Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | (2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (a) Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents consist of all cash balances. We consider investments in highly liquid financial instruments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. (b) Trade Accounts Receivable Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.7 million and $2.1 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, is our best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in our existing accounts receivable. We determine the allowance based upon historical write-off experience and specific customer circumstances. The determination of the allowance for doubtful accounts requires us to make estimates and judgments regarding our customers’ ability to pay amounts due. On an ongoing basis, we conduct an evaluation of the financial strength of our customers based on payment history, the overall business climate in which our customers operate and specific identification of customer bad debt and make adjustments to the allowance as necessary. Our evaluation of our customers’ financial strength is based on the aging of their respective receivables balance, customer correspondence, financial information and third-party credit ratings. Our evaluation of the business climate in which our customers operate is based on a review of various publicly-available materials regarding our customers’ industries, including the solvency of various companies in the industry. Based on the aforementioned factors we increased the allowance account during the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we decreased our allowance for doubtful accounts by $1. 1 million due mostly to collections on accounts that had previously been reserved, and additionally wrote-off $0.3 million of accounts that had been previously reserved. Since the overall energy industry continues to be volatile, it is not certain that the factors leading to an increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts during 2015, or the subsequent decrease during 2016, will continue. Due to the decrease in the allowance for doubtful accounts during 2016, we recognized a reduction of bad debt expense of $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. Bad debt expense for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $1.8 million. (c) Inventory Inventory consists of serialized and non-serialized parts used primarily in the repair of compression units. Serialized parts inventory are valued at the lower-of-cost-or-market value using the specific identification method, while non-serialized parts inventory is valued using the weighted-average cost method. Purchases of these assets are considered operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows. Components of inventory as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2016 2015 Serialized parts $ $ Non-serialized parts Total Inventory, gross Less: obsolete and slow moving reserve Total Inventory, net $ $ (d) Property and Equipment Property and equipment are carried at cost except for (i) certain acquired assets which are recorded at fair value on their respective acquisition dates and (ii) impaired assets which are recorded at fair value on the last impairment evaluation date for which an adjustment was required . Overhauls and major improvements that increase the value or extend the life of compression equipment are capitalized and depreciated over 3 to 5 years. Ordinary maintenance and repairs are charged to cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows: Compression equipment, acquired new 25 years Compression equipment, acquired used 9 - 25 years Furniture and fixtures 7 years Vehicles and computer equipment 3 - 7 years Leasehold improvements 5 years When property and equipment are retired or sold, its carrying value and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from our accounts and any associated gains or losses are recorded on our statements of operations in the period of sale or disposition. Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $88.8 million, $81.7 million and $67.6 million, respectively. (e) Impairments of Long-Lived Assets Long-lived assets with recorded values that are not expected to be recovered through future cash flows are written-down to estimated fair value. We test our assets for impairment when events or circumstances indicate that the assets’ carrying value may not be recoverable or will no longer be utilized in the operating fleet. The most common circumstance requiring compression units to be tested for impairment is when idle units do not meet the performance characteristics of our active revenue generating horsepower. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. If the carrying value exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows associated with the operating fleet, an impairment loss equal to the amount of the carrying value exceeding the fair value of the asset is recognized. The fair value of the asset is measured using quoted market prices or, in the absence of quoted market prices, based on an estimate of discounted cash flows, the expected net sale proceeds compared to the other similarly configured fleet units we recently sold or a review of other units recently offered for sale by third parties, or the estimated component value of the equipment we plan to use. Refer to Note 3 for more detailed information about impairment charges during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. (f) Revenue Recognition Revenue from contract operations is recognized ratably as compression services are provided to customers under our fixed-fee contracts over the term of the contract, which generally ranges from one month to seven years. Parts and service revenue is recorded as parts are delivered or services are performed for the customer. Revenue and the associated expense from installation services, which includes the installation of stations for our customers, is recorded using the percentage-of-completion method measured by the efforts-expended method. Revenue from installation services is included within the Parts and service revenue caption on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. (g) Income Taxes We have elected to be treated under SubChapter K of the Internal Revenue Code. Under SubChapter K, a partnership return is filed annually reflecting each partner’s allocable share of our income or loss. Therefore, no provision has been made for federal income tax in our accounts. For tax purposes, our net income (loss) is allocated to the partners in proportion to their respective interest in us. As a partnership, all income, gains, losses, expenses, deductions and tax credits generated by us generally flow through to our unitholders. However, Texas imposes an entity-level income tax on partnerships. Refer to Note 6 for more detailed information about the Revised Texas Franchise Tax for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. (h) Fair Value Measurements Accounting standards establish a framework for fair value measurement and disclosure. The standards apply to recurring and nonrecurring financial and non-financial assets and liabilities that require or permit fair value measurements. Among the required disclosures is the fair value hierarchy of inputs we use to value an asset or a liability. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described as follows: Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that we have the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs are those other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. Phantom unit awards granted to employees under our long-term incentive plan (the “LTIP”) are accounted for as a liability, and such liability is re-measured on a quarterly basis. The liability is based on the publicly quoted price of our common units, which is considered a Level 1 input. Refer to Note 9 for more information about unit-based compensation. As part of the impairment analysis of goodwill as of December 31, 2015, the fair value of our goodwill was re-measured using Level 3 inputs. Refer to the Goodwill section below of this Note 2 for more information about this valuation as of December 31, 2015. Net assets (liabilities) measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below (in thousands): December 31, 2016 2015 Assets (Liabilities) Level 1 Level 1 Unit-based compensation liability $ $ As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, our financial instruments consisted primarily of cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable, trade accounts payable and long-term debt. The book values of cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable, and trade accounts payable are representative of fair value due to their short-term maturities. The carrying amount of long-term debt approximates fair value due to the floating interest rates associated with the debt. (i) Pass Through Taxes Sales taxes incurred on behalf of, and passed through to, customers are accounted for on a net basis. (j) Use of Estimates The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in these consolidated financial statements and the accompanying results. Although these estimates are based on management’s available knowledge of current and expected future events, actual results could differ from these estimates. (k) Identifiable Intangible Assets Identifiable intangible assets, net consisted of the following (in thousands): Customer Relationships Trade Names Non-compete Total Gross Balance at December 31, 2014 $ $ $ $ Accumulated amortization Net Balance at December 31, 2015 $ $ $ $ Gross Balance at December 31, 2015 $ $ $ $ Accumulated amortization Net Balance at December 31, 2016 $ $ $ $ Identifiable intangible assets are recorded at cost and amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, which is the period over which the assets are expected to contribute directly or indirectly to our future cash flows. The estimated useful lives range from 4 to 30 years. Amortization expense for each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $3.6 million. The expected amortization of the identifiable intangible assets for each of the five succeeding years is as follows (in thousands): Year Ending December 31, Total 2017 $ 2018 2019 2020 2021 We assess identifiable intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. We did not record any impairment of identifiable intangible assets in the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 or 2014. (l) Goodwill Goodwill represents consideration paid in excess of the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized, but is reviewed for impairment annually based on the carrying values as of October 1, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise that suggest the carrying value of goodwill may not be recovered. As of October 1, 2016 and 2015, a quantitative assessment was performed to determine whether the fair value of our single reporting unit was greater than its carrying value. As of October 1, 2016 and 2015, the fair value was determined to be in excess of the carrying value. Due to the identification of certain impairment indicators during the fourth quarter of 2015, specifically (1) the decline in the market price of our common units, (2) the sustained decline in global commodity prices, and (3) the decline in performance of the Alerian MLP Index, we prepared a quantitative assessment of our goodwill as of December 31, 2015. This assessment indicated that the calculated fair value was less than the carrying value. As such, we prepared a Step 2 impairment test which measured the amount of the impairment loss and involved a hypothetical allocation of the estimated fair value among the reporting unit’s assets and liabilities. The carrying value of goodwill exceeded the implied value of goodwill and an impairment charge was recorded for $172.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2015. The fair value of our single reporting unit was calculated using the Discounted Cash Flow Method, an income approach. This method utilizes Level 3 inputs from the fair value hierarchy. The impairment of goodwill was primarily the result of the sustained decline in the market price of our common units. The continued decline in commodity prices adversely impacted many of our customers and resulted in a significant decline in their future capital expansion plans. This in turn reduced our expected future capital expansion plans and in turn, our estimated future cash flows as of December 31, 2015. We had approximately $35.9 million of goodwill remaining on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 and 2015. No impairment of goodwill was recorded in the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2014. (m) Capitalized Interest For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we capitalized $0.2 million, $0.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively, of interest expense for interest costs incurred during the period related to upfront payments required in acquiring certain compression units. (n) Operating Segment We operate in a single business segment, the compression services business. |