Equity Method Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Equity Method Investments [Table Text Block]

Cash distributions received from equity method investments consist of the following (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
White Cliffs	$	77,511	$	88,839	$	86,845
Glass Mountain	18,011		10,456		13,623
NGL Energy	—		4,873		19,074
Total cash distributions received from equity method investments	$	95,522	$	104,168	$	119,542

Our earnings from equity method investments consist of the following (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2017			2016		2015
White Cliffs	$	59,851		$	69,007	$	70,238
Glass Mountain	7,494			2,562		6,117
NGL Energy(1)	(14		)	2,188		5,031
Total earnings from equity method investments	$	67,331		$	73,757	$	81,386

(1) Excluding a loss on issuance of common units of $41.0 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2016, and a gain on the issuance of common units of $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Our equity method investments consist of the following (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2017		2016
White Cliffs	$	266,362	$	281,734
Glass Mountain	—		133,622
NGL Energy	18,919		18,933
Total equity method investments	$	285,281	$	434,289