General. Western Gas Equity Partners, LP is a Delaware master limited partnership (“MLP”) formed in September 2012 to own three types of partnership interests in Western Gas Partners, LP. Western Gas Equity Partners, LP was formed by converting WGR Holdings, LLC into a limited partnership and changing its name. Western Gas Partners, LP (together with its subsidiaries, “WES”) is a Delaware MLP formed by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in 2007 to acquire, own, develop and operate midstream energy assets.

For purposes of these consolidated financial statements, “WGP” refers to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP in its individual capacity or to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP and its subsidiaries, including Western Gas Holdings, LLC and WES, as the context requires. “WES GP” refers to Western Gas Holdings, LLC, individually as the general partner of WES, and excludes WES. WGP’s general partner, Western Gas Equity Holdings, LLC (“WGP GP”), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. WES GP owns all of the general partner interest in WES, which constitutes substantially all of its business, which primarily is to manage the affairs and operations of WES. Refer to Note 4 for a discussion of WGP’s holdings of WES equity. “Anadarko” refers to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries, excluding WGP and WGP GP, and “affiliates” refers to subsidiaries of Anadarko, excluding WGP, but including equity interests in Fort Union Gas Gathering, LLC (“Fort Union”), White Cliffs Pipeline, LLC (“White Cliffs”), Rendezvous Gas Services, LLC (“Rendezvous”), Enterprise EF78 LLC (the “Mont Belvieu JV”), Texas Express Pipeline LLC (“TEP”), Texas Express Gathering LLC (“TEG”) and Front Range Pipeline LLC (“FRP”). The interests in TEP, TEG and FRP are referred to collectively as the “TEFR Interests.” The “MGR assets” include the Red Desert complex and the Granger straddle plant.

WES is engaged in the business of gathering, processing, compressing, treating and transporting natural gas, condensate, NGLs and crude oil for Anadarko, as well as for third-party producers and customers. As of September 30, 2016, WES’s assets and investments accounted for under the equity method consisted of the following:



	Owned and Operated	Operated Interests	Non-Operated Interests	Equity Interests
Gathering systems	12	4	5	2
Treating facilities	13	12	—	3
Natural gas processing plants/trains	19	5	—	2
NGL pipelines	2	—	—	3
Natural gas pipelines	5	—	—	—
Oil pipelines	—	1	—	1

These assets and investments are located in the Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Utah and Wyoming), the Mid-Continent (Kansas and Oklahoma), North-central Pennsylvania and Texas. WES commenced operation of Train IV in May 2016 and Train V in October 2016, both of which are processing plants at the DBM complex. WES has also made progress payments toward the construction of another cryogenic unit at the DBM complex (“Train VI”). WES is evaluating when construction of Train VI will start and believes the earliest the plant may come online is the fourth quarter of 2017.

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

Basis of presentation. The following table outlines WES’s ownership interests and the accounting method of consolidation used in WES’s consolidated financial statements:



	Percentage Interest
Equity investments ⁽¹⁾
Fort Union	14.81	%
White Cliffs	10	%
Rendezvous	22	%
Mont Belvieu JV	25	%
TEP	20	%
TEG	20	%
FRP	33.33	%
Proportionate consolidation ⁽²⁾
Non-Operated Marcellus Interest systems	33.75	%
Anadarko-Operated Marcellus Interest systems	33.75	%
Newcastle system	50	%
DBJV system	50	%
Springfield system	50.1	%
Full consolidation
Chipeta ⁽³⁾	75	%


⁽¹⁾	Investments in non-controlled entities over which WES exercises significant influence are accounted for under the equity method. “Equity investment throughput” refers to WES’s share of average throughput for these investments.


⁽²⁾	WGP proportionately consolidates WES’s associated share of the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses attributable to these assets.


⁽³⁾	The 25% interest in Chipeta Processing LLC (“Chipeta”) held by a third-party member is reflected within noncontrolling interests in the consolidated financial statements, in addition to the noncontrolling interests noted below.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of WGP and entities in which it holds a controlling financial interest, including WES and WES GP. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

The consolidated financial results of WES are included in WGP’s consolidated financial statements due to WGP’s 100% ownership interest in WES GP and WES GP’s control of WES. Throughout these notes to consolidated financial statements, and to the extent material, any differences between the consolidated financial results of WGP and WES are discussed separately. WGP has no independent operations or material assets other than its partnership interests in WES. WGP’s consolidated financial statements differ from those of WES primarily as a result of (i) the presentation of noncontrolling interest ownership (attributable to the limited partner interests in WES held by the public, other subsidiaries of Anadarko and private investors, see Note 4), (ii) the elimination of WES GP’s investment in WES with WES GP’s underlying capital account, (iii) the general and administrative expenses incurred by WGP, which are separate from, and in addition to, those incurred by WES, (iv) the inclusion of the impact of WGP equity balances and WGP distributions, and (v) WGP’s senior secured revolving credit facility (“WGP RCF”). See Note 9.

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

Variable interest entity. Based on recently adopted guidance noted below in Recently adopted accounting standards, WES is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) because the partners in WES with equity at risk lack the power, through voting or similar rights, to direct the activities that most significantly impact WES’s economic performance. A reporting entity that concludes it has a variable interest in a VIE must evaluate whether it has a controlling financial interest in the VIE, such that it is the VIE’s primary beneficiary and should consolidate. According to the aforementioned recently adopted guidance, WGP is the primary beneficiary of WES and therefore should consolidate because (i) WGP has the power to direct the activities of WES that most significantly affect its economic performance and (ii) WGP has the right to receive benefits or the obligation to absorb losses that could be potentially significant to WES. As noted above, WGP has no independent operations or material assets other than its partnership interests in WES. The assets of WES cannot be used by WGP for general partnership purposes. WES’s long-term debt is recourse to WES GP (wholly owned by WGP). In turn, WES GP is indemnified by wholly owned subsidiaries of Anadarko for any claims made against WES GP under the indentures governing WES’s outstanding notes or borrowings under WES’s senior unsecured revolving credit facility (“WES RCF”). WES’s sources of liquidity include cash and cash equivalents, cash flows generated from operations, interest income on its $260.0 million note receivable from Anadarko, available borrowing capacity under the WES RCF, and issuances of additional equity or debt securities. As further discussed in Note 2, WGP purchased WES common units in connection with WES’s financing of an acquisition from Anadarko in March 2016.

In preparing financial statements in accordance with GAAP, management makes informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Management evaluates its estimates and related assumptions regularly, using historical experience and other methods considered reasonable. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates and actual results may differ from these estimates. Effects on the business, financial condition and results of operations resulting from revisions to estimates are recognized when the facts that give rise to the revisions become known. The information furnished herein reflects all normal recurring adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements, and certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation.

Certain information and note disclosures commonly included in annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with WGP’s 2015 Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on February 25, 2016, certain sections of which were recast to reflect the results of the Springfield interest in WGP’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on June 10, 2016. Management believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading.

Noncontrolling interests. WGP’s noncontrolling interests in the consolidated financial statements consist of the following for all periods presented: (i) the 25% interest in Chipeta held by a third-party member, (ii) the publicly held limited partner interests in WES, (iii) the 2,011,380 WES common units issued by WES to other subsidiaries of Anadarko as part of the consideration paid for the acquisitions of the Non-Operated Marcellus Interest, the TEFR Interests and Springfield (see Note 2), (iv) the WES Class C units issued by WES to a subsidiary of Anadarko as part of the funding for the acquisition of DBM and (v) the WES Series A Preferred units issued to private investors as part of the funding of the Springfield acquisition. See Note 2, Note 3 and Note 4.

When WES issues equity, the carrying amount of the noncontrolling interest reported by WGP is adjusted to reflect the noncontrolling ownership interest in WES. The resulting impact of such noncontrolling interest adjustment on WGP’s interest in WES is reflected as an adjustment to WGP’s partners’ capital.

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

Presentation of WES assets. The term “WES assets” refers to the assets indirectly owned and interests accounted for under the equity method (see Note 7) by WGP through its partnership interests in WES as of September 30, 2016. Because WGP owns the entire interest in and controls WES GP, and WGP GP is owned and controlled by Anadarko, each of WES’s acquisitions of WES assets from Anadarko has been considered a transfer of net assets between entities under common control. As such, WES assets acquired from Anadarko were initially recorded at Anadarko’s historic carrying value, which did not correlate to the total acquisition price paid by WES. Further, after an acquisition of WES assets from Anadarko, WES and WGP (by virtue of its consolidation of WES) may be required to recast their financial statements to include the activities of such WES assets from the date of common control. See Note 2.

For those periods requiring recast, the consolidated financial statements for periods prior to the acquisition of WES assets from Anadarko have been prepared from Anadarko’s historical cost-basis accounts and may not necessarily be indicative of the actual results of operations that would have occurred if WES had owned the WES assets during the periods reported. Net income (loss) attributable to the WES assets acquired from Anadarko for periods prior to WES’s acquisition of the WES assets is not allocated to the limited partners.

Insurance recoveries. Involuntary conversions result from the loss of an asset because of some unforeseen event (e.g., destruction due to fire). Some of these events are insurable and result in property damage insurance recovery. Amounts that are received from insurance carriers are net of any deductibles related to the covered event. A receivable is recorded from insurance to the extent a loss is recognized from an involuntary conversion event and the likelihood of recovering such loss is deemed probable. To the extent that any insurance claim receivables are later judged not probable of recovery (e.g., due to new information), such amounts are expensed. A gain on involuntary conversion is recognized when the amount received from insurance exceeds the net book value of the retired asset(s). In addition, gains related to insurance recoveries are not recognized until all contingencies related to such proceeds have been resolved, that is, a non-refundable cash payment is received from the insurance carrier or there is a binding settlement agreement with the carrier that clearly states that a non-refundable payment will be made. To the extent that an asset is rebuilt, the associated expenditures are capitalized, as appropriate, in the consolidated balance sheets and presented as capital expenditures in the consolidated statements of cash flows. With respect to business interruption insurance claims, income is recognized only when non-refundable cash proceeds are received from insurers, which are presented in the consolidated statements of operations as a component of Operating income (loss).

On December 3, 2015, there was an initial fire and secondary explosion at the processing facility within the DBM complex. The majority of the damage from the incident was to the liquid handling facilities and the amine treating units at the inlet of the complex. Train II (with capacity of 100 MMcf/d) sustained the most damage of the processing trains and is expected to be returned to service by the end of 2016. Train III (with capacity of 200 MMcf/d) experienced minimal damage and returned to full service in May 2016. As of September 30, 2016, and December 31, 2015, the consolidated balance sheets include receivables of $28.8 million and $49.0 million, respectively, for a property insurance claim related to the incident at the DBM complex. As of September 30, 2016, WES had received $34.7 million in cash proceeds from insurers related to the incident at the DBM complex, including $16.3 million in proceeds from business interruption insurance claims and $18.4 million in proceeds from property insurance claims.

Recently adopted accounting standards. Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-06, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260)—Effects on Historical Earnings per Unit of Master Limited Partnership Dropdown Transactions. This ASU provides guidance for the presentation of historical earnings per unit for MLPs that apply the two-class method of calculating earnings per unit. When a general partner transfers or “drops down” net assets to an MLP, the transaction is accounted for as a transaction between entities under common control, and the statements of operations are adjusted retrospectively to reflect the transaction. This ASU specifies that the historical earnings (losses) of a transferred business before the date of a dropdown transaction should be allocated entirely to the general partner, and the previously reported earnings per unit of the limited partners should not change as a result of the dropdown transaction. The ASU also requires additional disclosures about how the rights to the earnings (losses) differ before and after the dropdown transaction occurs for purposes of computing earnings per unit under the two-class method. There was no impact to WGP’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2016.

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

ASU 2015-03, Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30)—Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs and ASU 2015-15, Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30)—Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements. These ASUs require capitalized debt issuance costs, except for those related to revolving credit facilities, to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, rather than as an asset. WGP adopted these ASUs on January 1, 2016, using a retrospective approach. The adoption resulted in a reclassification that reduced Other assets and Long-term debt by $16.7 million on WGP’s consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015. See Note 9.

ASU 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810)—Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis. This ASU amends existing requirements applicable to reporting entities that are required to evaluate consolidation of a legal entity under the VIE or voting interest entity models. The provisions will affect how limited partnerships and similar entities are assessed for consolidation, including an additional requirement that a limited partnership will be a VIE unless the limited partners have either substantive kick-out or participating rights over the general partner. WGP has evaluated the impact of the adoption of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements and determined that WES meets the criteria for a variable interest entity for which WGP is the primary beneficiary for accounting and disclosure purposes. Prior to adoption of this ASU, WES was consolidated by WGP under the voting interest model. After adoption, WES was consolidated by WGP under the variable interest model, thus the adoption of ASU 2015-02 on January 1, 2016, had no impact on WGP’s consolidated financial statements. See Basis of Presentation—Variable interest entity above.

New accounting standards issued but not yet adopted. ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740)—Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This ASU requires an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs and eliminates the exception for an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory. This ASU is effective for annual and interim periods beginning in 2018 and is required to be adopted using a modified retrospective approach, with early adoption permitted. WGP is evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230)—Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. This ASU provides clarification on how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for annual and interim periods beginning in 2018 and is required to be adopted using a retrospective approach if practicable, with early adoption permitted. WGP does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated statement of cash flows.

ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This ASU requires the lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than 12 months on the balance sheet and disclose key information about their leasing transactions. This ASU is effective for annual and interim periods beginning in 2019. WGP is evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU supersedes current revenue recognition requirements. The codification was amended through additional ASUs and, as amended, requires an entity to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. WGP is required to adopt the new standard in the first quarter of 2018 using one of two retrospective application methods. WGP is continuing to evaluate the provisions of this ASU and has not determined the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures or decided upon the method of adoption.