Variable Interest Entities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Variable Interest Entity Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Variable Interest Entities [Table Text Block]

The following table presents amounts included in our Consolidated Balance Sheet that are for the use or obligation of WPZ and/or its subsidiaries, and which comprise a significant portion of our consolidated assets and liabilities:



	December 31,
	2017			2016			Classification
	(Millions)
Assets (liabilities):
Cash and cash equivalents	$	881		$	145		Cash and cash equivalents
Trade accounts and other receivables – net	972			925			Trade accounts and other receivables
Inventories	113			138			Inventories
Other current assets	176			205			Other current assets and deferred charges
Investments	6,552			6,701			Investments
Property, plant, and equipment – net	27,912			28,021			Property, plant, and equipment – net
Intangible assets – net	8,790			9,662			Intangible assets – net of accumulated amortization
Regulatory assets, deferred charges, and other noncurrent assets	507			467			Regulatory assets, deferred charges, and other
Accounts payable	(957		)	(589		)	Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities including current asset retirement obligations	(857		)	(1,122		)	Accrued liabilities
Commercial paper	—			(93		)	Commercial paper
Long-term debt due within one year	(501		)	(785		)	Long-term debt due within one year
Long-term debt	(15,996		)	(17,685		)	Long-term debt
Deferred income tax liabilities	(16		)	(20		)	Deferred income tax liabilities
Noncurrent asset retirement obligations	(944		)	(798		)	Regulatory liabilities, deferred income, and other
Long-term deferred income	(1,119		)	(1,048		)	Regulatory liabilities, deferred income, and other
Regulatory liabilities and other	(1,690		)	(812		)	Regulatory liabilities, deferred income, and other

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest (as defined) held by the entity requires the variable interest entity (VIE) (as defined) to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the VIE, individually or in aggregate (as applicable); the nature of restrictions, if any, on the consolidated VIE's assets and on the settlement of its liabilities reported by an entity in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities; the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with involvement in the VIE; how involvement with the VIE affects the entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of the consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary (if applicable); the terms of arrangements, giving consideration to both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests, if any, that could require the entity to provide financial support to the VIE, including events or circumstances that could expose the entity to a loss; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance are shared (as defined); the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of the VIE included in the statement of financial position; the entity's maximum exposure to loss, if any, as a result of its involvement with the VIE, including how the maximum exposure is determined and significant sources of the entity's exposure to the VIE; a comparison of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities and the entity's maximum exposure to loss; information about any liquidity arrangements, guarantees, and (or) other commitments by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the entity's variable interest in the VIE; whether or not the entity has provided financial support or other support (explicitly or implicitly) to the VIE that it was not previously contractually required to provide or whether the entity intends to provide that support, including the type and amount of the support and the primary reasons for providing the support; and supplemental information the entity determines necessary to provide.

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