Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure. |
On October 18, 2018, Valero Energy Corporation (“VLO”) and Valero Energy Partners LP (the “Partnership”) issued a joint press release announcing entry into the Merger Agreement (as defined below), as well as the Partnership’s distribution for the third quarter of 2018. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1.
This information is being furnished, not filed, pursuant to Regulation FD. Accordingly, this information will not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement filed by VLO under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), unless specifically identified therein as being incorporated herein by reference.
On October 18, 2018, VLO entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Forest Merger Sub, LLC, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of VLO (“Merger Sub”), the Partnership and Valero Energy Partners GP LLC, the general partner of the Partnership (the “General Partner”), pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into the Partnership (the “Merger” and, together with the Merger Agreement and the other transactions contemplated thereby, the “Transaction”), the separate existence of Merger Sub will cease and the Partnership will survive and continue to exist as a Delaware limited partnership.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, each of the common units representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the “Common Units”), other than Common Units owned by VLO and its subsidiaries, will be converted into the right to receive $42.25 per Common Unit in cash without any interest thereon and all such Common Units will be automatically canceled and cease to exist. The Partnership’s incentive distribution rights and general partner interest, and the Common Units owned by VLO and its subsidiaries, other than the Partnership and its subsidiaries, will be unaffected by the Merger and will remain issued and outstanding in the Partnership, with no consideration being delivered in respect thereof.
The Merger Agreement includes customary representations and warranties and covenants, including, among others, a covenant that the Partnership will conduct its business in the ordinary course, consistent with past practice, during the interim period between the execution of the Merger Agreement and the consummation of the Transaction. The Partnership has agreed not to directly or indirectly solicit competing acquisition proposals or to enter into discussions concerning, or provide confidential information in connection with, any unsolicited alternative business combinations. In addition, the Merger Agreement provides that holders of the Partnership’s Common Units will receive a quarterly cash distribution of at least $0.551 per Common Unit for the third quarter of 2018 (the “Third Quarter Distribution”). However, prior to the closing of the Transaction, the General Partner may not declare, and the Partnership may not pay, any distribution other than the Third Quarter Distribution without the prior written consent of VLO.
The Merger Agreement also includes customary closing conditions, including, among others, (i) the approval of the Transaction by a majority of the outstanding Common Units, (ii) the absence of any law or injunction prohibiting the consummation of the Transaction, (iii) the effectiveness of an information statement to be filed by the Partnership on Schedule 14C and (iv) with respect to VLO, the absence of a material adverse effect with respect to the Partnership. The Merger Agreement contains provisions granting each of VLO and the Partnership the right to terminate the Merger Agreement for certain reasons, including, among others, (i) by either VLO or the Partnership if the Merger has not been completed by July 18, 2019, (ii) by VLO in response to a change in recommendation by the board of directors of the General Partner (the “GP Board”) or (iii) by the Partnership, if the GP Board, subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, determines in good faith that, in connection with certain intervening events, the failure to terminate the Merger Agreement would be a breach of its duties to the unaffiliated holders of Common Units under applicable law, as modified by the Partnership’s limited partnership agreement, or the Partnership’s limited partnership agreement.
Simultaneously with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Partnership and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of VLO that is the record holder of a majority of the outstanding Common Units entered into a Support Agreement (the “Support Agreement”) whereby such subsidiary has agreed to deliver a written consent approving the Transaction prior to the closing thereof. The written consent delivered pursuant to the Support Agreement will constitute the requisite vote of the Partnership’s Common Units to approve the Transaction. As a result, the Partnership has not solicited and is not soliciting approval of the Transaction by holders of the