Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 3, 2005
ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS PARTNERS L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 1-14323 | 76-0568219 |
|---|---|---|
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 2727 North Loop West, Houston, Texas | 77008-1044 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (713) 880-6500
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 2.02. Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On May 3, 2005, Enterprise Products Partners L.P. issued a press release regarding financial information for the three month periods ended March 31, 2005 and 2004 and held a webcast conference call discussing those results. A copy of the earnings press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this report, which is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 2.02. The webcast conference call will be available for replay on Enterprise Products Partners L.P.’s website at www.epplp.com. The conference call will be archived on our website for 90 days.
Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” or “Enterprise” refer to the consolidated business and operations of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. References to “El Paso” refer to El Paso Corporation and its affiliates. References to “EPCO” refer to EPCO, Inc., an affiliate of Enterprise and our ultimate parent company.
Use of Non-GAAP financial measures
Our press release and/or the conference call discussions include the non-generally accepted accounting principle (“non-GAAP”) financial measures of gross operating margin, distributable cash flow, and EBITDA. The press release provides reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to GAAP measures such as net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities or any other GAAP measure of liquidity or financial performance.
Gross operating margin. We evaluate segment performance based on the non-GAAP financial measure of gross operating margin. Gross operating margin (either in total or by individual segment) is an important performance measure of the core profitability of our operations. This measure forms the basis of our internal financial reporting and is used by senior management in deciding how to allocate capital resources among business segments. We believe that investors benefit from having access to the same financial measures that our management uses in evaluating segment results. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to total segment gross operating margin is operating income.
We define total segment gross operating margin as operating income before: (1) depreciation and amortization expense; (2) operating lease expenses for which we do not have the payment obligation; (3) gains and losses on the sale of assets; and (4) general and administrative expenses. Gross operating margin is exclusive of other income and expense transactions, provision for income taxes, minority interest, cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles and extraordinary charges. Gross operating margin by segment is calculated by subtracting segment operating costs and expenses (net of the adjustments noted above) from segment revenues, with both segment totals before the elimination of intercompany transactions. In accordance with GAAP, intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Our non-GAAP financial measure of total segment gross operating margin should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP operating income.
We include earnings from equity method unconsolidated affiliates in our measurement of segment gross operating margin. Our equity investments with industry partners are a vital component of our business strategy. They are a means by which we conduct our operations to align our interests with those of our customers, which may be a supplier of raw materials or a consumer of finished products. This method of operation also enables us to achieve favorable economies of scale relative to the level of investment and business risk assumed versus what we could accomplish on a stand-alone basis. Many of these businesses perform supporting or complementary roles to our other business operations. As circumstances dictate, we may increase our ownership interest in equity investments, which could result in subsequent consolidation of operations.
Distributable cash flow. We define distributable cash flow as net income or loss plus: (1) depreciation and amortization expense; (2) operating lease expenses for which we do not have the payment obligation; (3) cash distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates less equity in the earnings of such unconsolidated affiliates; (4) the subtraction of sustaining capital expenditures; (5) the addition of losses or subtraction of gains relating to the sale of assets; (6) cash proceeds from the sale of assets; (7) the addition of decreases or the subtraction of increases in the value of our financial instrument portfolios; (8) cash proceeds from significant financial instrument
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transactions recorded within accumulated other comprehensive income less related amortization of such amount to earnings; (9) transition support payments received from El Paso related to the GulfTerra Merger and (10) the addition of losses or subtraction of gains relating to other miscellaneous non-cash amounts affecting net income for the period. Sustaining capital expenditures are capital expenditures (as defined by GAAP) resulting from improvements to and major renewals of existing assets. Distributable cash flow is a significant liquidity metric used by senior management to compare basic cash flows generated by the partnership to the cash distributions we expect to pay our partners. Using this metric, management can compute the coverage ratio of estimated cash flows to planned cash distributions.
Distributable cash flow is also an important non-GAAP financial measure for our limited partners since it serves as an indicator of the partnership’s success in providing a cash return on investment. Specifically, this financial measure indicates to investors whether or not the partnership is generating cash flows at a level that can sustain or support an increase in our quarterly cash distribution rates. Distributable cash flow is also a quantitative standard used throughout the investment community with respect to publicly-traded partnerships because the value of a partnership unit is generally determined by its yield (which in turn is based on the amount of cash distributions a partnership can pay to a unitholder). The GAAP measure most directly comparable to distributable cash flow is cash flows from operating activities.
EBITDA. We define EBITDA as net income or loss plus interest expense, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization expense. EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by management and by external users of financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and rating agencies, to assess: (1) the financial performance of our assets without regard to financing methods, capital structures or historical cost basis; (2) the ability of our assets to generate cash sufficient to pay interest cost and support our indebtedness; (3) our operating performance and return on capital as compared to those of other companies in the midstream energy sector, without regard to financing and capital structure; and (4) the viability of projects and the overall rates of return on alternative investment opportunities. Because EBITDA excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income or loss and these measures may vary among other companies, the EBITDA data presented in the press release may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA is cash flow from operating activities.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(a) Financial statements of businesses acquired.
Not applicable.
(b) Pro forma financial information.
Not applicable.
(c) Exhibits.
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Exhibit No. |
Description |
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99.1 |
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. press release dated May 3, 2005. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS PARTNERS L.P.
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By: |
Enterprise Products GP, LLC, |
its General Partner
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Date: May 3, 2005 |
By: ___/s/ Michael J. Knesek_____________________ | ||||
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Name: |
Michael J. Knesek |
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Title: |
Senior Vice President, Controller and Principal |
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Accounting Officer of Enterprise Products GP, LLC | ||||
Exhibit Index
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Exhibit No. |
Description |
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99.1 |
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. press release dated May 3, 2005. |