Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

(a) Basis of Presentation

These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) applicable to interim financial information and should be read in the context of the December 31, 2016 combined consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for a more complete understanding of the Partnership’s operations, financial position, and accounting policies.  The December 31, 2016 combined consolidated financial statements have been filed with the SEC in the Partnership’s 2016 Form 10-K.

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Partnership have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information, and, accordingly, do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring accruals) considered necessary to present fairly the Partnership’s financial position as of December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2017, the results of its operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017, and its cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2017. The Partnership has no items of other comprehensive income or loss; therefore, its net income or loss is identical to its comprehensive income or loss.

Certain costs of doing business that are incurred by Antero Resources on our behalf have been reflected in the condensed consolidated financial statements. These costs include general and administrative expenses attributed to us by Antero Resources in exchange for:

· business services, such as payroll, accounts payable and facilities management;

· corporate services, such as finance and accounting, legal, human resources, investor relations and public and regulatory policy; and

· employee compensation, including equity‑based compensation.

Transactions between us and Antero Resources have been identified in the condensed consolidated financial statements (see Note 3—Related Party Transactions).

As of the date these condensed consolidated financial statements were filed with the SEC, the Partnership completed its evaluation of potential subsequent events for disclosure and no items requiring disclosure were identified, except the declaration of a cash distribution to unitholders, as described in Note 7—Partnership Equity and Distributions, and the amended and restated credit facility entered into in October 2017, as described in Note 4—Long-Term Debt.

Revenue Recognition

(b)Revenue Recognition

We provide gathering and compression and water handling and treatment services under fee-based contracts based on throughput or cost plus a margin. Under these arrangements, we receive fees for gathering oil and gas products, compression services, and water handling and treatment services. We recognize revenue when all of the following criteria are met: (1) persuasive evidence of an agreement exists, (2) services have been rendered, (3) prices are fixed or determinable and (4) collectability is reasonably assured.

Use of Estimates

(c) Use of Estimates

The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes in conformity with GAAP requires that management formulate estimates and assumptions that affect revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Items subject to estimates and assumptions include the useful lives of property and equipment and valuation of accrued liabilities, among others. Although management believes these estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

(d)Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider all liquid investments purchased with an initial maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

Property and Equipment

(e)Property and Equipment

Property and equipment primarily consists of gathering pipelines, compressor stations and fresh water delivery pipelines and facilities stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. We capitalize construction-related direct labor and material costs. We also capitalize interest on capital costs related to the water treatment facility currently under construction. Maintenance and repair costs are expensed as incurred.

Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives and salvage values of assets. The depreciation of fixed assets recorded under capital lease agreements is included in depreciation expense. Uncertainties that may impact these estimates of useful lives include, among others, changes in laws and regulations relating to environmental matters, including air and water quality, restoration and abandonment requirements, economic conditions, and supply and demand for our services in the areas in which we operate. When assets are placed into service, management makes estimates with respect to useful lives and salvage values that management believes are reasonable. However, subsequent events could cause a change in estimates, thereby impacting future depreciation amounts.

Our investment in property and equipment was as follows as of December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2017 (in thousands):

	Estimated useful lives	December 31, 2016		September 30, 2017
Land	n/a	$	11,338		14,850
Fresh water surface pipelines and equipment	5 years		39,562		46,183
Above ground storage tanks	10 years		4,301		4,301
Fresh water permanent buried pipelines and equipment	20 years		443,453		472,012
Gathering systems and facilities	20 years		1,551,771		1,774,221
Construction-in-progress	n/a		400,096		539,883
Total property and equipment			2,450,521		2,851,450
Less accumulated depreciation			(254,642)		(343,246)
Property and equipment, net		$	2,195,879		2,508,204

Equity-Based Compensation

(f)Equity‑Based Compensation

Our condensed consolidated financial statements reflect various equity-based compensation awards granted by Antero Resources, as well as equity-based compensation awards associated with our own plan. These awards include restricted stock, stock options, and phantom units. For purposes of these condensed consolidated financial statements, we recognized as expense in each period an amount allocated from Antero Resources, with the offset included in partners’ capital. See Note 3—Related Party Transactions for additional information regarding Antero Resources’ allocation of expenses to us.

Our predecessor general partner adopted the Antero Midstream Partners LP Long-Term Incentive Plan (“Midstream LTIP”), pursuant to which certain non-employee directors of our general partner and certain officers, employees and consultants of our general partner and its affiliates are eligible to receive awards representing equity interests in the Partnership. An aggregate of 10,000,000 common units may be delivered pursuant to awards under the Midstream LTIP, subject to customary adjustments. For accounting purposes, these units are treated as if they are distributed from us to Antero Resources. Antero Resources recognizes compensation expense for the units awarded to its employees and a portion of that expense is allocated to us. See Note 6—Equity-Based Compensation.

Income Taxes

(g)Income Taxes

Our condensed consolidated financial statements do not include a provision for income taxes as we are treated as a partnership for federal and state income tax purposes, with each partner being separately taxed on its share of taxable income.

Fair Value Measures

(h)Fair Value Measures

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, clarifies the definition of fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. This guidance also relates to all nonfinancial assets and liabilities that are not recognized or disclosed on a recurring basis (e.g., the initial recognition of asset retirement obligations and impairments of long‑lived assets). The fair value is the price that we estimate would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A fair value hierarchy is used to prioritize inputs to valuation techniques used to estimate fair value. An asset or liability subject to the fair value requirements is categorized within the hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to the asset or liability. The highest priority (Level 1) is given to unadjusted quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, and the lowest priority (Level 3) is given to unobservable inputs. Level 2 inputs are data, other than quoted prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

Investment in Unconsolidated Entities

(i) Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliates

The Partnership uses the equity method to account for its investments in companies if the investment provides the Partnership with the ability to exercise significant influence over, but not control, the operating and financial policies of the investee. The Partnership’s consolidated net income includes the Partnership’s proportionate share of the net income or loss of such companies. The Partnership’s judgment regarding the level of influence over each equity method investee includes considering key factors such as the Partnership’s ownership interest, representation on the board of directors and participation in policy-making decisions of the investee and material intercompany transactions. See Note 11–Equity Method Investments.