Basis of Presentation and Description of Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Basis of Presentation and Description of Business [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Description of Business	1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS Organization Green Plains Partners, a master limited partnership, was formed by Green Plains Inc. in March 2015 and began operations in July 2015 in connection with its IPO of 11,500,000 common units representing limited partner interests. References to “we,” “our,” “us” or the “partnership” refer to Green Plains Partners LP and its subsidiaries. Green Plains Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Plains Inc., serves as the general partner of the partnership. References to (i) “the general partner” and “Green Plains Holdings” refer to Green Plains Holdings LLC; (ii) “the parent,” “the sponsor” and “Green Plains” refer to Green Plains Inc.; and (iii) “Green Plains Trade” refers to Green Plains Trade Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Plains. Consolidated Financial Statements The consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with GAAP, include the accounts of the Green Plains Partners LP and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated on a consolidated basis for reporting purposes. In February 2017, the partnership and Delek Renewables LLC formed NLR Energy Logistics LLC, a 50/50 joint venture, to build an ethanol unit train terminal in the Little Rock, Arkansas area with capacity to unload 110-car unit trains and provide approximately 100,000 barrels of storage. Operations commenced at the beginning of the second quarter of 2018 and the first unit train was received in July 2018. The NLR investment is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Under this method, an investment is recorded at the acquisition cost plus the partnership’s share of equity in undistributed earnings or losses since acquisition, and reduced by distributions received and the amortization of excess net investment. The partnership’s proportionate share of the equity investments’ earnings or losses are reported on a one-month lag as a separate line item in the consolidated financial statements. On November 15, 2018, Green Plains closed on the sale of three of its ethanol plants located in Bluffton, Indiana, Lakota, Iowa, and Riga, Michigan to Valero Renewable Fuels Company, LLC (“Valero”). Correspondingly, the partnership’s storage assets located adjacent to such plants were sold to Green Plains for $120.9 million. As consideration, the partnership received from its parent 8.7 million Green Plains units and a portion of the general partner interest equating to 0.2 million equivalent limited partner units to maintain the general partner’s 2% interest. These units were retired upon receipt. In addition, the partnership also received cash consideration of $2.7 million from Valero for the assignment of certain railcar operating leases. On November 15, 2018, Green Plains announced the permanent closure of its ethanol plant located in Hopewell, Virginia. The closure did not affect the partnership’s quarterly storage and throughput minimum volume commitment with Green Plains Trade or the current transload operations at that location. Reclassifications Certain prior year amounts were reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications did not affect total revenues, costs and expenses, net income, or partners’ deficit. Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements Preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The partnership bases its estimates on historical experience and assumptions it believes are proper and reasonable under the circumstances. The partnership regularly evaluates the appropriateness of these estimates and assumptions. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Key accounting policies, including, but not limited to, those related to revenue recognition, leases, depreciation of property and equipment, asset retirement obligations, and impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill are impacted significantly by judgments, assumptions and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements. Description of Business The partnership provides fuel storage and transportation services by owning, operating, developing and acquiring ethanol and fuel storage terminals, transportation assets and other related assets and businesses. The partnership is its parent’s primary downstream logistics provider to support the parent’s approximately 1.1 bgy ethanol marketing and distribution business since the partnership’s assets are the principal method of storing and delivering the ethanol the parent produces. The ethanol produced by the parent is fuel grade, made principally from starch extracted from corn, and is primarily used for blending with gasoline. Ethanol currently comprises approximately 10% of the U.S. gasoline market and is an economical source of octane and oxygenates for blending into the fuel supply. The partnership does not take ownership of, or receive any payments based on the value of the ethanol or other fuels it handles; as a result, the partnership does not have any direct exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices.

Basis of Presentation and Description of Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Basis of Presentation and Description of Business [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Description of Business

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Organization

Green Plains Partners, a master limited partnership, was formed by Green Plains Inc. in March 2015 and began operations in July 2015 in connection with its IPO of 11,500,000 common units representing limited partner interests.

References to “we,” “our,” “us” or the “partnership” refer to Green Plains Partners LP and its subsidiaries.

Green Plains Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Plains Inc., serves as the general partner of the partnership. References to (i) “the general partner” and “Green Plains Holdings” refer to Green Plains Holdings LLC; (ii) “the parent,” “the sponsor” and “Green Plains” refer to Green Plains Inc.; and (iii) “Green Plains Trade” refers to Green Plains Trade Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Plains.

Consolidated Financial Statements

The consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with GAAP, include the accounts of the Green Plains Partners LP and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated on a consolidated basis for reporting purposes.

In February 2017, the partnership and Delek Renewables LLC formed NLR Energy Logistics LLC, a 50/50 joint venture, to build an ethanol unit train terminal in the Little Rock, Arkansas area with capacity to unload 110-car unit trains and provide approximately 100,000 barrels of storage. Operations commenced at the beginning of the second quarter of 2018 and the first unit train was received in July 2018.

The NLR investment is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Under this method, an investment is recorded at the acquisition cost plus the partnership’s share of equity in undistributed earnings or losses since acquisition, and reduced by distributions received and the amortization of excess net investment. The partnership’s proportionate share of the equity investments’ earnings or losses are reported on a one-month lag as a separate line item in the consolidated financial statements.

On November 15, 2018, Green Plains closed on the sale of three of its ethanol plants located in Bluffton, Indiana, Lakota, Iowa, and Riga, Michigan to Valero Renewable Fuels Company, LLC (“Valero”). Correspondingly, the partnership’s storage assets located adjacent to such plants were sold to Green Plains for $120.9 million. As consideration, the partnership received from its parent 8.7 million Green Plains units and a portion of the general partner interest equating to 0.2 million equivalent limited partner units to maintain the general partner’s 2% interest. These units were retired upon receipt. In addition, the partnership also received cash consideration of $2.7 million from Valero for the assignment of certain railcar operating leases.

On November 15, 2018, Green Plains announced the permanent closure of its ethanol plant located in Hopewell, Virginia. The closure did not affect the partnership’s quarterly storage and throughput minimum volume commitment with Green Plains Trade or the current transload operations at that location.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts were reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications did not affect total revenues, costs and expenses, net income, or partners’ deficit.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements

Preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The partnership bases its estimates on historical experience and assumptions it believes are proper and reasonable under the circumstances. The partnership regularly evaluates the appropriateness of these estimates and assumptions. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Key accounting policies, including, but not limited to, those related to revenue recognition, leases, depreciation of property and equipment, asset retirement obligations, and impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill are impacted significantly by judgments, assumptions and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements.

Description of Business

The partnership provides fuel storage and transportation services by owning, operating, developing and acquiring ethanol and fuel storage terminals, transportation assets and other related assets and businesses. The partnership is its parent’s primary downstream logistics provider to support the parent’s approximately 1.1 bgy ethanol marketing and distribution business since the partnership’s assets are the principal method of storing and delivering the ethanol the parent produces. The ethanol produced by the parent is fuel grade, made principally from starch extracted from corn, and is primarily used for blending with gasoline. Ethanol currently comprises approximately 10% of the U.S. gasoline market and is an economical source of octane and oxygenates for blending into the fuel supply. The partnership does not take ownership of, or receive any payments based on the value of the ethanol or other fuels it handles; as a result, the partnership does not have any direct exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices.