fifth year of participation in the Roth 401(k) option, and (ii) attainment of age 59 1/2, death or disability. The employer contribution will still be considered taxable income at the time of withdrawal.
Employees of KMGP Services Company, Inc. and Knight are also eligible to participate in a Cash Balance Retirement Plan. Certain employees continue to accrue benefits through a career-pay formula, “grandfathered” according to age and years of service on December 31, 2000, or collective bargaining arrangements. All other employees accrue benefits through a personal retirement account in the Cash Balance Retirement Plan. Under the plan, we credit each participating employee’s personal retirement account an amount equal to 3% of eligible compensation every pay period. Interest is credited to the personal retirement accounts at the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond rate, or an approved substitute, in effect each year. Employees become fully vested in the plan after three years, and they may take a lump sum distribution upon termination of employment or retirement.
As of December 31, 2008 and 2007, our partners’ capital consisted of the following limited partner units:
The total limited partner units represent our limited partners’ interest and an effective 98% interest in us, exclusive of our general partner’s incentive distribution rights. Our general partner has an effective 2% interest in us, excluding its incentive distribution rights.
As of December 31, 2008, our common unit total consisted of 166,598,999 units held by third parties, 14,646,428 units held by Knight and its consolidated affiliates (excluding our general partner) and 1,724,000 units held by our general partner. As of December 31, 2007, our common unit total consisted of 155,864,661 units held by third parties, 12,631,735 units held by Knight and its consolidated affiliates (excluding our general partner) and 1,724,000 units held by our general partner.
The Class B units are similar to our common units except that they are not eligible for trading on the New York Stock Exchange. All of our Class B units were issued to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Knight in December 2000.
On both December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, all of our i-units were held by KMR. Our i-units are a separate class of limited partner interests in us and are not publicly traded. In accordance with its limited liability company agreement, KMR’s activities are restricted to being a limited partner in us, and to controlling and managing our business and affairs and the business and affairs of our operating limited partnerships and their subsidiaries. Through the combined effect of the provisions in our partnership agreement and the provisions of KMR’s limited liability company agreement, the number of outstanding KMR shares and the number of i-units will at all times be equal.
Under the terms of our partnership agreement, we agreed that we will not, except in liquidation, make a distribution on an i-unit other than in additional i-units or a security that has in all material respects the same rights and privileges as our i-units. The number of i-units we distribute to KMR is based upon the amount of cash we distribute to the owners of our common units. When cash is paid to the holders of our common units, we will issue additional i-units to KMR. The fraction of an i-unit paid per i-unit owned by KMR will have a value based on the cash payment on the common unit.
The cash equivalent of distributions of i-units will be treated as if it had actually been distributed for purposes of determining the distributions to our general partner. We will not distribute the cash to the holders of our i-units but will instead retain the cash for use in our business. If additional units are distributed to the holders of our common units, we will issue an equivalent amount of i-units to KMR based on the number of i-units it owns. Based on the preceding, KMR received a distribution of 1,646,891 i-units on November 14, 2008. These additional i-units distributed were based on the $1.02 per unit distributed to our common unitholders on that date. During the year ended December 31, 2008, KMR received distributions of 5,565,424 i-units. These additional i-units distributed were based on the $3.89 per unit distributed to our common unitholders during 2008. During 2007, KMR received distributions of 4,430,806 i-units, based on the $3.39 per unit distributed to our common unitholders during 2007.
Equity Issuances
2007 Issuances
On May 17, 2007, KMR issued 5,700,000 of its shares in a public offering at a price of $52.26 per share. The net proceeds from the offering were used by KMR to buy additional i-units from us, and we received net proceeds of $297.9 million for the issuance of these 5,700,000 i-units.
On December 5, 2007, we issued, in a public offering, 7,130,000 of our common units, including common units sold pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option, at a price of $49.34 per unit, less commissions and underwriting expenses. We received net proceeds of $342.9 million for the issuance of these 7,130,000 common units.
We used the proceeds from each of these two issuances to reduce the borrowings under our commercial paper program. In addition, pursuant to our purchase and sale agreement with Trans-Global Solutions, Inc., we issued 266,813 common units in May 2007 to TGS to settle a purchase price liability related to our acquisition of bulk terminal operations from TGS in April 2005. As agreed between TGS and us, the units were issued equal to a value of $15.0 million.
2008 Issuances
On February 12, 2008, we completed an offering of 1,080,000 of our common units at a price of $55.65 per unit in a privately negotiated transaction. We received net proceeds of $60.1 million for the issuance of these 1,080,000 common units, and we used the proceeds to reduce the borrowings under our commercial paper program.
On March 3, 2008, we issued, in a public offering, 5,000,000 of our common units at a price of $57.70 per unit, less commissions and underwriting expenses. At the time of the offering, we granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 common units from us on the same terms and conditions, and pursuant to this option, we issued an additional 750,000 common units on March 10, 2008 upon exercise of this option. After commissions and underwriting expenses, we received net proceeds of $324.2 million for the issuance of these 5,750,000 common units, and we used the proceeds to reduce the borrowings under our commercial paper program.
In connection with our August 28, 2008 acquisition of Knight’s 33 1/3% ownership interest in the Express pipeline system and Knight’s full ownership of the Jet Fuel pipeline system, we issued 2,014,693 of our common units to Knight. The units were issued August 28, 2008, and as agreed between Knight and us, were valued at $116.0 million. For more information on this acquisition, see Note 3 “Acquisitions and Joint Ventures—Acquisitions from Knight—Express and Jet Fuel Pipeline Systems.”
In addition, on December 22, 2008, we issued, in a public offering, 3,900,000 of our common units at a price of $46.75 per unit, less commissions and underwriting expenses. After commissions and underwriting expenses, we received net proceeds of $176.6 million for the issuance of these common units, and we used the proceeds to reduce the borrowings under our bank credit facility.
On December 16, 2008, we furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission two Current Reports on Form 8-K and one Current Report on Form 8-K/A (in each case, containing disclosures under item 7.01 of Form 8-K)
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containing certain information with respect to this public offering of our common units. We also filed a prospectus supplement with respect to this common unit offering on December 17, 2008. These Current Reports may have constituted prospectuses not meeting the requirements of the Securities Act due to the legends used in the Current Reports. Accordingly, under certain circumstances, purchasers of the common units from us in the offering might have the right to require us to repurchase the common units they purchased, or if they have sold those common units, to pay damages. Consequently, we could have a potential liability arising out of these possible violations of the Securities Act. The magnitude of any potential liability is presently impossible to quantify, and would depend upon whether it is demonstrated we violated the Securities Act, the number of common units that purchasers in the offering sought to require us to repurchase and the trading price of our common units.
Income Allocation and Declared Distributions
For the purposes of maintaining partner capital accounts, our partnership agreement specifies that items of income and loss shall be allocated among the partners, other than owners of i-units, in accordance with their percentage interests. Normal allocations according to percentage interests are made, however, only after giving effect to any priority income allocations in an amount equal to the incentive distributions that are allocated 100% to our general partner. Incentive distributions are generally defined as all cash distributions paid to our general partner that are in excess of 2% of the aggregate value of cash and i-units being distributed.
Incentive distributions allocated to our general partner are determined by the amount quarterly distributions to unitholders exceed certain specified target levels, according to the provisions of our partnership agreement. For the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, we declared distributions of $4.02, $3.48 and $3.26 per unit, respectively. Under the terms of our partnership agreement, our total distributions to unitholders for 2008, 2007 and 2006 required incentive distributions to our general partner in the amount of $800.8 million, $611.9 million and $528.4 million, respectively. The increased incentive distributions paid for 2008 over 2007, and 2007 over 2006 reflect the increases in amounts distributed per unit as well as the issuance of additional units. Distributions for the fourth quarter of each year are declared and paid during the first quarter of the following year.
Fourth Quarter 2008 Incentive Distribution
On January 21, 2009, we declared a cash distribution of $1.05 per unit for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2008. This distribution was paid on February 13, 2009, to unitholders of record as of January 31, 2009. Our common unitholders and Class B unitholders received cash. KMR, our sole i-unitholder, received a distribution in the form of additional i-units based on the $1.05 distribution per common unit. The number of i-units distributed was 1,917,189. For each outstanding i-unit that KMR held, a fraction of an i-unit (0.024580) was issued. The fraction was determined by dividing:
| |
| ▪ $1.05, the cash amount distributed per common unit
|
by
| |
| ▪ $42.717, the average of KMR’s limited liability shares’ closing market prices from January 13-27, 2009, the ten consecutive trading days preceding the date on which the shares began to trade ex-dividend under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange. |
This February 13, 2009 distribution included an incentive distribution to our general partner in the amount of $216.6 million. Since this distribution was declared after the end of the quarter, no amount is shown in our December 31, 2008 balance sheet as a distribution payable.
Fourth Quarter 2006 Incentive Distribution Waiver
According to the provisions of the Knight Annual Incentive Plan, in order for the executive officers of our general partner and KMR, and for the employees of KMGP Services Company, Inc. and Knight who operate our business to earn a non-equity cash incentive (bonus) for 2006, both we and Knight were required to meet pre-established financial performance targets. The target for us was $3.28 in cash distributions per common unit for 2006. Because we did not meet our 2006 budget target, we had no obligation to fund our 2006 bonus plan; however,
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at its January 17, 2007 board meeting, the board of directors of KMI (now Knight) determined that it was in KMI’s long-term interest to fund a partial payout of our bonuses through a reduction in our general partner’s incentive distribution.
Accordingly, our general partner, with the approval of the compensation committees and boards of KMI and KMR, waived $20.1 million of its 2006 incentive distribution for the fourth quarter of 2006. The waived amount approximated an amount equal to our actual bonus payout for 2006, which was approximately 75% of our budgeted full bonus payout for 2006 of $26.5 million. Including the effect of this waiver, our distributions to unitholders for 2006 resulted in payments of incentive distributions to our general partner in the amount of $508.3 million. The waiver of $20.1 million of incentive payment in the fourth quarter of 2006 reduced our general partner’s equity earnings by $19.9 million.
12. Related Party Transactions
General and Administrative Expenses
KMGP Services Company, Inc., a subsidiary of our general partner, provides employees and Kinder Morgan Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of KMR, provides centralized payroll and employee benefits services to (i) us; (ii) our operating partnerships and subsidiaries; (iii) our general partner; and (iv) KMR (collectively, the “Group”). Employees of KMGP Services Company, Inc. are assigned to work for one or more members of the Group. The direct costs of all compensation, benefits expenses, employer taxes and other employer expenses for these employees are allocated and charged by Kinder Morgan Services LLC to the appropriate members of the Group, and the members of the Group reimburse Kinder Morgan Services LLC for their allocated shares of these direct costs. There is no profit or margin charged by Kinder Morgan Services LLC to the members of the Group. The administrative support necessary to implement these payroll and benefits services is provided by the human resource department of Knight, and the related administrative costs are allocated to members of the Group in accordance with existing expense allocation procedures. The effect of these arrangements is that each member of the Group bears the direct compensation and employee benefits costs of its assigned or partially assigned employees, as the case may be, while also bearing its allocable share of administrative costs. Pursuant to our limited partnership agreement, we provide reimbursement for our share of these administrative costs and such reimbursements will be accounted for as described above. Additionally, we reimburse KMR with respect to costs incurred or allocated to KMR in accordance with our limited partnership agreement, the delegation of control agreement among our general partner, KMR, us and others, and KMR’s limited liability company agreement.
The named executive officers of our general partner and KMR and other employees that provide management or services to both Knight and the Group are employed by Knight. Additionally, other Knight employees assist in the operation of certain of our assets (discussed below in “Operations”). These employees’ expenses are allocated without a profit component between Knight on the one hand, and the appropriate members of the Group, on the other hand.
Additionally, due to certain going-private transaction expenses allocated to us from Knight, we recognized a total of $5.6 million in non-cash compensation expense in 2008. For accounting purposes, Knight is required to allocate to us a portion of these transaction-related amounts and we are required to recognize the amounts as expense on our income statements; however, we were not responsible for paying these buyout expenses, and accordingly, we recognize the unpaid amount as a contribution to “Total Partners’ Capital” on our balance sheet.
Furthermore, in accordance with SFAS No. 123R, Knight Holdco LLC is required to recognize compensation expense in connection with their Class A-1 and Class B units over the expected life of such units. As a subsidiary of Knight Holdco LLC, we are allocated a portion of this compensation expense, although we have no obligation nor do we expect to pay any of these costs.
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Partnership Interests and Distributions
Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc.
Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc. serves as our sole general partner. Pursuant to our partnership agreement, our general partner’s interests represent a 1% ownership interest in us, and a direct 1.0101% ownership interest in each of our five operating partnerships. Collectively, our general partner owns an effective 2% interest in our operating partnerships, excluding incentive distributions rights as follows:
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| ▪ its 1.0101% direct general partner ownership interest (accounted for as a noncontrolling interest in our consolidated financial statements); and |
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| ▪ its 0.9899% ownership interest indirectly owned via its 1% ownership interest in us. |
In addition, as of December 31, 2008, our general partner owned 1,724,000 common units, representing approximately 0.65% of our outstanding limited partner units.
Our partnership agreement requires that we distribute 100% of “Available Cash,” as defined in our partnership agreement, to our partners within 45 days following the end of each calendar quarter in accordance with their respective percentage interests. Available Cash consists generally of all of our cash receipts, including cash received by our operating partnerships and net reductions in reserves, less cash disbursements and net additions to reserves and amounts payable to the former general partner of SFPP, L.P. in respect of its remaining 0.5% interest in SFPP.
Our general partner is granted discretion by our partnership agreement, which discretion has been delegated to KMR, subject to the approval of our general partner in certain cases, to establish, maintain and adjust reserves for future operating expenses, debt service, maintenance capital expenditures, rate refunds and distributions for the next four quarters. These reserves are not restricted by magnitude, but only by type of future cash requirements with which they can be associated. When KMR determines our quarterly distributions, it considers current and expected reserve needs along with current and expected cash flows to identify the appropriate sustainable distribution level.
Our general partner and owners of our common units and Class B units receive distributions in cash, while KMR, the sole owner of our i-units, receives distributions in additional i-units. We do not distribute cash to i-unit owners but instead retain the cash for use in our business. However, the cash equivalent of distributions of i-units is treated as if it had actually been distributed for purposes of determining the distributions to our general partner. Each time we make a distribution, the number of i-units owned by KMR and the percentage of our total units owned by KMR increase automatically under the provisions of our partnership agreement.
Available cash is initially distributed 98% to our limited partners and 2% to our general partner. These distribution percentages are modified to provide for incentive distributions to be paid to our general partner in the event that quarterly distributions to unitholders exceed certain specified targets.
Available cash for each quarter is distributed:
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| ▪ first, 98% to the owners of all classes of units pro rata and 2% to our general partner until the owners of all classes of units have received a total of $0.15125 per unit in cash or equivalent i-units for such quarter; |
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| ▪ second, 85% of any available cash then remaining to the owners of all classes of units pro rata and 15% to our general partner until the owners of all classes of units have received a total of $0.17875 per unit in cash or equivalent i-units for such quarter; |
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| ▪ third, 75% of any available cash then remaining to the owners of all classes of units pro rata and 25% to our general partner until the owners of all classes of units have received a total of $0.23375 per unit in cash or equivalent i-units for such quarter; and |
| |
| ▪ fourth, 50% of any available cash then remaining to the owners of all classes of units pro rata, to owners of common units and Class B units in cash and to owners of i-units in the equivalent number of i-units, and 50% to our general partner. |
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For more information on incentive distributions paid to our general partner, see Note 11 “—Income Allocation and Declared Distributions.”
Knight Inc.
Knight Inc. remains the sole indirect stockholder of our general partner. Also, as of December 31, 2008, Knight directly owned 10,852,788 common units, indirectly owned 5,313,400 Class B units and 5,517,640 common units through its consolidated affiliates, including our general partner, and owned 11,128,826 KMR shares, representing an indirect ownership interest of 11,128,826 i-units. Together, these units represented approximately 12.3% of our outstanding limited partner units. Including both its general and limited partner interests in us, at the 2008 distribution level, Knight received approximately 51% of all quarterly distributions from us, of which approximately 44% was attributable to its general partner interest and the remaining 7% was attributable to its limited partner interest. The actual level of distributions Knight will receive in the future will vary with the level of distributions to our limited partners determined in accordance with our partnership agreement.
Kinder Morgan Management, LLC
As of December 31, 2008, KMR, our general partner’s delegate, remained the sole owner of our 77,997,906 i-units.
Asset Acquisitions and Sales
In March 2008, our subsidiary Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. sold certain pipeline meter equipment to Cortez Pipeline Company, its 50% equity investee, for its current fair value of $5.7 million. The meter equipment is still being employed in conjunction with our CO2 business segment.
From time to time in the ordinary course of business, we buy and sell pipeline and related services from Knight and its subsidiaries. Such transactions are conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations and on an arms’ length basis consistent with our policies governing such transactions. In conjunction with our acquisition of (i) certain Natural Gas Pipelines assets and partnership interests from Knight in December 1999 and December 2000; and (ii) all of the ownership interest in TransColorado Gas Transmission Company LLC from two wholly-owned subsidiaries of Knight on November 1, 2004, Knight agreed to indemnify us and our general partner with respect to approximately $733.5 million of our debt. Knight would be obligated to perform under this indemnity only if we are unable, and/or our assets were insufficient to satisfy our obligations.
Operations
Natural Gas Pipelines and Products Pipelines Business Segments
On February 15, 2008, Knight sold an 80% ownership interest in NGPL PipeCo LLC, which owns Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America LLC and certain affiliates (collectively referred to in this report as NGPL) to Myria Acquisition Inc. for approximately $5.9 billion. Myria is comprised of a syndicate of investors led by Babcock & Brown, an international investment and specialized fund and asset management group. Knight accounts for its remaining 20% ownership interest in NGPL under the equity method of accounting and, pursuant to the provisions of a 15-year operating agreement, continues to operate NGPL’s assets.
Knight (or its subsidiaries) and NGPL operate and maintain for us the assets comprising our Natural Gas Pipelines business segment. NGPL operates Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC’s assets under a long-term contract pursuant to which Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC incurs the costs and expenses related to NGPL’s operating and maintaining the assets. Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC provides the funds for its own capital expenditures. NGPL does not profit from or suffer loss related to its operation of Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC’s assets.
The remaining assets comprising our Natural Gas Pipelines business segment as well as our Cypress Pipeline (and our North System until its sale in October 2007, described in Note 3 “Divestitures—North System Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline System – Discontinued Operations”), which is part of our Products Pipelines business segment, are operated under other agreements between Knight and us. Pursuant to the applicable underlying agreements, we pay
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Knight either a fixed amount or actual costs incurred as reimbursement for the corporate general and administrative expenses incurred in connection with the operation of these assets. The combined amounts paid to Knight and NGPL for corporate general and administrative costs, including amounts related to Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC, were $45.0 million of actual costs incurred for 2008 (and no fixed costs), $1.0 million of fixed costs and $48.1 million of actual costs incurred for 2007, and $1.0 million of fixed costs and $37.9 million of actual costs incurred for 2006.
We believe the amounts paid to Knight and NGPL for the services they provided each year fairly reflect the value of the services performed. However, due to the nature of the allocations, these reimbursements may not exactly match the actual time and overhead spent. We believe the fixed amounts that were agreed upon at the time the contracts were entered into were reasonable estimates of the corporate general and administrative expenses to be incurred by both Knight and NGPL in performing such services. We also reimburse both Knight and NGPL for operating and maintenance costs and capital expenditures incurred with respect to our assets.
In addition, we purchase natural gas transportation and storage services from NGPL. For each of the years 2008, 2007 and 2006, these expenses totaled $8.1 million, $6.8 million and $3.6 million, respectively, and we included these expense amounts within the caption “Gas purchases and other costs of sales” in our accompanying consolidated statements of income.
CO2 Business Segment
Knight or its subsidiaries also operate and maintain for us the power plant we constructed at the SACROC oil field unit, located in the Permian Basin area of West Texas. The power plant provides nearly half of SACROC’s current electricity needs. Kinder Morgan Power Company, a subsidiary of Knight, operates and maintains the power plant under a five-year contract expiring in June 2010. Pursuant to the contract, Knight incurs the costs and expenses related to operating and maintaining the power plant for the production of electrical energy at the SACROC field. Such costs include supervisory personnel and qualified operating and maintenance personnel in sufficient numbers to accomplish the services provided in accordance with good engineering, operating and maintenance practices. Kinder Morgan Production Company fully reimburses Knight’s expenses, including all agreed-upon labor costs.
In addition, Kinder Morgan Production Company is responsible for processing and directly paying invoices for fuels utilized by the plant. Other materials, including but not limited to lubrication oil, hydraulic oils, chemicals, ammonia and any catalyst are purchased by Knight and invoiced monthly as provided by the contract, if not paid directly by Kinder Morgan Production Company. The amounts paid to Knight in 2008, 2007 and 2006 for operating and maintaining the power plant were $3.1 million, $3.1 million and $2.9 million, respectively. Furthermore, we believe the amounts paid to Knight for the services they provide each year fairly reflect the value of the services performed.
Risk Management
Certain of our business activities expose us to risks associated with changes in the market price of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil. We also have exposure to interest rate risk as a result of the issuance of our fixed rate debt obligations. Pursuant to our management’s approved risk management policy, we use derivative contracts to hedge or reduce our exposure to these risks and protect our profit margins.
Our commodity-related risk management activities are monitored by our risk management committee, which is a separately designated standing committee whose job responsibilities involve operations exposed to commodity market risk and other external risks in the ordinary course of business. Our risk management committee is charged with the review and enforcement of our management’s risk management policy. The committee is comprised of 17 executive-level employees of Knight or KMGP Services Company, Inc. whose job responsibilities involve operations exposed to commodity market risk and other external risks in the ordinary course of our businesses. The committee is chaired by our President and is charged with the following three responsibilities: (i) establish and review risk limits consistent with our risk tolerance philosophy; (ii) recommend to the audit committee of our general partner’s delegate any changes, modifications, or amendments to our risk management policy; and (iii) address and resolve any other high-level risk management issues.
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In addition, as discussed in Note 1, as a result of the May 2007 going-private transaction of Knight, a number of individuals and entities became significant investors in Knight. By virtue of the size of their ownership interest in Knight, two of those investors became “related parties” to us (as that term is defined in authoritative accounting literature): (i) American International Group, Inc., referred to in this report as AIG, and certain of its affiliates; and (ii) Goldman Sachs Capital Partners and certain of its affiliates.
We and/or our affiliates enter into transactions with certain AIG affiliates in the ordinary course of their conducting insurance and insurance-related activities, although no individual transaction is, and all such transactions collectively are not, material to our consolidated financial statements. We also conduct commodity risk management activities in the ordinary course of implementing our risk management strategies in which the counterparty to certain of our derivative transactions is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. In conjunction with these activities, we are a party (through one of our subsidiaries engaged in the production of crude oil) to a hedging facility with J. Aron & Company/Goldman Sachs which requires us to provide certain periodic information, but does not require the posting of margin. As a result of changes in the market value of our derivative positions, we have created both amounts receivable from and payable to Goldman Sachs affiliates.
The following table summarizes the fair values of our energy commodity derivative contracts that are (i) associated with commodity price risk management activities with related parties; and (ii) included on our accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 (in millions):
| | | | | | | |
| | December 31, 2008 | | December 31, 2007 | |
| | | | | |
Derivatives-asset/(liability) | | | | | | | |
Other current assets | | $ | 60.4 | | $ | — | |
Deferred charges and other assets | | | 20.1 | | | — | |
Accrued other current liabilities | | | (13.2 | ) | | (239.8 | ) |
Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits | | $ | (24.1 | ) | $ | (386.5 | ) |
For more information on our risk management activities see Note 14.
KM Insurance, Ltd.
KM Insurance, Ltd., referred to as KMIL, is a Bermuda insurance company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Knight. KMIL was formed during the second quarter of 2005 as a Class 2 Bermuda insurance company, the sole business of which is to issue policies for Knight and us to secure the deductible portion of our workers compensation, automobile liability, and general liability policies placed in the commercial insurance market. We accrue for the cost of insurance, which is included in the related party general and administrative expenses and which totaled approximately $7.6 million in 2008, $3.6 million in 2007 and $5.8 million in 2006.
Notes Receivable
Plantation Pipe Line Company
We have a seven-year note receivable bearing interest at the rate of 4.72% per annum from Plantation Pipe Line Company, our 51.17%-owned equity investee. The outstanding note receivable balance was $88.5 million as of December 31, 2008, and $89.7 million as of December 31, 2007. Of these amounts, $3.7 million and $2.4 million were included within “Accounts, notes and interest receivable, net—Related parties,” as of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively, and the remainder was included within “Notes receivable—Related parties” at each reporting date.
Express US Holdings LP
In conjunction with the acquisition of our 33 1/3% equity ownership interest in the Express pipeline system (discussed in Note 3 “Acquisitions and Joint Ventures—Acquisitions from Knight—Express and Jet Fuel Pipeline
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Systems”) from Knight on August 28, 2008, we acquired a long-term investment in a debt security issued by Express US Holdings LP (the obligor), the partnership that maintains ownership of the U.S. portion of the Express pipeline system. As of our acquisition date, the value of this unsecured debenture was equal to Knight’s carrying value of $107.0 million. The note is denominated in Canadian dollars, and the principal amount of the note is $113.6 million Canadian dollars, due in full on January 9, 2023. It bears interest at the rate of 12.0% per annum and provides for quarterly payments of interest in Canadian dollars on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 each year.
As of December 31, 2008, the outstanding note receivable balance, representing the translated amount included in our consolidated financial statements in U.S. dollars, was $93.3 million, and we included this amount within “Notes receivable—Related parties” on our accompanying consolidated balance sheet.
Knight Inc.
As of December 31, 2007, an affiliate of Knight owed to us a long-term note with a principal amount of $0.6 million, and we included this balance within “Notes receivable—Related parties” on our consolidated balance sheet as of that date. The note had no fixed terms of repayment and was denominated in Canadian dollars. In each of the second and third quarters of 2008, we received payments of $0.3 million in principal amount under this note, and as of December 31, 2008, there was no outstanding balance due under this note. The above amounts represent translated amounts in U.S. dollars.
Additionally, prior to our acquisition of Trans Mountain on April 30, 2007, Knight and certain of its affiliates advanced cash to Trans Mountain. The advances were primarily used by Trans Mountain for capital expansion projects. Knight and its affiliates also funded Trans Mountain’s cash book overdrafts (outstanding checks) as of April 30, 2007. Combined, the funding for these items totaled $67.5 million, and we reported this amount within the caption “Changes in components of working capital: Accounts Receivable” in the operating section of our accompanying consolidated statement of cash flows.
Coyote Gas Treating, LLC
Coyote Gas Treating, LLC is a joint venture that was organized in December 1996. It is referred to as Coyote Gulch in this report. The sole asset owned by Coyote Gulch is a 250 million cubic feet per day natural gas treating facility located in La Plata County, Colorado. Prior to the contribution of our ownership interest in Coyote Gulch to Red Cedar Gathering on September 1, 2006 (described below), we were the managing partner and owned a 50% equity interest in Coyote Gulch.
As of January 1, 2006, we had a $17.0 million note receivable from Coyote Gulch. The term of the note was month-to-month. In March 2006, the owners of Coyote Gulch agreed to transfer Coyote Gulch’s notes payable to members’ equity. Accordingly, we contributed the principal amount of $17.0 million related to our note receivable to our equity investment in Coyote Gulch.
On September 1, 2006, we and the Southern Ute Tribe (owners of the remaining 50% interest in Coyote Gulch) agreed to transfer all of the members’ equity in Coyote Gulch to the members’ equity of Red Cedar Gathering Company, a joint venture organized in August 1994. Red Cedar owns and operates natural gas gathering, compression and treating facilities in the Ignacio Blanco Field in La Plata County, Colorado, and is owned 49% by us and 51% by the Southern Ute Tribe.
Accordingly, on September 1, 2006, we and the Southern Ute Tribe contributed the value of our respective 50% ownership interests in Coyote Gulch to Red Cedar, and as a result, Coyote Gulch became a wholly owned subsidiary of Red Cedar. The value of our 50% equity contribution from Coyote Gulch to Red Cedar on September 1, 2006 was $16.7 million, and this amount remains included within “Investments” on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2008 and 2007.
Other
Generally, KMR makes all decisions relating to the management and control of our business. Our general
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partner owns all of KMR’s voting securities and is its sole managing member. Knight, through its wholly owned and controlled subsidiary Kinder Morgan (Delaware), Inc., owns all the common stock of our general partner. Certain conflicts of interest could arise as a result of the relationships among KMR, our general partner, Knight and us. The officers of Knight have fiduciary duties to manage Knight, including selection and management of its investments in its subsidiaries and affiliates, in a manner beneficial to themselves. In general, KMR has a fiduciary duty to manage us in a manner beneficial to our unitholders. The partnership agreements for us and our operating partnerships contain provisions that allow KMR to take into account the interests of parties in addition to us in resolving conflicts of interest, thereby limiting its fiduciary duty to our unitholders, as well as provisions that may restrict the remedies available to our unitholders for actions taken that might, without such limitations, constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.
The partnership agreements provide that in the absence of bad faith by KMR, the resolution of a conflict by KMR will not be a breach of any duties. The duty of the officers of Knight may, therefore, come into conflict with the duties of KMR and its directors and officers to our unitholders. The audit committee of KMR’s board of directors will, at the request of KMR, review (and is one of the means for resolving) conflicts of interest that may arise between Knight or its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and us, on the other hand.
13. Leases and Commitments
Capital Leases
We acquired certain leases classified as capital leases as part of our acquisition of Kinder Morgan River Terminals LLC in October 2004. We lease our Memphis, Tennessee port facility under an agreement accounted for as a capital lease. The lease is for 24 years and expires in 2017.
Amortization of assets recorded under capital leases is included with depreciation expense. The components of property, plant and equipment recorded under capital leases are as follows (in millions):
| | | | | | | |
| | December 31, 2008 | | December 31, 2007 | |
| | | | | |
Leasehold improvements | | $ | 2.2 | | $ | 2.2 | |
Less: Accumulated amortization | | | (0.4 | ) | | (0.3 | ) |
| | | | | | | |
Total | | $ | 1.8 | | $ | 1.9 | |
| | | | | | | |
Future commitments under capital lease obligations as of December 31, 2008 are as follows (in millions):
| | | | | |
Year | | | Commitment | |
| | | | |
2009 | | $ | 0.2 | |
2010 | | | 0.2 | |
2011 | | | 0.2 | |
2012 | | | 0.2 | |
2013 | | | 0.2 | |
Thereafter | | | 0.5 | |
| | | | |
Subtotal | | | 1.5 | |
Less: Amount representing interest | | | (0.5 | ) |
| | | | |
Present value of minimum capital lease payments | | $ | 1.0 | |
| | | | |
Operating Leases
Including probable elections to exercise renewal options, the remaining terms on our operating leases range from one to 61 years. Future commitments related to these leases as of December 31, 2008 are as follows (in millions):
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| | | | | |
Year | | | Commitment | |
| | | | |
2009 | | $ | 31.1 | |
2010 | | | 27.7 | |
2011 | | | 22.1 | |
2012 | | | 17.9 | |
2013 | | | 13.8 | |
Thereafter | | | 34.9 | |
| | | | |
Total minimum payments | | $ | 147.5 | |
| | | | |
We have not reduced our total minimum payments for future minimum sublease rentals aggregating approximately $1.1 million. Total lease and rental expenses were $61.7 million for 2008, $49.2 million for 2007 and $54.2 million for 2006.
Directors’ Unit Appreciation Rights Plan
On April 1, 2003, KMR’s compensation committee established our Directors’ Unit Appreciation Rights Plan. Pursuant to this plan, each of KMR’s non-employee directors was eligible to receive common unit appreciation rights. Upon the exercise of unit appreciation rights, we will pay, within thirty days of the exercise date, the participant an amount of cash equal to the excess, if any, of the aggregate fair market value of the unit appreciation rights exercised as of the exercise date over the aggregate award price of the rights exercised. The fair market value of one unit appreciation right as of the exercise date will be equal to the closing price of one common unit on the New York Stock Exchange on that date. The award price of one unit appreciation right will be equal to the closing price of one common unit on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of grant.
All unit appreciation rights granted vest on the six-month anniversary of the date of grant. If a unit appreciation right is not exercised in the ten year period following the date of grant, the unit appreciation right will expire and not be exercisable after the end of such period. In addition, if a participant ceases to serve on the board for any reason prior to the vesting date of a unit appreciation right, such unit appreciation right will immediately expire on the date of cessation of service and may not be exercised.
During the first board meeting of 2005, the plan was terminated and replaced by the Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. Common Unit Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (discussed following).
No unit appreciation rights were exercised during 2006. During 2007, 7,500 unit appreciation rights were exercised by one director at an aggregate fair value of $53.00 per unit. During 2008, 10,000 unit appreciation rights were exercised by one director at an aggregate fair value of $60.32 per unit. As of December 31, 2008, 35,000 unit appreciation rights had been granted, vested and remained outstanding.
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. Common Unit Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors
On January 18, 2005, KMR’s compensation committee established the Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. Common Unit Compensation Plan. The plan is administered by KMR’s compensation committee and KMR’s board has sole discretion to terminate the plan at any time. The primary purpose of this plan was to promote our interests and the interests of our unitholders by aligning the compensation of the non-employee members of the board of directors of KMR with unitholders’ interests. Further, since KMR’s success is dependent on its operation and management of our business and our resulting performance, the plan is expected to align the compensation of the non-employee members of the board with the interests of KMR’s shareholders.
The plan recognizes that the compensation to be paid to each non-employee director is fixed by the KMR board, generally annually, and that the compensation is payable in cash. Pursuant to the plan, in lieu of receiving cash compensation, each non-employee director may elect to receive common units. Each election is made generally at or around the first board meeting in January of each calendar year and is effective for the entire calendar year. A non-employee director may make a new election each calendar year. The total number of common units authorized under this compensation plan is 100,000.
The elections under this plan for 2006, 2007, and 2008 were made effective January 17, 2006, January 17, 2007
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and January 16, 2008, respectively. The election for 2009 by Messrs. Hultquist and Waughtal were made effective January 21, 2009, and the election for 2009 by Mr. Lawrence was made effective January 28, 2009. Each annual election is evidenced by an agreement, the Common Unit Compensation Agreement, between us and each non-employee director, and this agreement contains the terms and conditions of each award. Pursuant to this agreement, all common units issued under this plan are subject to forfeiture restrictions that expire six months from the date of issuance. Until the forfeiture restrictions lapse, common units issued under the plan may not be sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged, or pledged by a non-employee director. In the event the director’s service as a director of KMR is terminated prior to the lapse of the forfeiture restriction either for cause, or voluntary resignation, each director will, for no consideration, forfeit to us all common units to the extent then subject to the forfeiture restrictions. Common units with respect to which forfeiture restrictions have lapsed cease to be subject to any forfeiture restrictions, and we will provide each director a certificate representing the units as to which the forfeiture restrictions have lapsed. In addition, each non-employee director has the right to receive distributions with respect to the common units awarded to him under the plan, to vote such common units and to enjoy all other unitholder rights, including during the period prior to the lapse of the forfeiture restrictions.
The number of common units to be issued to a non-employee director electing to receive the cash compensation in the form of common units will equal the amount of such cash compensation awarded, divided by the closing price of the common units on the New York Stock Exchange on the day the cash compensation is awarded (such price, the fair market value), rounded down to the nearest 50 common units. The common units will be issuable as specified in the Common Unit Compensation Agreement. A non-employee director electing to receive the cash compensation in the form of common units will receive cash equal to the difference between (i) the cash compensation awarded to such non-employee director and (ii) the number of common units to be issued to such non-employee director multiplied by the fair market value of a common unit. This cash payment is payable in four equal installments generally around March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of the calendar year in which such cash compensation is awarded.
On January 17, 2006, each of KMR’s then three non-employee directors was awarded cash compensation of $160,000 for board service during 2006. Effective January 17, 2006, each non-employee director elected to receive compensation of $87,780 in the form of our common units and was issued 1,750 common units pursuant to the plan and its agreements (based on the $50.16 closing market price of our common units on January 17, 2006, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange). The remaining $72,220 cash compensation was paid to each of the non-employee directors as described above. No other compensation was paid to the non-employee directors during 2006.
On January 17, 2007, each of KMR’s then three non-employee directors was awarded cash compensation of $160,000 for board service during 2007. Effective January 17, 2007, each non-employee director elected to receive certain amounts of compensation in the form of our common units and each were issued common units pursuant to the plan and its agreements (based on the $48.44 closing market price of our common units on January 17, 2007, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange). Mr. Gaylord elected to receive compensation of $95,911.20 in the form of our common units and was issued 1,980 common units; Mr. Waughtal elected to receive compensation of $159,852.00 in the form of our common units and was issued 3,300 common units; and Mr. Hultquist elected to receive compensation of $96,880.00 in the form of our common units and was issued 2,000 common units. All remaining cash compensation ($64,088.80 to Mr. Gaylord; $148.00 to Mr. Waughtal; and $63,120.00 to Mr. Hultquist) was paid to each of the non-employee directors as described above, and no other compensation was paid to the non-employee directors during 2007.
On January 16, 2008, each of KMR’s then three non-employee directors was awarded cash compensation of $160,000 for board service during 2008; however, during a plan audit it was determined that each director was inadvertently paid an additional dividend in 2007. As a result, each director’s cash compensation for service during 2008 was adjusted downward to reflect this error. The correction results in cash compensation awarded for 2008 in the amounts of $158,380.00 for Mr. Hultquist; $158,396.20 for Mr. Gaylord; and $157,327.00 for Mr. Waughtal. Effective January 16, 2008, two of the three non-employee directors elected to receive certain amounts of compensation in the form of our common units and each was issued common units pursuant to the plan and its agreements (based on the $55.81 closing market price of our common units on January 16, 2008, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange). Mr. Gaylord elected to receive compensation of $84,831.20 in the form of our common units and was issued 1,520 common units; and Mr. Waughtal elected to receive compensation of
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$157,272.58 in the form of our common units and was issued 2,818 common units. All remaining cash compensation ($73,565.00 to Mr. Gaylord; $54.42 to Mr. Waughtal; and $158,380.00 to Mr. Hultquist) was paid to each of the non-employee directors as described above, and no other compensation was paid to the non-employee directors during 2008.
On January 21, 2009, each of KMR’s three non-employee directors (with Mr. Lawrence replacing Mr. Gaylord after Mr. Gaylord’s death) was awarded cash compensation of $160,000 for board service during 2009. Effective January 21, 2009, Mr. Hultquist and Mr. Waughtal elected to receive the full amount of their compensation in the form of cash only. Effective January 28, 2009, Mr. Lawrence elected to receive compensation of $159,136.00 in the form of our common units and was issued 3,200 common units. His remaining compensation ($864.00) will be paid in cash as described above. No other compensation will be paid to the non-employee directors during 2009.
14. Risk Management
Certain of our business activities expose us to risks associated with unfavorable changes in the market price of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil. We also have exposure to interest rate risk as a result of the issuance of our debt obligations. Pursuant to our management’s approved risk management policy, we use derivative contracts to hedge or reduce our exposure to certain of these risks, and we account for these hedging transactions according to the provisions of SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” and associated amendments, collectively, SFAS No. 133.
Energy Commodity Price Risk Management
We are exposed to risks associated with unfavorable changes in the market price of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil as a result of the forecasted purchase or sale of these products. Specifically, these risks are associated with unfavorable price volatility related to (i) pre-existing or anticipated physical natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil sales; (ii) natural gas purchases; and (iii) natural gas system use and storage.
Given our portfolio of businesses as of December 31, 2008, our principal use of energy commodity derivative contracts was to mitigate the risk associated with unfavorable market movements in the price of energy commodities. The unfavorable price changes are often caused by shifts in the supply and demand for these commodities, as well as their locations. Our energy commodity derivative contracts act as a hedging (offset) mechanism against the volatility of energy commodity prices by allowing us to transfer this price risk to counterparties who are able and willing to bear it.
Discontinuance of Hedge Accounting
Effective at the beginning of the second quarter of 2008, we determined that the derivative contracts of our Casper and Douglas natural gas processing operations that previously had been designated as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes no longer met the hedge effectiveness assessment as required by SFAS No. 133. Consequently, we discontinued hedge accounting treatment for these relationships (primarily crude oil hedges of heavy natural gas liquids sales) effective as of March 31, 2008. Since the forecasted sales of natural gas liquids volumes (the hedged item) are still expected to occur, all of the accumulated losses through March 31, 2008 on the related derivative contracts remained in accumulated other comprehensive income, and will not be reclassified into earnings until the physical transactions occurs. Any changes in the value of these derivative contracts subsequent to March 31, 2008 will no longer be deferred in other comprehensive income, but rather will impact current period income. As a result, we recognized an increase in income of $5.6 million in 2008 related to the increase in value of derivative contracts outstanding as of December 31, 2008 for which hedge accounting had been discontinued.
Hedging effectiveness and ineffectiveness
Pursuant to SFAS No. 133, our energy commodity derivative contracts are designated as cash flow hedges and for cash flow hedges, the portion of the change in the value of derivative contracts that is effective in offsetting
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undesired changes in expected cash flows (the effective portion) is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (outside current earnings, net income), but only to the extent that they can later offset the undesired changes in expected cash flows during the period in which the hedged cash flows affect earnings. To the contrary, the portion of the change in the value of derivative contracts that is not effective in offsetting undesired changes in expected cash flows (the ineffective portion), as well as any component excluded from the computation of the effectiveness of the derivative contracts, is required to be recognized currently in earnings. Reflecting the portion of changes in the value of derivative contracts that were not effective in offsetting underlying changes in expected cash flows (the ineffective portion of hedges), we recognized a loss of $2.4 million during 2008, a loss of $0.1 million during 2007 and a loss of $1.3 million during 2006, respectively. These recognized losses resulting from hedge ineffectiveness are reported within the captions “Natural gas sales,” “Gas purchases and other costs of sales,” and “Product sales and other” in our accompanying consolidated statements of income, and for each of the years ended 2008, 2007 and 2006, we did not exclude any component of the derivative contracts’ gain or loss from the assessment of hedge effectiveness.
Furthermore, during the years 2008, 2007 and 2006, we reclassified $663.7 million, $433.2 million and $428.1 million, respectively, of “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” into earnings. With the exception of (i) an approximate $0.1 million loss reclassified in the first quarter of 2007; and (ii) a $2.9 million loss resulting from the discontinuance of cash flow hedges related to the sale of our Douglas gathering assets in 2006 (described in Note 3 “Divestitures—Douglas Gas Gathering and Painter Gas Fractionation”), none of the reclassification of “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” into earnings during 2008, 2007 or 2006 resulted from the discontinuance of cash flow hedges due to a determination that the forecasted transactions would no longer occur by the end of the originally specified time period or within an additional two-month period of time thereafter, but rather resulted from the hedged forecasted transactions actually affecting earnings (for example, when the forecasted sales and purchases actually occurred). The proceeds or payments resulting from the settlement of cash flow hedges are reflected in the operating section of our statement of cash flows as changes to net income and working capital.
Our consolidated “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” balance was $287.7 million as of December 31, 2008 and $1,276.6 million as of December 31, 2007. These consolidated totals included “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” amounts associated with the commodity price risk management activities of $63.2 million as of December 31, 2008 and $1,377.2 million as of December 31, 2007. Approximately $20.4 million of the total amount associated with our commodity price risk management activities as of December 31, 2008 is expected to be reclassified into earnings during the next twelve months (when the associated forecasted sales and purchases are also expected to occur).
Fair Value of Energy Commodity Derivative Contracts
Derivative contracts that are entered into for the purpose of mitigating commodity price risk include swaps, futures and options. Additionally, basis swaps may also be used in connection with another derivative contract to reduce hedge ineffectiveness by reducing a basis difference between a hedged exposure and a derivative contract. The fair values of these derivative contracts are included in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets within “Other current assets,” “Deferred charges and other assets,” “Accrued other current liabilities,” and “Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits.”
The following table summarizes the fair values of our energy commodity derivative contracts associated with our commodity price risk management activities and included on our accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 (in millions):
| | | | | | | |
| | December 31, 2008 | | December 31, 2007 | |
| | | | | |
Derivatives-net asset/(liability) | | | | | | | |
Other current assets | | $ | 115.3 | | $ | 37.0 | |
Deferred charges and other assets | | | 48.9 | | | 4.4 | |
Accrued other current liabilities | | | (129.5 | ) | | (593.9 | ) |
Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits | | $ | (92.2 | ) | $ | (836.8 | ) |
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As of December 31, 2008, the maximum length of time over which we have hedged our exposure to the variability in future cash flows associated with energy commodity price risk is through April 2013. Additional information on the fair value measurements of our energy commodity derivative contracts is included below in “—SFAS No. 157.”
Interest Rate Risk Management
In order to maintain a cost effective capital structure, it is our policy to borrow funds using a mix of fixed rate debt and variable rate debt. We use interest rate swap agreements to manage the interest rate risk associated with the fair value of our fixed rate borrowings and to effectively convert a portion of the underlying cash flows related to our long-term fixed rate debt securities into variable rate cash flows in order to achieve our desired mix of fixed and variable rate debt.
Since the fair value of fixed rate debt varies inversely with changes in the market rate of interest, we enter into swap agreements to receive a fixed and pay a variable rate of interest in order to convert the interest expense associated with certain of our senior notes from fixed rates to variable rates, resulting in future cash flows that vary with the market rate of interest. These swaps, therefore, hedge against changes in the fair value of our fixed rate debt that result from market interest rate changes.
As of December 31, 2007, we were a party to interest rate swap agreements with a total notional principal amount of $2.3 billion. On February 12, 2008, following our issuance of $600 million of 5.95% senior notes on that date, we entered into two additional fixed-to-variable interest rate swap agreements having a combined notional principal amount of $500 million. On June 6, 2008, following our issuance of $700 million in principal amount of senior notes in two separate series on that date, we entered into two additional fixed-to-variable interest rate swap agreements having a combined notional principal amount of $700 million. Then, in December 2008, we took advantage of the market conditions by terminating two of our existing fixed-to-variable swap agreements. In separate transactions, we terminated fixed-to-variable interest rate swap agreements having (i) a notional principal amount of $375 million and a maturity date of February 15, 2018; and (ii) a notional principal amount of $325 million and a maturity date of January 15, 2038. We received combined proceeds of $194.3 million from the early termination of these swap agreements.
Therefore, as of December 31, 2008, we had a combined notional principal amount of $2.8 billion of fixed-to-variable interest rate swap agreements effectively converting the interest expense associated with certain series of our senior notes from fixed rates to variable rates based on an interest rate of LIBOR plus a spread. All of our swap agreements have termination dates that correspond to the maturity dates of the related series of senior notes and, as of December 31, 2008, the maximum length of time over which we have hedged a portion of our exposure to the variability in the value of this debt due to interest rate risk is through January 15, 2038.
Hedging effectiveness and ineffectiveness
Our interest rate swap contracts have been designated as fair value hedges and meet the conditions required to assume no ineffectiveness under SFAS No. 133. Therefore, we have accounted for them using the “shortcut” method prescribed by SFAS No. 133 and accordingly, we adjust the carrying value of each swap contract to its fair value each quarter, with an offsetting entry to adjust the carrying value of the debt securities whose fair value is being hedged. We record interest expense equal to the variable rate payments under the swap contracts.
Fair Value of Interest Rate Swap Agreements
The differences between the fair value and the original carrying value associated with our interest rate swap agreements, that is, the derivative contracts’ changes in fair value, are included within “Deferred charges and other
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assets” and “Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits” in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The offsetting entry to adjust the carrying value of the debt securities whose fair value was being hedged is included within “Value of interest rate swaps” on our accompanying consolidated balance sheets, which also includes any unamortized portion of proceeds received from the early termination of interest rate swap agreements.
Our settlement amounts continue to be accounted for in connection with the original anticipated interest payments that the swap was established to offset (since they are still expected to occur as designated), and accordingly, we amortize this deferred gain or loss (as a reduction or increase to periodic interest expense) over the remaining term of the original swap periods. To date, all the swaps we have terminated have resulted in deferred gains. As of December 31, 2008, unamortized premiums received from early swap terminations totaled $204.2 million. In addition to the two swap agreements we terminated in December 2008, discussed above, in March 2007 we terminated an existing fixed-to-variable interest rate swap agreement having a notional principal amount of $100 million and a maturity date of March 15, 2032. We received $15.0 million from the early termination of this swap agreement, and as of December 31, 2007, this unamortized premium totaled $14.2 million.
The following table summarizes the net fair value of our interest rate swap agreements associated with our interest rate risk management activities and included on our accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 (in millions):
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | December 31, 2008 | | December 31, 2007 | |
| | | | | |
Derivatives-net asset/(liability) | | | | | | | |
Deferred charges and other assets | | $ | 747.1 | | $ | 138.0 | |
Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | |
Net fair value of interest rate swaps | | $ | 747.1 | | $ | 138.0 | |
| | | | | |
Additional information on the fair value measurements of our interest rate swap agreements is included below in “—SFAS No. 157.”
Subsequent Event
In January 2009 we terminated an existing fixed-to-variable swap agreement having a notional principal amount of $300 million and a maturity date of March 15, 2031. We received proceeds of $144.4 million from the early termination of this swap agreement.
SFAS No. 157
On September 15, 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements.” In general, fair value measurements and disclosures are made in accordance with the provisions of this Statement and, while not requiring material new fair value measurements, SFAS No. 157 established a single definition of fair value in generally accepted accounting principles and expanded disclosures about fair value measurements. The provisions of this Statement apply to other accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurements; the Financial Accounting Standards Board having previously concluded in those accounting pronouncements that fair value is the relevant measurement attribute.
On February 12, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS 157-2, “Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 157,” referred to as FAS 157-2 in this report. FAS 157-2 delayed the effective date of SFAS No. 157 for all nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities, except those that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually).
Accordingly, we adopted SFAS No. 157 for financial assets and financial liabilities effective January 1, 2008. The adoption did not have a material impact on our balance sheet, statement of income, or statement of cash flows since we already apply its basic concepts in measuring fair values. We adopted SFAS No. 157 for non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities effective January 1, 2009. This includes applying the provisions of SFAS No. 157 to (i) nonfinancial assets and liabilities initially measured at fair value in business combinations; (ii) reporting units or nonfinancial assets and liabilities measured at fair value in conjunction with goodwill impairment testing; (iii) other nonfinancial assets measured at fair value in conjunction with impairment assessments; and (iv) asset
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retirement obligations initially measured at fair value. The adoption did not have a material impact on our balance sheet, statement of income, or statement of cash flows since we already apply its basic concepts in measuring fair values.
On October 10, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS 157-3, “Determining the Fair Value of a Financial Asset When the Market for That Asset Is Not Active,” referred to as FAS 157-3 in this report. FAS 157-3 provides clarification regarding the application of SFAS 157 in inactive markets. The provisions of FAS 157-3 were effective upon issuance. This Staff Position did not have any material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
The degree of judgment utilized in measuring the fair value of financial instruments generally correlates to the level of pricing observability. Pricing observability is affected by a number of factors, including the type of financial instrument, whether the financial instrument is new to the market, and the characteristics specific to the transaction. Financial instruments with readily available active quoted prices or for which fair value can be measured from actively quoted prices generally will have a higher degree of pricing observability and a lesser degree of judgment utilized in measuring fair value. Conversely, financial instruments rarely traded or not quoted will generally have less (or no) pricing observability and a higher degree of judgment utilized in measuring fair value.
SFAS No. 157 established a hierarchal disclosure framework associated with the level of pricing observability utilized in measuring fair value. This framework defined three levels of inputs to the fair value measurement process, and requires that each fair value measurement be assigned to a level corresponding to the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The three broad levels of inputs defined by the SFAS No. 157 hierarchy are as follows:
| |
| ▪ Level 1 Inputs—quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date; |
| |
| ▪ Level 2 Inputs—inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. If the asset or liability has a specified (contractual) term, a Level 2 input must be observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and |
| |
| ▪ Level 3 Inputs—unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. These unobservable inputs reflect the entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (which might include the reporting entity’s own data). |
Derivative contracts can be exchange-traded or over-the-counter, referred to in this report as OTC. Exchange-traded derivative contracts typically fall within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy if they are traded in an active market. We value exchange-traded derivative contracts using quoted market prices for identical securities.
OTC derivative contracts are valued using models utilizing a variety of inputs including contractual terms; commodity, interest rate and foreign currency curves; and measures of volatility. The selection of a particular model and particular inputs to value an OTC derivative contract depends upon the contractual terms of the instrument as well as the availability of pricing information in the market. We use similar models to value similar instruments. For OTC derivative contracts that trade in liquid markets, such as generic forwards and swaps, model inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. Such contracts are typically classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Certain OTC derivative contracts trade in less liquid markets with limited pricing information, and the determination of fair value for these derivative contracts is inherently more difficult. Such contracts are classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The valuations of these less liquid OTC derivative contracts are typically impacted by Level 1 and/or Level 2 inputs that can be observed in the market, as well as unobservable Level 3 inputs. Use of a different valuation model or different valuation input values could produce a significantly different estimate of fair value. However, derivative contracts valued using inputs unobservable in active markets are generally not material to our financial statements.
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When appropriate, valuations are adjusted for various factors including credit considerations. Such adjustments are generally based on available market evidence. In the absence of such evidence, management’s best estimate is used. Our fair value measurements of derivative contracts are adjusted for credit risk in accordance with SFAS No. 157, and as of December 31, 2008, our consolidated “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” balance includes a gain of $2.2 million related to discounting the value of our energy commodity derivative liabilities for the effect of credit risk. We also adjusted the fair value measurements of our interest rate swap agreements for credit risk in accordance with SFAS No. 157, and as of December 31, 2008, our consolidated “Value of interest rate swaps” balance included a decrease (loss) of $10.6 million related to discounting the fair value measurement of our interest rate swap agreements’ asset value for the effect of credit risk.
The following tables summarize the fair value measurements of our (i) energy commodity derivative contracts; and (ii) interest rate swap agreements as of December 31, 2008, based on the three levels established by SFAS No. 157, and does not include cash margin deposits, which are reported as “Restricted deposits” in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets (in millions):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Asset Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2008 Using | |
| | Total | | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|
Energy commodity derivative contracts(a) | | $ | 164.2 | | | $ | 0.1 | | | | $ | 108.9 | | | | $ | 55.2 | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap agreements | | | 747.1 | | | | — | | | | | 747.1 | | | | | — | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Liability Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2008 Using | |
| | Total | | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Liabilities (Level 1) | | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|
Energy commodity derivative contracts(b) | | $ | (221.7 | ) | | $ | — | | | | $ | (210.6 | ) | | | $ | (11.1 | ) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap agreements | | | — | | | | — | | | | | — | | | | | — | | |
| |
(a) | Level 2 consists primarily of OTC West Texas Intermediate hedges and OTC natural gas hedges that are settled on NYMEX. Level 3 consists primarily of West Texas Intermediate options and West Texas Sour hedges. |
| |
(b) | Level 2 consists primarily of OTC West Texas Intermediate hedges. Level 3 consists primarily of natural gas basis swaps, natural gas options and West Texas Intermediate options. |
The table below provides a summary of changes in the fair value of our Level 3 energy commodity derivative contracts for the year ended December 31, 2008 (in millions):
| | | | | | |
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) |
| | Year Ended December 31, 2008 | |
| | | |
Derivatives-net asset/(liability) | | | | |
Beginning of Period | | $ | (100.3 | ) |
Realized and unrealized net losses | | | 69.6 | |
Purchases and settlements | | | 74.8 | |
Transfers in (out) of Level 3 | | | — | |
| | | | | | |
End of Period | | $ | 44.1 | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Change in unrealized net losses relating to contracts still held as of December 31, 2008 | | $ | 88.8 | |
| | | | | | |
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Credit Risks
We have counterparty credit risk as a result of our use of energy commodity derivative contracts. Our counterparties consist primarily of financial institutions, major energy companies and local distribution companies. This concentration of counterparties may impact our overall exposure to credit risk, either positively or negatively in that the counterparties may be similarly affected by changes in economic, regulatory or other conditions.
We maintain credit policies with regard to our counterparties that we believe minimize our overall credit risk. These policies include (i) an evaluation of potential counterparties’ financial condition (including credit ratings); (ii) collateral requirements under certain circumstances; and (iii) the use of standardized agreements which allow for netting of positive and negative exposure associated with a single counterparty. Based on our policies, exposure, credit and other reserves, our management does not anticipate a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows as a result of counterparty performance.
Our over-the-counter swaps and options are entered into with counterparties outside central trading organizations such as a futures, options or stock exchange. These contracts are with a number of parties, all of which have investment grade credit ratings. While we enter into derivative transactions principally with investment grade counterparties and actively monitor their ratings, it is nevertheless possible that from time to time losses will result from counterparty credit risk in the future.
In addition, in conjunction with the purchase of exchange-traded derivative contracts or when the market value of our derivative contracts with specific counterparties exceeds established limits, we are required to provide collateral to our counterparties, which may include posting letters of credit or placing cash in margin accounts. As of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, we had outstanding letters of credit totaling $40.0 million and $298.0 million, respectively, in support of our hedging of commodity price risks associated with the sale of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil. Additionally, as of December 31, 2008, our counterparties associated with our energy commodity contract positions and over-the-counter swap agreements had margin deposits with us totaling $3.1 million, and we reported this amount within “Accrued other liabilities” in our accompanying consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2007, we had cash margin deposits associated with our commodity contract positions and over-the-counter swap partners totaling $67.9 million, and we reported this amount as “Restricted deposits” in our accompanying consolidated balance sheet.
We are also exposed to credit related losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to our interest rate swap agreements. As of December 31, 2008, all of our interest rate swap agreements were with counterparties with investment grade credit ratings, and the $747.1 million total value of our interest rate swap derivative assets at December 31, 2008 (disclosed above) included amounts of $301.8 million and $249.0 million related to open positions with Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, respectively.
Other
Certain of our business activities expose us to foreign currency fluctuations. However, due to the limited size of this exposure, we do not believe the risks associated with changes in foreign currency will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As a result, we do not significantly hedge our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency.
15. Reportable Segments
We divide our operations into five reportable business segments:
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| ▪ Products Pipelines; |
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| ▪ Natural Gas Pipelines; |
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| ▪ CO2; |
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| ▪ Terminals; and |
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| ▪ Kinder Morgan Canada |
Each segment uses the same accounting policies as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies (see Note 2). We evaluate performance principally based on each segments’ earnings before depreciation, depletion and amortization, which excludes general and administrative expenses, third-party debt costs and interest expense, unallocable interest income, and net income attributable to noncontrolling interests. Our reportable segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services. Each segment is managed separately because each segment involves different products and marketing strategies. We identified our Trans Mountain pipeline system as a separate reportable business segment prior to the third quarter of 2008. Following the acquisition of our interests in the Express and Jet Fuel pipeline systems on August 28, 2008, discussed in Note 3, we combined the operations of our Trans Mountain, Express and Jet Fuel pipeline systems to represent the “Kinder Morgan Canada” segment.
Our Products Pipelines segment derives its revenues primarily from the transportation and terminaling of refined petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and natural gas liquids. Our Natural Gas Pipelines segment derives its revenues primarily from the sale, transport, processing, treating, storage and gathering of natural gas. Our CO2 segment derives its revenues primarily from the production and sale of crude oil from fields in the Permian Basin of West Texas and from the transportation and marketing of carbon dioxide used as a flooding medium for recovering crude oil from mature oil fields. Our Terminals segment derives its revenues primarily from the transloading and storing of refined petroleum products and dry and liquid bulk products, including coal, petroleum coke, cement, alumina, salt and other bulk chemicals. Our Kinder Morgan Canada business segment derives its revenues primarily from the transportation of crude oil and refined products.
As discussed in Note 3, due to the October 2007 sale of our North System, an approximately 1,600-mile interstate common carrier pipeline system whose operating results were included as part of our Products Pipelines business segment, we accounted for the North System business as a discontinued operation. Consistent with the management approach of identifying and reporting discrete financial information on operating segments, we have included the North System’s financial results within our Products Pipelines business segment disclosures for all periods presented in this report and, as prescribed by SFAS No. 131, we have reconciled the total of our reportable segment’s financial results to our consolidated financial results by separately identifying, in the following pages where applicable, the North System amounts as discontinued operations.
Financial information by segment follows (in millions):
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| | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Revenues | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenues from external customers | | $ | 815.9 | | $ | 844.4 | | $ | 776.3 | |
Intersegment revenues | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenues from external customers | | | 8,422.0 | | | 6,466.5 | | | 6,577.7 | |
Intersegment revenues | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
CO2 | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenues from external customers | | | 1,133.0 | | | 824.1 | | | 736.5 | |
Intersegment revenues | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Terminals | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenues from external customers | | | 1,172.7 | | | 963.0 | | | 864.1 | |
Intersegment revenues | | | 0.9 | | | 0.7 | | | 0.7 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenues from external customers | | | 196.7 | | | 160.8 | | | 137.8 | |
Intersegment revenues | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment revenues | | | 11,741.2 | | | 9,259.5 | | | 9,093.1 | |
Less: Total intersegment revenues | | | (0.9 | ) | | (0.7 | ) | | (0.7 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | 11,740.3 | | | 9,258.8 | | | 9,092.4 | |
Less: Discontinued operations | | | — | | | (41.1 | ) | | (43.7 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated revenues | | $ | 11,740.3 | | $ | 9,217.7 | | $ | 9,048.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Operating expenses(a) | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 291.0 | | $ | 451.8 | | $ | 308.3 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 7,804.0 | | | 5,882.9 | | | 6,057.8 | |
CO2 | | | 391.8 | | | 304.2 | | | 268.1 | |
Terminals | | | 631.8 | | | 536.4 | | | 461.9 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 67.9 | | | 65.9 | | | 53.3 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment operating expenses | | | 9,186.5 | | | 7,241.2 | | | 7,149.4 | |
Less: Total intersegment operating expenses | | | (0.9 | ) | | (0.7 | ) | | (0.7 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | 9,185.6 | | | 7,240.5 | | | 7,148.7 | |
Less: Discontinued operations | | | — | | | (14.8 | ) | | (22.7 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated operating expenses | | $ | 9,185.6 | | $ | 7,225.7 | | $ | 7,126.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Other expense (income) | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 1.3 | | $ | (154.8 | ) | $ | — | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | (2.7 | ) | | (3.2 | ) | | (15.1 | ) |
CO2 | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Terminals | | | 2.7 | | | (6.3 | ) | | (15.2 | ) |
Kinder Morgan Canada(b) | | | — | | | 377.1 | | | (0.9 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment Other expense (income) | | | 1.3 | | | 212.8 | | | (31.2 | ) |
Less: Discontinued operations | | | 1.3 | | | 152.8 | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated Other expense (income) | | $ | 2.6 | | $ | 365.6 | | $ | (31.2 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Depreciation, depletion and amortization | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 89.4 | | $ | 89.2 | | $ | 82.9 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 68.5 | | | 64.8 | | | 65.4 | |
CO2 | | | 385.8 | | | 282.2 | | | 190.9 | |
Terminals | | | 122.6 | | | 89.3 | | | 74.6 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 36.4 | | | 21.5 | | | 19.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment depreciation, depletion and amortiz. | | | 702.7 | | | 547.0 | | | 432.8 | |
Less: Discontinued operations | | | — | | | (7.0 | ) | | (8.9 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consol. depreciation, depletion and amortiz. | | $ | 702.7 | | $ | 540.0 | | $ | 423.9 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Earnings from equity investments | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 24.4 | | $ | 32.5 | | $ | 16.3 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 113.4 | | | 19.2 | | | 40.5 | |
CO2 | | | 20.7 | | | 19.2 | | | 19.2 | |
Terminals | | | 2.7 | | | 0.6 | | | 0.2 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | (0.4 | ) | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment earnings from equity investments | | | 160.8 | | | 71.5 | | | 76.2 | |
Less: Discontinued operations | | | — | | | (1.8 | ) | | (2.2 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated equity earnings | | $ | 160.8 | | $ | 69.7 | | $ | 74.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Amortization of excess cost of equity investments | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 3.3 | | $ | 3.4 | | $ | 3.4 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 0.4 | | | 0.4 | | | 0.3 | |
CO2 | | | 2.0 | | | 2.0 | | | 2.0 | |
Terminals | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment amortization of excess cost of invests. | | | 5.7 | | | 5.8 | | | 5.7 | |
Less: Discontinued operations | | | — | | | — | | | (0.1 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consol. amortization of excess cost of invests.. | | $ | 5.7 | | $ | 5.8 | | $ | 5.6 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Interest income | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 4.3 | | $ | 4.4 | | $ | 4.5 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 1.2 | | | — | | | 0.1 | |
CO2 | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Terminals | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 3.9 | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment interest income | | | 9.4 | | | 4.4 | | | 4.6 | |
Unallocated interest income | | | 0.6 | | | 1.3 | | | 3.1 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated interest income | | $ | 10.0 | | $ | 5.7 | | $ | 7.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Other, net-income (expense) | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | (2.3 | ) | $ | 5.0 | | $ | 7.6 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 28.0 | | | 0.2 | | | 0.6 | |
CO2 | | | 1.9 | | | — | | | 0.8 | |
Terminals | | | 1.7 | | | 1.0 | | | 2.1 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | (10.1 | ) | | 8.0 | | | 1.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment other, net-income (expense) | | | 19.2 | | | 14.2 | | | 12.1 | |
Less: Discontinued operations | | | — | | | — | | | (0.1 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated other, net-income (expense) | | $ | 19.2 | | $ | 14.2 | | $ | 12.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Income tax benefit (expense) | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | (3.8 | ) | $ | (19.7 | ) | $ | (5.2 | ) |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | (2.7 | ) | | (6.0 | ) | | (1.4 | ) |
CO2 | | | (3.9 | ) | | (2.1 | ) | | (0.2 | ) |
Terminals | | | (19.7 | ) | | (19.2 | ) | | (12.3 | ) |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 19.0 | | | (19.4 | ) | | (9.9 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment income tax benefit (expense) | | | (11.1 | ) | | (66.4 | ) | | (29.0 | ) |
Unallocated income tax benefit (expense) | | | (9.3 | ) | | (4.6 | ) | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated income tax benefit (expense) | | $ | (20.4 | ) | $ | (71.0 | ) | $ | (29.0 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Segment earnings before depreciation, depletion, amortization and amortization of excess cost of equity investments(c) | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 546.2 | | $ | 569.6 | | $ | 491.2 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 760.6 | | | 600.2 | | | 574.8 | |
CO2 | | | 759.9 | | | 537.0 | | | 488.2 | |
Terminals | | | 523.8 | | | 416.0 | | | 408.1 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 141.2 | | | (293.6 | ) | | 76.5 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment earnings before DD&A | | | 2,731.7 | | | 1,829.2 | | | 2,038.8 | |
Total segment depreciation, depletion and amortiz. | | | (702.7 | ) | | (547.0 | ) | | (432.8 | ) |
Total segment amortization of excess cost of invests.. | | | (5.7 | ) | | (5.8 | ) | | (5.7 | ) |
General and administrative expenses | | | (297.9 | ) | | (278.7 | ) | | (238.4 | ) |
Interest and other non-operating expenses(d) | | | (406.9 | ) | | (400.4 | ) | | (342.4 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated net income | | $ | 1,318.5 | | $ | 597.3 | | $ | 1,019.5 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Capital expenditures(e) | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 221.7 | | $ | 259.4 | | $ | 196.0 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 946.5 | | | 264.0 | | | 271.6 | |
CO2 | | | 542.6 | | | 382.5 | | | 283.0 | |
Terminals | | | 454.1 | | | 480.0 | | | 307.7 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 368.1 | | | 305.7 | | | 123.8 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated capital expenditures | | $ | 2,533.0 | | $ | 1,691.6 | | $ | 1,182.1 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Investments at December 31 | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 202.6 | | $ | 202.3 | | $ | 211.1 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 654.0 | | | 427.5 | | | 197.9 | |
CO2 | | | 13.6 | | | 14.2 | | | 16.1 | |
Terminals | | | 18.6 | | | 10.6 | | | 0.5 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 65.5 | | | 0.8 | | | 0.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated investments | | $ | 954.3 | | $ | 655.4 | | $ | 426.3 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Assets at December 31 | | | | | | | | | | |
Products Pipelines | | $ | 4,183.0 | | $ | 4,045.0 | | $ | 3,910.5 | |
Natural Gas Pipelines | | | 5,535.9 | | | 4,347.3 | | | 3,946.6 | |
CO2 | | | 2,339.9 | | | 2,004.5 | | | 1,870.8 | |
Terminals | | | 3,347.6 | | | 3,036.4 | | | 2,397.5 | |
Kinder Morgan Canada | | | 1,583.9 | | | 1,440.8 | | | 1,314.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total segment assets | | | 16,990.3 | | | 14,874.0 | | | 13,439.4 | |
Corporate assets(f) | | | 895.5 | | | 303.8 | | | 102.8 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated assets | | $ | 17,885.8 | | $ | 15,177.8 | | $ | 13,542.2 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
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(a) | Includes natural gas purchases and other costs of sales, operations and maintenance expenses, fuel and power expenses and taxes, other than income taxes. |
| |
(b) | 2007 amount represents an expense of $377.1 million attributable to a goodwill impairment charge recognized by Knight, as discussed in Notes 3 and 8. |
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(c) | Includes revenues, earnings from equity investments, allocable interest income, and other, net, less operating expenses, allocable income taxes, and other expense (income). |
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(d) | Includes unallocated interest income and income tax expense, and interest expense. |
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(e) | Sustaining capital expenditures, including our share of Rockies Express’ sustaining capital expenditures, totaled $180.6 million in 2008, $152.6 million in 2007 and $125.5 million in 2006. These listed amounts do not include sustaining capital expenditures for the Trans Mountain Pipeline (part of Kinder Morgan Canada) for periods prior to our acquisition date of April 30, 2007. Sustaining capital expenditures are defined as capital expenditures which do not increase the capacity of an asset. |
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(f) | Includes cash and cash equivalents; margin and restricted deposits; unallocable interest receivable, prepaid assets and deferred charges; and risk management assets related to the fair value of interest rate swaps. |
We do not attribute interest and debt expense to any of our reportable business segments. For each of the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, we reported (in millions) total consolidated interest expense of $398.2 million, $397.1 million and $345.5 million, respectively.
Our total operating revenues are derived from a wide customer base. For each of the three years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, no revenues from transactions with a single external customer amounted to 10% or more of our total consolidated revenues.
Following is geographic information regarding the revenues and long-lived assets of our business segments (in millions):
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Revenues from external customers | | | | | | | | | | |
United States | | $ | 11,452.0 | | $ | 8,986.3 | | $ | 8,889.9 | |
Canada | | | 267.0 | | | 211.9 | | | 139.3 | |
Mexico and other(a) | | | 21.3 | | | 19.5 | | | 19.5 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consol. revenues from external customers | | $ | 11,740.3 | | $ | 9,217.7 | | $ | 9,048.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Long-lived assets at December 31(b) | | | | | | | | | | |
United States | | $ | 13,563.2 | | $ | 11,054.3 | | $ | 9,917.2 | |
Canada | | | 1,547.6 | | | 1,420.0 | | | 766.4 | |
Mexico and other(a) | | | 87.8 | | | 89.5 | | | 91.4 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total consolidated long-lived assets | | $ | 15,198.6 | | $ | 12,563.8 | | $ | 10,775.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
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(a) | Includes operations in Mexico and the Netherlands. |
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(b) | Long-lived assets exclude (i) goodwill; (ii) other intangibles, net; and (iii) long-term note receivables from related parties. |
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16. Litigation, Environmental and Other Contingencies
Below is a brief description of our ongoing material legal proceedings, including any material developments that occurred in such proceedings during 2008. This note also contains a description of any material legal proceeding initiated during 2008 in which we are involved.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Proceedings
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• | FERC Docket No. OR92-8, et al.—Complainants/Protestants: Chevron, Navajo, ARCO, BP WCP, Western Refining, ExxonMobil, Tosco, and Texaco (Ultramar is an intervenor)—Defendant: SFPP; FERC Docket No. OR92-8-025—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP; ExxonMobil; Chevron; ConocoPhillips; and Ultramar—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaints against East Line and West Line rates and Watson Station Drain-Dry Charge |
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• | FERC Docket No. OR96-2, et al.—Complainants/Protestants: All Shippers except Chevron (which is an intervenor)—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaints against all SFPP rates |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. OR02-4 and OR03-5—Complainant/Protestant: Chevron—Defendant: SFPP; FERC Docket No. OR04-3—Complainants/Protestants: America West Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and Continental Airlines—Defendant: SFPP; FERC Docket Nos. OR03-5, OR05-4 and OR05-5—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips (other shippers intervened)—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaints against all SFPP rates; OR02-4 was dismissed and Chevron appeal pending at U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. OR07-1 & OR07-2—Complainant/Protestant: Tesoro—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaints against North Line and West Line rates; held in abeyance |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. OR07-3 & OR07-6—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips; ExxonMobil, Tesoro, and Valero Marketing—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaints against 2005 and 2006 indexed rate increases; dismissed by FERC; appeal pending at D.C. Circuit |
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• | FERC Docket No. OR07-4—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP, Chevron, and ExxonMobil—Defendants: SFPP, Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc., and Knight Inc.—Subject: Complaints against all SFPP rates; held in abeyance; complaint withdrawn as to SFPP’s affiliates |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. OR07-5 and OR07-7 (consolidated) and IS06-296—Complainants/Protestants: ExxonMobil and Tesoro—Defendants: Calnev, Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc., and Knight Inc —Subject: Complaints and protest against Calnev rates; OR07-5 and IS06-296 were settled in 2008 |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. OR07-8 and OR07-11 (consolidated)—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP and ExxonMobil —Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaints against SFPP 2005 index rates; settled in 2008 |
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• | FERC Docket No. OR07-9—Complainant/Protestant: BP WCP—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaint against ultra low sulfur diesel surcharge; dismissed by FERC; BP WCP appeal dismissed by D.C. Circuit |
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• | FERC Docket No. OR07-14—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP and Chevron—Defendants: SFPP, Calnev, and several affiliates—Subject: Complaint against cash management practices; dismissed by FERC |
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• | FERC Docket No. OR07-16—Complainant/Protestant: Tesoro—Defendant: Calnev—Subject: Complaint against Calnev 2005, 2006 and 2007 indexed rate increases; dismissed by FERC; Tesoro appeal dismissed by D.C. Circuit |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. OR07-18, OR07-19 & OR07-22—Complainants/Protestants: Airline Complainants, BP WCP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Valero Marketing—Defendant: Calnev—Subject: Complaints against Calnev rates; complaint amendments pending before FERC |
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• | FERC Docket No. OR07-20—Complainant/Protestant: BP WCP—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaint against 2007 indexed rate increases; dismissed by FERC; appeal pending at D.C. Circuit |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. OR08-13 & OR08-15—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP and ExxonMobil—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: Complaints against all SFPP rates and 2008 indexed rate increases |
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• | FERC Docket No. IS05-230 (North Line rate case)—Complainants/Protestants: Shippers—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: SFPP filing to increase North Line rates to reflect expansion; initial decision issued; pending at FERC |
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• | FERC Docket No. IS05-327—Complainants/Protestants: Shippers—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: 2005 indexed rate increases; protests dismissed by FERC; appeal dismissed by D.C. Circuit |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. IS06-283, IS06-356, IS08-28 and IS08-302—Complainants/Protestants: Shippers—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: East Line expansion rate increases; settled |
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• | FERC Docket Nos. IS06-356, IS07-229 and IS08-302—Complainants/Protestants: Shippers—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: 2006, 2007 and 2008 indexed rate increases; protests dismissed by FERC; East Line rates resolved by East Line settlement |
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• | FERC Docket No. IS07-137—Complainants/Protestants: Shippers—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: ULSD surcharge |
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• | FERC Docket No. IS07-234—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP and ExxonMobil—Defendant: Calnev—Subject: 2007 indexed rate increases; protests dismissed by FERC |
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• | FERC Docket No. IS08-390—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Valero, Chevron, the Airlines—Defendant: SFPP—Subject: West Line rate increase |
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• | Motions to compel payment of interim damages (various dockets)—Complainants/Protestants: Shippers—Defendants: SFPP, Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc., and Knight Inc.; Motion for resolution on the merits (various dockets)—Complainants/Protestants: BP WCP and ExxonMobil—Defendant: SFPP and Calnev. |
In this note, we refer to SFPP, L.P. as SFPP; Calnev Pipe Line LLC as Calnev; Chevron Products Company as Chevron; Navajo Refining Company, L.P. as Navajo; ARCO Products Company as ARCO; BP West Coast Products, LLC as BP WCP; Texaco Refining and Marketing Inc. as Texaco; Western Refining Company, L.P. as Western Refining; Mobil Oil Corporation as Mobil; ExxonMobil Oil Corporation as ExxonMobil; Tosco Corporation as Tosco; ConocoPhillips Company as ConocoPhillips; Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation/Ultramar Inc. as Ultramar; Valero Energy Corporation as Valero; Valero Marketing and Supply Company as Valero Marketing; America West Airlines, Inc., Continental Airlines, Inc., Northwest Airlines, Inc., Southwest Airlines Co. and US Airways, Inc., collectively, as the Airline Complainants; and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as FERC.
The tariffs and rates charged by SFPP and CALNEV are subject to numerous ongoing proceedings at the FERC, including the above listed shippers’ complaints and protests regarding interstate rates on these pipeline systems. These complaints have been filed over numerous years beginning in 1992 through and including 2008. In general, these complaints allege the rates and tariffs charged by SFPP and CALNEV are not just and reasonable. If the shippers are successful in proving their claims, they are entitled to seek reparations (which may reach up to two years prior to the filing of their complaint) or refunds of any excess rates paid, and SFPP and CALNEV may be required to reduce their rates going forward. These proceedings tend to be protracted, with decisions of the FERC often appealed to the federal courts.
As to SFPP, the issues involved in these proceedings include, among others: (i) whether certain of our Pacific operations’ rates are “grandfathered” under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, and therefore deemed to be just and reasonable; (ii) whether “substantially changed circumstances” have occurred with respect to any grandfathered rates such that those rates could be challenged; (iii) whether indexed rate increases are justified; and (iv) the appropriate level of return and income tax allowance we may include in our rates. The issues involving CALNEV are similar.
In May 2005, the FERC issued a statement of general policy stating it will permit pipelines to include in cost of service a tax allowance to reflect actual or potential tax liability on their public utility income attributable to all partnership or limited liability company interests, if the ultimate owner of the interest has an actual or potential income tax liability on such income. Whether a pipeline’s owners have such actual or potential income tax liability will be reviewed by the FERC on a case-by-case basis; consequently, the level of income tax allowance to which SFPP will ultimately be entitled is not certain. In May of 2007, the D.C. Court upheld the FERC’s tax allowance policy.
In December 2005, SFPP received a FERC order in OR92-8 and OR96-2 that directed it to submit compliance filings and revised tariffs. In accordance with the FERC’s December 2005 order and its February 2006 order on rehearing, SFPP submitted a compliance filing to the FERC in March 2006, and rate reductions were implemented on May 1, 2006. In addition, in December 2005, we recorded accruals of $105.0 million for expenses attributable to an increase in our reserves related to our rate case liability.
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In December 2007, as a follow-up to a March 2006 SFPP compliance filing to FERC, SFPP received a FERC order that directed us to submit revised compliance filings and revised tariffs. In conjunction with FERC’s December 2007 order, our other FERC and CPUC rate cases, and other unrelated litigation matters, we increased our litigation reserves by $140.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. And, in accordance with FERC’s December 2007 order and its February 2008 order on rehearing, SFPP submitted a compliance filing to FERC in February 2008, and further rate reductions were implemented on March 1, 2008.
During 2008, SFPP and CALNEV made combined settlement payments to various shippers totaling approximately $30 million in connection with OR92-8-025, IS6-283 and OR07-5. In October 2008, SFPP entered into a settlement resolving disputes regarding its East Line rates filed in Docket No. IS08-28 and related dockets. In January 2009, the FERC approved the settlement. Upon the finality of FERC’s approval, reduced settlement rates are expected to go into effect on May 1, 2009, and SFPP will make refunds and settlement payments shortly thereafter estimated to total approximately $16.0 million.
Based on our review of these FERC proceedings, we estimate that as of December 31, 2008, shippers are seeking approximately $355 million in reparation and refund payments and approximately $30 to $35 million in additional annual rate reductions. We assume that, with respect to our SFPP litigation reserves, any reparations and accrued interest thereon will be paid no earlier than the second quarter of 2009.
California Public Utilities Commission Proceedings
On April 7, 1997, ARCO, Mobil and Texaco filed a complaint against SFPP with the California Public Utilities Commission, referred to in this note as the CPUC. The complaint challenges rates charged by SFPP for intrastate transportation of refined petroleum products through its pipeline system in the state of California and requests prospective rate adjustments and refunds with respect to previously untariffed charges for certain pipeline transportation and related services.
In October 2002, the CPUC issued a resolution, referred to in this note as the Power Surcharge Resolution, approving a 2001 request by SFPP to raise its California rates to reflect increased power costs. The resolution reserves the right to require refunds, from the date of issuance of the resolution, to the extent the CPUC’s analysis of cost data to be submitted by SFPP demonstrates that SFPP’s California jurisdictional rates are unreasonable in any fashion.
On December 26, 2006, Tesoro filed a complaint challenging the reasonableness of SFPP’s intrastate rates for the three-year period from December 2003 through December 2006 and requesting approximately $8 million in reparations. As a result of previous SFPP rate filings and related protests, the rates that are the subject of the Tesoro complaint are being collected subject to refund.
SFPP also has various, pending ratemaking matters before the CPUC that are unrelated to the above-referenced complaints and the Power Surcharge Resolution. Protests to these rate increase applications have been filed by various shippers. As a consequence of the protests, the related rate increases are being collected subject to refund.
All of the above matters have been consolidated and assigned to a single administrative law judge. At the time of this report, it is unknown when a decision from the CPUC regarding the CPUC complaints and the Power Surcharge Resolution will be received. No schedule has been established for hearing and resolution of the consolidated proceedings other than the 1997 CPUC complaint and the Power Surcharge Resolution. Based on our review of these CPUC proceedings, we estimate that shippers are seeking approximately $100 million in reparation and refund payments and approximately $35 million in annual rate reductions.
On June 6, 2008, as required by CPUC order, SFPP and Calnev Pipe Line Company filed separate general rate case applications, neither of which request a change in existing pipeline rates and both of which assert that existing pipeline rates are reasonable. On September 26, 2008, SFPP filed an amendment to its general rate case application, requesting CPUC approval of a $5 million rate increase for intrastate transportation services to become effective November 1, 2008. Protests to the amended rate increase application have been filed by various shippers and, as a consequence, the related rate increase is being collected subject to refund. The CPUC has issued a ruling suspending further activity with respect to the SFPP and Calnev Pipe Line Company general rate case applications,
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pending CPUC resolution of the 1997 CPUC complaint and Power Surcharge proceedings. Consequently, no action has been taken by the CPUC with respect to either the SFPP amended general rate case filing or the Calnev general rate case filing.
Carbon Dioxide Litigation
Gerald O. Bailey et al. v. Shell Oil Co. et al/Southern District of Texas Lawsuit
Kinder Morgan CO2, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. and Cortez Pipeline Company are among the defendants in a proceeding in the federal courts for the southern district of Texas. Gerald O. Bailey et al. v. Shell Oil Company et al., (Civil Action Nos. 05-1029 and 05-1829 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas—consolidated by Order dated July 18, 2005). The plaintiffs are asserting claims for the underpayment of royalties on carbon dioxide produced from the McElmo Dome Unit. The plaintiffs assert claims for fraud/fraudulent inducement, real estate fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary and agency duties, breach of contract and covenants, violation of the Colorado Unfair Practices Act, civil theft under Colorado law, conspiracy, unjust enrichment, and open account. Plaintiffs Gerald O. Bailey, Harry Ptasynski, and W.L. Gray & Co. have also asserted claims as private relators under the False Claims Act and for violation of federal and Colorado antitrust laws. The plaintiffs seek actual damages, treble damages, punitive damages, a constructive trust and accounting, and declaratory relief. The defendants filed motions for summary judgment on all claims.
Effective March 5, 2007, all defendants and plaintiffs Bridwell Oil Company, the Alicia Bowdle Trust, and the Estate of Margaret Bridwell Bowdle executed a final settlement agreement which provides for the dismissal of these plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice to being refiled. On June 10, 2007, the Houston federal district court entered an order of partial dismissal by which the claims by and against the settling plaintiffs were dismissed with prejudice. The claims asserted by Bailey, Ptasynski, and Gray are not included within the settlement or the order of partial dismissal. Effective April 8, 2008, the Shell and Kinder Morgan defendants and plaintiff Gray entered into an indemnification agreement that provides for the dismissal of Gray’s claims with prejudice.
On April 22, 2008, the federal district court granted defendants’ motions for summary judgment and ruled that plaintiffs Bailey, Ptasynski, and Gray take nothing on their claims. The court entered final judgment in favor of defendants on April 30, 2008. Defendants have filed a motion seeking sanctions against plaintiff Bailey. The plaintiffs have appealed the final judgment to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In October 2008, plaintiffs filed their brief in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Defendants filed their brief in the Fifth Circuit in December 2008.
CO2 Claims Arbitration
Cortez Pipeline Company and Kinder Morgan CO2, successor to Shell CO2 Company, Ltd., were among the named defendants in CO2 Committee, Inc. v. Shell Oil Co., et al., an arbitration initiated on November 28, 2005. The arbitration arose from a dispute over a class action settlement agreement which became final on July 7, 2003 and disposed of five lawsuits formerly pending in the U.S. District Court, District of Colorado. The plaintiffs in such lawsuits primarily included overriding royalty interest owners, royalty interest owners, and small share working interest owners who alleged underpayment of royalties and other payments on carbon dioxide produced from the McElmo Dome Unit.
The settlement imposed certain future obligations on the defendants in the underlying litigation. The plaintiff alleged that, in calculating royalty and other payments, defendants used a transportation expense in excess of what is allowed by the settlement agreement, thereby causing alleged underpayments of approximately $12 million. The plaintiff also alleged that Cortez Pipeline Company should have used certain funds to further reduce its debt, which, in turn, would have allegedly increased the value of royalty and other payments by approximately $0.5 million. On August 7, 2006, the arbitration panel issued its opinion finding that defendants did not breach the settlement agreement. On June 21, 2007, the New Mexico federal district court entered final judgment confirming the August 7, 2006 arbitration decision.
On October 2, 2007, the plaintiff initiated a second arbitration (CO2 Committee, Inc. v. Shell CO2 Company, Ltd., aka Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P., et al.) against Cortez Pipeline Company, Kinder Morgan CO2 and an
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ExxonMobil entity. The second arbitration asserts claims similar to those asserted in the first arbitration. On June 3, 2008, the plaintiff filed a request with the American Arbitration Association seeking administration of the arbitration. In October 2008, the New Mexico federal district court entered an order declaring that the panel in the first arbitration should decide whether the claims in the second arbitration are barred by res judicata. The plaintiff filed a motion for reconsideration of that order, which was denied by the New Mexico federal district court in January 2009. Plaintiff has appealed to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and continues to seek administration of the second arbitration by the American Arbitration Association.
MMS Notice of Noncompliance and Civil Penalty
On December 20, 2006, Kinder Morgan CO2 received a “Notice of Noncompliance and Civil Penalty: Knowing or Willful Submission of False, Inaccurate, or Misleading Information—Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P., Case No. CP07-001” from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, referred to in this note as the MMS. This Notice, and the MMS’s position that Kinder Morgan CO2 has violated certain reporting obligations, relates to a disagreement between the MMS and Kinder Morgan CO2 concerning the approved transportation allowance to be used in valuing McElmo Dome carbon dioxide for purposes of calculating federal royalties.
The Notice of Noncompliance and Civil Penalty assesses a civil penalty of approximately $2.2 million as of December 15, 2006 (based on a penalty of $500.00 per day for each of 17 alleged violations) for Kinder Morgan CO2’s alleged submission of false, inaccurate, or misleading information relating to the transportation allowance, and federal royalties for CO2 produced at McElmo Dome, during the period from June 2005 through October 2006. The MMS stated that civil penalties will continue to accrue at the same rate until the alleged violations are corrected.
The parties have reached a settlement of the Notice of Noncompliance and Civil Penalty. The settlement agreement is subject to final MMS approval and upon approval will be funded from existing reserves and indemnity payments by Shell CO2 General LLC and Shell CO2 LLC pursuant to a royalty claim indemnification agreement.
MMS Order to Report and Pay
On March 20, 2007, Kinder Morgan CO2 received an “Order to Report and Pay” from the MMS. The MMS contends that Kinder Morgan CO2 has over-reported transportation allowances and underpaid royalties in the amount of approximately $4.6 million for the period from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2006 as a result of its use of the Cortez Pipeline tariff as the transportation allowance in calculating federal royalties. The MMS claims that the Cortez Pipeline tariff is not the proper transportation allowance and that Kinder Morgan CO2 must use its “reasonable actual costs” calculated in accordance with certain federal product valuation regulations. The MMS set a due date of April 13, 2007 for Kinder Morgan CO2’s payment of the $4.6 million in claimed additional royalties, with possible late payment charges and civil penalties for failure to pay the assessed amount.
Kinder Morgan CO2 has not paid the $4.6 million, and on April 19, 2007, it submitted a notice of appeal and statement of reasons in response to the Order to Report and Pay, challenging the Order and appealing it to the Director of the MMS in accordance with 30 C.F.R. sec. 290.100, et seq.
In addition to the March 2007 Order to Report and Pay, in April 2007, Kinder Morgan CO2 received an “Audit Issue Letter” sent by the Colorado Department of Revenue on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior. In the letter, the Department of Revenue states that Kinder Morgan CO2 has over-reported transportation allowances and underpaid royalties (due to the use of the Cortez Pipeline tariff as the transportation allowance for purposes of federal royalties) in the amount of $8.5 million for the period from April 2000 through December 2004.
The MMS and Kinder Morgan CO2 have reached a settlement of the March 2007 and August 2007 Orders to Report and Pay. The settlement is subject to final MMS approval and upon approval will be funded from existing reserves and indemnity payments from Shell CO2 General LLC and Shell CO2 LLC pursuant to a royalty claim indemnification agreement.
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J. Casper Heimann, Pecos Slope Royalty Trust and Rio Petro LTD, individually and on behalf of all other private royalty and overriding royalty owners in the Bravo Dome Carbon Dioxide Unit, New Mexico similarly situated v. Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P., No. 04-26-CL (8th Judicial District Court, Union County New Mexico)
This case involves a purported class action against Kinder Morgan CO2 alleging that it has failed to pay the full royalty and overriding royalty (“royalty interests”) on the true and proper settlement value of compressed carbon dioxide produced from the Bravo Dome Unit during the period beginning January 1, 2000. The complaint purports to assert claims for violation of the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act, constructive fraud, breach of contract and of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, breach of the implied covenant to market, and claims for an accounting, unjust enrichment, and injunctive relief. The purported class is comprised of current and former owners, during the period January 2000 to the present, who have private property royalty interests burdening the oil and gas leases held by the defendant, excluding the Commissioner of Public Lands, the United States of America, and those private royalty interests that are not unitized as part of the Bravo Dome Unit.
The case was tried to a jury in the trial court in September 2008. The plaintiffs sought $6.8 million in actual damages as well as punitive damages. The jury returned a verdict finding that Kinder Morgan did not breach the settlement agreement and did not breach the claimed duty to market carbon dioxide. The jury also found that Kinder Morgan breached a duty of good faith and fair dealing and found compensatory damages of $0.3 million and punitive damages of $1.2 million. On October 16, 2008, the trial court entered judgment on the verdict.
On January 6, 2009, the district court entered orders vacating the judgment and granting a new trial in the case. Kinder Morgan filed a petition with the New Mexico Supreme Court, asking that court to authorize an immediate appeal of the new trial orders. No action has yet been taken by the New Mexico Supreme Court on that petition. Subject to potential further review by New Mexico Supreme Court, the district court scheduled a new trial to occur beginning on October 19, 2009.
In addition to the matters listed above, audits and administrative inquiries concerning Kinder Morgan CO2’s payments on carbon dioxide produced from the McElmo Dome and Bravo Dome Units are currently ongoing. These audits and inquiries involve federal agencies and the States of Colorado and New Mexico.
Commercial Litigation Matters
Union Pacific Railroad Company Easements
SFPP, L.P. and Union Pacific Railroad Company (the successor to Southern Pacific Transportation Company and referred to in this note as UPRR) are engaged in a proceeding to determine the extent, if any, to which the rent payable by SFPP for the use of pipeline easements on rights-of-way held by UPRR should be adjusted pursuant to existing contractual arrangements for the ten year period beginning January 1, 2004 (Union Pacific Railroad Company vs. Santa Fe Pacific Pipelines, Inc., SFPP, L.P., Kinder Morgan Operating L.P. “D”, Kinder Morgan G.P., Inc., et al., Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles, filed July 28, 2004). In February 2007, a trial began to determine the amount payable for easements on UPRR rights-of-way. The trial is ongoing and is expected to conclude in the second quarter of 2009.
SFPP and UPRR are also engaged in multiple disputes over the circumstances under which SFPP must pay for a relocation of its pipeline within the UPRR right of way and the safety standards that govern relocations. In July 2006, a trial before a judge regarding the circumstances under which SFPP must pay for relocations concluded, and the judge determined that SFPP must pay for any relocations resulting from any legitimate business purpose of the UPRR. SFPP has appealed this decision, and in December 2008, the appellate court affirmed the decision. In addition, UPRR contends that it has complete discretion to cause the pipeline to be relocated at SFPP’s expense at any time and for any reason, and that SFPP must comply with the more expensive American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way standards. Each party is seeking declaratory relief with respect to its positions regarding relocations.
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It is difficult to quantify the effects of the outcome of these cases on SFPP because SFPP does not know UPRR’s plans for projects or other activities that would cause pipeline relocations. Even if SFPP is successful in advancing its positions, significant relocations for which SFPP must nonetheless bear the expense (i.e. for railroad purposes, with the standards in the federal Pipeline Safety Act applying) would have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations. These effects would be even greater in the event SFPP is unsuccessful in one or more of these litigations.
United States of America, ex rel., Jack J. Grynberg v. K N Energy (Civil Action No. 97-D-1233, filed in the U.S. District Court, District of Colorado).
This multi-district litigation proceeding involves four lawsuits filed in 1997 against numerous Kinder Morgan companies. These suits were filed pursuant to the federal False Claims Act and allege underpayment of royalties due to mismeasurement of natural gas produced from federal and Indian lands. The complaints are part of a larger series of similar complaints filed by Mr. Grynberg against 77 natural gas pipelines (approximately 330 other defendants) in various courts throughout the country which were consolidated and transferred to the District of Wyoming.
In May 2005, a Special Master appointed in this litigation found that because there was a prior public disclosure of the allegations and that Grynberg was not an original source, the Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction. As a result, the Special Master recommended that the Court dismiss all the Kinder Morgan defendants. In October 2006, the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming upheld the dismissal of each case against the Kinder Morgan defendants on jurisdictional grounds. Grynberg has appealed this Order to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Briefing was completed and oral argument was held on September 25, 2008. No decision has yet been issued.
Prior to the dismissal order on jurisdictional grounds, the Kinder Morgan defendants filed Motions to Dismiss and for Sanctions alleging that Grynberg filed his Complaint without evidentiary support and for an improper purpose. On January 8, 2007, after the dismissal order, the Kinder Morgan defendants also filed a Motion for Attorney Fees under the False Claim Act. On April 24, 2007 the Court held a hearing on the Motions to Dismiss and for Sanctions and the Requests for Attorney Fees. A decision is still pending on the Motions to Dismiss and for Sanctions and the Requests for Attorney Fees.
Leukemia Cluster Litigation
Richard Jernee, et al v. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, et al, No. CV03-03482 (Second Judicial District Court, State of Nevada, County of Washoe) (“Jernee”).
Floyd Sands, et al v. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, et al, No. CV03-05326 (Second Judicial District Court, State of Nevada, County of Washoe) (“Sands”).
On May 30, 2003, plaintiffs, individually and on behalf of Adam Jernee, filed a civil action in the Nevada State trial court against us and several Kinder Morgan related entities and individuals and additional unrelated defendants. Plaintiffs in the Jernee matter claim that defendants negligently and intentionally failed to inspect, repair and replace unidentified segments of their pipeline and facilities, allowing “harmful substances and emissions and gases” to damage “the environment and health of human beings.” Plaintiffs claim that “Adam Jernee’s death was caused by leukemia that, in turn, is believed to be due to exposure to industrial chemicals and toxins.” Plaintiffs purport to assert claims for wrongful death, premises liability, negligence, negligence per se, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery, nuisance, fraud, strict liability (ultra hazardous acts), and aiding and abetting, and seek unspecified special, general and punitive damages.
On August 28, 2003, a separate group of plaintiffs, represented by the counsel for the plaintiffs in the Jernee matter, individually and on behalf of Stephanie Suzanne Sands, filed a civil action in the Nevada State trial court against the same defendants and alleging the same claims as in the Jernee case with respect to Stephanie Suzanne Sands. The Jernee case has been consolidated for pretrial purposes with the Sands case. In May 2006, the court granted defendants’ motions to dismiss as to the counts purporting to assert claims for fraud, but denied defendants’ motions to dismiss as to the remaining counts, as well as defendants’ motions to strike portions of the complaint.
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Defendant Kennametal, Inc. has filed a third-party complaint naming the United States and the United States Navy (the “United States”) as additional defendants.
In response, the United States removed the case to the United States District Court for the District of Nevada and filed a motion to dismiss the third-party complaint. Plaintiff has also filed a motion to dismiss the United States and/or to remand the case back to state court. By order dated September 25, 2007, the United States District Court granted the motion to dismiss the United States from the case and remanded the Jernee and Sands cases back to the Second Judicial District Court, State of Nevada, County of Washoe. The cases will now proceed in the State Court. Based on the information available to date, our own preliminary investigation, and the positive results of investigations conducted by State and Federal agencies, we believe that the remaining claims against us in these matters are without merit and intend to defend against them vigorously.
Pipeline Integrity and Releases
From time to time, our pipelines experience leaks and ruptures. These leaks and ruptures may cause explosions, fire, damage to the environment, damage to property and/or personal injury or death. In connection with these incidents, we may be sued for damages caused by an alleged failure to properly mark the locations of our pipelines and/or to properly maintain our pipelines. Depending upon the facts and circumstances of a particular incident, state and federal regulatory authorities may seek civil and/or criminal fines and penalties.
Pasadena Terminal Fire
On September 23, 2008, a fire occurred in the pit 3 manifold area of our Pasadena, Texas terminal facility. One of our employees was injured and subsequently died. In addition, the pit 3 manifold was severely damaged. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation by the Railroad Commission of Texas and the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The remainder of the facility returned to normal operations within 24 hours of the incident.
Walnut Creek, California Pipeline Rupture
On November 9, 2004, excavation equipment operated by Mountain Cascade, Inc., a third-party contractor on a water main installation project hired by East Bay Municipal Utility District, struck and ruptured an underground petroleum pipeline owned and operated by SFPP, L.P. in Walnut Creek, California. An explosion occurred immediately following the rupture that resulted in five fatalities and several injuries to employees or contractors of Mountain Cascade. Following court ordered mediation, we have settled with plaintiffs in all of the wrongful death cases and the personal injury and property damages cases. On January 12, 2009, the Contra Costa Superior Court granted summary judgment in favor of Kinder Morgan G.P. Services Co., Inc. in the last remaining civil suit – a claim for indemnity brought by co-defendant Camp, Dresser & McKee, Inc. The only remaining pending matter is our appeal of a civil fine of $140,000 issued by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
Rockies Express Pipeline LLC Wyoming Construction Incident
On November 11, 2006, a bulldozer operated by an employee of Associated Pipeline Contractors, Inc, (a third-party contractor to Rockies Express Pipeline LLC, referred to in this note as REX), struck an existing subsurface natural gas pipeline owned by Wyoming Interstate Company, a subsidiary of El Paso Pipeline Group. The pipeline was ruptured, resulting in an explosion and fire. The incident occurred in a rural area approximately nine miles southwest of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The incident resulted in one fatality (the operator of the bulldozer) and there were no other reported injuries. The cause of the incident was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, referred to in this report as the PHMSA. In March 2008, PHMSA issued a Notice of Probable Violation, Proposed Civil Penalty and Proposed Compliance Order (“NOPV”) to El Paso Corporation in which it concluded that El Paso failed to comply with federal law and its internal policies and procedures regarding protection of its pipeline, resulting in this incident.
To date, PHMSA has not issued any NOPV’s to REX, and we do not expect that it will do so. Immediately following the incident, REX and El Paso Pipeline Group reached an agreement on a set of additional enhanced safety protocols designed to prevent the reoccurrence of such an incident.
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In September 2007, the family of the deceased bulldozer operator filed a wrongful death action against us, REX and several other parties in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, 189 Judicial District, at case number 2007-57916. The plaintiffs seek unspecified compensatory and exemplary damages plus interest, attorney’s fees and costs of suit. We have asserted contractual claims for complete indemnification for any and all costs arising from this incident, including any costs related to this lawsuit, against third parties and their insurers. On March 25, 2008, we entered into a settlement agreement with one of the plaintiffs, the decedent’s daughter, resolving any and all of her claims against us, REX and its contractors. We were indemnified for the full amount of this settlement by one of REX’s contractors. On October 17, 2008, the remaining plaintiffs filed a Notice of Nonsuit, which dismissed the remaining claims against all defendants without prejudice to the plaintiffs’ ability to re-file their claims at a later date. The remaining plaintiffs re-filed their Complaint against REX, KMP and several other parties on November 7, 2008, Cause No. 2008-66788, currently pending in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, 189 Judicial District. The parties are currently engaged in discovery.
Charlotte, North Carolina
On November 27, 2006, the Plantation Pipeline experienced a release of approximately 4,000 gallons of gasoline from a Plantation Pipe Line Company block valve on a delivery line into a terminal owned by a third party company. The line was repaired and put back into service within a few days. Remediation efforts are continuing under the direction of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (the “NCDENR”), which issued a Notice of Violation and Recommendation of Enforcement against Plantation on January 8, 2007. Plantation continues to cooperate fully with the NCDENR.
Although Plantation does not believe that penalties are warranted, it has engaged in settlement discussions with the EPA regarding a potential civil penalty for the November 2006 release as part of broader settlement negotiations with the EPA regarding this spill and three other historical releases from Plantation, including a February 2003 release near Hull, Georgia. Plantation has entered into a consent decree with the Department of Justice and the EPA for all four releases for approximately $0.7 million, plus some additional work to be performed to prevent future releases. The proposed consent decree was filed in U.S. District Court and is awaiting entry by the court.
In addition, in April 2007, during pipeline maintenance activities near Charlotte, North Carolina, Plantation discovered the presence of historical soil contamination near the pipeline, and reported the presence of impacted soils to the NCDENR. Subsequently, Plantation contacted the owner of the property to request access to the property to investigate the potential contamination. The results of that investigation indicate that there is soil and groundwater contamination which appears to be from an historical turbine fuel release. The groundwater contamination is underneath at least two lots on which there is current construction of single family homes as part of a new residential development. Further investigation and remediation are being conducted under the oversight of the NCDENR. Plantation reached a settlement with the builder of the residential subdivision. Plantation continues to negotiate with the owner of the property to address any potential claims that it may bring.
Barstow, California
The United States Department of Navy has alleged that historic releases of methyl tertiary-butyl ether, referred to in this report as MTBE, from Calnev Pipe Line Company’s Barstow terminal (i) has migrated underneath the Navy’s Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow; (ii) has impacted the Navy’s existing groundwater treatment system for unrelated groundwater contamination not alleged to have been caused by Calnev; and (iii) could affect the MCLB’s water supply system. Although Calnev believes that it has certain meritorious defenses to the Navy’s claims, it is working with the Navy to agree upon an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for CERCLA Removal Action to reimburse the Navy for $0.5 million in past response actions, plus perform other work to ensure protection of the Navy’s existing treatment system and water supply.
Oil Spill Near Westridge Terminal, Burnaby, British Columbia
On July 24, 2007, a third-party contractor installing a sewer line for the City of Burnaby struck a crude oil pipeline segment included within our Trans Mountain pipeline system near its Westridge terminal in Burnaby, BC, resulting in a release of approximately 1,400 barrels of crude oil. The release impacted the surrounding
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neighborhood, several homes and nearby Burrard Inlet. No injuries were reported. To address the release, we initiated a comprehensive emergency response in collaboration with, among others, the City of Burnaby, the BC Ministry of Environment, the National Energy Board, and the National Transportation Safety Board. Cleanup and environmental remediation is near completion. The incident is currently under investigation by Federal and Provincial agencies. We do not expect this matter to have a material adverse impact on our results of operations or cash flows.
On December 20, 2007 we initiated a lawsuit entitled Trans Mountain Pipeline LP, Trans Mountain Pipeline Inc. and Kinder Morgan Canada Inc. v. The City of Burnaby, et al., Supreme Court of British Columbia, Vancouver Registry No. S078716. The suit alleges that the City of Burnaby and its agents are liable in damages including, but not limited to, all costs and expenses incurred by us as a result of the rupture of the pipeline and subsequent release of crude oil. Defendants have denied liability and discovery has begun.
Although no assurance can be given, we believe that we have meritorious defenses to the actions set forth in this note and, to the extent an assessment of the matter is possible, if it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated, we believe that we have established an adequate reserve to cover potential liability.
Additionally, although it is not possible to predict the ultimate outcomes, we also believe, based on our experiences to date, that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As of December 31, 2008, and December 31, 2007, we have recorded a total reserve for legal fees, transportation rate cases and other litigation liabilities in the amount of $234.8 million and $247.9 million, respectively. The reserve is primarily related to various claims from lawsuits arising from our Pacific operations’ pipeline transportation rates, and the contingent amount is based on both the circumstances of probability and reasonability of dollar estimates. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these claims in order to determine the adequacy of our liability provision.
Environmental Matters
Exxon Mobil Corporation v. GATX Corporation, Kinder Morgan Liquids Terminals, LLC. and ST Services, Inc.
On April 23, 2003, Exxon Mobil Corporation filed a complaint in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Gloucester County. The lawsuit relates to environmental remediation obligations at a Paulsboro, New Jersey liquids terminal owned by ExxonMobil from the mid-1950s through November 1989, by GATX Terminals Corp. from 1989 through September 2000, later owned by Support Terminals. The terminal is now owned by Pacific Atlantic Terminals, LLC, (PAT) and it too is a party to the lawsuit
The complaint seeks any and all damages related to remediating all environmental contamination at the terminal, and, according to the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act, treble damages may be available for actual dollars incorrectly spent by the successful party in the lawsuit. The parties are currently involved in mandatory mediation and met in June and October 2008. No progress was made at any of the mediations. The mediation judge will now refer the case back to the litigation court room.
On June 25, 2007, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Administrator of the New Jersey Spill Compensation Fund, referred to collectively as the plaintiffs, filed a complaint against ExxonMobil Corporation and Kinder Morgan Liquids Terminals LLC, f/k/a GATX Terminals Corporation. The complaint was filed in Gloucester County, New Jersey. Both ExxonMobil and we filed third party complaints against Support Terminals seeking to bring Support Terminals into the case. Support Terminals filed motions to dismiss the third party complaints, which were denied. Support Terminals is now joined in the case and it filed an Answer denying all claims.
The plaintiffs seek the costs and damages that the plaintiffs allegedly have incurred or will incur as a result of the discharge of pollutants and hazardous substances at the Paulsboro, New Jersey facility. The costs and damages that the plaintiffs seek include cleanup costs and damages to natural resources. In addition, the plaintiffs seek an order compelling the defendants to perform or fund the assessment and restoration of those natural resource damages that are the result of the defendants’ actions. As in the case brought by ExxonMobil against GATX Terminals, the issue
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is whether the plaintiffs’ claims are within the scope of the indemnity obligations between GATX Terminals (and therefore, Kinder Morgan Liquids Terminals) and Support Terminals. The court may consolidate the two cases.
Mission Valley Terminal Lawsuit
In August 2007, the City of San Diego, on its own behalf and purporting to act on behalf of the People of the state of California, filed a lawsuit against us and several affiliates seeking injunctive relief and unspecified damages allegedly resulting from hydrocarbon and MTBE impacted soils and groundwater beneath the city’s stadium property in San Diego arising from historic operations at the Mission Valley terminal facility. The case was filed in the Superior Court of California, San Diego County, case number 37-2007-00073033-CU-OR-CTL. On September 26, 2007, we removed the case to the United States District Court, Southern District of California, case number 07CV1883WCAB. On October 3, 2007, we filed a Motion to Dismiss all counts of the Complaint. The court denied in part and granted in part the Motion to Dismiss and gave the City leave to amend their complaint. The City submitted its Amended Complaint and we filed an Answer. The parties have commenced with discovery. This site has been, and currently is, under the regulatory oversight and order of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.
In June 2008, we received an Administrative Civil Liability Complaint from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) for violations and penalties associated with permitted surface water discharge from the remediation system operating at the Mission Valley terminal facility. In December 2008, we settled the Administrative Civil Liability Complaint with the RWQCB, paying a civil penalty of $0.2 million.
Other Environmental
We are subject to environmental cleanup and enforcement actions from time to time. In particular, the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) generally imposes joint and several liability for cleanup and enforcement costs on current or predecessor owners and operators of a site, among others, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct. Our operations are also subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment. Although we believe our operations are in substantial compliance with applicable environmental law and regulations, risks of additional costs and liabilities are inherent in pipeline, terminal and carbon dioxide field and oil field operations, and there can be no assurance that we will not incur significant costs and liabilities. Moreover, it is possible that other developments, such as increasingly stringent environmental laws, regulations and enforcement policies there under, and claims for damages to property or persons resulting from our operations, could result in substantial costs and liabilities to us.
We are currently involved in several governmental proceedings involving air, water and waste violations issued by various governmental authorities related to compliance with environmental regulations. As we receive notices of non-compliance, we negotiate and settle these matters. We do not believe that these violations will have a material adverse affect on our business.
We are also currently involved in several governmental proceedings involving groundwater and soil remediation efforts under administrative orders or related state remediation programs issued by various regulatory authorities related to compliance with environmental regulations associated with our assets. We have established a reserve to address the costs associated with the cleanup.
In addition, we are involved with and have been identified as a potentially responsible party in several federal and state superfund sites. Environmental reserves have been established for those sites where our contribution is probable and reasonably estimable. In addition, we are from time to time involved in civil proceedings relating to damages alleged to have occurred as a result of accidental leaks or spills of refined petroleum products, natural gas liquids, natural gas and carbon dioxide. See “—Pipeline Integrity and Releases” above for additional information with respect to ruptures and leaks from our pipelines.
General
Although it is not possible to predict the ultimate outcomes, we believe that the resolution of the environmental matters set forth in this note will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of
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operations or cash flows. However, we are not able to reasonably estimate when the eventual settlements of these claims will occur and changing circumstances could cause these matters to have a material adverse impact. As of December 31, 2008, we have accrued an environmental reserve of$78.9 million, and we believe the establishment of this environmental reserve is adequate such that the resolution of pending environmental matters will not have a material adverse impact on our business, cash flows, financial position or results of operations. As of December 31, 2007, our environmental reserve totaled $92.0 million. Additionally, many factors may change in the future affecting our reserve estimates, such as (i) regulatory changes; (ii) groundwater and land use near our sites; and (iii) changes in cleanup technology.
Other
We are a defendant in various lawsuits arising from the day-to-day operations of our businesses. Although no assurance can be given, we believe, based on our experiences to date, that the ultimate resolution of such items will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
17. Regulatory Matters
The tariffs we charge for transportation on our interstate common carrier pipelines are subject to rate regulation by the FERC, under the Interstate Commerce Act. The Interstate Commerce Act requires, among other things, that interstate petroleum products pipeline rates be just and reasonable and nondiscriminatory. Pursuant to FERC Order No. 561, effective January 1, 1995, interstate petroleum products pipelines are able to change their rates within prescribed ceiling levels that are tied to an inflation index. FERC Order No. 561-A, affirming and clarifying Order No. 561, expanded the circumstances under which interstate petroleum products pipelines may employ cost-of-service ratemaking in lieu of the indexing methodology, effective January 1, 1995. For each of the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, the application of the indexing methodology did not significantly affect tariff rates on our interstate petroleum products pipelines.
Below is a brief description of our ongoing regulatory matters, including any material developments that occurred during 2008. This note also contains a description of any material regulatory matters initiated during 2008 in which we are involved.
FERC Order No. 2004/690/717
Since November 2003, the FERC issued Orders No. 2004, 2004-A, 2004-B, 2004-C, and 2004-D, adopting new Standards of Conduct as applied to natural gas pipelines. The primary change from existing regulation was to make such standards applicable to an interstate natural gas pipeline’s interaction with many more affiliates (referred to as “energy affiliates”). The Standards of Conduct require, among other things, separate staffing of interstate pipelines and their energy affiliates (but support functions and senior management at the central corporate level may be shared) and strict limitations on communications from an interstate pipeline to an energy affiliate.
However, on November 17, 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in Docket No. 04-1183, vacated FERC Orders 2004, 2004-A, 2004-B, 2004-C, and 2004-D as applied to natural gas pipelines, and remanded these same orders back to the FERC.
On October 16, 2008, the FERC issued a Final Rule in Order 717 revising the FERC Standards of Conduct for natural gas and electric transmission providers by eliminating Order No. 2004’s concept of Energy Affiliates and corporate separation in favor of an employee functional approach as used in Order No. 497. A transmission provider is prohibited from disclosing to a marketing function employee non-public information about the transmission system or a transmission customer. The final rule also retains the long-standing no-conduit rule, which prohibits a transmission function provider from disclosing non-public information to marketing function employees by using a third party conduit. Additionally, the final rule requires that a transmission provider provide annual training on the Standards of Conduct to all transmission function employees, marketing function employees, officers, directors, supervisory employees, and any other employees likely to become privy to transmission function information. This rule became effective November 26, 2008.
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Notice of Inquiry – Financial Reporting
On February 15, 2007, the FERC issued a notice of inquiry seeking comment on the need for changes or revisions to the FERC’s reporting requirements contained in the financial forms for gas and oil pipelines and electric utilities. Initial comments were filed by numerous parties on March 27, 2007, and reply comments were filed on April 27, 2007.
On September 20, 2007, the FERC issued for public comment in Docket No. RM07-9 a proposed rule which would revise its financial forms to require that additional information be reported by natural gas companies. The proposed rule would require, among other things, that natural gas companies: (i) submit additional revenue information, including revenue from shipper-supplied gas; (ii) identify the costs associated with affiliate transactions; and (iii) provide additional information on incremental facilities and on discounted and negotiated rates. The FERC proposed an effective date of January 1, 2008, which means that forms reflecting the new requirements for 2008 would be filed in early 2009. Comments on the proposed rule were filed by numerous parties on November 13, 2007.
On March 21, 2008 the FERC issued a Final Rule regarding changes to the Form 2, 2-A and 3Q. The revisions were designed to enhance the forms’ usefulness by updating them to reflect current market and cost information relevant to interstate pipelines and their customers. The rule is effective January 1, 2008 with the filing of the revised Form 3-Q beginning with the first quarter of 2009. The revised Form 2 and 2-A for calendar year 2008 material would be filed by April 30, 2009. On June 20, 2008, the FERC issued an Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Rehearing and Granting Request for Clarification. No substantive changes were made to the March 21, 2008 Final Rule.
Notice of Inquiry – Fuel Retention Practices
On September 20, 2007, the FERC issued a Notice of Inquiry seeking comment on whether it should change its current policy and prescribe a uniform method for all interstate gas pipelines to use in recovering fuel gas and gas lost and unaccounted for. The Notice of Inquiry included numerous questions regarding fuel recovery issues and the effects of fixed fuel percentages as compared with tracking provisions. Comments on the Notice of Inquiry were filed by numerous parties on November 30, 2007. On November 20, 2008, the FERC issued an order terminating the inquiry.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Promotion of a More Efficient Capacity Release Market-Order 712
On November 15, 2007, the FERC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in Docket No. RM 08-1-000 regarding proposed modifications to its Part 284 regulations concerning the release of firm capacity by shippers on interstate natural gas pipelines. The FERC proposes to remove, on a permanent basis, the rate ceiling on capacity release transactions of one year or less. Additionally, the FERC proposes to exempt capacity releases made as part of an asset management arrangement from the prohibition on tying and from the bidding requirements of section 284.8. Initial comments were filed by numerous parties on January 25, 2008.
On June 19, 2008, the FERC issued a final rule in Order 712 regarding changes to the capacity release program. The FERC permitted market based pricing for short-term capacity releases of a year or less. Long-term capacity releases and a pipeline’s sale of its own capacity remain subject to a price cap. The ruling would facilitate asset management arrangements by relaxing the FERC’s prohibitions on tying and on bidding requirements for certain capacity releases. The FERC further clarified that its prohibition on tying does not apply to conditions associated with gas inventory held in storage for releases for firm storage capacity. Finally, the FERC waived the prohibition on tying and bidding requirements for capacity releases made as part of state-approved retail open access programs. The final rule became effective on July 30, 2008.
On November 20, 2008, the FERC issued an order generally denying requests for rehearing and/or clarification that had been filed. The FERC reaffirmed its final rule, Order 712, and denied requests for rehearing stating the removal of the rate ceiling for short-term capacity release transactions is designed to extend to capacity release transactions, the pricing flexibility already available to pipelines through negotiated rates without compromising the
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fundamental protection provided by the availability of recourse rate service. Additionally, the FERC clarified several areas of the rule as it relates to asset management arrangements.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Natural Gas Price Transparency
On April 19, 2007, the FERC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in Docket Nos. RM07-10-000 and AD06-11-000 regarding price transparency provisions of Section 23 of the Natural Gas Act and the Energy Policy Act. In the notice, the FERC proposed to revise its regulations to (i) require that intrastate pipelines post daily the capacities of, and volumes flowing through, their major receipt and delivery points and mainline segments in order to make available the information to track daily flows of natural gas throughout the United States; and (ii) require that buyers and sellers of more than a de minimis volume of natural gas report annual numbers and volumes of relevant transactions to the FERC in order to make possible an estimate of the size of the physical U.S. natural gas market, assess the importance of the use of index pricing in that market, and determine the size of the fixed-price trading market that produces the information. The FERC believes these revisions to its regulations will facilitate price transparency in markets for the sale or transportation of physical natural gas in interstate commerce. Initial comments were filed on July 11, 2007 and reply comments were filed on August 23, 2007. In addition, the FERC conducted an informal workshop in this proceeding on July 24, 2007, to discuss implementation and other technical issues associated with the proposals set forth in the NOPR.
In addition, on December 21, 2007, the FERC issued a new notice of proposed rulemaking in Docket No. RM08-2-000 regarding the daily posting provisions that were contained in Docket Nos. RM07-10-000 and AD06-11-000. The new NOPR proposes to exempt from the daily posting requirements those non-interstate pipelines that (i) flow less than ten million MMBtus of natural gas per year; (ii) fall entirely upstream of a processing plant; and (iii) deliver more than 95% of the natural gas volumes they flow directly to end-users. However, the new NOPR expands the proposal to require that both interstate and non-exempt non-interstate pipelines post daily the capacities of, volumes scheduled at, and actual volumes flowing through, their major receipt and delivery points and mainline segments. Initial comments were filed by numerous parties on March 13, 2008. A Technical Conference was held on April 3, 2008. Numerous reply comments were received on April 14, 2008.
On December 26, 2007, the FERC issued Order No. 704 in this docket implementing only the annual reporting provisions of the NOPR with minimal changes to the original proposal. The order became effective February 4, 2008. The initial report is due May 1, 2009 for calendar year 2008. Subsequent reports are due by May 1 of each year for the previous calendar year. Order 704 will require most, if not all of our natural gas pipelines to report annual volumes of relevant transactions to the FERC. Technical workshops were held on April 22, 2008 and May 19, 2008. The FERC issued Order 704-A on September 18, 2008. This order generally affirmed the rule, while clarifying what information certain natural gas market participants must report in Form 552. The revisions pertain to the reporting of transactions occurring in calendar year 2008. The first report is due May 1, 2009 and each May 1st thereafter for subsequent calendar years. Order 704-A became effective October 27, 2008.
On November 20, 2008, the FERC issued Order 720, which is the final rule in the Docket No. RM08-2-000 proceeding. The final rule established new reporting requirements for interstate and major non-interstate pipelines. A major non-interstate pipeline is defined as a pipeline who delivers annually more than 50 million MMBtu of natural gas measured in average deliveries for the previous three calendar years. Interstate pipelines will be required to post no-notice activity at each receipt and delivery point three days after the day of gas flow. Major non-interstate pipelines will be required to post design capacity, scheduled volumes and available capacity at each receipt or delivery point with a design capacity of 15,000 MMbtus of natural gas per day or greater when gas is scheduled at the point. The final rule became effective January 27, 2009 for interstate pipelines. Non-major interstate pipelines must comply with the requirements of Order 720 within 150 days following the issuance of an order addressing the pending request for rehearing.
FERC Equity Return Allowance
On April 17, 2008, the FERC adopted a new policy under Docket No. PL07-2-000 that will allow master limited partnerships to be included in proxy groups for the purpose of determining rates of return for both interstate natural gas and oil pipelines. Additionally, the policy statement concluded that (i) there should be no cap on the level of distributions included in the FERC’s current discounted cash flow methodology; (ii) the Institutional Brokers
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Estimated System forecasts should remain the basis for the short-term growth forecast used in the discounted cash flow calculation; (iii) there should be an adjustment to the long-term growth rate used to calculate the equity cost of capital for a master limited partnership, specifically the long term growth rate would be set at 50% of the gross domestic product; and (iv) there should be no modification to the current respective two-thirds and one-third weightings of the short-term and long-term growth factors. Additionally, the FERC decided not to explore other methods for determining a pipeline’s equity cost of capital at this time. The policy statement will govern all future gas and oil rate proceedings involving the establishment of a return on equity, as well as those cases that are currently pending before either the FERC or an administrative law judge. On May 19, 2008, an application for rehearing was filed by The American Public Gas Association. On June 13, 2008, the FERC dismissed the request for rehearing.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Rural Onshore Low Stress Hazardous Liquids Pipelines
On September 6, 2006, the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, referred to in this report as the PHMSA, published a notice of proposed rulemaking (PHMSA 71 FR 52504) that proposed to extend certain threat-focused pipeline safety regulations to rural onshore low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines within a prescribed buffer of previously defined U.S. states. Low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines, except those in populated areas or that cross commercially navigable waterways, have not been subject to the safety regulations in PHMSA 49 C.F.R. Part 195.1. According to the PHMSA, unusually sensitive areas are areas requiring extra protection because of the presence of sole-source drinking water resources, endangered species, or other ecological resources that could be adversely affected by accidents or leaks occurring on hazardous liquid pipelines.
The notice proposed to define a category of “regulated rural onshore low-stress lines” (rural lines operating at or below 20% of specified minimum yield strength, with a diameter of eight and five-eighths inches or greater, located in or within a quarter-mile of a U.S. state) and to require operators of these lines to comply with a threat-focused set of requirements in Part 195 that already apply to other hazardous liquid pipelines. The proposed safety requirements addressed the most common threats—corrosion and third party damage—to the integrity of these rural lines. The proposal is intended to provide additional integrity protection, to avoid significant adverse environmental consequences, and to improve public confidence in the safety of unregulated low-stress lines.
Since the new notice is a proposed rulemaking in which the PHMSA will consider initial and reply comments from industry participants, it is not clear what impact the final rule will have on the business of our intrastate and interstate pipeline companies.
Kinder Morgan Liquid Terminals – U.S. Department of Transportation Jurisdiction
With regard to several of our liquids terminals, we are working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, referred to in this report as the DOT, to supplement our compliance program for certain of our tanks and internal piping. We anticipate the program will call for incremental capital spending over the next several years to improve and/or add to our facilities. These improvements will enhance the tanks and piping previously considered outside the jurisdiction of DOT to conduct DOT jurisdictional transfers of products. Our original estimate called for an incremental $3 million to $5 million of annual capital spending over the next six to ten years for this work; however, we continue to assess the amount of capital that will be required and the amount may exceed our original estimate.
Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion Filings
TransColorado Pipeline
On April 19, 2007, the FERC issued an order approving TransColorado Gas Transmission Company LLC’s application for authorization to construct and operate certain facilities comprising its proposed “Blanco-Meeker Expansion Project.” This project provides for the transportation of up to approximately 250 million cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Blanco Hub area in San Juan County, New Mexico through TransColorado’s existing interstate pipeline for delivery to the Rockies Express Pipeline at an existing point of interconnection located in the Meeker Hub in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. Construction commenced on May 9, 2007, and the project was completed and entered service January 1, 2008.
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Rockies Express Pipeline-Currently Certificated Facilities
We own a 51% ownership interest in West2East Pipeline LLC, a limited liability company that is the sole owner of Rockies Express Pipeline LLC, and operate the Rockies Express Pipeline. ConocoPhillips owns a 24% ownership interest in West2East Pipeline LLC and Sempra Energy holds the remaining 25% interest. When construction of the entire Rockies Express Pipeline project is completed, our ownership interest will be reduced to 50% at which time the capital accounts of West2East Pipeline LLC will be trued up to reflect our 50% economics in the project. According to the provisions of current accounting standards, because we will receive 50% of the economics of the Rockies Express project on an ongoing basis, we are not considered the primary beneficiary of West2East Pipeline LLC and thus, we account for our investment under the equity method of accounting.
On August 9, 2005, the FERC approved the application of Rockies Express Pipeline LLC, formerly known as Entrega Gas Pipeline LLC, to construct 327 miles of pipeline facilities in two phases. For phase I (consisting of two pipeline segments), Rockies Express was granted authorization to construct and operate approximately 136 miles of pipeline extending northward from the Meeker Hub, located at the northern end of our TransColorado pipeline system in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, to the Wamsutter Hub in Sweetwater County, Wyoming (segment 1), and then construct approximately 191 miles of pipeline eastward to the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, Colorado (segment 2). Construction of segments 1 and 2 has been completed, with interim service commencing on segment 1 on February 24, 2006, and full in-service of both segments on February 14, 2007. For phase II, Rockies Express was authorized to construct three compressor stations referred to as the Meeker, Big Hole and Wamsutter compressor stations. The Meeker and Wamsutter stations went into service in January 2008. Construction of the Big Hole compressor station commenced in the second quarter of 2008, and the expected in-service date for this compressor station is the second quarter of 2009.
Rockies Express Pipeline-West Project
On April 19, 2007, the FERC issued a final order approving the Rockies Express application for authorization to construct and operate certain facilities comprising its proposed “Rockies Express-West Project.” This project is the first planned segment extension of the Rockies Express’ facilities described above, and is comprised of approximately 713 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline extending from the Cheyenne Hub to an interconnection with Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line located in Audrain County, Missouri. The project also includes certain improvements to existing Rockies Express facilities located to the west of the Cheyenne Hub. Construction on Rockies Express-West commenced on May 21, 2007, and interim service for up to 1.4 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas on the segment’s first 503 miles of pipe began on January 12, 2008. The project commenced deliveries to Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line at Audrain County, Missouri on the remaining 210 miles of pipe on May 20, 2008. The Rockies Express-West pipeline segment transports approximately 1.5 million cubic feet per day of natural gas across five states: Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.
Rockies Express replaced certain pipe to reflect a higher class location and conducted further hydrostatic testing of portions of its system during September 2008 to satisfy U.S. Department of Transportation testing requirements to operate at its targeted higher operating pressure. This pipe replacement and hydrostatic testing, conducted from September 3, 2008 through September 26, 2008, resulted in the temporary outage of pipeline delivery points and an overall reduction of firm capacity available to firm shippers. By the terms of the Rockies Express FERC Gas Tariff, firm shippers are entitled to daily reservation revenue credits for non-force majeure and planned maintenance outages. The estimated impact of these revenue credits is included in our 2008 results of operations.
Rockies Express Meeker to Cheyenne Expansion Project
Pursuant to certain rights exercised by Encana Gas Marketing USA as a result of its foundation shipper status on the former Entrega Gas Pipeline LLC facilities, Rockies Express is requesting authorization to construct and operate certain facilities that will comprise its Meeker, Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming expansion project. The proposed expansion will consist of additional natural gas compression at its Big Hole compressor station located in Moffat County, Colorado and its Arlington compressor station located in Carbon County, Wyoming. Upon completion, the additional compression will permit the transportation of an additional 200 million cubic feet per day of natural gas from (i) the Meeker Hub located in Rio Blanco County, Colorado northward to the Wamsutter Hub located in Sweetwater County, Wyoming; and (ii) the Wamsutter Hub eastward to the Cheyenne Hub located in Weld County,
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Colorado. The expansion is fully contracted and is expected to be operational in April 2010. The total estimated cost for the proposed project is approximately $78 million. Rockies Express submitted a FERC application seeking approval to construct and operate this expansion on February 3, 2009.
Rockies Express Pipeline-East Project
On April 30, 2007, Rockies Express filed an application with the FERC requesting a certificate of public convenience and necessity that would authorize construction and operation of the Rockies Express-East Project. The Rockies Express-East Project will be comprised of approximately 639 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline commencing from the terminus of the Rockies Express-West pipeline to a terminus near the town of Clarington in Monroe County, Ohio and will be capable of transporting approximately 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.
By order issued May 30, 2008, the FERC authorized the certificate to construct the Rockies Express Pipeline-East Project. Construction commenced on the Rockies Express-East pipeline segment on June 26, 2008. Delays in securing permits and regulatory approvals, as well as weather-related delays, have caused Rockies Express to set revised project completion dates. Rockies Express-East is currently projected to commence service on April 1, 2009 to interconnects upstream of Lebanon, followed by service to the Lebanon Hub in Warren County, Ohio beginning June 15, 2009, with final completion and deliveries to Clarington, Ohio commencing by November 1, 2009.
On October 31, 2008, Rockies Express filed an amendment to its certificate application, seeking authorization to revise its tariff-based recourse rates for transportation service on the REX East Project facilities to reflect updated construction costs for the project. The proposed amendment is pending FERC approval.
Current market conditions for consumables, labor and construction equipment along with certain provisions in the final regulatory orders have resulted in increased costs for the project and have impacted certain projected completion dates. Our current estimate of total completed cost on the Rockies Express Pipeline is now approximately $6.2 billion (consistent with our January 21, 2009 fourth quarter earnings press release).
Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission Pipeline
On August 6, 2007, Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission Pipeline, referred to in this report as KMIGT, filed, in FERC Docket CP07-430, for regulatory approval to construct and operate a 41-mile natural gas pipeline, referred to in this report as the Colorado Lateral, from the Cheyenne Hub to markets in and around Greeley, Colorado. When completed, the Colorado Lateral will provide firm transportation of up to 55 million cubic feet per day to a local utility under long-term contract. The FERC issued a draft environmental assessment on the project on January 11, 2008, and comments on the project were received February 11, 2008. On February 21, 2008, the FERC granted the certificate application. On July 8, 2008, in response to a rehearing request by Public Service Company of Colorado, referred to in this report as PSCo, the FERC granted rehearing and denied KMIGT recovery in initial transportation rates $6.2 million in costs associated with non-jurisdictional laterals constructed by KMIGT to serve Atmos. The recourse rate adjustment does not have any material effect on the negotiated rate paid by Atmos to KMIGT or the economics of the project. On July 25, 2008, KMIGT filed an amendment to its certificate application, seeking authorization to revise its initial rates for transportation service on the Colorado Lateral to reflect updated construction costs for jurisdictional mainline facilities. The FERC approved the revised initial recourse rates on August 22, 2008.
PSCo, a competitor serving markets off the Colorado Lateral, also filed a complaint before the State of Colorado Public Utilities Commission (“CoPUC”) against Atmos, the anchor shipper on the project. The CoPUC conducted a hearing on April 14, 2008 on the complaint. On June 9, 2008, PSCo also filed before the CoPUC seeking a temporary cease and desist order to halt construction of the lateral facilities being constructed by KMIGT to serve Atmos. Atmos filed a response to that motion on June 24, 2008. By order dated June 27, 2008 an administrative law judge for the CoPUC denied PSCo’s request for a cease and desist order. On September 4, 2008, an administrative law judge for the CoPUC issued an order wherein it denied PSCo’s claim to exclusivity to serve Atmos and the Greeley market area but affirmed PSCo’s claim that Atmos’ acquisition of the delivery laterals is not in the ordinary course of business and requires separate approvals. Accordingly, Atmos may require a certificate of public convenience and necessity related to the delivery lateral facilities from KMIGT. While the need for
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approvals by Atmos before the CoPUC remains pending, service on the subject facilities commenced in November, 2008.
On December 21, 2007, KMIGT filed, in Docket CP 08-44, for approval to expand its system in Nebraska to serve incremental ethanol and industrial load. No protests to the application were filed and the project was approved by the FERC. Construction commenced on April 9, 2008. These facilities went into service in October 2008.
Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline
On September 8, 2006, in FERC Docket No. CP06-449-000, we filed an application with the FERC requesting approval to construct and operate our Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline. The natural gas pipeline will extend approximately 135 miles from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, to various delivery points in Louisiana and will provide interconnects with many other natural gas pipelines, including Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America LLC. The project is supported by fully subscribed capacity and long-term customer commitments with Chevron and Total. The entire estimated project cost is now expected to be approximately $950 million (consistent with our January 21, 2009 fourth quarter earnings press release), and it is expected to be fully operational during the third quarter of 2009.
On March 15, 2007, the FERC issued a preliminary determination that the authorizations requested, subject to some minor modifications, will be in the public interest. This order does not consider or evaluate any of the environmental issues in this proceeding. On April 19, 2007, the FERC issued the final environmental impact statement, or EIS, which addressed the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline. The final EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. It concluded that approval of the Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline project would have limited adverse environmental impacts. On June 22, 2007, the FERC issued an order granting construction and operation of the project. Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline officially accepted the order on July 10, 2007.
On July 11, 2008, Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline filed an amendment to its certificate application, seeking authorization to revise its initial rates for transportation service on the Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline system to reflect updated construction costs for the project. The amendment was accepted by the FERC on August 14, 2008. On December 30, 2008, KMLP filed a second amendment to its certificate application, seeking authorization to revise its initial rates for transportation service on the KMLP system to reflect an additional increase in projected construction costs for the project. The filing is still pending.
Midcontinent Express Pipeline
On October 9, 2007, in Docket No. CP08-6-000, Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC filed an application with the FERC requesting a certificate of public convenience and necessity that would authorize construction and operation of the approximately 500-mile Midcontinent Express Pipeline natural gas transmission system.
The Midcontinent Express Pipeline will create long-haul, firm transportation takeaway capacity either directly or indirectly connected to natural gas producing regions located in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The pipeline will originate in southeastern Oklahoma and traverse east through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and terminate at an interconnection with the Transco Pipeline near Butler, Alabama. The Midcontinent Express Pipeline is a 50/50 joint venture between us and Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., and it has a total capital cost of approximately $2.2 billion, including the expansion capacity.
On July 25, 2008, the FERC approved the application made by Midcontinent Express Pipeline to construct and operate the 500-mile Midcontinent Express Pipeline natural gas transmission system along with the lease of 272 million cubic feet of capacity on the Oklahoma intrastate system of Enogex Inc. Initial design capacity for the pipeline was 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, which was fully subscribed with long-term binding commitments from creditworthy shippers. A successful binding open season was completed in July 2008 which will increase the main segment of the pipeline’s capacity to 1.8 billion cubic feet per day, subject to regulatory approval.
Midcontinent Express Pipeline accepted the FERC Certificate on July 30, 2008. Mobilization for construction of the pipeline began in the third quarter, and subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals, interim service on the first
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portion of the pipeline is expected to be available by the second quarter of 2009 with full in service in the third quarter of 2009. On January 9, 2009, Midcontinent Express filed an amendment to its original certificate application requesting authorization to revise its initial rates for transportation service on the pipeline system to reflect an increase in projected construction costs for the project. The filing is still pending.
On January 30, 2009, MEP filed a certificate application in Docket No. CP09-56-000 requesting authorization to increase the capacity in Zone 1 from 1.5 Bcf to 1.8 Bcf/d. The Application is still pending.
Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline LLC
On May 30, 2008, Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline LLC filed in Docket No. PR08-25-000 a petition seeking market-based rate authority for firm and interruptible storage services performed under section 311 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (NGPA) at the North Dayton Gas Storage Facility in Liberty County, Texas, and at the Markham Gas Storage Facility in Matagorda County, Texas. On October 3, 2008, FERC approved this petition effective May 30, 2008.
18. Recent Accounting Pronouncements
EITF 04-5
In June 2005, the Emerging Issues Task Force reached a consensus on Issue No. 04-5, or EITF 04-5, “Determining Whether a General Partner, or the General Partners as a Group, Controls a Limited Partnership or Similar Entity When the Limited Partners Have Certain Rights.” EITF 04-5 provides guidance for purposes of assessing whether certain limited partners rights might preclude a general partner from controlling a limited partnership.
For general partners of all new limited partnerships formed, and for existing limited partnerships for which the partnership agreements are modified, the guidance in EITF 04-5 is effective after June 29, 2005. For general partners in all other limited partnerships, the guidance is effective no later than the beginning of the first reporting period in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2005 (January 1, 2006 for us). The adoption of EITF 04-5 did not have an effect on our consolidated financial statements.
Nonetheless, as a result of EITF 04-5, as of January 1, 2006, our financial statements are consolidated into the consolidated financial statements of Knight. Notwithstanding the consolidation of our financial statements into the consolidated financial statements of Knight pursuant to EITF 04-5, Knight is not liable for, and its assets are not available to satisfy, the obligations of us and/or our subsidiaries and vice versa. Responsibility for payments of obligations reflected in our or Knight’s financial statements is a legal determination based on the entity that incurs the liability. The determination of responsibility for payment among entities in our consolidated group of subsidiaries was not impacted by the adoption of EITF 04-5.
FIN 48
In July 2006, the FASB issued Interpretation (FIN) No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109,” which became effective January 1, 2007. FIN 48 addressed the determination of how tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. Under FIN 48, we must recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based not only on the technical merits of the tax position based on tax law, but also the past administrative practices and precedents of the taxing authority. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. Our adoption of FIN No. 48 on January 1, 2007 did not result in a cumulative effect adjustment to “Partners’ Capital” on our consolidated balance sheet. For more information related to FIN 48, see Note 5.
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SFAS No. 157
For information on SFAS No. 157, see Note 14 “—SFAS No. 157.”
SFAS No. 159
On February 15, 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” This Statement provides companies with an option to report selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value. The Statement’s objective is to reduce both complexity in accounting for financial instruments and the volatility in earnings caused by measuring related assets and liabilities differently. The Statement also establishes presentation and disclosure requirements designed to facilitate comparisons between companies that choose different measurement attributes for similar types of assets and liabilities.
SFAS No. 159 requires companies to provide additional information that will help investors and other users of financial statements to more easily understand the effect of the company’s choice to use fair value on its earnings. It also requires entities to display the fair value of those assets and liabilities for which the company has chosen to use fair value on the face of the balance sheet. The Statement does not eliminate disclosure requirements included in other accounting standards, including requirements for disclosures about fair value measurements included in SFAS No. 157 (disclosed in Note 14 “—SFAS No. 157”) and in SFAS No. 107 “Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments” (disclosed in Note 9 “—Fair Value of Financial Instruments”).
This Statement was adopted by us effective January 1, 2008, at which time no financial assets or liabilities, not previously required to be recorded at fair value by other authoritative literature, were designated to be recorded at fair value. As such, the adoption of this Statement did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.
SFAS 141(R)
On December 4, 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141R (revised 2007), “Business Combinations.” Although this statement amends and replaces SFAS No. 141, it retains the fundamental requirements in SFAS No. 141 that (i) the purchase method of accounting be used for all business combinations; and (ii) an acquirer be identified for each business combination. SFAS No. 141R defines the acquirer as the entity that obtains control of one or more businesses in the business combination and establishes the acquisition date as the date that the acquirer achieves control. This Statement applies to all transactions or other events in which an entity (the acquirer) obtains control of one or more businesses (the acquiree), including combinations achieved without the transfer of consideration; however, this Statement does not apply to a combination between entities or businesses under common control.
Significant provisions of SFAS No. 141R concern principles and requirements for how an acquirer (i) recognizes and measures in its financial statements the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree; (ii) recognizes and measures the goodwill acquired in the business combination or a gain from a bargain purchase; and (iii) determines what information to disclose to enable users of the financial statements to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the business combination.
This Statement applies prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for us). The adoption of this Statement did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
SFAS No. 160
On December 4, 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements – an amendment of ARB No. 51.” This Statement changes the accounting and reporting for noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements. A noncontrolling interest, sometimes referred to as a minority interest, is the portion of equity in a subsidiary not attributable, directly or indirectly, to a parent. Specifically, SFAS No. 160 establishes accounting and reporting standards that require (i) the ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the parent to be clearly identified, labeled, and presented in the consolidated balance sheet within equity, but separate from the parent’s equity; (ii) the equity amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the noncontrolling interest to be clearly identified and presented on the face of the
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consolidated income statement; and (iii) changes in a parent’s ownership interest while the parent retains its controlling financial interest in its subsidiary to be accounted for consistently and similarly—as equity transactions.
Accordingly, our consolidated net income and comprehensive income are now determined without deducting amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests, however, our earnings-per-unit information continues to be calculated on the basis of the net income attributable to our limited partners. This Statement is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after December 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for us). SFAS No. 160 is to be applied prospectively as of the beginning of the fiscal year in which it is initially applied; however, its presentation and disclosure requirements have been applied retrospectively for all periods presented in this report. The adoption of this Statement did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
SFAS No. 161
On March 19, 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.” This Statement amends SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” and is intended to help investors better understand how derivative instruments and hedging activities affect an entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows through enhanced disclosure requirements. The enhanced disclosures include, among other things, (i) a tabular summary of the fair value of derivative instruments and their gains and losses; (ii) disclosure of derivative features that are credit-risk–related to provide more information regarding an entity’s liquidity; and (iii) cross-referencing within footnotes to make it easier for financial statement users to locate important information about derivative instruments.
This Statement is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for us). This Statement expands and enhances disclosure requirements only, and as such, the adoption of this Statement did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.
EITF 07-4
In March 2008, the Emerging Issues Task Force reached a consensus on Issue No. 07-4, or EITF 07-4, “Application of the Two-Class Method under FASB Statement No. 128, Earnings per Share, to Master Limited Partnerships.” EITF 07-4 provides guidance for how current period earnings should be allocated between limited partners and a general partner when the partnership agreement contains incentive distribution rights.
This Issue is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for us), and interim periods within those fiscal years. The guidance in this Issue is to be applied retrospectively for all financial statements presented; however, the adoption of this Issue did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.
FASB Staff Position No. FAS 142-3
On April 25, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS 142-3 “Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets.” This Staff Position amends the factors that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets”. This Staff Position is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for us), and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this Staff Position did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
SFAS No. 162
On May 9, 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 162, “The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” This Statement is intended to improve financial reporting by identifying a consistent framework, or hierarchy, for selecting accounting principles to be used in preparing financial statements that are presented in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, referred to in this note as GAAP, for nongovernmental entities.
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Statement No. 162 establishes that the GAAP hierarchy should be directed to entities because it is the entity (not its auditor) that is responsible for selecting accounting principles for financial statements that are presented in conformity with GAAP. Statement No. 162 is effective 60 days following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Auditing amendments to AU Section 411, “The Meaning of Present Fairly in Conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles,” and is only effective for nongovernmental entities. We do not expect the adoption of this Statement to have any effect on our consolidated financial statements.
FASB Staff Position No. EITF 03-6-1
On June 16, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS EITF 03-6-1, “Determining Whether Instruments Granted in Share-Based Payment Transactions Are Participating Securities.” This Staff Position clarifies that share-based payment awards that entitle their holders to receive nonforfeitable dividends before vesting should be considered participating securities. As participating securities, these instruments should be included in the calculation of basic earnings per share. This Staff Position is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for us), and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this Staff Position did not have an impact on our consolidated financial statements.
FASB Staff Position No. FAS 157-3
On October 10, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS 157-3 “Determining the Fair Value of a Financial Asset When the Market for that Asset is Not Active.” This Staff Position provides guidance clarifying how SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” should be applied when valuing securities in markets that are not active. This Staff Position applies the objectives and framework of SFAS No. 157 to determine the fair value of a financial asset in a market that is not active, and it reaffirms the notion of fair value as an exit price as of the measurement date. Among other things, the guidance also states that significant judgment is required in valuing financial assets. This Staff Position became effective upon issuance, and did not have any material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
EITF 08-6
On November 24, 2008, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ratified the consensus reached by the Emerging Issues Task Force on Issue No. 08-6, or EITF 08-6, “Equity Method Investment Accounting Considerations.” EITF 08-6 clarifies certain accounting and impairment considerations involving equity method investments. This Issue is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for us), and interim periods within those fiscal years. The guidance in this Issue is to be applied prospectively for all financial statements presented. The adoption of this Issue did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.
FASB Staff Position No. FAS 140-4 and FIN 46(R)-8
On December 11, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS 140-4 and FIN 46(R)-8 “Disclosures by Public Entities (Enterprises) about Transfers of Financial Assets and Interests in Variable Interest Entities.” This Staff Position requires enhanced disclosure and transparency by public entities about their involvement with variable interest entities and their continuing involvement with transferred financial assets. The disclosure requirements in this Staff Position are effective for annual and interim periods ending after December 15, 2008 (December 31, 2008 for us). The adoption of this Staff Position did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.
FASB Staff Position No. FAS 132(R)-1
On December 30, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FAS 132(R)-1, “Employer’s Disclosures About Postretirement Benefit Plan Assets.” This Staff Position is effective for financial statements ending after December 15, 2009 (December 31, 2009 for us) and requires additional disclosure of pension and post retirement benefit plan assets regarding (i) investment asset classes; (ii) fair value measurement of assets; (iii) investment strategies; (iv) asset risk; and (v) rate-of-return assumptions. We do not expect this Staff Position to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
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Securities and Exchange Commission’s Final Rule on Oil and Gas Disclosure Requirements
On December 31, 2008, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued its final rule “Modernization of Oil and Gas Reporting,” which revises the disclosures required by oil and gas companies. The SEC disclosure requirements for oil and gas companies have been updated to include expanded disclosure for oil and gas activities, and certain definitions have also been changed that will impact the determination of oil and gas reserve quantities. The provisions of this final rule are effective for registration statements filed on or after January 1, 2010, and for annual reports for fiscal years ending on or after December 31, 2009. We do not expect this final rule to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
19. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Operating Revenues | | Operating Income | | Income from Continuing Operations | | Income from Discontinued Operations | | Net Income | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | (In millions) | |
2008 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | 2,720.3 | | $ | 419.4 | | $ | 350.2 | | $ | 0.5 | | $ | 350.7 | |
Second Quarter | | | 3,495.7 | | | 406.2 | | | 365.5 | | | 0.8 | | | 366.3 | |
Third Quarter | | | 3,232.8 | | | 407.9 | | | 332.9 | | | — | | | 332.9 | |
Fourth Quarter | | | 2,291.5 | | | 318.0 | | | 268.6 | | | — | | | 268.6 | |
2007 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | 2,171.7 | | $ | (75.5 | ) | $ | (157.8 | ) | $ | 7.1 | | $ | (150.7 | ) |
Second Quarter | | | 2,366.4 | | | 314.6 | | | 230.5 | | | 5.4 | | | 235.9 | |
Third Quarter | | | 2,230.8 | | | 311.4 | | | 207.6 | | | 8.6 | | | 216.2 | |
Fourth Quarter | | | 2,448.8 | | | 257.2 | | | 143.1 | | | 152.8 | | | 295.9 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | Limited Partners’ interest in: | |
| | Income (loss) from Continuing Operations | | Income (loss) from Discontinued Operations | | Net Income | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Basic Limited Partners’ income (loss) per Unit: | | | | | | | | | | |
2008 | | | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | 0.63 | | $ | — | | $ | 0.63 | |
Second Quarter | | | 0.64 | | | 0.01 | | | 0.65 | |
Third Quarter | | | 0.48 | | | — | | | 0.48 | |
Fourth Quarter | | | 0.19 | | | — | | | 0.19 | |
2007 | | | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | (1.27 | ) | $ | 0.03 | | $ | (1.24 | ) |
Second Quarter | | | 0.34 | | | 0.02 | | | 0.36 | |
Third Quarter | | | 0.21 | | | 0.03 | | | 0.24 | |
Fourth Quarter | | | (0.12 | ) | | 0.62 | | | 0.50 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Diluted Limited Partners’ income (loss) per Unit: | | | | | | | | | | |
2008 | | | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter | | $ | 0.63 | | $ | — | | $ | 0.63 | |
Second Quarter | | | 0.64 | | | 0.01 | | | 0.65 | |
Third Quarter | | | 0.48 | | | — | | | 0.48 | |
Fourth Quarter | | | 0.19 | | | — | | | 0.19 | |
2007 | | | | | | | | | | |
First Quarter(a) | | $ | (1.27 | ) | $ | 0.04 | | $ | (1.23 | ) |
Second Quarter | | | 0.34 | | | 0.02 | | | 0.36 | |
Third Quarter | | | 0.21 | | | 0.03 | | | 0.24 | |
Fourth Quarter | | | (0.12 | ) | | 0.62 | | | 0.50 | |
| | |
| | |
|
(a) | 2007 first quarter includes an expense of $377.1 million attributable to a goodwill impairment charge recognized by Knight, as discussed in Notes 3 and 8. |
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20. Supplemental Information on Oil and Gas Producing Activities (Unaudited)
The Supplementary Information on Oil and Gas Producing Activities is presented as required by SFAS No. 69, “Disclosures about Oil and Gas Producing Activities.” The supplemental information includes capitalized costs related to oil and gas producing activities; costs incurred for the acquisition of oil and gas producing activities, exploration and development activities; and the results of operations from oil and gas producing activities.
Supplemental information is also provided for per unit production costs; oil and gas production and average sales prices; the estimated quantities of proved oil and gas reserves; the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows associated with proved oil and gas reserves; and a summary of the changes in the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows associated with proved oil and gas reserves.
Our capitalized costs consisted of the following (in millions):
Capitalized Costs Related to Oil and Gas Producing Activities
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | December 31, | |
| | | |
Consolidated Companies(a) | | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Wells and equipment, facilities and other | | $ | 2,106.9 | | $ | 1,612.5 | | $ | 1,369.5 | |
Leasehold | | | 348.9 | | | 348.1 | | | 347.4 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total proved oil and gas properties | | | 2,455.8 | | | 1,960.6 | | | 1,716.9 | |
Accumulated depreciation and depletion | | | (1,064,3 | ) | | (725.5 | ) | | (470.2 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Net capitalized costs | | $ | 1,391.5 | | $ | 1,235.1 | | $ | 1,246.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | |
|
(a) | Amounts relate to Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated subsidaries. Includes capitalized asset retirement costs and associated accumulated depreciation. There are no capitalized costs associated with unproved oil and gas properties for the periods reported. |
| |
| Our costs incurred for property acquisition, exploration and development were as follows (in millions): |
Costs Incurred in Exploration, Property Acquisitions and Development
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year Ended December 31, | |
| | | |
Consolidated Companies(a) | | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Property Acquisition | | | | | | | | | | |
Proved oil and gas properties | | $ | — | | $ | — | | $ | 36.6 | |
Development | | | 495.2 | | | 244.4 | | | 261.8 | |
| | |
| | |
|
(a) | Amounts relate to Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated subsidaries. There are no capitalized costs associated with unproved oil and gas properties for the periods reported. All capital expenditures were made to develop our proved oil and gas properties and no exploration costs were incurred for the periods reported. |
|
Our results of operations from oil and gas producing activities for each of the years 2008, 2007 and 2006 are shown in the following table (in millions): |
Results of Operations for Oil and Gas Producing Activities
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year Ended December 31, | |
| | | |
Consolidated Companies(a) | | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Revenues(b) | | $ | 785.5 | | $ | 589.7 | | $ | 524.7 | |
Expenses: | | | | | | | | | | |
Production costs | | | 308.4 | | | 243.9 | | | 208.9 | |
Other operating expenses(c) | | | 99.0 | | | 56.9 | | | 66.4 | |
Depreciation, depletion and amortization expenses | | | 342.2 | | | 258.5 | | | 169.4 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total expenses | | | 749.6 | | | 559.3 | | | 444.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Results of operations for oil and gas producing activities | | $ | 35.9 | | $ | 30.4 | | $ | 80.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
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| |
(a) | Amounts relate to Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated subsidaries. |
| |
(b) | Revenues include losses attributable to our hedging contracts of $693.3 million, $434.2 million and $441.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. |
| |
(c) | Consists primarily of carbon dioxide expense. |
The table below represents estimates, as of December 31, 2008, of proved crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas reserves prepared by Netherland, Sewell and Associates, Inc. (independent oil and gas consultants) of Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated subsidiaries’ interests in oil and gas properties, all of which are located in the state of Texas. This data has been prepared using constant prices and costs, as discussed in subsequent paragraphs of this document. The estimates of reserves and future revenue in this document conforms to the guidelines of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
We believe the geologic and engineering data examined provides reasonable assurance that the proved reserves are recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions. Estimates of proved reserves are subject to change, either positively or negatively, as additional information becomes available and contractual and economic conditions change.
Proved oil and gas reserves are the estimated quantities of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids which geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, that is, prices and costs as of the date the estimate is made. Prices include consideration of changes in existing prices provided only by contractual arrangements, but not on escalations or declines based upon future conditions. Proved developed reserves are the quantities of crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas expected to be recovered through existing investments in wells and field infrastructure under current operating conditions. Proved undeveloped reserves require additional investments in wells and related infrastructure in order to recover the production.
During 2008, we filed estimates of our oil and gas reserves for the year 2007 with the Energy Information Administration of the U. S. Department of Energy on Form EIA-23. The data on Form EIA-23 was presented on a different basis, and included 100% of the oil and gas volumes from our operated properties only, regardless of our net interest. The difference between the oil and gas reserves reported on Form EIA-23 and those reported in this report exceeds 5%.
Reserve Quantity Information
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | Consolidated Companies(a) | |
| | | |
| | Crude Oil (MBbls) | | NGLs (MBbls) | | Nat. Gas (MMcf)(b) | |
| | | | | | | |
Proved developed and undeveloped reserves: | | | | | | | | | | |
As of December 31, 2005 | | | 141,951 | | | 18,983 | | | 2,153 | |
Revisions of previous estimates(c) | | | (4,615 | ) | | (6,858 | ) | | (1,408 | ) |
Production | | | (13,811 | ) | | (1,817 | ) | | (461 | ) |
Purchases of reserves in place | | | 453 | | | 25 | | | 7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
As of December 31, 2006 | | | 123,978 | | | 10,333 | | | 291 | |
Revisions of previous estimates(d) | | | 10,361 | | | 2,784 | | | 1,077 | |
Production | | | (12,984 | ) | | (2,005 | ) | | (290 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
As of December 31, 2007 | | | 121,355 | | | 11,112 | | | 1,078 | |
Revisions of previous estimates(e) | | | (29,536 | ) | | (2,490 | ) | | 695 | |
Production | | | (13,240 | ) | | (1,762 | ) | | (499 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
As of December 31, 2008 | | | 78,579 | | | 6,860 | | | 1,274 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Proved developed reserves: | | | | | | | | | | |
As of December 31, 2005 | | | 78,755 | | | 9,918 | | | 1,650 | |
As of December 31, 2006 | | | 69,073 | | | 5,877 | | | 291 | |
As of December 31, 2007 | | | 70,868 | | | 5,517 | | | 1,078 | |
As of December 31, 2008 | | | 53,346 | | | 4,308 | | | 1,274 | |
| | |
| | |
|
(a) | Amounts relate to Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated subsidaries. |
|
(b) | Natural gas reserves are computed at 14.65 pounds per square inch absolute and 60 degrees fahrenheit. |
|
(c) | Based on lower than expected recoveries of a section of the SACROC unit carbon dioxide flood project. |
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(d) | Associated with an expansion of the carbon dioxide flood project area of the SACROC unit. |
|
(e) | Predominantly due to lower product prices used to determine reserve volumes. |
The standardized measure of discounted cash flows and summary of the changes in the standardized measure computation from year-to-year are prepared in accordance with SFAS No. 69. The assumptions that underly the computation of the standardized measure of discounted cash flows may be summarized as follows:
| |
| ▪ the standardized measure includes our estimate of proved crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas reserves and projected future production volumes based upon year-end economic conditions; |
| |
| ▪ pricing is applied based upon year-end market prices adjusted for fixed or determinable contracts that are in existence at year-end; |
| |
| ▪ future development and production costs are determined based upon actual cost at year-end; |
| |
| ▪ the standardized measure includes projections of future abandonment costs based upon actual costs at year-end; and |
| |
| ▪ a discount factor of 10% per year is applied annually to the future net cash flows. |
Our standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows from proved reserves were as follows (in millions):
Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows From
Proved Oil and Gas Reserves
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | As of December 31, | |
| | | |
Consolidated Companies(a) | | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Future cash inflows from production | | $ | 3,498.0 | | $ | 12,099.5 | | $ | 7,534.7 | |
Future production costs | | | (1,671.6 | ) | | (3,536.2 | ) | | (2,617.9 | ) |
Future development costs(b) | | | (910,3 | ) | | (1,919.2 | ) | | (1,256.8 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Undiscounted future net cash flows | | | 916.1 | | | 6,644.1 | | | 3,660.0 | |
10% annual discount | | | (257.7 | ) | | (2,565.7 | ) | | (1,452.2 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows | | $ | 658.4 | | $ | 4,078.4 | | $ | 2,207.8 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
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(a) | Amounts relate to Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated subsidaries. |
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(b) | Includes abandonment costs. |
The following table represents our estimate of changes in the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows from proved reserves (in millions):
Changes in the Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows From
Proved Oil and Gas Reserves
| | | | | | | | | | |
Consolidated Companies(a) | | 2008 | | 2007 | | 2006 | |
| | | | | | | |
Present value as of January 1 | | $ | 4,078.4 | | $ | 2,207.8 | | $ | 3,075.0 | |
Changes during the year: | | | | | | | | | | |
Revenues less production and other costs(b) | | | (1,012.4 | ) | | (722.1 | ) | | (690.0 | ) |
Net changes in prices, production and other costs(b) | | | (3,076.9 | ) | | 2,153.2 | | | (123.0 | ) |
Development costs incurred | | | 495.2 | | | 244.5 | | | 261.8 | |
Net changes in future development costs | | | 231.1 | | | (547.8 | ) | | (446.0 | ) |
Purchases of reserves in place | | | — | | | — | | | 3.2 | |
Revisions of previous quantity estimates(c) | | | (417.1 | ) | | 510.8 | | | (179.5 | ) |
Accretion of discount | | | 392.9 | | | 198.1 | | | 307.4 | |
Timing differences and other | | | (32.8 | ) | | 33.9 | | | (1.1 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Net change for the year | | | (3,420.0 | ) | | 1,870.6 | | | (867.2 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Present value as of December 31 | | $ | 658.4 | | $ | 4,078.4 | | $ | 2,207.8 | |
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(a) | Amounts relate to Kinder Morgan CO2 Company, L.P. and its consolidated subsidaries. |
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(b) | Excludes the effect of losses attributable to our hedging contracts of $639.3 million, $434.2 million and $441.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. |
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(c) | 2008 revisions are predominantly due to lower product prices used to determine reserve volumes. 2007 revisions are associated with an expansion of the carbon dioxide flood project area for the SACROC unit. 2006 revisions are based on lower than expected recoveries from a section of the SACROC unit carbon dioxide flood project. |
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