NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

12. NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

As required by FASB ASC 810, our noncontrolling ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries is presented in the consolidated balance sheet within partners' capital as a separate component from the limited partners' equity. In addition, consolidated net income includes earnings attributable to both the limited partners' and the noncontrolling interests.

The noncontrolling interests balance is comprised of non-affiliate and affiliate ownership interests in the net assets of the ARLP Partnership that we consolidate (Note 1). The following table summarizes the components of noncontrolling interests recorded in Partners' Capital for the periods indicated (in thousands):

	December 31,

	2012			2011
Noncontrolling interests reflected in Partners' Capital:
Affiliate (SGP)	$	(303,798	)	$	(303,797	)
Non-Affiliates (ARLP's non-affiliate limited partners)		604,861			556,285
Accumulated other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		(23,968	)		(22,900	)

Total noncontrolling interests	$	277,095		$	229,588

The noncontrolling interest designated as Affiliate represents SGP's 0.01% general partner interest in ARLP and 0.01% general partner interest in the Intermediate Partnership.

The noncontrolling interest designated as Non-Affiliates represents the limited partners' interest in ARLP controlled through the common unit ownership, excluding the 15,544,169 common units of ARLP held by us. The total obligation associated with ARLP's LTIP is also included in the Non-Affiliates component of noncontrolling interest.

The following table summarizes net income attributable to each component of the noncontrolling interests for the periods indicated (in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,

	2012		2011		2010
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest:
Affiliate (SGP)	$	48	$	61	$	50
Non-Affiliates (ARLP's non-affiliate limited partners)		135,110		172,139		142,907

	$	135,158	$	172,200	$	142,957

The following table summarizes cash distributions paid by ARLP to each component of the noncontrolling interests for the periods indicated (in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,

	2012		2011		2010
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests:
Affiliate (SGP)(1)	$	49	$	42	$	36
Non-Affiliates (ARLP's non-affiliate limited partners)(1)		90,228		78,399		69,102

	$	90,277	$	78,441	$	69,138

(1): Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests, in the table above, represent ARLP's quarterly distributions in accordance with the ARLP Partnership agreement.

The Affiliate component of noncontrolling interests represents SGP's cumulative investment basis in the net assets of the ARLP Partnership. After the consummation of the various transactions associated with the ARLP Partnership's formation and initial public offering transaction in 1999 (which included the contribution of net assets by SGP to the ARLP Partnership, the retention by SGP of debt borrowings assumed by ARLP and a distribution by ARLP to SGP), SGP's investment basis in ARLP totaled $(303.9) million. SGP's investment basis as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 also reflects the cumulative amount of nominal ARLP income allocations and distributions to SGP and nominal contributions by SGP to ARLP and the Intermediate Partnership to maintain its general partner interests.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries, which could include the name of the subsidiary, the ownership percentage held by the parent, the ownership percentage held by the noncontrolling owners, the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the location of this amount on the balance sheet (when not reported separately), an explanation of the increase or decrease in the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the noncontrolling interest share of the net Income or Loss of the subsidiary, the location of this amount on the income statement (when not reported separately), the nature of the noncontrolling interest such as background information and terms, the amount of the noncontrolling interest represented by preferred stock, a description of the preferred stock, and the dividend requirements of the preferred stock.

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