Unit-Based Compensation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Share based Payments [Abstract]

Note 5 - Unit-Based Compensation

During the nine months ended September 30, 2011, the Company granted an aggregate 1,089,502 restricted units to employees, primarily in January 2011 as part of its annual review of employee compensation, with an aggregate fair value of approximately $42 million. The restricted units vest over three years. A summary of unit-based compensation expenses included on the condensed consolidated statements of operations is presented below:

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2011		2010		2011		2010
	(in thousands)

General and administrative expenses	$	5,320	$	3,070	$	16,014	$	10,280
Lease operating expenses		258		76		745		266
Total unit-based compensation expenses	$	5,578	$	3,146	$	16,759	$	10,546
Income tax benefit	$	2,061	$	1,162	$	6,192	$	3,897

- Definition

The entire disclosure for compensation-related costs for equity-based compensation, which may include disclosure of policies, compensation plan details, allocation of equity compensation, incentive distributions, equity-based arrangements to obtain goods and services, deferred compensation arrangements, employee stock ownership plan details and employee stock purchase plan details.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

-Number 93-6

-Paragraph 53

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 14

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 123R

-Paragraph 64, 65, A240

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 40

-Section 50

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6418621&loc=d3e17540-113929

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

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-Section 50

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

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-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6406099&loc=d3e25284-112666

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

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-Section 50

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details