BUSINESS SEGMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

BUSINESS SEGMENTS [Abstract]

BUSINESS SEGMENTS

(19)  BUSINESS SEGMENTS

The Partnership has four reportable segments: terminalling and storage, natural gas services, marine transportation, and sulfur services.  The Partnership's reportable segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services.  The operating income of these segments is reviewed by the chief operating decision maker to assess performance and make business decisions.

The accounting policies of the operating segments are the same as those described in Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The Partnership evaluates the performance of its reportable segments based on operating income. There is no allocation of administrative expenses or interest expense.

	Operating  Revenues		Intersegment  Eliminations			Operating  Revenues After  Eliminations		Depreciation  and Amortization		Operating  Income  (Loss) after Eliminations			Capital Expenditures
Year ended December 31, 2011:
Terminalling and storage	$	156,420	$	(4,414	)	$	152,006	$	18,983	$	13,074		$	43,795
Natural gas services		733,087		-			733,087		6,090		7,356			1,904
Sulfur services		275,044		-			275,044		6,725		34,595			16,158
Marine transportation		83,971		(7,035	)		76,936		13,159		(6,485	)		12,137
Indirect selling, general, and administrative		-		-			-		-		(8,864	)		-
Total	$	1,248,522	$	(11,449	)	$	1,237,073	$	44,957	$	39,676		$	73,994
Year ended December 31, 2010:
Terminalling and storage	$	119,270	$	(4,354	)	$	114,916	$	16,650	$	14,256		$	6,996
Natural gas services		554,482		-			554,482		5,023		5,616			1,645
Sulfur services		165,078		-			165,078		6,262		20,166			7,107
Marine transportation		82,635		(4,993	)		77,642		12,721		6,524			2,159
Indirect selling, general, and administrative		-		-			-		-		(6,386	)		-
Total	$	921,465	$	(9,347	)	$	912,118	$	40,656	$	40,176		$	17,907
Year ended December 31, 2009:
Terminalling and storage	$	109,513	$	(4,219	)	$	105,294	$	15,717	$	17,899		$	18,404
Natural gas services		408,989		(7	)		408,982		4,527		5,666			5,010
Sulfur services		79,631		(2	)		79,629		6,151		13,776			7,909
Marine transportation		72,103		(3,623	)		68,480		13,111		3,156			4,523
Indirect selling, general, and administrative		-		-			-		-		(6,077	)		-
Total	$	670,236	$	(7,851	)	$	662,385	$	39,506	$	34,420		$	35,846

The following table reconciles operating income to net income:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Operating income	$	39,676		$	40,176		$	34,420
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities		9,536			9,792			7,044
Interest expense		(24,518	)		(33,716	)		(18,995	)
Other, net		233			287			326
Income taxes		(585	)		(517	)		(592	)
Net income	$	24,342		$	16,022		$	22,203

Revenues from one customer in the natural gas services segment were $137,177, $92,265 and $72,492 for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.  Revenues from one customer in the sulfur services segment were $111,172, $50,357 and $9,748 for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Total assets by segment at December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows:

	2011		2010
Total assets:
Terminalling and storage	$	231,764	$	188,234
Natural gas services		411,632		314,815
Sulfur services		162,289		138,224
Marine transportation		143,424		144,205
Total assets	$	949,109	$	785,478

Investments in unconsolidated entities totaled $170,497 and $98,217 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and are included in the natural gas services segment.