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Transactions with Affiliates
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Related Party Fees and Other Arrangements, Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP) [Abstract]  
Transactions with Affiliates
5.  TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Affiliate transactions. Revenues from affiliates include amounts earned by WES from services provided to Anadarko as well as from the sale of residue and NGLs to Anadarko. In addition, WES purchases natural gas from an affiliate of Anadarko pursuant to gas purchase agreements. Operation and maintenance expense includes amounts accrued for or paid to affiliates for the operation of WES assets, whether in providing services to affiliates or to third parties, including field labor, measurement and analysis, and other disbursements. A portion of general and administrative expenses is paid by Anadarko, which results in affiliate transactions pursuant to the reimbursement provisions of the omnibus agreements of WES and WGP. Affiliate expenses do not bear a direct relationship to affiliate revenues, and third-party expenses do not bear a direct relationship to third-party revenues. See Note 2 for further information related to contributions of assets to WES by Anadarko.

Cash management. Anadarko operates a cash management system whereby excess cash from most of its subsidiaries’ separate bank accounts is generally swept to centralized accounts. Prior to the acquisition of WES assets, third-party sales and purchases related to such assets were received or paid in cash by Anadarko within its centralized cash management system. The outstanding affiliate balances were entirely settled through an adjustment to net investment by Anadarko in connection with the acquisition of WES assets. Subsequent to the acquisition of WES assets from Anadarko, transactions related to such assets are cash-settled directly with third parties and with Anadarko affiliates. Chipeta cash settles its transactions directly with third parties and Anadarko, as well as with the other subsidiaries of WES.

Note receivable - Anadarko. Concurrently with the closing of WES’s May 2008 initial public offering, WES loaned $260.0 million to Anadarko in exchange for a 30-year note bearing interest at a fixed annual rate of 6.50%, payable quarterly. The fair value of the note receivable from Anadarko was $313.2 million and $313.3 million at September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively. The fair value of the note reflects consideration of credit risk and any premium or discount for the differential between the stated interest rate and quarter-end market interest rate, based on quoted market prices of similar debt instruments. Accordingly, the fair value of the note receivable from Anadarko is measured using Level 2 inputs.

WGP working capital facility. On November 1, 2012, WGP entered into a $30.0 million working capital facility (the “WGP WCF”) with Anadarko as the lender. The WGP WCF is available exclusively to fund WGP’s working capital borrowings. The WGP WCF will mature on November 1, 2017. See Note 9.

Commodity price swap agreements. WES has commodity price swap agreements with Anadarko to mitigate exposure to a majority of the commodity price risk inherent in its percent-of-proceeds and keep-whole contracts. Notional volumes for each of the commodity price swap agreements are not specifically defined. Instead, the commodity price swap agreements apply to the actual volume of natural gas, condensate and NGLs purchased and sold. The commodity price swap agreements do not satisfy the definition of a derivative financial instrument and, therefore, are not required to be measured at fair value.

5.  TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES (CONTINUED)

The following table summarizes gains and losses upon settlement of WES’s commodity price swap agreements recognized in the consolidated statements of operations:
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended 
 September 30,
thousands
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Gains (losses) on commodity price swap agreements related to sales: (1)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Natural gas sales
 
$
6,284

 
$
719

 
$
12,022

 
$
12,962

Natural gas liquids sales
 
(7,210
)
 
15,939

 
(9,680
)
 
56,489

Total
 
(926
)
 
16,658

 
2,342

 
69,451

Gains (losses) on commodity price swap agreements related to purchases (2)
 
(117
)
 
(9,248
)
 
(2,928
)
 
(45,032
)
Net gains (losses) on commodity price swap agreements
 
$
(1,043
)
 
$
7,410

 
$
(586
)
 
$
24,419

                                                                                                                                                                                    
(1) 
Reported in affiliate Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales in the consolidated statements of operations in the period in which the related sale is recorded.
(2) 
Reported in Cost of product in the consolidated statements of operations in the period in which the related purchase is recorded.

Revenues or costs attributable to volumes settled during 2016 and 2017 for the DJ Basin complex and 2017 for the MGR assets are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations at the applicable market price in the tables below. WES also records a capital contribution from Anadarko in its consolidated statement of equity and partners’ capital for the amount by which the swap price exceeds the applicable market price in the tables below. The commodity price swap agreement for the Hugoton system was in place until its divestiture in October 2016. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the capital contribution from Anadarko was $46.7 million. The tables below summarize the swap prices compared to the forward market prices:
 
 
DJ Basin Complex
per barrel except natural gas
 
2016 - 2017 Swap Prices
 
2016 Market Prices (1)
 
2017 Market Prices (1)
Ethane
 
$
18.41

 
$
0.60

 
$
5.09

Propane
 
47.08

 
10.98

 
18.85

Isobutane
 
62.09

 
17.23

 
26.83

Normal butane
 
54.62

 
16.86

 
26.20

Natural gasoline
 
72.88

 
26.15

 
41.84

Condensate
 
76.47

 
34.65

 
45.40

Natural gas (per MMBtu)
 
5.96

 
2.11

 
3.05

                                                                                                                                                                                    
(1) 
Represents the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) forward strip price as of December 8, 2015 and December 1, 2016, for the 2016 Market Prices and 2017 Market Prices, respectively, adjusted for product specification, location, basis and, in the case of NGLs, transportation and fractionation costs.

5.  TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES (CONTINUED)
 
 
MGR Assets
per barrel except natural gas
 
2016 - 2017 Swap Prices
 
2017 Market Prices (1)
Ethane
 
$
23.11

 
$
4.08

Propane
 
52.90

 
19.24

Isobutane
 
73.89

 
25.79

Normal butane
 
64.93

 
25.16

Natural gasoline
 
81.68

 
45.01

Condensate
 
81.68

 
53.55

Natural gas (per MMBtu)
 
4.87

 
3.05

                                                                                                                                                                                    
(1) 
Represents the NYMEX forward strip price as of December 1, 2016, adjusted for product specification, location, basis and, in the case of NGLs, transportation and fractionation costs.

Gathering and processing agreements. WES has significant gathering and processing arrangements with affiliates of Anadarko on a majority of its systems. WES’s natural gas gathering, treating and transportation throughput (excluding equity investment throughput) attributable to production owned or controlled by Anadarko was 33% and 34% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, and 37% and 38% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. WES’s natural gas processing throughput (excluding equity investment throughput) attributable to production owned or controlled by Anadarko was 39% and 42% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, and 51% and 55% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. WES’s crude, NGL and produced water gathering, treating and transportation throughput (excluding equity investment throughput) attributable to production owned or controlled by Anadarko was 54% and 50% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, and 67% and 64% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively.

Commodity purchase and sale agreements. WES sells a significant amount of its natural gas, condensate and NGLs to Anadarko Energy Services Company (“AESC”), Anadarko’s marketing affiliate. In addition, WES purchases natural gas, condensate and NGLs from AESC pursuant to purchase agreements. WES’s purchase and sale agreements with AESC are generally one-year contracts, subject to annual renewal.

Acquisitions from Anadarko. On March 14, 2016, WES acquired Springfield from Anadarko (see Note 2).

5.  TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES (CONTINUED)

WGP LTIP. WGP GP awards phantom units under the Western Gas Equity Partners, LP 2012 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“WGP LTIP”) to its independent directors and executive officers. The phantom units awarded to the independent directors vest one year from the grant date, while awards granted to executive officers are subject to graded vesting over a three-year service period. Compensation expense under the WGP LTIP is recognized over the vesting period and was $63,000 and $0.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, and $57,000 and $0.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively.

WGP LTIP and Anadarko Incentive Plan. General and administrative expenses included $1.2 million and $3.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, and $1.4 million and $3.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, of equity-based compensation expense, allocated to WES by Anadarko, for awards granted to the executive officers of WES GP and other employees under the WGP LTIP and the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 2012 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (“Anadarko Incentive Plan”). Of this amount, $3.3 million is reflected as contributions to partners’ capital in the consolidated statement of equity and partners’ capital for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

WES LTIP. WES GP awards phantom units under the Western Gas Partners, LP 2008 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“WES LTIP”) primarily to its independent directors, but also from time to time to its executive officers and Anadarko employees performing services for WES. The phantom units awarded to the independent directors vest one year from the grant date, while all other awards are subject to graded vesting over a three-year service period. Compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period and was $0.1 million for each of the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, and $0.3 million for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.

Equipment purchases and sales. The following table summarizes WES’s purchases from and sales to Anadarko of pipe and equipment:
 
 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
thousands
 
Purchases
 
Sales
Cash consideration
 
$
3,910

 
$
3,965

 
$

 
$
623

Net carrying value
 
(5,283
)
 
(3,366
)
 

 
(605
)
Partners’ capital adjustment
 
$
(1,373
)
 
$
599

 
$

 
$
18


Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates. On certain of WES’s capital projects, Anadarko is obligated to reimburse WES for all or a portion of project capital expenditures. The majority of such arrangements are associated with projects related to pipeline construction activities and production well tie-ins. The cash receipts resulting from such reimbursements are presented as “Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates” within the investing section of the consolidated statements of cash flows.

5.  TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES (CONTINUED)

Summary of affiliate transactions. The following table summarizes material affiliate transactions. See Note 2 for discussion of affiliate acquisitions and related funding.
 
 
Three Months Ended 
 September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended 
 September 30,
thousands
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Revenues and other (1)
 
$
351,127

 
$
325,312

 
$
982,595

 
$
900,301

Equity income, net – affiliates (1)
 
21,519

 
20,294

 
62,708

 
56,801

Cost of product (1)
 
22,902

 
21,254

 
60,497

 
67,979

Operation and maintenance (2)
 
18,110

 
15,052

 
53,661

 
50,688

General and administrative (3)
 
10,414

 
9,655

 
29,637

 
28,179

Operating expenses
 
51,426

 
45,961

 
143,795

 
146,846

Interest income (4)
 
4,225

 
4,225

 
12,675

 
12,675

Interest expense (5)
 

 
(1,173
)
 
71

 
(12,097
)
Settlement of the Deferred purchase price obligation – Anadarko (6)
 

 

 
(37,346
)
 

Distributions to WGP unitholders (7)
 
94,205

 
77,462

 
264,533

 
235,587

Distributions to WES unitholders (8)
 
1,790

 
1,670

 
5,280

 
3,915

Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko
 
18,049

 
18,417

 
46,719

 
34,782

(1) 
Represents amounts earned or incurred on and subsequent to the date of the acquisition of WES assets, as well as amounts earned or incurred by Anadarko on a historical basis related to WES assets prior to the acquisition of such assets by WES, recognized under gathering, treating or processing agreements, and purchase and sale agreements.
(2) 
Represents expenses incurred on and subsequent to the date of the acquisition of WES assets, as well as expenses incurred by Anadarko on a historical basis related to WES assets prior to the acquisition of such assets by WES.
(3) 
Represents general and administrative expense incurred on and subsequent to the date of WES’s acquisition of WES assets, as well as a management services fee for reimbursement of expenses incurred by Anadarko for periods prior to the acquisition of WES assets by WES. These amounts include equity-based compensation expense allocated to WES and WGP by Anadarko (see WES LTIP and WGP LTIP and Anadarko Incentive Plan within this Note 5) and amounts charged by Anadarko under the WGP and WES omnibus agreements.
(4) 
Represents interest income recognized on the note receivable from Anadarko.
(5) 
Includes amounts related to WES’s Deferred purchase price obligation - Anadarko (see Note 2 and Note 9).
(6) 
Represents the cash payment to Anadarko for the settlement of the Deferred purchase price obligation - Anadarko (see Note 2).
(7) 
Represents distributions paid under WGP’s partnership agreement (see Note 3 and Note 4).
(8) 
Represents distributions paid to other subsidiaries of Anadarko under WES’s partnership agreement (see Note 3 and Note 4).

Concentration of credit risk. Anadarko was the only customer from whom revenues exceeded 10% of consolidated revenues for all periods presented in the consolidated statements of operations.