitted by the indenture;
(k) to add guarantors in respect of the debt securities of one or more series and to provide for the terms and conditions of release thereof;
(l) to pledge to the trustee as security for the debt securities of one or more series any property or assets and to provide for the terms and conditions of release thereof;
(m) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of the indenture, provided that any such change or elimination will become effective only when there is no outstanding security of any created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision;
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(n) to provide for certificated securities in addition to or in place of global securities;
(o) to qualify the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended;
(p) with respect to the debt securities of any series, to conform the text of the indenture or the debt securities of such series to any provision of the description thereof in our offering memorandum or prospectus relating to the initial offering of such debt securities, to the extent that such provision, in our good faith judgment, was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of the indenture or such securities, so long as such change does not adversely affect the rights of holders of outstanding debt securities in any material respect; or
(q) to make any other change that does not adversely affect the rights of holders of any outstanding debt securities issued under the indenture in any material respect.
Events of Default
Unless otherwise provided in the supplemental indenture or board resolution and officer’s certificate establishing the terms of any series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to each series of debt securities issued thereunder:
(a) default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest on, or any additional amount in respect of, any debt security of such series;
(b) default in the payment of principal of or any premium or any additional amounts payable in respect of such principal or premium on the debt securities of such series when due;
(c) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of any debt security of such series, subject to any cure period that may be specified in any such debt security;
(d) failure by us or, if any series of debt securities is entitled to the benefit of a guarantee, by any guarantor, for 60 days after receipt of written notice from the trustee upon direction from holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of such series, observe or perform any other covenants or agreements in the indenture (other than those described in clauses (a), (b) or (c) immediately above) and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” under the indenture; provided, that if such failure cannot be remedied within such 60-day period, such period shall be automatically extended by another 60 days so long as (i) such failure is subject to cure and (ii) we are, or if applicable, the guarantors are, using commercially reasonable efforts to cure such failure; and provided, further, that a failure to comply with any such other agreement in the indenture that results from a change in generally accepted accounting principles shall not be deemed to be an event of default;
(e) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization;
(f) if any outstanding series of debt securities is entitled to the benefits of a guarantee by a guarantor, the guarantee of any guarantor ceases to be in full force and effect with respect to the debt securities of that series (except as otherwise provided in the indenture) or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or any guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under the indenture or such guarantee; or
(g) any other event of default provided in a supplemental indenture with respect to a particular series of debt securities, provided that any event of default that results from a change in generally accepted accounting principles shall not be deemed to be an event of default.
If an event of default described in clause (e) above occurs, then the principal amount (or, in the case of discounted debt securities, the portion of the principal amount specified in the terms of that series) of all of the debt securities outstanding shall automatically become due and payable immediately, without action or notice. If (i) an event of default specified in clause (a), (b) or (c) above shall occur and be continuing, and we and the trustee receive written notice that holders of at least 25%, or (ii) an event of default specified in any clause other than clause (a), (b), (c) or (e) above shall occur and be continuing, we (and if any series of debt securities under
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the indenture is entitled to the benefits of a guarantee by a guarantor, each of the guarantors) and the trustee receive written notice that holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series have declared the principal (or, in the case of discounted debt securities, the portion of the principal amount specified in the terms thereof) of such series to be due and payable immediately, then upon any such declaration the same shall become and shall be immediately due and payable, anything contained in the indenture or in the debt securities of that series or established with respect to that series to the contrary notwithstanding. Any past or existing default or event of default with respect to particular series of debt securities under the indenture may be waived by the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, except in each case a continuing default (1) in the payment of the principal of, any premium or interest on, or any additional amounts with respect to, any debt security of such series, or (2) in respect of a covenant or provision of the indenture that, pursuant to the indenture, cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of such series affected thereby.
The indenture provides that within 90 days after the occurrence of a default under the indenture of which the trustee has actual knowledge, the trustee is to give notice of such default to the holders of the relevant series, but the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of any default with respect to any series of debt securities (except in case of a default in the payment of principal of or interest or premium on, or additional amounts or a sinking fund payment in respect of, the debt securities) if the trustee determines in good faith that it is in the best interest of holders to do so.
The indenture contains a provision disclaiming liability of the trustee in its individual capacity with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the trustee in good faith in accordance with the indenture and, to the extent not provided in the indenture, with respect to any act requiring the trustee to exercise its own discretion, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power confirmed upon the trustee, under the indenture or any debt securities, unless it is proven that, in connection with any such action taken, suffered or omitted or any such act, the trustee was negligent, acted in bad faith or engaged in willful misconduct. In addition, the indenture contains a provision disclaiming liability of the trustee with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it or at the direction of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising or omitting to exercise any trust or power conferred upon the trustee under the indenture. The indenture provides that the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the trustee with respect to the debt securities of such series; provided, however, that the trustee may decline to follow any such direction if, among other reasons, the trustee determines that the actions or proceedings as directed would be unduly prejudicial to the holders of the debt securities of such series not joining in such actions or proceeding. The right of a holder to institute a proceeding with respect to a series of debt securities is subject to certain conditions precedent including, without limitation, that in case of an event of default specified in clause (a), (b), (c) or (e) of the first paragraph above under “—Events of Default,” holders of at least 25%, or in case of an event of default other than specified in clause (a), (b), (c) or (e) of the first paragraph above under “—Events of Default,” holders of at least a majority, in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series have made a written request to the trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such event of default in its own name as trustee, have offered to indemnify the trustee for the trustee’s costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request, and the trustee has failed to institute a proceeding within 60 days after its receipt of such request and offer of indemnity. Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security has an absolute right to receive the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on and additional amounts with respect to the debt securities when due and to institute suit for the enforcement thereof.
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Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
The indenture provides that we may not directly or indirectly consolidate with or merge with or into, or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets and properties and the assets and properties of our subsidiaries (taken as a whole with our assets and properties) to another person in one or more related transactions unless either (a) in the case of a merger or consolidation, we are the survivor or (b) the person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger, or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition has been made is a person organized under the laws of any domestic jurisdiction and assumes our obligations under the indenture and the debt securities issued thereunder, and after giving effect to such transaction, no event of default, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an event of default, shall have occurred and be continuing, and certain other conditions are met.
Certain Covenants
The covenants set forth in the indenture include the following:
Payment of Principal, any Premium, Interest or Additional Amounts. We will duly and punctually pay the principal of, and premium and interest on or any additional amounts payable with respect to, any debt securities of any series in accordance with their terms and the terms of the indenture.
Maintenance of Office or Agency. We will maintain an office or agency in each place of payment for each series of debt securities for notice and demand purposes and for the purposes of presenting or surrendering debt securities for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.
Reports. So long as any debt securities are outstanding, we and any guarantor will file with the trustee, within 30 days after we have filed the same with the SEC, unless such reports are available on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) filing system (or any successor thereto), copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) that we or any guarantor are required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; or, if we or such guarantor are not required to file information, documents or reports pursuant to either of such Sections, then we will file with the trustee and the SEC, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the SEC, such of the supplementary and periodic information, documents and reports that are required pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act in respect of a security listed and registered on a national securities exchange as may be prescribed from time to time in such rules and regulations.
Additional Covenants. Any additional covenants with respect to any series of debt securities will be set forth in the supplemental indenture or board resolution and officer’s certificate and prospectus supplement relating thereto.
Conversion Rights
The terms and conditions, if any, upon which the debt securities of any series are convertible into common stock or other securities will be set forth in the applicable supplemental indenture or board resolution and officer’s certificate and prospectus supplement relating thereto. Such terms will include the conversion price (or manner of calculation thereof), the conversion period, provisions as to whether conversion will be at our option or the option of the holders, events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price, provisions affecting conversion in the event of redemption of such debt securities and any restrictions on conversion.
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Redemption; Repurchase at the Option of the Holder; Sinking Fund
The terms and conditions, if any, upon which (a) the debt securities of any series are redeemable at our option, (b) the holder of debt securities of any series may cause us to repurchase such debt securities or (c) the debt securities of any series are subject to any sinking fund will be set forth in the applicable supplemental indenture or debt security.
Repurchases on the Open Market
We or any affiliate of ours may at any time or from time to time repurchase any debt security in the open market or otherwise. Such debt securities may, at our option or the option of our relevant affiliate, be held, resold or surrendered to the trustee for cancellation.
Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
The indenture provides, with respect to each series of debt securities issued thereunder, that we may satisfy and discharge our obligations under the indenture with respect to debt securities of such series if:
(a) (i) all debt securities of such series previously authenticated and delivered, with certain exceptions, have been delivered to the trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) the debt securities of such series not delivered to the trustee for cancellation have become due and payable, or mature within one year, or if redeemable at our option, are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for giving the notice of redemption, and we deposit in trust with the trustee, as trust funds, for that purpose, money or governmental obligations or a combination thereof sufficient (in the opinion of a nationally recognized independent registered public accounting firm expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the trustee) to pay the entire indebtedness on the debt securities of such series not delivered to the trustee for cancellation;
(b) we have paid all other sums payable by us under the indenture with respect to the outstanding debt securities of such series; and
(c) we have delivered to the trustee an officer’s certificate and an opinion of counsel, in each case stating that all conditions precedent provided for in the indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture with respect to the debt securities of such series have been complied with.
Notwithstanding such satisfaction and discharge, our obligations to compensate and indemnify the trustee, to pay additional amounts, if any, in respect of debt securities in certain circumstances and to transfer, convert or exchange debt securities pursuant to the terms thereof, and our obligations and the obligations of the trustee to hold funds in trust and to apply such funds pursuant to the terms of the indenture, with respect to issuing temporary debt securities, with respect to the registration, transfer and exchange of debt securities, with respect to the replacement of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and with respect to the maintenance of an office or agency for payment, shall in each case survive such satisfaction and discharge.
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The indenture provides that unless inapplicable to debt securities of a series pursuant to the terms thereof, (i) we will be deemed to have paid and will be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities issued thereunder of any series, and the provisions of such indenture will, except as noted below, no longer be in effect with respect to the debt securities of such series (“defeasance”) and (ii) (1) we may omit to comply with the covenant under “—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and any other additional covenants established pursuant to the terms of such series, and such omission shall be deemed not to be an event of default under clause (d) or (f) of the first paragraph of “—Events of Default” and (2) the occurrence of any event described in clause (f) of the first paragraph of “—Events of Default” shall not be deemed to be an event of default, in each case with respect to the outstanding debt securities of such series ((1) and (2) of this clause (ii), “covenant defeasance”); provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied with respect to such series:
(a) we have irrevocably deposited in trust with the trustee, as trust funds solely for the benefit of the holders of the debt securities of such series, for the purpose of making the following payments, an amount in money or government obligations or a combination thereof sufficient (in the opinion of a nationally recognized independent registered public accounting firm expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the trustee) without consideration of any reinvestment, to pay and discharge the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest and additional amounts on, the outstanding debt securities of such series to maturity or earlier redemption date (irrevocably provided for under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee), as the case may be, and any required sinking fund payments or analogous payments applicable to such debt securities;
(b) such defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, the indenture or any other material agreement or instrument to which we are a party or by which we are bound;
(c) no event of default or event that with notice or lapse of time would become an event of default with respect to such debt securities of such series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;
(d) we shall have delivered to such trustee an opinion of counsel as described in the indenture to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred;
(e) we shall have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, in each case stating that all conditions precedent provided for in the indenture relating to the defeasance or covenant defeasance contemplated have been complied with;
(f) if the debt securities are to be redeemed prior to their maturity, notice of such redemption shall have been duly given or provision therefor satisfactory to the trustee shall have been made; and
(g) any such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall comply with any additional or substitute terms provided for by the terms of the debt securities of such series.
Notwithstanding a defeasance or covenant defeasance, among other obligations, our obligations, and the rights of the holders, with respect to the following will survive with respect to the debt securities of such series until otherwise terminated or discharged under the terms of the indenture:
(a) the rights of holders of outstanding debt securities of such series to receive payments in respect of the principal of, interest on or premium or additional amounts, if any, payable in respect of, such debt securities when such payments are due and any rights of such holders to convert or exchange such debt securities for other securities, cash or other property;
(b) our obligations and those of the trustee with respect to the issuance of temporary debt securities, the registration, transfer and exchange of debt securities, the replacement of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment and holding payments in trust;
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(c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee; and
(d) the defeasance or covenant defeasance provisions of the indenture.
Limitation of Liability
Our unitholders, our general partner and its directors, officers and members and those of any guarantor will not be liable for our obligations under the debt securities, the indenture or any guarantees, or for any claim based on, or in respect of, such obligations. By accepting a debt security, each holder of that debt security will have agreed to this provision and waived and released any such liability on the part of our unitholders, our general partner and its directors, officers and members and those of any guarantor. This waiver and release are part of the consideration for our issuance of the debt securities. It is the view of the SEC that a waiver of liabilities under the federal securities laws is against public policy and unenforceable.
Book Entry, Delivery and Form
DTC will keep a computerized record of its participants, such as a broker, whose clients have purchased the debt securities. The participants will then keep records of their clients who purchased the debt securities. Beneficial interests in global securities will be shown on, and transfers of beneficial interests in global securities will be made only through, records maintained by DTC and its participants.
DTC advises us that it is:
| • | a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law; |
| • | a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law; |
| • | a member of the United States Federal Reserve System; |
| • | a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and |
| • | a “clearing agency” registered under the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. |
DTC is owned by a number of its participants and by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., The American Stock Exchange, Inc. and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The rules that apply to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also records the settlement among participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through computerized records for participants’ accounts. This eliminates the need to exchange certificates. Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations.
Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments due on the global securities will be wired to DTC’s nominee. The issuer, any guarantor, the Trustee and any paying agent will treat DTC’s nominee as the owner of the global securities for all purposes. Accordingly, the issuer, the trustee and any paying agent will have no direct responsibility or liability to pay amounts due on the global securities to owners of beneficial interests in the global securities.
It is DTC’s current practice, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, to credit participants’ accounts on the payment date according to their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the global securities as shown on DTC’s records. In addition, it is DTC’s current practice to assign any consenting or voting rights to participants, whose accounts are credited with debt securities on a record date, by using an omnibus proxy.
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Payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the global securities, as well as voting by participants, will be governed by the customary practices between the participants and the owners of beneficial interests, as is the case with debt securities held for the account of customers registered in “street name.” Payments to holders of beneficial interests are the responsibility of the participants and not of DTC, the Trustee, any guarantor or us.
Beneficial interests in global securities will be exchangeable for certificated securities with the same terms in authorized denominations only if:
| • | DTC notifies the issuer that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under applicable law and a successor depositary is not appointed by the issuer within 90 days; or |
| • | the issuer determines not to require all of the debt securities of a series to be represented by a global security and notifies the trustee of the decision. |
Applicable Law
The indenture provides that the debt securities and the indenture will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
About the Trustee
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. is the trustee under the indenture.
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This section is a discussion of the material federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective unitholders with respect to the ownership or disposition of common units who are individual citizens or residents of the United States. Unless otherwise noted in the following section, this discussion is the opinion of Holland & Hart, LLP, tax counsel to our general partner and us, only insofar as it relates to legal conclusions with respect to matters of U.S. federal income tax law. This section is based upon representations made by us to tax counsel and current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the “Code”, existing and proposed Treasury Regulations, current administrative rulings, and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Changes in these authorities, subsequent to the date of this prospectus or retroactively applied, or inaccuracies in the representations upon which tax counsel relied, may cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the consequences described below.
The following discussion does not address all federal income tax matters affecting us or the unitholders. Moreover, the discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and has only limited application to corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt organizations, foreign persons, individual retirement accounts, or IRAs, or other plans governed by section 401 of the Code, real estate investment trusts, or REITs, employee benefit plans or mutual funds. This section does not discuss all the federal, state, local and foreign tax matters affecting us or prospective unitholders. Accordingly, we urge each prospective unitholder to consult, and depend on, its own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to such prospective unitholder of the acquisition, ownership, or disposition of the common units.
No ruling has been or will be requested from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, regarding any matter affecting us or prospective unitholders. Instead, we will rely on opinions and advice of tax counsel. Unlike a ruling, the opinion or advice of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or the courts. Accordingly, opinions and statements made in this discussion may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for the common units and the prices at which the common units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with the IRS, principally legal, accounting and related fees, will result in a reduction in cash available for distribution to our unitholders and our general partner and thus will be borne directly or indirectly by the unitholders and the general partner. Furthermore, the tax treatment of us, or of an investment in us, may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions. Any modifications may or may not be retroactively applied.
For the reasons described below, tax counsel has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following specific federal income tax issues:
| • | the treatment of a unitholder whose common units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units (please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales”); |
| • | whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); |
| • | whether assignees of common units who are entitled to execute and deliver transfer applications, but who fail to execute and deliver transfer applications, will be treated as our partners for tax purposes (please read “—Limited Partner Status”); and |
| • | whether our method for depreciating Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” and “—Uniformity of Common Units”). |
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Partnership Status
A partnership is not a taxable entity for federal income tax purposes and incurs no federal income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is required to take into account its share of items of income, gain, loss and deduction of the partnership in computing its federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash distributions are made to such partner by the partnership. Distributions by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable to the partner unless the amount of cash distributed to it is in excess of its adjusted basis in its partnership interest.
Section 7704 of the Code provides that publicly traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be taxed as corporations. However, an exception, referred to as the “Qualifying Income Exception,” exists with respect to publicly traded partnerships of which 90% or more of the gross income for every taxable year consists of “qualifying income.” Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from the transportation, storage, processing, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof. Other types of qualifying income include interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, gains from the sale of real property and gains from the sale or other disposition of capital assets held for the production of income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate that, as of the date of this prospectus, less than 5% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time. Based on and subject to this estimate, the factual representations made by us and the general partner and a review of the applicable legal authorities, tax counsel is of the opinion that, as of the date of this prospectus, at least 90% of our current gross income constitutes qualifying income. The percentage of our income that is qualifying income can change from time to time.
A publicly traded partnership may not rely upon the Qualifying Income Exception if it is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the 1940 Act. If we are required to register under the 1940 Act, we will be taxed as a corporation even if we meet the Qualifying Income Exception. Based on an opinion of counsel regarding the 1940 Act and the factual representations made by us and our general partner, tax counsel is of the opinion that we may rely on the Qualifying Income Exception.
No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS and the IRS has made no determination as to our status or the status of the operating partnership for federal income tax purposes or whether our operations generate “qualifying income” under Section 7704 of the Code. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of tax counsel on such matters. It is the opinion of tax counsel that, based upon the Code, applicable Treasury Regulations, published revenue rulings and court decisions and the representations described below, we will be classified as a partnership and our operating partnership will be disregarded as an entity separate from us for federal income tax purposes.
In rendering its opinion, tax counsel has relied on factual representations made by us and the general partner. The representations made by us and our general partner upon which tax counsel has relied include:
(a) Neither we nor the operating partnership has elected or will elect to be treated as a corporation;
(b) For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income that tax counsel has opined or will opine is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Code; and
(c) Each hedging transaction that we treat as resulting in qualifying income has been and will be appropriately identified as a hedging transaction pursuant to applicable Treasury Regulations, and has been and will be associated with crude oil, natural gas, or products thereof that are held or to be held by us in activities that tax counsel has opined or will opine result in qualifying income.
We believe that these representations have been true in the past and expect that these representations will continue to be true in the future.
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Although we expect to conduct our business so as to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, if we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as if we had transferred all of our assets, subject to our liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation, and then distributed that stock to the unitholders in liquidation of their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation should be tax-free to unitholders and us except to the extent that our liabilities exceed the tax bases of our assets at that time. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.
If we were taxed as a corporation in any taxable year, either as a result of a failure to meet the Qualifying Income Exception or otherwise, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be reflected only on our tax return rather than being passed through to the unitholders, and our net income would be taxed to us at corporate rates. In addition, any distribution made to a unitholder would be treated as either taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in its common units, or taxable capital gain, after the unitholder’s tax basis in its common units is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation as a corporation would result in a material reduction in a unitholder’s cash flow and after-tax return and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of the common units.
The discussion below is based on tax counsel’s opinion that we will be classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and the operating partnership will be disregarded as an entity separate from us.
Limited Partner Status
Unitholders who have become limited partners of the partnership will be treated as partners of the partnership for federal income tax purposes. A unitholder becomes a limited partner when the transfer or issuance of common units to such person, or the admission of such person as a limited partner, is reflected in our books and records. Assignees who have executed and delivered transfer applications, and assignees who are awaiting admission as limited partners, will also be treated as partners of the partnership for federal income tax purposes. Where common units are held in street name or by a nominee, the person in whose name the common units are registered with us will be treated as the holder of such common units. As there is no direct authority addressing assignees of common units who are entitled to execute and deliver transfer applications and thereby become entitled to direct the exercise of attendant rights, but who fail to execute and deliver transfer applications, tax counsel’s opinion does not extend to these persons. Furthermore, a purchaser or other transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of common units unless the common units are held in a nominee or street name account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application for those common units.
A beneficial owner of common units whose common units have been transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would appear to lose its status as a partner with respect to those common units for federal income tax purposes. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales.”
Items of our income, gain, loss or deductions are not reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes would therefore appear to be fully taxable as ordinary income. These holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to their status as partners in the partnership for federal income tax purposes. The references to “unitholders” in the following discussion are to persons who are treated as partners in the partnership for federal income tax purposes.
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Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership
Flow-Through of Taxable Income. We will not pay any federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be required to report on its income tax return its share of our income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether we make cash distributions to such unitholder. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if it has not received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in income its allocable share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year or years ending with or within its taxable year. Absent a termination of our partnership for federal tax purposes, our taxable year ends on December 31.
Treatment of Distributions. Distributions by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder for federal income tax purposes to the extent the distributions do not exceed the unitholder’s tax basis in its common units immediately before the distribution. Our cash distributions to a unitholder in excess of its tax basis in its common units generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or exchange of the common units, taxable in accordance with the rules described under “—Disposition of Common Units” below. Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our liabilities for which no partner, including our general partner, bears the economic risk of loss, known as “non-recourse liabilities,” will be treated as a distribution of cash to that unitholder. To the extent that our distributions cause a unitholder’s “at risk” amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, the unitholder must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please read “—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses.”
A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease its share of our non-recourse liabilities, and thus will result in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash, which may constitute a non-pro rata distribution. A non-pro rata distribution of money or property may result in ordinary income to a unitholder, regardless of its tax basis in its common units, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation recapture, and/or substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Code, and collectively, “Section 751 Assets.” To that extent, such unitholder will be treated as having been distributed its proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and then having exchanged those assets with us in return for the non-pro rata portion of the actual distribution made to it. This latter deemed exchange will generally result in the unitholder’s realization of ordinary income, which will equal the excess of the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over the unitholder’s tax basis for the share of Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.
Basis of Common Units. A unitholder’s initial tax basis for its common units will be the amount it paid for the common units plus its share of our non-recourse liabilities. That basis will be increased by its share of our income and by any increases in its share of our non-recourse liabilities. That basis generally will be decreased, but not below zero, by distributions from us, by the unitholder’s share of our losses, by any decreases in its share of our non-recourse liabilities and by its share of our expenditures that are not deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to be capitalized. Generally, a unitholder will have no share of our liabilities that are recourse to our general partner, but will have a share, generally based on its share of profits, of our other liabilities. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses. The deduction by a unitholder of its share of our losses will be limited: (i) to the tax basis in its common units; and (ii) in the case of an individual unitholder, estate, trust or a corporate unitholder, if more than 50% of the value of the corporate unitholder’s stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals or some tax-exempt organizations, to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities, if that amount is less than the unitholder’s tax basis. A unitholder subject to these limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions cause the unitholder’s at-risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction in a later year to the extent that the unitholder’s tax basis or at-risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased. Upon the taxable disposition of a common unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at-risk limitation but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any excess loss above that gain previously suspended by the at-risk or basis limitations is no longer utilizable.
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In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the tax basis of its common units, excluding any portion of that basis attributable to its share of our non-recourse liabilities, reduced by (i) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or other similar arrangement and (ii) any amount of money a unitholder borrows to acquire or hold its common units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to the unitholder or can look only to the common units for repayment. A unitholder’s at-risk amount will increase or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholder’s common units increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or decreases attributable to increases or decreases in its share of our non-recourse liabilities.
In addition to the tax basis and at-risk limitations on the deductibility of losses, the passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals, estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations are permitted to deduct losses from passive activities, which are generally trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of the taxpayer’s income from those passive activities. The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will only be available to offset our passive income generated in the future and will not be available to offset income from other passive activities or investments, including our investments or a unitholder’s investment in other publicly traded partnerships, or a unitholder’s salary or active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible—because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we generate—may be deducted in full when the unitholder disposes of its entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss limitations are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at-risk rules and the basis limitations. A unitholder’s share of our net income may be offset by any of our suspended passive losses, but it may not be offset by any other current or carryover losses from other passive activities, including those attributable to other publicly traded partnerships.
Limitations on Interest Deductions. The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer’s “investment interest expense” is generally limited to the amount of that taxpayer’s “net investment income.” Investment interest expense includes:
| • | interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for investment; |
| • | our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and |
| • | the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to portfolio income. |
The computation of a unitholder’s investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a common unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than interest, directly connected with the production of investment income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment or qualified dividend income. The IRS has indicated that net passive income earned by a publicly traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its unitholders for purposes of the investment interest deduction limitation. In addition, the unitholder’s share of our portfolio income will be treated as investment income.
Entity-Level Collections. If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state, local or foreign income tax on behalf of any unitholder or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the unitholder, general partner, or former unitholder on whose behalf the payment was made. If the payment is made on behalf of a person whose identity cannot be determined, we believe we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend the partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of common units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise
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applicable under the partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of a particular unitholder in which event the unitholder would be required to file a claim with the appropriate authority in order to obtain a credit or refund.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction. In general, if we have a net profit, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that incentive distributions are made to our general partner, gross income will be allocated to the recipient to the extent of these distributions. If we have a net loss, that loss will be allocated first to our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us to the extent of their positive capital accounts and, second, to our general partner.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated in the manner provided under Section 704(c) of the Code to account for (i) any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time of an offering, and (ii) any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of any property contributed to us by the general partner and its affiliates that exists at the time of such contribution, together, referred to in this discussion as “Contributed Property.” These allocations are required to eliminate the difference between a partner’s “book” capital account, credited with the fair market value of Contributed Property, and “tax” capital account, credited with the tax basis of Contributed Property, referred to in this discussion as the “Book-Tax Disparity.” The effect of these allocations to a unitholder purchasing common units from us in an offering will be essentially the same as if the tax basis of Contributed Property was equal to its fair market value at the time of the offering. In the event we issue additional units or engage in certain other transactions in the future, “reverse Section 704(c) allocation,” similar to the allocations under Section 704(c) described above, will be made to all partners, including purchasers of common units, to account for the difference, at the time of the future transaction, between the “book” value and the fair market value of all property held by us at such time. In addition, items of recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by other unitholders. Finally, although we do not expect that our operations will result in the creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will be allocated in an amount and manner to eliminate the negative balance as quickly as possible.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by Section 704(c), as described above, will generally be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a partner’s share of an item will be determined on the basis of its interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including:
| • | its relative contributions to us; |
| • | the interests of all the partners in profits and losses; |
| • | the interest of all the partners in cash flow; and |
| • | the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation. |
Tax counsel is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election,” “—Uniformity of Common Units” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations under the partnership agreement will be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.
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Treatment of Short Sales. A unitholder whose common units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of common units may be considered as having disposed of those common units. If so, such unitholder would no longer be a partner for federal tax purposes with respect to those common units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period:
| • | any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those common units would not be reportable by the unitholder; |
| • | any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those common units would be fully taxable; and |
| • | all of these distributions would appear to be ordinary income. |
Tax counsel has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder where common units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units; therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners for tax purposes and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and loaning their common units. Please also read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
Alternative Minimum Tax. Each unitholder will be required to take into account its distributive share of any items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for non-corporate taxpayers (except married individuals filing separate tax returns) is 26% on the first $175,000 of alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors as to the impact of an investment in common units on their liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Tax Rates. In general, the highest effective U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is currently 35% and the maximum U.S. federal income tax rate for net capital gains of an individual where the asset disposed of was a capital asset held for more than twelve months at the time of disposition is scheduled to remain at 15% for 2012. Absent new legislation extending the current rates, the highest effective U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to ordinary income of individuals will increase to 39.6%, and the maximum U.S. federal income tax rate for net capital gains where the asset disposed of was a capital asset held for more than twelve months at the time of disposition will increase to 20%, beginning January 1, 2013.
Medicare Contribution Tax. Beginning January 1, 2013, an additional tax of 3.8% will be imposed upon a unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gains, and upon gains from a unitholder’s disposition of common units. This additional tax is applicable to unitholders that are individuals, estates, or trusts. In the case of individual unitholders, the additional tax will only apply if such unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts. The modified gross income thresholds for individuals are $250,000 in the case of joint returns or surviving spouses, $125,000 in the case of married individuals filing separate returns, or $200,000 in any other case. In the case of individuals, the amount of the tax is limited to 3.8% of the lesser of the individual’s net investment income or the amount by which the individual’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds the threshold. In general, a unitholder that is a trust or estate may be subject to this additional tax if such trust’s or estate’s adjusted gross income exceeds the amount at which the highest tax bracket applicable to estates and trusts begins. In the case of estates and trusts, the amount of the tax is limited to 3.8% of the lesser of undistributed net investment income or the amount by which adjusted gross income exceeds the amount at which the highest tax bracket applicable to estates and trusts begins.
Section 754 Election. We have made, and in case of any termination of our partnership for federal tax purpose, expect to make, the election permitted by Section 754 of the Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The election will generally permit us to adjust a common unit purchaser’s tax basis in our assets (“inside basis”) under Section 743(b) of the Code to reflect its purchase price. This election does not apply to a person who purchases common units directly from us. The Section 743(b) adjustment belongs to the purchaser and not to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a unitholder’s inside basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (1) its share of our tax basis in our assets (“common basis”) and (2) its Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.
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Where the remedial allocation method is adopted (which we have adopted and will adopt as to property other than certain goodwill properties), the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Code require a portion of the Section 743(b) adjustment that is attributable to recovery property under Section 168 of the Code whose “book” value is in excess of its tax basis to be depreciated over the remaining cost recovery period for the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity. Under Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Code, rather than cost recovery deductions under Section 168, is generally required to be depreciated using either the straight-line method or the 150% declining balance method. Under the partnership agreement, our general partner is authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of common units even if that position is not consistent with these and any other Treasury Regulations. Please read “—Uniformity of Common Units.”
Although tax counsel is unable to opine as to the validity of this approach because there is no clear authority on this issue, we intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, or treat that portion as non-amortizable to the extent attributable to property which is not amortizable. This method is consistent with the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Code, and is employed by other publicly traded partnerships, but is arguably inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets. To the extent this Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken, we may take a depreciation or amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring common units in the same month would receive depreciation or amortization, whether attributable to common basis or a Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in our assets. This kind of aggregate approach may result in lower annual depreciation or amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to some unitholders. Please read “—Uniformity of Common Units.” A unitholder’s tax basis for its common units is reduced by its share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual’s income tax return) so that any position we take that understates deductions will overstate the common unitholder’s basis in its common units, which may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.” The IRS may challenge our position with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustments we take to preserve the uniformity of the units. If such challenge were sustained, the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.
A Section 754 election is advantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in its common units is higher than the common units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of the election, the transferee would have, among other items, a greater amount of depreciation deductions and its share of any gain or loss on a sale of our assets would be less. Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in its common units is lower than those common units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value of the common units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by the election. A basis adjustment is required regardless of whether a Section 754 election is made in the case of a transfer of an interest in us if we have a substantial built-in loss immediately after the transfer, or if we distribute property and have a substantial basis reduction. Generally, a basis reduction or built-in loss is substantial if it exceeds $250,000.
The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the value of our assets and other matters. For example, the allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our assets must be made in accordance with the Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment we allocated to our tangible assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is generally either non-amortizable or amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure you that the determinations we make will not be
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successfully challenged by the IRS and that the deductions resulting from them will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different basis adjustment to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election. If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of common units may be allocated more income than it would have been allocated had the election not been revoked.
Tax Treatment of Operations
Accounting Method and Taxable Year. We generally use the year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder will be required to include in income its share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year or years ending within or with its taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who has a taxable year different than our taxable year and who disposes of all of its common units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of its taxable year must include its share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for its taxable year, with the result that such unitholder will be required to include in income for its taxable year its share of more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”
Initial Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization. We use the tax basis of our assets for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the difference between the fair market value of our assets and their tax basis immediately prior to an offering of new units will be borne by our general partner, its affiliates, and our other unitholders immediately prior to such offering. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”
To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation and cost recovery methods that will result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets are placed in service. Property we subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using accelerated methods permitted by the Code.
The IRS may challenge the useful lives assigned to our assets or seek to characterize intangible assets as nonamortizable goodwill. If any such challenge or characterization is successful, the deductions allocated to a common unitholder in respect of our assets could be reduced, and its share of taxable income received from us could be increased accordingly. Any such increase could be material.
If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure, or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of its interest in us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
The costs incurred in selling the common units (called “syndication expenses”) must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. There are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which we may be able to amortize, and as syndication expenses, which we may not amortize. The underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated as syndication expenses.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties. The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of common units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values, and the initial tax bases, of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates and determinations of basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates
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of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deductions previously reported by unitholders might change, and unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.
Disposition of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss. Gain or loss will be recognized on a sale of common units equal to the difference between the unitholder’s amount realized and the unitholder’s tax basis for the common units sold. A unitholder’s amount realized will be measured by the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property received by it plus its share of our liabilities attributable to the common units sold. Because the amount realized includes all or a portion of a unitholder’s share of our liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of common units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.
A unitholder’s tax basis in the unitholder’s common units is adjusted by distributions, as well as by virtue of allocations of income, gains, losses, deductions and liabilities. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Basis of Common Units.” Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable income for a common unit that decreased a unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit, in effect, will become taxable income if the common unit is sold at a price greater than the unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit, even if the price received is less than its original cost. If any of our allocations are subsequently disputed by the IRS, unitholders who sold common units prior to the resolution of such dispute may be required to increase or decrease the amount of gain or loss reported on such sale. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees” and “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder, other than a “dealer” in common units, on the sale or exchange of a common unit held for more than one year will generally be taxable as long-term capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an individual on the sale of common units held more than twelve months is scheduled to be taxed at a maximum rate of 15% through December 31, 2012. Commencing January 1, 2013, absent new legislation extending or adjusting the current rate, capital gain recognized by an individual on the sale of common units held more than twelve months is scheduled to be taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. However, a portion of this gain or loss, which may be substantial, will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Code to the extent attributable to assets giving rise to depreciation recapture or other “unrealized receivables” or to “inventory items” we own. Depreciation and other potential recapture items are included in the term “unrealized receivables.” Ordinary income attributable to unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized on the sale of a common unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a common unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of common units. Net capital losses may offset capital gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income each year, in the case of individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gains in the case of corporations.
The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in its entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership. Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify common units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the common units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling, a common unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis common units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, such common unitholder may designate specific common units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of common units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of common units. A unitholder
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considering the purchase of additional common units or a sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult its tax advisor as to the possible consequences of the ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.
Specific provisions of the Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an “appreciated” partnership interest, one in which gain would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons enter(s) into:
| • | a short sale; |
| • | an offsetting notional principal contract; or |
| • | a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property. |
Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of the Treasury is also authorized to issue regulations that treat a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as having constructively sold the financial position. As of the date of this prospectus, no such regulations have been issued.
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees. In general, our taxable income or losses will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the unitholders in proportion to the number of common units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month, which we refer to in this prospectus as the “Allocation Date.” However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business will be allocated among the unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss is recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring common units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.
Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations. The Treasury Department has issued proposed Treasury Regulations that would permit publicly traded partnerships to adopt certain simplifying conventions similar to the ones adopted by us. These proposed Treasury Regulations, however, are applicable to publicly traded partnerships formed after the date these proposed Treasury Regulations are adopted in final form and thus would not apply to us. Accordingly, tax counsel is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between unitholders. We use this method because it is not administratively feasible to make these allocations on a more frequent basis. If this method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of the unitholder’s interest, our taxable income or losses might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between unitholders, as well as among unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under future Treasury Regulations.
A unitholder who owns common units at any time during a quarter and who disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to that quarter but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.
Notification Requirements. A unitholder who sells any common units is generally required to notify us in writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale, unless a broker or nominee will satisfy such requirement. Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of any such sale of common units and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a sale of common units, in some cases, may lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.
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Constructive Termination. We will be considered to have been terminated for tax purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For purposes of measuring whether the 50% threshold is reached, multiple sales of the same interest are counted only once. A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a taxable year different from our taxable year, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in its taxable income for the year of termination. A constructive termination occurring on a date other than December 31 will result in us filing two tax returns (and could result in unitholders receiving two Schedules K-1) for one fiscal year and the cost of the preparation of these returns will be borne by all unitholders. We would be required to make new tax elections after a termination, including a new election under Section 754 of the Code, and a termination would result in a deferral of our deductions for depreciation. A termination could also result in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a termination might either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, certain tax legislation. The IRS has announced a publicly traded partnership technical termination relief procedure whereby if a publicly traded partnership that has technically terminated requests publicly traded partnership technical termination relief and the IRS grants such relief, among other things, the partnership will only have to provide one Schedule K-1 to unitholders for the fiscal year notwithstanding two partnership tax years.
Uniformity of Common Units
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of common units, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the common units for a purchaser of the common units. In the absence of uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and regulatory. A lack of uniformity can result from a literal application of Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6). Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the common units. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”
We intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity of that property, or treat that portion as non-amortizable, to the extent attributable to that property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity which is not amortizable, consistent with the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Code, even though that position may be inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.” To the extent that the Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken, we may adopt a depreciation and amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring common units in the same month would receive depreciation and amortization deductions, whether attributable to a common basis or Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in our property. If this position is adopted, it may result in lower annual depreciation and amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to some unitholders and risk the loss of depreciation and amortization deductions not taken in the year that these deductions are otherwise allowable. This position will not be adopted if we determine that the loss of depreciation and amortization deductions will have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. If we choose not to utilize this aggregate method, we may use any other reasonable depreciation and amortization method to preserve the uniformity of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any common units that would not have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. Tax counsel is unable to opine on the validity of any of these positions. The IRS may challenge any method of depreciating the Section 743(b) adjustment described in this paragraph. If this challenge were sustained, the uniformity of common units might be affected, and the gain from the sale of common units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions. We do not believe these allocations will affect any material item of income, gain, loss or deduction. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
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Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of common units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt organizations, non-resident aliens, foreign corporations, and other foreign persons raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them.
Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from federal income tax, including IRAs and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income less certain allowable deductions allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.
A regulated investment company or “mutual fund” is required to derive 90% or more of its gross income from certain permitted sources. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 generally treats net income from the ownership of publicly traded partnerships as derived from such permitted sources. We anticipate that all of our net income will be treated as derived from such permitted sources.
Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, trusts or estates that own common units will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of the ownership of common units. As a consequence, they will be required to file federal tax returns to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, we will withhold tax at the highest applicable effective tax rate, from cash distributions made quarterly to foreign unitholders. Each foreign unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes. We will also withhold tax on U.S. source income recognized by foreign unitholders that is not effectively connected with our U.S. trade or business, unless foreign unitholders qualify for certain treaty benefits or an exception provided in the Code. Certain exceptions may require foreign unitholders to provide certain information to us and to the IRS. A change in applicable law may require us to change these procedures.
In addition, because a foreign corporation that owns common units will be treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the U.S. branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax, on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in the foreign corporation’s “U.S. net equity” that is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a “qualified resident.” In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Code.
Under the rationale of a ruling of the IRS, a foreign unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a common unit will be subject to federal income tax on gain realized on the sale or disposition of that common unit to the extent that this gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the foreign unitholder. If a foreign unitholder is considered to be engaged in a trade or business in the United States by virtue of the ownership of the common units, under the rationale of this ruling, a foreign unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a unit generally may be subject to federal income tax on all or a portion of the gain realized on the sale or other disposition of such unit. Apart from the ruling, a foreign unitholder will not be taxed or subject to withholding upon the sale or disposition of a unit if it has owned less than 5% in value of the units during the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition and if the common units are regularly traded on an established securities market at the time of the sale or disposition.
Administrative Matters
Information Returns and Audit Procedures. We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each taxable year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes each unitholder’s share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information,
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which will not be reviewed by tax counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine each unitholder’s share of income, gains, losses and deductions. We cannot assure you that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Code, Treasury Regulations, administrative interpretations of the IRS, or applicable court decisions. Neither we nor tax counsel can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court that those positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS could negatively affect the value of the common units.
The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability, and possibly may result in an audit of its return. Any audit of a unitholder’s return could result in adjustments not related to our returns as well as those related to our returns.
Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners. The Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes. Our partnership agreement names our general partner as our Tax Matters Partner.
Our general partner, as Tax Matters Partner, will make some elections on our behalf and on behalf of unitholders. The Tax Matters Partner can also extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our returns. The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a 1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any unitholder having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However, only one action for judicial review will go forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate in that action.
A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on its federal income tax return that is not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return. Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.
Nominee Reporting. Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:
(a) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee;
(b) a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:
(1) a person that is not a United States person;
(2) a foreign government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or
(3) a tax-exempt entity;
(c) the amount and description of common units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and
(d) specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales.
Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are United States persons and specific information on common units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $100 per failure, up to a maximum of $1.5 million per calendar year, is imposed by the Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the common units with the information furnished by us.
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Accuracy-Related Penalties. An additional tax equal to 20% of the amount of any portion of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements, is imposed by the Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding that portion.
For individuals, a substantial understatement of income tax in any taxable year exists if the amount of the understatement exceeds the greater of 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year or $5,000. The amount of any understatement subject to penalty generally is reduced if any portion is attributable to a position adopted on the return:
(1) for which there is, or was, “substantial authority”; or
(2) as to which there is a reasonable basis if the pertinent facts of that position are adequately disclosed on the return.
If any item of income, gain, loss or deduction included in the distributive shares of unitholders might result in that kind of an “understatement” of income for which no “substantial authority” exists, we must adequately disclose the pertinent facts on our return. In addition, we will make a reasonable effort to furnish sufficient information for unitholders to make adequate disclosure on their returns to avoid liability for this penalty. More stringent rules apply to “tax shelters,” but we believe we are not a tax shelter.
A substantial valuation misstatement exists if (a) the value of any property, or the adjusted basis of any property, claimed on a tax return is 150% or more of the amount determined to be the correct amount of the valuation or adjusted basis, (b) the price for any property or services (or for the use of property) claimed on any such tax return with respect to any transaction between persons described in Section 482 of the Code is 200% or more (or 50% or less) of the amount determined under Section 482 of the Code to be the correct amount of such price, or (c) the net transfer price adjustment under Section 482 of the Code for the taxable year exceeds the lesser of $5 million or 10% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts. For individuals, no penalty is imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000. If the valuation claimed on a return is 200% or more than the correct valuation, the penalty imposed increases to 40%.
In addition, the 20% accuracy-related penalty also applies to any portion of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to transactions lacking economic substance. To the extent that such transactions are not adequately disclosed, the penalty imposed is increased to 40%. Additionally, there is no reasonable cause defense to the imposition of this penalty to such transactions.
Reportable Transactions. If we were to engage in a “reportable transaction,” we (and possibly you and others) would be required to make a detailed disclosure of the transaction to the IRS. A transaction may be a reportable transaction based upon any of several factors, including the fact that it is a type of tax avoidance transaction publicly identified by the IRS as a “listed transaction” or a “transaction of interest” or that it produces certain kinds of losses in excess of $2 million in any single year or $4 million in any combination of 6 successive tax years. Our participation in a reportable transaction could increase the likelihood that our federal income tax information return (and possibly your tax return) would be audited by the IRS. Please read “—Information Returns and Audit Procedures” above.
Moreover, if we were to participate in a reportable transaction with a significant purpose to avoid or evade tax, or in any listed transaction, you may be subject to the following provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004:
| • | accuracy-related penalties with a broader scope, significantly narrower exceptions, and potentially greater amounts than described above at “—Accuracy-Related Penalties,” |
| • | for those persons otherwise entitled to deduct interest on federal tax deficiencies, nondeductibility of interest on any resulting tax liability, and |
| • | in the case of a listed transaction, an extended statute of limitations. |
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We do not expect to engage in any “reportable transactions.”
Legislative Developments
The present federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us or an investment in our common units may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, in a recent Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would change the treatment of certain types of income earned from certain types of interests in partnerships. It is possible that legislative efforts could result in changes to the existing U.S. tax laws that affect publicly traded partnerships, including us. Modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws and interpretations thereof may or may not be applied retroactively. We are unable to predict whether such legislation, or other proposals, will ultimately be enacted. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our common units.
State, Local and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income taxes, you likely will be subject to other taxes, such as state and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we operate or own property or in which you are a resident. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on its investment in us. We currently operate or own property in the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Each of these states, except Texas and Wyoming, currently impose a personal income tax on individuals. Most of these states also impose an income tax on corporations and other entities. We may also own property or do business in other jurisdictions in the future. Although you may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in some jurisdictions if your income from that jurisdiction falls below the filing and payment requirement, you will be required to file income tax returns and to pay income taxes in many of the jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. In some jurisdictions, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable years. Some jurisdictions may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the jurisdiction. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder’s income tax liability to the jurisdiction, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld will be treated as if distributed to unitholders for purposes of determining the amounts distributed by us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Entity-Level Collections.” Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, our general partner anticipates that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.
It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of its investment in us. Accordingly, each prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend on, its own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. It is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all state and local, as well as U.S. federal tax returns, that may be required of such unitholder. Tax counsel has not rendered an opinion on the state or local tax consequences of an investment in us.
Tax Consequences of Ownership of Debt Securities
A description of the material federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of debt securities will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of debt securities.
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INVESTMENT IN DCP MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
An investment in us by an employee benefit plan is subject to additional considerations because the investments of these plans are usually subject to the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and may also be subject to similar or additional restrictions imposed by the Code. For these purposes, the term “employee benefit plan” includes, but is not limited to, qualified pension, profit-sharing and stock bonus plans, so-called “Keogh” plans, simplified employee pension plans, tax deferred annuities or IRAs, and trusts that fund medical and other benefits for employees. Among other things, consideration should be given to:
| • | whether the investment is consistent with the requirements of Section 404 of ERISA, which include that plan investments must (i) be solely in the interest of participants and beneficiaries, (ii) be prudent, (iii) consider diversification of the plan’s assets, and (iv) be consistent with the plan’s governing documents; |
| • | whether the investment is consistent with the requirements of the Code, or will result in recognition of unrelated business taxable income by the plan and, if so, the potential after-tax investment return. Please read “Material Tax Consequences—Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors”. |
The person with investment discretion with respect to the assets of an employee benefit plan, often called a fiduciary, should determine whether an investment in us is authorized by the appropriate governing instrument and is a proper investment for the plan.
Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code prohibit employee benefit plans and IRAs from engaging in specified transactions involving “plan assets” with parties that are “parties in interest” (under ERISA) or “disqualified persons” (under the Code) with respect to the plan. These transactions are called “prohibited transactions,” and could result in fiduciary liability and other monetary penalties.
In addition to considering whether the purchase of common units is a prohibited transaction, a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan should consider whether the plan will, by investing in us, be deemed to own an undivided interest in our assets, with the result that our operations would be subject to the regulatory restrictions of ERISA. For this purpose, the Department of Labor regulations provide guidance with respect to whether the assets of an entity in which employee benefit plans acquire equity interests would be deemed “plan assets” under some circumstances. Under these regulations, an entity’s assets would not be considered to be “plan assets” if, among other things:
(a) the equity interests acquired by employee benefit plans are publicly offered securities—i.e., the equity interests are widely held by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and each other, freely transferable and registered under the federal securities laws;
(b) the entity is an “operating company,”—i.e., it is primarily engaged in the production or sale of a product or service other than the investment of capital either directly or through a majority-owned subsidiary or subsidiaries; or
(c) there is no significant investment by benefit plan investors, which is defined to mean that less than 25% of the value of each class of equity interest is held by employee benefit plans (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA), any plan to which Section 4975 of the Code applies, and any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of a plan’s investment in such entity.
Our assets should not be considered “plan assets” under these regulations because it is expected that the investment will satisfy the requirements in (a) above.
Plan fiduciaries contemplating a purchase of common units should consult with their own counsel regarding the consequences under ERISA and the Code in light of the serious penalties imposed on persons who engage in prohibited transactions or other violations.
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We may sell the securities being offered hereby directly to one or more purchasers, through agents, through underwriters, or through dealers.
By Agents
Agents designated by us, may directly solicit, from time to time, offers to purchase the securities. Any such agent may be deemed to be an underwriter as that term is defined in the Securities Act. We will name the agents involved in the offer or sale of the securities and describe any commissions payable by us to these agents in the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, these agents may act on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment.
By Underwriters or Dealers
If we use any underwriters in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, the underwriters will acquire such securities for their own account. We will enter into an underwriting agreement with those underwriters at the time of sale to them. We will set forth the names of the underwriters and the terms of the transaction in a prospectus supplement, which will be used by the underwriters to make resales of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered to the public.
The aggregate maximum compensation the underwriters will receive in connection with the sale of any common units under this prospectus and the registration statement of which it forms a part will not exceed 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale.
If we use a dealer in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will sell those securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.
Direct Sales
We may also sell common units and debt securities directly to one or more purchasers. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We may use electronic media, including the Internet, to sell offered securities directly.
General Information
We will set the price or prices of our securities at:
| • | market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| • | prices related to market price; or |
| • | a negotiated price. |
We may have agreements with agents, underwriters or dealers to indemnify them against certain specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters or dealers, or their affiliates, may be our customers or may engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a particular plan of distribution. The place and time of delivery for the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered will be set forth in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
60
In connection with offerings of securities under the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, and in compliance with applicable law, underwriters, brokers or dealers may engage in transactions that stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at levels above those that might otherwise prevail in the open market. Specifically, underwriters, brokers or dealers may over-allot in connection with offerings, creating a short position in the securities for their own accounts. For the purpose of covering a syndicate short position or stabilizing the price of the securities, the underwriters, brokers or dealers may place bids for the securities or effect purchases of the securities in the open market. Finally, the underwriters may impose a penalty whereby selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other brokers or dealers for distribution of the securities in offerings may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market, and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
61
Holland & Hart LLP will pass upon the validity of the securities offered under this registration statement. If certain legal matters in connection with an offering of the securities made by this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement are passed on by counsel for the underwriters of such offering, that counsel will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement related to that offering
The consolidated financial statements of DCP Midstream Partners, LP and subsidiaries, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011, incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from the Current Report on Form 8-K of DCP Midstream Partners, LP dated June 14, 2012 and the effectiveness of DCP Midstream Partners, LP and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from DCP Midstream Partners, LP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference (which (1) report on the consolidated financial statements is based in part on the report of Ernst & Young LLP as it relates to Discovery Producer Services, LLC and expresses an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements and includes explanatory paragraphs referring to (a) the retrospective adjustment for the 100% ownership interest in DCP Southeast Texas Holdings, GP, of which 33.33% and 66.67% was acquired on January 1, 2011 and March 30, 2012, respectively, from DCP Midstream, LLC, which was accounted for in a manner similar to a pooling of interests, (b) the preparation of the consolidated financial statements attributable to DCP Southeast Texas Holdings, GP from separate records maintained by DCP Midstream, LLC, and (c) the retrospective adjustment for changes to the preliminary purchase price allocation for Marysville Hydrocarbon Holdings, Inc., and (2) report on the effectiveness of DCP Midstream Partners, LP and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting expresses an unqualified opinion). Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the respective reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The combined financial statements of the Southeast Texas Midstream Business as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011, incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from the Current Report on Form 8-K/A of DCP Midstream Partners, LP dated May 31, 2012 have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent auditors, as stated in their report which is incorporated herein by reference, and are incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The consolidated financial statements of Discovery Producer Services LLC at December 31, 2011 and 2010, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011, appearing in DCP Midstream Partners, LP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
62
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 14. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution. |
The following table sets forth the estimated fees and expenses payable by us in connection with the offering of the securities being registered, other than discounts and commissions.
| Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee |
$* | |||
| Listing fees |
$** | |||
| Printing expenses |
$** | |||
| Legal fees and expenses |
$** | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses |
$** | |||
| Transfer agent fees and expenses |
$** | |||
| Trustee fees and expenses |
$** | |||
| Miscellaneous |
$** | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
$** | |||
|
|
|
| * | The registrants are deferring payment of the registration fee in reliance on Rule 456(b) and 457(r). |
| ** | These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. |
| Item 15. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Section 17-108 of the Delaware Act empowers a Delaware limited partnership to indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other person from and against all claims and demands whatsoever. The partnership agreements of DCP Midstream Partners, LP and DCP Midstream Operating, LP provide that, in most circumstances, we will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages or similar events:
| • | each entity’s general partner; |
| • | any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was an affiliate of its general partner or any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was a member, partner, officer, director employee, agent or trustee of the general partner or any departing general partner or any affiliate of the general partner or any departing general partner; or |
| • | any person who is or was serving at the request of the general partner or any departing general partners or any affiliate of a general partner or any departing general partner as an officer, director, employee, member, partner, agent or trustee of another person. |
Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Our general partners will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable us to effectuate, indemnification. We have purchased insurance against liabilities asserted against, and expenses incurred by, our and our subsidiaries’ directors and officers for our activities, and the activities of our subsidiaries, and may continue to do so regardless of whether we would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under the partnership agreement.
Any underwriting or similar agreement entered into in connection with the sale of the securities offered pursuant to this registration statement will provide for indemnification of officers and directors of the general partner from and against certain, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
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| Item 16. | Exhibits. |
| Exhibit |
Description | |||
| 1.1* | — | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | ||
| 4.1§ | — | Indenture, dated September 30, 2010, between DCP Midstream Operating, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on September 30, 2010). | ||
| 4.2§ | — | First Supplemental Indenture, dated September 30, 2010, by and among DCP Midstream Operating, LP, DCP Midstream Partners, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on September 30, 2010). | ||
| 4.3§ | — | Second Supplemental Indenture, dated March 13, 2012, by and among DCP Midstream Operating, LP, DCP Midstream Partners, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on March 13, 2012). | ||
| 4.4§ | Third Supplemental Indenture, dated June 14, 2012, by and among DCP Midstream Operating, LP, DCP Midstream Partners, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on June 14, 2012). | |||
| 4.5* | — | Form of Debt Securities. | ||
| 5.1† | — | Opinion of Holland & Hart LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered. | ||
| 8.1† | — | Opinion of Holland & Hart LLP relating to tax matters. | ||
| 12.1† | — | Statement Regarding Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. | ||
| 23.1† | — | Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP related to their report on DCP Midstream Partners, LP and subsidiaries’ Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 and for each of the years in the period ended December 31, 2011 and to their report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011 (incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 14, 2012 and the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-32678) filed on February 29, 2012, respectively). | ||
| 23.2† | — | Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP related to their report dated February 29, 2012 related to the financial statements of the Southeast Texas Midstream Business as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011 (incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K/A Form dated May 31, 2012). | ||
| 23.3† | — | Consent of Ernst & Young LLP related to their report on Discovery Producer Services LLC’s Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2011 (incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-32678) filed on February 29 2012). | ||
| 23.4† | — | Consent of Holland & Hart LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1 hereto). | ||
| 23.5† | — | Consent of Holland & Hart LLP (contained in Exhibit 8.1 hereto). | ||
| 24.1† | — | Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto). | ||
| 25.1† | — | Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 with respect to the Indenture. | ||
| † | Filed herewith. |
| * | To be filed as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K in connection with a specific offering. |
| § | Each such exhibit has heretofore been filed with the SEC as part of the filing indicated and is incorporated herein by reference. |
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| Item 17. | Undertakings. |
(a) The undersigned registrants hereby undertake:
(1) To file, during, any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrants pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrants pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
II-3
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrants under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrants undertake that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrants pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrants will be sellers to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrants relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrants or used or referred to by the undersigned registrants;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrants or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrants; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrants to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned registrants hereby undertake that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of DCP Midstream Partners, LP’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrants pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrants have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrants of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrants in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrants will, unless in the opinion of their counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by such registrant is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) The undersigned registrants hereby undertake to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Denver, State of Colorado, on June 14, 2012.
| DCP Midstream Partners, LP | ||
| By: |
DCP Midstream GP, LP, its general partner | |
| By: |
DCP Midstream GP, LLC, its general partner | |
| By: |
||
| /s/ Mark A. Borer | ||
| Mark A. Borer | ||
| Chief Executive Officer, President and Director | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
The undersigned directors and officers of DCP Midstream Partners GP, LLC hereby constitute and appoint each of Mark A. Borer, Rose M. Robeson and Michael S. Richards as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her or in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Mark A. Borer Mark A. Borer |
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Rose M. Robeson Rose M. Robeson |
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Gary D. Watkins Gary D. Watkins |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Thomas C. O’Connor Thomas C. O’Connor |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Paul F. Ferguson, Jr. Paul F. Ferguson, Jr. |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| Name |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Timothy G. Taylor Timothy G. Taylor |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Greg G. Maxwell Greg G. Maxwell |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Frank A. McPherson Frank A. McPherson |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Thomas C. Morris Thomas C. Morris |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Stephen R. Springer Stephen R. Springer |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ R. Mark Fiedorek R. Mark Fiedorek |
Director |
June 14, 2012 | ||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Denver, State of Colorado, on June 14, 2012.
| DCP Midstream Operating, LP | ||
| By: |
/s/ Mark A. Borer | |
|
| ||
| Mark A. Borer | ||
| Chief Executive Officer and President | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
The undersigned directors and officers of DCP Midstream Operating, LP and DCP Midstream Operating, LLC hereby constitute and appoint each of Mark A. Borer, Rose M. Robeson and Michael S. Richards as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her or in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Mark A. Borer Mark A. Borer |
Chief Executive Officer and President of DCP Midstream Operating, LP and Director of DCP Midstream Operating, LLC, its general partner (Principal Executive Officer) |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Rose M. Robeson Rose M. Robeson |
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of DCP Midstream Operating, LP and Director of DCP Midstream Operating, LLC, its general partner (Principal Financial Officer) |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Gary D. Watkins Gary D. Watkins |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
June 14, 2012 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Richards Michael S. Richards |
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of DCP Midstream Operating, LP and Director of DCP Midstream Operating, LLC, its general partner | June 14, 2012 | ||
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit |
Description | |||
| 1.1* | — | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | ||
| 4.1§ | — | Indenture, dated September 30, 2010, between DCP Midstream Operating, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on September 30, 2010). | ||
| 4.2§ | — | First Supplemental Indenture, dated September 30, 2010, by and among DCP Midstream Operating, LP, DCP Midstream Partners, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on September 30, 2010). | ||
| 4.3§ | — | Second Supplemental Indenture, dated March 13, 2012, by and among DCP Midstream Operating, LP, DCP Midstream Partners, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on March 13, 2012). | ||
| 4.4§ | Third Supplemental Indenture, dated June 14, 2012, by and among DCP Midstream Operating, LP, DCP Midstream Partners, LP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.
(incorporated by reference herein to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-32678), filed on June 14, 2012). | |||
| 4.4* | — | Form of Debt Securities. | ||
| 5.1† | — | Opinion of Holland & Hart LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered. | ||
| 8.1† | — | Opinion of Holland & Hart LLP relating to tax matters. | ||
| 12.1† | — | Statement Regarding Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. | ||
| 23.1† | — | Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP related to their report on DCP Midstream Partners, LP and subsidiaries’ Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 and for each of the years in the period ended December 31, 2011 and to their report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011 (incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 14, 2012 and the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-32678) filed on February 29, 2012, respectively). | ||
| 23.2† | Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP related to their report dated February 29, 2012 related to the financial statements of the Southeast Texas Midstream Business as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011 (incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K/A Form dated May 31, 2012). | |||
| 23.3† | — | Consent of Ernst & Young LLP related to their report on Discovery Producer Services LLC’s Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2011 (incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K File No. 001-32678 filed on February 29 2012). | ||
| 23.4† | — | Consent of Holland & Hart LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1 hereto). | ||
| 23.5† | — | Consent of Holland & Hart LLP (contained in Exhibit 8.1 hereto). | ||
| 24.1† | — | Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto). | ||
| 25.1† | — | Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 with respect to the Indenture. | ||
| † | Filed herewith. |
| * | To be filed as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K in connection with a specific offering. |
| § | Each such exhibit has heretofore been filed with the SEC as part of the filing indicated and is incorporated herein by reference. |