SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(a) Nature of business

TransMontaigne Partners LLC (“we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company”) provides integrated terminaling, storage, transportation and related services for companies engaged in the trading, distribution and marketing of light refined petroleum products, heavy refined petroleum products, crude oil, chemicals, fertilizers and other liquid products. We conduct our operations in the United States along the Gulf Coast, in the Midwest, in Houston and Brownsville, Texas, along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, in the Southeast and along the West Coast.

We were originally formed as TransMontaigne Partners L.P. (“the Partnership”) in February 2005 as a Delaware limited partnership. Through February 26, 2019, the Partnership’s common units were listed and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TLP”. The Partnership was controlled by a general partner, TransMontaigne GP L.L.C. (“TransMontaigne GP”), which was an indirect, controlled subsidiary of ArcLight Energy Partners Fund VI, L.P. (“ArcLight”). TransMontaigne GP also held the Partnership’s incentive distribution rights, which were non‑voting limited partner interests with the rights set forth in the First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership, dated as of May 27, 2005, as amended from time to time.

On February 26, 2019, an affiliate of ArcLight completed its previously announced acquisition of all of the Partnership’s outstanding publicly traded common units not already held by ArcLight and its affiliates by way of our merger (the “Merger”) with a wholly owned subsidiary of TLP Finance Holdings, LLC (“TLP Finance”), an indirect controlled subsidiary of Arclight. At the effective time of the Merger, each of the Partnership’s general partner units issued and outstanding immediately prior to the acquisition effective time was converted into (i)(a) one Partnership common unit, and (b) in aggregate, a non-economic general partner interest in the Partnership, (ii) each of the Partnership’s incentive distribution rights issued and outstanding immediately prior to the acquisition effective time was converted into 100 Partnership common units, (iii) our general partner distributed its common units in the Partnership (the “Transferred GP Units”) to TLP Acquisition Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TLP Holdings”), and TLP Holdings contributed the Transferred GP Units to TLP Finance, (iv) the Partnership converted into the Company (a Delaware limited liability company) pursuant to Section 17-219 of the Delaware Limited Partnership Act and changed its name to “TransMontaigne Partners LLC”, and all of our common units owned by TLP Finance were converted into limited liability company interests (“member interest”), (v) the non-economic interest in the Company owned by our general partner was automatically cancelled and ceased to exist and our general partner merged with and into the Company with the Company surviving, and (vi) the Company became 100% owned by TLP Finance (the transactions described in the foregoing clauses (i) through (vi), collectively with the Merger, the “Take-Private Transaction”).

As a result of the Take-Private Transaction, our common units ceased to be publicly traded, and our common units are no longer listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Our 6.125% senior unsecured notes due in 2026 remain outstanding, and we are voluntarily filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the covenants contained in those notes.

Effective June 1, 2019, TLP Finance contributed all of the issued and outstanding equity of its wholly-owned subsidiary, TLP Management Services LLC (“TMS” and such interest, the “TMS Interest”) to the Company, and the Company immediately contributed the TMS Interest to its 100% owned operating company subsidiary TransMontaigne Operating Company L.P. (the “TMS Contribution”). Prior to the TMS Contribution, we had no employees and all of our management and operational activities were provided by TMS. Further, TMS provided all payroll programs and maintained all employee benefit programs on behalf of our Company with respect to applicable TMS employees (as well as on behalf of certain other Arclight affiliates). As a result of the TMS Contribution, we have assumed the employees and management and operational activities previously provided by TMS. The TMS Contribution has been recorded at carryover basis as a reorganization of entities under common control. As such, prior periods include the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of TMS for all periods presented.

As a result of the TMS Contribution, the omnibus agreement in place in various forms since the inception of the Partnership, and immediately prior to the TMS Contribution between TMS and us, which, among other things, governed the provision of management and operational services provided for us by TMS, is no longer relevant and was terminated.

Our basis in the assets and liabilities of TMS at December 31, 2018 was as follows (in thousands):


Cash	$	694
Trade accounts receivable		7
Due from affiliates		456
Other current assets		456
Property, plant and equipment, net		991
Other assets, net		484
Trade accounts payable		(1,205)
Accrued and other liabilities		(3,025)
Equity	$	(1,142)

Basis of presentation and use of estimates


Cash	$	694
Trade accounts receivable		7
Due from affiliates		456
Other current assets		456
Property, plant and equipment, net		991
Other assets, net		484
Trade accounts payable		(1,205)
Accrued and other liabilities		(3,025)
Equity	$	(1,142)

(b) Basis of presentation and use of estimates

Our accounting and financial reporting policies conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of TransMontaigne Partners LLC and its controlled subsidiaries. Investments where we do not have the ability to exercise control, but do have the ability to exercise significant influence, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. All inter‑company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring accruals) considered necessary to present fairly our financial position as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and our results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. Certain reclassifications of previously reported amounts have been made to conform to the current year presentation.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. The following estimates, in management’s opinion, are subjective in nature, require the exercise of judgment, and/or involve complex analyses: useful lives of our plant and equipment and accrued environmental obligations. Changes in these estimates and assumptions will occur as a result of the passage of time and the occurrence of future events. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Accounting for operations

Effective January 1, 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 842, Leases and the series of related Accounting Standards Updates that followed (collectively referred to as “ASC 842”). The most significant changes under the new guidance include clarification of the definition of a lease, and the requirements for lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all qualifying leases in the consolidated balance sheet. Further, under ASC 842, additional disclosures are required to meet the objective of enabling users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. We used the modified retrospective transition method applied at the effective date of the standard. By electing this optional transition method, information prior to January 1, 2019 has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for the period (“ASC 840”) (See Note 13 of Notes to consolidated financial statements).

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), applying the modified retrospective transition method, which required us to apply the new standard to (i) all new revenue contracts entered into after January 1, 2018, and (ii) revenue contracts which were not completed as of January 1, 2018. ASC 606 replaces existing revenue recognition requirements in GAAP and requires entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. ASC 606 also requires certain disclosures regarding qualitative and quantitative information regarding the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The adoption of ASC 606 did not result in a transition adjustment nor did it have an impact on the timing or amount of our revenue recognition (See Note 15 of Notes to consolidated financial statements).

The adoption of ASC 606 did not result in changes to our accounting for trade accounts receivable (see Note 3 of Notes to consolidated financial statements), contract assets or contract liabilities. We recognize contract assets in situations where revenue recognition under ASC 606 occurs prior to billing the customer based on our rights under the contract. Contract assets are transferred to accounts receivable when the rights become unconditional. At September 30, 2019, we did not have any contract assets related to ASC 606.

Contract liabilities primarily relate to consideration received from customers in advance of completing the performance obligation. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer goods or services to the customer. We recognize contract liabilities under these arrangements as revenue once all contingencies or potential performance obligations have been satisfied by the (i) performance of services or (ii) expiration of the customer’s rights under the contract. Short-term contract liabilities include customer advances and deposits (see Note 9 of Notes to consolidated financial statements). Long-term contract liabilities include deferred revenue (See Note 10 of Notes to consolidated financial statements).

We generate revenue from terminaling services fees, pipeline transportation fees and management fees. Under ASC 606 and ASC 842, we recognize revenue over time or at a point in time, depending on the nature of the performance obligations contained in the respective contract with our customer. The contract transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The majority of our revenue is recognized pursuant to ASC 842. The following is an overview of our significant revenue streams, including a description of the respective performance obligations and related method of revenue recognition.

Terminaling services fees. Our terminaling services agreements are structured as either throughput agreements or storage agreements. Our throughput agreements contain provisions that require our customers to make minimum payments, which are based on contractually established minimum volumes of throughput of the customer’s product at our facilities, over a stipulated period of time. Due to this minimum payment arrangement, we recognize a fixed amount of revenue from the customer over a certain period of time, even if the customer throughputs less than the minimum volume of product during that period. In addition, if a customer throughputs a volume of product exceeding the minimum volume, we would recognize additional revenue on this incremental volume. Our storage agreements require our customers to make minimum payments based on the volume of storage capacity available to the customer under the agreement, which results in a fixed amount of recognized revenue. We refer to the fixed amount of revenue recognized pursuant to our terminaling services agreements as being “firm commitments.” The majority of our firm commitments under our terminaling services agreements are accounted for in accordance with ASC 842 (“ASC 842 revenue”). The remainder is recognized in accordance with ASC 606 (“ASC 606 revenue”) where the minimum payment arrangement in each contract is a single performance obligation that is primarily satisfied over time through the contract term.

Revenue recognized in excess of firm commitments and revenue recognized based solely on the volume of product distributed or injected are referred to as ancillary. The ancillary revenue associated with terminaling services include volumes of product throughput that exceed the contractually established minimum volumes, injection fees based on the volume of product injected with additive compounds, heating and mixing of stored products, product transfer, railcar handling, butane blending, proceeds from the sale of product gains, wharfage and vapor recovery. The revenue generated by these services is required to be estimated under ASC 606 for any uncertainty that is not resolved in the period of the service. We account for the majority of ancillary revenue at individual points in time when the services are delivered to the customer. The majority of our ancillary revenue is recognized in accordance with ASC 606.

Pipeline transportation fees. We earn pipeline transportation fees at our Diamondback pipeline either based on the volume of product transported or under capacity reservation agreements. Revenue associated with the capacity reservation is recognized ratably over the respective term, regardless of whether the capacity is actually utilized. We earn pipeline transportation fees at our Razorback pipeline based on an allocation of the aggregate fees charged under the capacity agreement with our customer who has contracted for 100% of our Razorback system. Pipeline transportation revenue is primarily accounted for in accordance with ASC 842.

Management fees. We manage and operate certain tank capacity at our Port Everglades South terminal for a major oil company and receive a reimbursement of its proportionate share of operating and maintenance costs. We manage and operate the Frontera joint venture and receive a management fee based on our costs incurred. We manage and operate terminals that are owned by affiliates of ArcLight, including for SeaPort Midstream Partners, LLC (“SMP”) in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon and another terminal for SeaPort Sound Terminal, LLC (“SeaPort Sound”) in Tacoma, Washington and, in each case, receive a management fee based on our costs incurred plus an annual fee. We also manage additional terminal facilities that are owned by affiliates of ArcLight, including for Lucknow-Highspire Terminals, LLC (“LHT”), which operates terminals throughout Pennsylvania encompassing approximately 9.8 million barrels of storage capacity, and prior to July 1, 2019, a terminal in Baltimore, Maryland for Pike Baltimore Terminals, LLC (the “Baltimore Terminal”), and receive a management fee based on our costs incurred. Our management of the Baltimore Terminal ended on July 1, 2019. We manage and operate rail sites at certain Southeast terminals on behalf of a major oil company and receive reimbursement for operating and maintenance costs. We lease land under operating leases as the lessor or sublessor with third parties and affiliates. We also managed and operated for an affiliate of PEMEX, Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company, a products pipeline connected to our Brownsville terminal facility and received a management fee through August 23, 2018. Management fee revenue is recognized at individual points in time as the services are performed or as the costs are incurred and is primarily accounted for in accordance with ASC 606. Management fees related to lease revenue are accounted for in accordance with ASC 842.

Cash and cash equivalents

(d) Cash and cash equivalents

We consider all short‑term investments with a remaining maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Property, plant and equipment

(e) Property, plant and equipment

Depreciation is computed using the straight‑line method. Estimated useful lives are 15 to 25 years for terminals and pipelines and 3 to 25 years for furniture, fixtures and equipment. All items of property, plant and equipment are carried at cost. Expenditures that increase capacity or extend useful lives are capitalized. Repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

We evaluate long‑lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset group may not be recoverable based on expected undiscounted future cash flows attributable to that asset group. If an asset group is impaired, the impairment loss to be recognized is the excess of the carrying amount of the asset group over its estimated fair value.

Investments in unconsolidated affiliates

(f) Investments in unconsolidated affiliates

We account for our investments in unconsolidated affiliates, which we do not control but do have the ability to exercise significant influence over, using the equity method of accounting. Under this method, the investment is recorded at acquisition cost, increased by our proportionate share of any earnings and additional capital contributions and decreased by our proportionate share of any losses, distributions received and amortization of any excess investment. Excess investment is the amount by which our total investment exceeds our proportionate share of the book value of the net assets of the investment entity. We evaluate our investments in unconsolidated affiliates for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate there is a loss in value of the investment that is other than temporary. In the event of impairment, we would record a charge to earnings to adjust the carrying amount to estimated fair value.

Environmental obligations

(g) Environmental obligations

We accrue for environmental costs that relate to existing conditions caused by past operations when probable and reasonably estimable (see Note 9 of Notes to consolidated financial statements). Environmental costs include initial site surveys and environmental studies of potentially contaminated sites, costs for remediation and restoration of sites determined to be contaminated and ongoing monitoring costs, as well as fines, damages and other costs, including direct legal costs. Liabilities for environmental costs at a specific site are initially recorded, on an undiscounted basis, when it is probable that we will be liable for such costs, and a reasonable estimate of the associated costs can be made based on available information. Such an estimate includes our share of the liability for each specific site and the sharing of the amounts related to each site that will not be paid by other potentially responsible parties, based on enacted laws and adopted regulations and policies. Adjustments to initial estimates are recorded, from time to time, to reflect changing circumstances and estimates based upon additional information developed in subsequent periods. Estimates of our ultimate liabilities associated with environmental costs are difficult to make with certainty due to the number of variables involved, including the early stage of investigation at certain sites, the lengthy time frames required to complete remediation, technology changes, alternatives available and the evolving nature of environmental laws and regulations. We periodically file claims for insurance recoveries of certain environmental remediation costs with our insurance carriers under our comprehensive liability policies (see Note 4 of Notes to consolidated financial statements).

In connection with our previous acquisitions of certain terminals from TransMontaigne LLC, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of a third party energy company, TransMontaigne LLC agreed to indemnify us against certain potential environmental claims, losses and expenses at those terminals. Pursuant to the acquisition agreements for each of the Florida (except Pensacola) and Midwest terminals, the Southeast terminals, the Brownsville and River terminals, and the Pensacola, Florida Terminal, TransMontaigne LLC is obligated to indemnify us against environmental claims, losses and expenses that were associated with the ownership or operation of the terminals prior to the purchase by the Company. In each acquisition agreement, TransMontaigne LLC’s maximum indemnification liability is subject to a specified time period for indemnification, cap on indemnification and satisfaction of a deductible amount before indemnification, in each case subject to certain exceptions, limitations and conditions specified therein. TransMontaigne LLC has no indemnification obligations with respect to environmental claims made as a result of additions to or modifications of environmental laws promulgated after certain specified dates. The environmental indemnification obligations remain in place and were not affected by the Take-Private Transaction.

Asset retirement obligations

(h) Asset retirement obligations

Asset retirement obligations are legal obligations associated with the retirement of long‑lived assets that result from the acquisition, construction, development or normal use of the asset. Generally accepted accounting principles require that the fair value of a liability related to the retirement of long‑lived assets be recorded at the time a legal obligation is incurred. Once an asset retirement obligation is identified and a liability is recorded, a corresponding asset is recorded, which is depreciated over the remaining useful life of the asset. After the initial measurement, the liability is adjusted to reflect changes in the asset retirement obligation. If and when it is determined that a legal obligation has been incurred, the fair value of any liability is determined based on estimates and assumptions related to retirement costs, future inflation rates and interest rates. Our long‑lived assets consist of above‑ground storage facilities and underground pipelines. We are unable to predict if and when these long‑lived assets will become completely obsolete and require dismantlement. We have not recorded an asset retirement obligation, or corresponding asset, because the future dismantlement and removal dates of our long‑lived assets is indeterminable and the amount of any associated costs are believed to be insignificant. Changes in our assumptions and estimates may occur as a result of the passage of time and the occurrence of future events.

Deferred compensation expense

(i) Deferred compensation expense

We have a savings and retention program to compensate certain employees who provide services to the Company. Prior to the Take-Private Transaction, we had the ability to settle the awards in our common units, and accordingly, we accounted for the awards as an equity award. Following the Take-Private Transaction, we index the awards to other forms of investments, and have the intent and ability to settle the awards in cash, and accordingly, we account for the awards as liability awards (see Note 12 of Notes to consolidated financial statements).

Accounting for derivative instruments

(j) Accounting for derivative instruments

Generally accepted accounting principles require us to recognize all derivative instruments at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets as assets or liabilities. Changes in the fair value of our derivative instruments are recognized in earnings.

At September 30, 2019 our derivative instruments were limited to interest rate swap agreements with an aggregate notional amount of $300 million with the agreements expiring in June 2020. The derivative instrument outstanding at December 31, 2018 expired on March 11, 2019. Pursuant to the terms of the current outstanding interest rate swap agreements, we pay a blended fixed rate of approximately 2.04% and receive interest payments based on the one-month LIBOR. The net difference to be paid or received under the interest rate swap agreements is settled monthly and is recognized as an adjustment to interest expense. The fair value of our interest rate swap agreements were determined using a pricing model based on the LIBOR swap rate and other observable market data.

Income taxes

(k) Income taxes

No provision for U.S. federal income taxes has been reflected in the accompanying consolidated financial statements because we are treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, all income, gains, losses, expenses, deductions and tax credits generated by us flow up to our owners.

Comprehensive Income

(l) Comprehensive income

Entities that report items of other comprehensive income have the option to present the components of net earnings and comprehensive income in either one continuous financial statement, or two consecutive financial statements. As the Company has no components of comprehensive income other than net earnings, no statement of comprehensive income has been presented.

Recent accounting pronouncements

(m) Recent accounting pronouncements

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, to simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment by eliminating step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that reporting period. We are currently evaluating the potential impact that the adoption will have on our disclosures and financial statements