e424b3
The
information in this preliminary prospectus supplement is not
complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus
supplement and the attached prospectus are not an offer to sell
these securities, and we are not soliciting an offer to buy
these securities, in any state where the offer or sale is not
permitted.
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Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333-141809
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PRELIMINARY
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
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SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION
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July 23,
2007
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(To
Prospectus Dated July 23, 2007)
10,000,000
Common Units
Representing
Limited Partner Interests
We are selling 10,000,000 common units representing limited
partner interests in Regency Energy Partners LP. Our common
units trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol
RGNC. The last reported sales price of our common
units on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on July 19, 2007
was $34.12 per common unit.
Investing in our common units involves risks. Please read
Risk Factors beginning on
page S-14
of this prospectus supplement and on page 4 of the
accompanying prospectus.
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Per Common
Unit
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Total
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Public offering price
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$
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$
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Underwriting discount
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$
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$
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Proceeds to us (before expenses)
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$
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$
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We have granted the underwriters a
30-day
option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 common units
from us on the same terms and conditions as set forth above if
the underwriters sell more than 10,000,000 common units in this
offering.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved these
securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The underwriters expect to deliver the common units on or
about ,
2007.
Joint
Book-Running Managers
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UBS
Investment Bank |
Goldman,
Sachs & Co. |
Morgan
Stanley |
This document is in two parts. The first part is the prospectus
supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering
of common units. The second part is the accompanying prospectus,
which gives more general information, some of which may not
apply to the common units. If the information relating to the
offering varies between the prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus, you should rely on the information in
this prospectus supplement.
You should rely only on the information contained in or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to
provide you with additional or different information. If anyone
provides you with additional, different or inconsistent
information, you should not rely on it. We are offering to sell
the common units, and seeking offers to buy the common units,
only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. You
should not assume that the information contained in this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is accurate
as of any date other than the date on the front of those
documents or that any information we have incorporated by
reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the
document incorporated by reference. Our business, financial
condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed
since such dates.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Page
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Prospectus Supplement
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S-1
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S-6
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S-8
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S-11
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S-14
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S-15
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S-16
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S-17
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S-18
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S-23
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S-25
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S-29
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S-29
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S-30
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S-31
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S-31
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Prospectus dated July 23,
2007
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About This Prospectus
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1
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Regency Energy Partners LP
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1
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Cautionary Statement Concerning
Forward-Looking Statements
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2
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Risk Factors
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4
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Use Of Proceeds
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23
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Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
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Description of Our Common Units
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24
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Description of Our Debt Securities
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25
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How We Make Cash Distributions
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35
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Material Provisions of the
Partnership Agreement of Regency Energy Partners LP
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43
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Material Tax Consequences
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54
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Plan of Distribution
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68
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Legal Matters
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69
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Experts
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69
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Where You can Find More Information
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69
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Incorporation of Certain Documents
by Reference
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69
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i
Summary
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in
this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. It
does not contain all of the information you should consider
before making an investment decision. You should read the entire
prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the
documents incorporated by reference and the other documents to
which we refer for a more complete understanding of this
offering. Please read the section entitled Risk
Factors on page 4 of the accompanying prospectus for
more information about important factors that you should
consider before buying our common units in this offering.
References in this prospectus supplement to Regency
Energy Partners, the Partnership,
we, our, us and similar
terms, refer to Regency Energy Partners LP and its subsidiaries.
References to our general partner or the
General Partner refer to Regency GP LP, the general
partner of the Partnership. References to the Managing
General Partner refer to Regency GP LLC, the general
partner of the General Partner, which effectively manages the
business and affairs of the Partnership. Unless we indicate
otherwise, the information presented in this prospectus
supplement assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their
option to purchase additional common units.
REGENCY ENERGY
PARTNERS LP
We are a growth-oriented, publicly-traded Delaware limited
partnership engaged in the gathering, processing, transportation
and marketing of natural gas. We provide these services through
systems located in Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and
Colorado. The Partnership was formed in September 2005 to
capitalize on opportunities in the midstream sector of the
natural gas industry.
We divide our operations into two business segments:
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Gathering and Processing: in which we provide
wellhead-to-market services to producers of natural
gas, which include transporting raw natural gas from the
wellhead through gathering systems, treating to remove
impurities such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide,
processing raw natural gas to separate natural gas liquids, or
NGLs, from the raw natural gas and selling or delivering the
pipeline-quality natural gas and NGLs to various markets and
pipeline systems; and
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Transportation: in which we deliver natural
gas from northwest Louisiana to more favorable markets in
northeast Louisiana through our 320-mile Regency Intrastate
Pipeline system.
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All of our assets are located in well-established areas of
natural gas production that are characterized by long-lived,
predictable reserves. These areas are generally experiencing
increased levels of natural gas exploration, development and
production activities as a result of strong demand for natural
gas, attractive recent discoveries, infill drilling
opportunities and the implementation of new exploration and
production techniques.
For the year ended December 31, 2006 and the three months
ended March 31, 2007, we generated $896.9 million and
$256.4 million of revenue, respectively, and
$69.6 million and $25.0 million of EBITDA,
respectively. For a definition of EBITDA and a reconciliation to
the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and
presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, or GAAP, please read Non-GAAP financial
measures.
CHANGE OF CONTROL
OF REGENCY ENERGY PARTNERS
On June 18, 2007, GE Energy Financial Services, or GE EFS,
a unit of General Electric Company, or GE, indirectly acquired
100% of the general and limited partner interests in our General
Partner as well as 17,763,809 subordinated units, representing
37.3% of the common and subordinated units outstanding, or 37.0%
after giving effect to the contemporaneous awards of 355,000
restricted units under our long-term incentive plan. Pursuant to
this acquisition, which we refer to as the GP Acquisition,
GE EFS acquired 91.3% of both the member interest in our
Managing General Partner and the outstanding limited partner
interests in our General Partner from an affiliate of HM Capital
Partners LLC. GE EFS also indirectly acquired from members of
our management the remaining 8.7%
S-1
of the member interest in the Managing General Partner and the
remaining 8.7% of the outstanding limited partner interests in
our General Partner. In addition, also as a result of this
acquisition, GE EFS acquired 17,763,809 subordinated units
in us, of which 1,222,717 subordinated units were owned directly
or indirectly by certain members of our management team. Members
of our management team re-acquired or agreed to acquire
interests in an affiliate of GE EFS that entitle them to an
indirect 8.2% ownership interest in the Managing General Partner
and the General Partner, as well as approximately 58,000
subordinated units.
As a result of these acquisitions and contemporaneous awards
under our Long-Term Incentive Plan, GE EFS owns
(i) 37.0% of our limited partner interests, (ii) the
2% general partner interest in us, and (iii) the right to
receive the incentive distributions associated with the general
partner interest. As a result of its ownership of our Managing
General Partner, GE EFS appoints all of the directors of our
Managing General Partner and has appointed five directors to
serve on the board of directors. Four partners of HM Capital
Partners LLC and two others resigned as directors concurrently
with the GP Acquisition, and our chief executive officer
and two independent directors remained on the board of directors
of our Managing General Partner.
This change of control caused all outstanding unvested option
and restricted unit awards under our Long-Term Incentive Plan to
vest. As a result, we will record a non-cash charge of
approximately $11.5 million to our results of operations
for the quarter ending June 30, 2007.
OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH GENERAL ELECTRIC
As a result of the GP Acquisition, we now have a relationship
with GE and GE EFS that we believe will benefit us in making
acquisitions from both GE EFS and third-parties. GE EFS has
approximately $14 billion of assets and invested more than
$5 billion in the energy and water industries during 2006.
GE EFSs energy asset base includes interests in Bobcat
Natural Gas Storagean underground natural gas storage
facility in the Gulf Coast and 20,000 miles of natural gas
pipelines in North America, including (i) Southern Star
Centrala natural gas transmission system located in the
central U.S., (ii) SourceGasa local natural gas
distribution company in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and
Hermosillo, Mexico and (iii) a natural gas gathering and
processing system located in the Hugoton Basin.
Although GE EFS has not committed, and has no obligation, to
sell assets to us or to promote our interests, GE EFS has
indicated that it intends to use us as a platform for its future
investment in and commitment to growth in the midstream sector.
We intend to pursue acquisitions of assets from GE EFS at
accretive valuations and believe GE EFS has an incentive to sell
assets at such valuations given its economic interests in us.
Additionally, we believe we will benefit from GE EFSs
financial strength, experience and commitment to growth in the
midstream sector as we will be able to pursue additional
strategic opportunities, including third-party acquisitions
and/or
organic growth initiatives, because of our access to GE and
GE EFSs industry expertise, market opportunities,
and, potentially, capital.
BUSINESS
STRATEGIES
Our management team is dedicated to increasing the amount of
cash available for distribution to each outstanding unit while
maintaining a strong balance sheet. We intend to achieve this by
executing the following strategies:
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Pursuing strategic acquisitions of midstream assets from GE
EFS. GE EFSs energy asset base is
considerably larger than our own and includes midstream assets
that we believe are strategically aligned with our existing
operations or provide attractive operations in new regions. GE
EFS has not committed to and does not have any obligation to
sell assets to us.
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Utilizing our relationship with GE EFS to facilitate
acquisitions from third parties. We intend to
pursue strategic acquisitions of midstream assets from third
parties in or near our current areas of
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S-2
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operation that offer the opportunity for operational
efficiencies and the potential for increased utilization and
expansion of those assets. We also intend to pursue
opportunities in new regions with significant natural gas
reserves and high levels of drilling activity. We believe our
relationship with GE EFS will provide increased access to such
opportunities.
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Maximizing the profitability of our existing
assets. We intend to increase the profitability
of our existing asset base by actively controlling and reducing
operating costs, identifying new business opportunities, scaling
our operations by adding new volumes of natural gas supplies,
and undertaking additional initiatives to enhance efficiency.
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Implementing cost-effective organic growth
opportunities. We intend to build natural gas
gathering assets, processing facilities and transportation lines
that will enhance our existing systems, further our ability to
aggregate supply, and enable us to access premium markets for
that supply. Where applicable, we will seek to coordinate each
expansion with the needs of significant producers in the area to
mitigate speculative risk associated with securing through-put
volumes.
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Continuing to reduce our exposure to commodity price
risk. We operate our business in a manner
designed to allow us to generate stable cash flows while
mitigating the impact of fluctuations in commodity prices.
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Improving our credit ratings. We are committed
to achieving an investment grade rating on our debt. Our current
Corporate Family Rating from Moodys is B1, and our current
Corporate Credit Rating from Standard & Poors is
B+.
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COMPETITIVE
STRENGTHS
We believe that we are well positioned to execute our business
strategies and to compete in the natural gas gathering,
processing, marketing and transportation businesses based on the
following competitive strengths:
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Our acquisition strategy and growth opportunities will
benefit from our affiliation with GE EFS. As
indicated above, we believe our affiliation with GE EFS enhances
our ability to consummate accretive acquisitions and capitalize
on market opportunities.
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We have the financial flexibility and adequate access to
capital to pursue acquisition and organic growth
opportunities. We remain committed to maintaining
a capital structure that will afford us the financial strength
to fund expansion projects and other attractive investment
opportunities. We believe our relationship with GE increases our
access to capital and enables us to pursue strategic
opportunities that we may otherwise not be able to pursue. In
addition, we have sufficient liquidity under our credit facility
to fund our near term growth capital requirements.
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We have a significant market presence in major natural gas
supply areas. We have a significant market
presence in each of our operating areas, which are located in
some of the largest and most prolific gas-producing regions of
the United States: the Louisiana-Mississippi-Alabama Salt basin
in north Louisiana, the Permian basin of west Texas, the Hugoton
and Anadarko basins in the mid-continent area, the East Texas
basin and Edwards, Olmos and Wilcox trends in south Texas. Our
geographical diversity reduces our reliance on any particular
region, basin or gathering system. Each of these producing
regions is well-established with generally long-lived,
predictable reserves, and our assets are strategically located
in each of the regions. These areas are experiencing high levels
of natural gas exploration, development and production
activities as a result of strong demand for natural gas,
attractive recent discoveries, infill drilling opportunities and
the implementation of new exploration and production techniques.
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Our Regency Intrastate Pipeline System provides us with
significant fee-based transportation through-put volumes and
cash flow. The Regency Intrastate Pipeline System
allows us to capitalize on the flow of natural gas from
producing fields in north Louisiana to intrastate and interstate
markets in northeast Louisiana. These transportation through-put
volumes have limited commodity price exposure and provide us
with a stable, fee-based cash flow.
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S-3
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We have an experienced, knowledgeable management team with a
proven track record. Our senior management team
has an average of over 20 years of industry related
experience. Our teams extensive experience and contacts
within the midstream industry provide a strong foundation and
focus for managing and enhancing our operations, for accessing
strategic acquisition opportunities and for constructing new
assets. Additionally, members of our management team have a
substantial economic interest in us through an indirect 8.2%
ownership interest in the Managing General Partner and the
General Partner.
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OTHER
INFORMATION
Our principal executive offices are located at 1700 Pacific
Avenue, Suite 2900, Dallas, Texas 75201, and our telephone
number is
(214) 750-1771.
Our internet address is www.regencygas.com. Our periodic reports
and other information filed or furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission, or the SEC, are available, free of charge,
through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after
those reports and other information are electronically filed
with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any
other website is not incorporated by reference into this
prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.
PARTNERSHIP
STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT
Our operations are conducted through, and our operating assets
are owned by, our subsidiaries. We own our interests in our
operating subsidiaries through an operating partnership, Regency
Gas Services LP.
Regency GP LP, our general partner, or the General Partner, has
direct responsibility for conducting our business and for
managing our operations. Because our general partner is a
limited partnership, its general partner, Regency GP LLC, or the
Managing General Partner, is ultimately responsible for the
business and operations of the General Partner and conducts our
business and operations, and the board of directors and officers
of Regency GP LLC make decisions on our behalf.
The chart on the following page depicts the organizational
structure and ownership of Regency Energy Partners LP, the
operating partnership and the operating subsidiaries after
giving effect to this offering but excluding the
underwriters option to purchase additional common units.
S-4
Ownership of
Regency Energy Partners LP
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Public Common Units
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65.7
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GE EFS, Management and Affiliates
Subordinated Units
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32.3
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GE EFS, Management and Affiliates
General Partner Interest
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2.0
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100.0
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%
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(1) |
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Includes 17,763,809 subordinated units owned by GE EFS,
1,116,509 subordinated units owned by our management and 223,578
subordinated units held by two other individuals. |
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Twenty-nine members of our management currently own or have
subscribed to purchase interests in an affiliate of GE EFS that
represent an indirect economic interest in approximately 8.2% of
the equity of our Managing General Partner and our General
Partner. |
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Includes 8,148,672 Common Units owned by affiliates of HM
Capital Partners LLC that are subject to contractual
restrictions against sale for six months (57.6%) and a year
(42.4%). |
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(4) |
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Includes 355,000 restricted Common Units issued to our
management and employees under our Long-Term Incentive Plan at
the time of the GP Acquisition. |
S-5
The offering
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Common units offered by Regency Energy Partners LP |
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10,000,000 common units |
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11,500,000 common units if the underwriters exercise in full
their option to purchase additional common units. |
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Units outstanding after this offering |
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38,927,212 common units, or 40,427,212 common units if the
underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase
additional common units, and 19,103,896 subordinated units. |
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Use of proceeds |
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We expect to receive, based on an assumed offering price of
$34.12 per common unit, approximately $332.8 million
from the sale of the 10,000,000 common units offered hereby,
including our general partners proportionate capital
contribution and after deducting underwriting discounts and
commissions and estimated offering expenses. We will apply
approximately $208.6 million of the net proceeds to redeem
$192.5 million in principal amount, or 35%, of the
$550 million in principal amount of our outstanding
83/8% senior
notes due 2013. In addition, we will use $50.0 million of
the net proceeds to repay the remaining term loan outstanding
under our credit facility and $74.1 million of the net
proceeds to repay outstanding revolving credit indebtedness
under our credit facility. We will pay the accrued interest on
all indebtedness repaid to the date of payment from cash on
hand. We will use any net proceeds from the underwriters
exercise of their option to purchase additional common units to
repay additional borrowings outstanding under our revolving
credit facility. Please read Use of Proceeds. |
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Cash distributions |
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We intend to make distributions on our common units equal to or
greater than the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.35 per
unit to the extent we have sufficient cash from our operations
after establishment of cash reserves and payment of fees and
expenses of our General Partner. |
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On May 15, 2007, we paid a quarterly cash distribution for
the quarter ended March 31, 2007 of $0.38 per unit to the
holders of our common and subordinated units, or $1.52 per unit
on an annualized basis. |
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If cash distributions exceed $0.4025 per unit in a quarter, our
general partner will receive increasing percentages, up to 50%,
of the cash we distribute in excess of that amount. We refer to
these distributions as incentive distributions.
Please see How We Make Cash DistributionsIncentive
Distribution Rights in the accompanying prospectus. |
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Under our partnership agreement, we must distribute all of our
cash on hand at the end of each quarter, less reserves
established by our General Partner in its sole discretion. These
reserve funds are meant to provide for the proper conduct of our
business including funds needed to provide for our operations as
well as to comply with applicable debt |
S-6
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instruments. As we cannot estimate the size of these reserves
for any given quarter at this time, we cannot assure you that,
after the establishment of reserves, we will have cash on hand
for distribution to our unitholders. We refer to this cash
available for distribution as available cash, and we
define its meaning in our partnership agreement. Please see
How We Make Cash Distributions in the accompanying
prospectus for a description of available cash. The amount of
available cash may be greater than or less than the minimum
quarterly distribution. |
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We expect to pay our distribution for the quarter ended
June 30, 2007 on August 14, 2007 to the holders of our
common units on August 7, 2007. If you purchase common
units in this offering, you will receive this distribution. |
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Estimated ratio of taxable income to distributions |
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We estimate that if you own the common units you purchase in
this offering through December 31, 2010, you will be
allocated, on a cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable
income for that period that will be 20% or less of the cash
distributed to you with respect to that period. Please read
Tax Considerations in this prospectus supplement for
the basis of this estimate. |
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Exchange listing |
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Our common units are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market
under the symbol RGNC. |
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Risk factors |
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There are risks associated with this offering and our business.
You should consider carefully the risk factors beginning on
page 4 of the accompanying prospectus before making a
decision to purchase common units in this offering. |
S-7
Summary financial
and other data
The summary historical financial information presented below for
us and our predecessors, Regency Gas Services LLC (which for the
period prior to December 1, 2004 we define as Regency
LLC Predecessor) and its successor Regency Gas Services
LP, was derived from our audited consolidated financial
statements as of December 31, 2006, 2005, and 2004 and for
the periods then ended, the one month period ended
December 31, 2004, and the eleven month period ended
November 30, 2004, and from our unaudited financial
statements as of March 31, 2007 and for the three month
period then ended. The summary historical financial data has
been adjusted to reflect our results of operations, financial
position and cash flows combined with those of TexStar Field
Services, L.P. and TexStar GP, LLC (together
TexStar) for all periods subsequent to
December 1, 2004.
Historical results for our operations and those of our
predecessors, Regency LLC Predecessor and Regency Gas Services
LP, for the periods presented below may not be comparable,
either from period to period or going forward, for the following
reasons:
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Regency Gas Services LLC acquired certain natural gas gathering
and processing assets from Duke Energy Field Services, LP in
March 2004. As a result, our historical financial results for
the periods prior to March 2004 do not include the financial
results from the operation of these assets.
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In connection with the acquisition of Regency Gas Services LLC
by investors affiliated with HM Capital Partners LLC on
December 1, 2004 (the HM Acquisition), the
purchase price was pushed down to the financial
statements of Regency Gas Services LLC. As a result of this
push-down accounting, the book basis of our assets
was increased to reflect the purchase price, which had the
effect of increasing our depreciation expense. Also, the
increased amount of debt we incurred in connection with the
acquisition increased our interest expense subsequent to
December 1, 2004.
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In December 2004 we undertook a hedging program. Effective
July 1, 2005 we designated certain commodity and interest
rate swap instruments for hedge accounting treatment in
accordance with SFAS No. 133, Accounting for
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities. For the
periods from December 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005,
unrealized and realized gains and losses on the commodity swaps
were recorded in unrealized/realized gain (loss) from risk
management activities in our statement of operations. For the
six months ended June 30, 2005, unrealized gains and losses
on the interest rate swap were recorded in interest expense,
net. Effective July 1, 2005, to the extent the hedges were
effective, any unrealized gains or losses on these instruments
were recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) during the
lives of the instruments, which we believe results in financial
results that are not comparable for the affected periods.
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TexStar acquired assets from subsidiaries of Enbridge Energy
Partners L.P. on December 7, 2005. As a result, our
historical results for periods prior to December 1, 2005 do
not include the financial results from the operation of these
assets. TexStar also acquired assets from Valence Midstream Ltd.
and EEC Midstream, Ltd. on July 25, 2006. As a result, our
historical results from the periods prior to August 1, 2006
do not include the financial results from the operation of these
assets.
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We have spent $335.2 million in organic growth projects:
$176.1 million in 2005, $121.8 million in 2006 and
$37.3 million in the first quarter of 2007. We completed
our Regency Intrastate Enhancement Project and other key
projects included two new refrigeration dewpoint control
facilities in north Louisiana; electrification and adding an
acid gas injection well at our Tilden Processing Plant; adding
acid gas injection at our Waha Processing Plant, re-building and
activating an existing nitrogen rejection unit at our Eustace
Processing Plant; and constructing 31 miles of 12 inch
diameter pipeline in south Texas.
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The TexStar acquisition is a transaction between commonly
controlled entities and we accounted for this acquisition in a
manner similar to a pooling of interests. As a result, our
historical financial statements and the historical financial
statements of TexStar have been combined to reflect the
historical operations, financial position and cash flows at the
dates and for the periods after December 1, 2004 (being the
period of common control). Most of the TexStar operating
activity occurred since December 2005. As a result, the TexStar
historical operations, financial position and cash flows are not
comparable to prior periods.
|
S-8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regency
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Predecessor
|
|
|
|
Regency Energy
Partners LP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January 1,
|
|
|
|
(December 1,
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
|
2004 to
|
|
|
|
2004) to
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
November 30,
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
Statement
of Operations Data:
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($ in thousands
except per unit data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total revenue
|
|
$
|
432,321
|
|
|
|
$
|
47,857
|
|
|
$
|
709,401
|
|
|
$
|
896,865
|
|
|
|
$
|
231,266
|
|
|
$
|
256,428
|
|
Total operating expenses
|
|
|
(404,251
|
)
|
|
|
|
(45,112
|
)
|
|
|
(695,366
|
)
|
|
|
(857,005
|
)
|
|
|
|
(229,766
|
)
|
|
|
(242,948
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income
|
|
|
28,070
|
|
|
|
|
2,745
|
|
|
|
14,035
|
|
|
|
39,860
|
|
|
|
|
1,500
|
|
|
|
13,480
|
|
Other income and deductions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense, net
|
|
|
(5,097
|
)
|
|
|
|
(1,335
|
)
|
|
|
(17,880
|
)
|
|
|
(37,182
|
)
|
|
|
|
(8,001
|
)
|
|
|
(14,885
|
)
|
Loss on debt refinancing
|
|
|
(3,022
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8,480
|
)
|
|
|
(10,761
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
56
|
|
|
|
312
|
|
|
|
532
|
|
|
|
|
91
|
|
|
|
43
|
|
Other income and deductions, net
|
|
|
186
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
421
|
|
|
|
307
|
|
|
|
|
91
|
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total other income and deductions
|
|
|
(7,933
|
)
|
|
|
|
(1,271
|
)
|
|
|
(25,627
|
)
|
|
|
(47,104
|
)
|
|
|
|
(7,819
|
)
|
|
|
(14,775
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) from continuing
operations
|
|
|
20,137
|
|
|
|
|
1,474
|
|
|
|
(11,592
|
)
|
|
|
(7,244
|
)
|
|
|
|
(6,319
|
)
|
|
|
(1,295
|
)
|
Discontinued operations
|
|
|
(121
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
732
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net (loss) income
|
|
$
|
20,016
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,474
|
|
|
$
|
(10,860
|
)
|
|
$
|
(7,244
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
(6,319
|
)
|
|
$
|
(1,295
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income through January 31,
2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,564
|
|
|
|
|
1,564
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss for partners
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
(8,808
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
(7,883
|
)
|
|
$
|
(1,295
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
General partner interest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(176
|
)
|
|
|
|
(158
|
)
|
|
|
(26
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Limited partner interest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
(8,632
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
(7,725
|
)
|
|
$
|
(1,269
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per
common and subordinated unit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
(0.21
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
(0.18
|
)
|
|
$
|
(0.03
|
)
|
Cash distributions declared per
common and subordinated unit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.94
|
|
|
|
|
0.2217
|
|
|
|
0.38
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per
Class B common unit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(0.12
|
)
|
|
|
|
(0.18
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Cash distributions declared per
Class B common unit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted net loss per
Class C common unit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash distributions declared per
Class C common unit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance Sheet Data (at period
end):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Property, plant and equipment, net
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
328,784
|
|
|
$
|
609,157
|
|
|
$
|
734,034
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
762,120
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
492,170
|
|
|
|
806,740
|
|
|
|
1,013,085
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,031,559
|
|
Long-term debt (long-term portion
only)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
248,000
|
|
|
|
428,250
|
|
|
|
664,700
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
698,100
|
|
Partners capital or member
interest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
181,936
|
|
|
|
230,962
|
|
|
|
212,657
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
185,352
|
|
S-9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regency
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Predecessor
|
|
|
|
Regency Energy
Partners LP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January 1,
|
|
|
|
(December 1,
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
|
2004 to
|
|
|
|
2004) to
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
November 30,
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($ in thousands
except per unit data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Flow Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash flows provided by (used
in):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating activities
|
|
$
|
32,401
|
|
|
|
$
|
(4,311
|
)
|
|
$
|
37,340
|
|
|
$
|
44,156
|
|
|
|
$
|
(471
|
)
|
|
$
|
27,470
|
|
Investing activities
|
|
|
(84,721
|
)
|
|
|
|
(130,478
|
)
|
|
|
(279,963
|
)
|
|
|
(223,650
|
)
|
|
|
|
(30,378
|
)
|
|
|
(46,891
|
)
|
Financing activities
|
|
|
56,380
|
|
|
|
|
132,515
|
|
|
|
242,949
|
|
|
|
184,947
|
|
|
|
|
30,951
|
|
|
|
18,786
|
|
Other Financial Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total segment margin
|
|
$
|
69,559
|
|
|
|
$
|
6,870
|
|
|
$
|
77,059
|
|
|
$
|
158,049
|
|
|
|
$
|
34,530
|
|
|
$
|
44,491
|
|
EBITDA
|
|
|
35,242
|
|
|
|
|
4,470
|
|
|
|
30,191
|
|
|
|
69,592
|
|
|
|
|
10,851
|
|
|
|
25,017
|
|
Maintenance capital expenditures
|
|
|
5,548
|
|
|
|
|
358
|
|
|
|
9,158
|
|
|
|
16,433
|
|
|
|
|
3,833
|
|
|
|
864
|
|
Segment Financial and Operating
Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gathering and Processing
Segment:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment margin
|
|
$
|
61,347
|
|
|
|
$
|
6,262
|
|
|
$
|
61,387
|
|
|
$
|
113,002
|
|
|
|
$
|
24,643
|
|
|
$
|
30,178
|
|
Operating Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Throughput (MMbtu/d)
|
|
|
303,345
|
|
|
|
|
314,812
|
|
|
|
345,398
|
|
|
|
529,467
|
|
|
|
|
423,593
|
|
|
|
729,218
|
|
NGL gross production (Bbls/d)
|
|
|
14,487
|
|
|
|
|
16,321
|
|
|
|
14,883
|
|
|
|
18,587
|
|
|
|
|
17,478
|
|
|
|
20,047
|
|
Transportation
Segment:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment margin
|
|
$
|
8,212
|
|
|
|
$
|
608
|
|
|
$
|
15,672
|
|
|
$
|
45,047
|
|
|
|
$
|
9,887
|
|
|
$
|
14,313
|
|
Operating data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Throughput (MMbtu/d)
|
|
|
192,236
|
|
|
|
|
161,584
|
|
|
|
258,194
|
|
|
|
587,098
|
|
|
|
|
438,396
|
|
|
|
704,458
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S-10
Non-GAAP financial
measures
The financial information on the preceding page includes the
following non-GAAP financial measures: EBITDA and total segment
margin. Provided below are our reconciliations of these non-GAAP
financial measures to their most directly comparable financial
measures as calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
EBITDA. We define EBITDA as net income (loss)
plus interest expense, net and depreciation and amortization
expense.
EBITDA is used as a supplemental measure by our management and
by external users of our financial statements, such as
investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others to
assess:
|
|
Ø
|
financial performance of our assets without regard to financing
methods, capital structure or historical cost basis;
|
|
Ø
|
the ability of our assets to generate cash sufficient to pay
interest costs, support our indebtedness and make cash
distributions to our unitholders and General Partner;
|
|
Ø
|
our operating performance and return on capital as compared to
those of other companies in the midstream energy sector, without
regard to financing methods or capital structure; and
|
|
Ø
|
the viability of acquisitions and capital expenditure projects
and the overall rates of return on alternative investment
opportunities.
|
EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income,
operating income, cash flows from operating activities or any
other measure of financial performance presented in accordance
with GAAP.
EBITDA does not include interest expense, income taxes or
depreciation and amortization expense. Because we have borrowed
money to finance our operations, interest expense is a necessary
element of our costs and our ability to generate cash available
for distribution. Because we use capital assets, depreciation
and amortization are also necessary elements of our costs.
Therefore, any measures that exclude these elements have
material limitations. To compensate for these limitations, we
believe that it is important to consider both net earnings
determined under GAAP, as well as EBITDA, to evaluate our
performance.
Total Segment Margin. We define total segment
margin as total revenues, including service fees, less cost of
gas and liquids.
Total segment margin is included as a supplemental disclosure
because it is used by our management as a primary measure of the
results of product sales, service fee revenues and product
purchases, a key component of our operations. We believe total
segment margin is an important measure because it is directly
related to our volumes and commodity price changes. Operation
and maintenance expenses are a separate measure used by
management to evaluate operating performance of field
operations. Direct labor, insurance, property taxes, repair and
maintenance, utilities and contract services comprise the most
significant portion of our operation and maintenance expenses.
These expenses are largely independent of the volumes we
transport or process and fluctuate depending on the activities
performed during a specific period. We do not deduct operation
and maintenance expenses from total revenues in calculating
total segment margin because we separately evaluate commodity
volume and price changes in total segment margin. As an
indicator of our operating performance, total segment margin
should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful
than, net income as determined in accordance with GAAP. Our
total segment margin may not be comparable to a similarly titled
measure of another company because other entities may not
calculate total segment margin in the same manner.
S-11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regency
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Predecessor
|
|
|
|
Regency Energy
Partners LP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January 1,
|
|
|
|
(December 1,
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
|
2004 to
|
|
|
|
2004) to
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
November 30,
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($ in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation of
EBITDA to net cash flows provided by (used in)
operating activities and to net (loss) income:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash flows provided by (used
in) operating activities
|
|
$
|
32,401
|
|
|
|
$
|
(4,311
|
)
|
|
$
|
37,340
|
|
|
$
|
44,156
|
|
|
|
$
|
(471
|
)
|
|
$
|
27,470
|
|
Add (deduct):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
(10,461
|
)
|
|
|
|
(1,793
|
)
|
|
|
(24,286
|
)
|
|
|
(39,287
|
)
|
|
|
|
(9,318
|
)
|
|
|
(11,986
|
)
|
Equity income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
56
|
|
|
|
312
|
|
|
|
532
|
|
|
|
|
91
|
|
|
|
43
|
|
Loss on debt refinancing
|
|
|
(3,022
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(8,480
|
)
|
|
|
(10,761
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Risk management portfolio valuation
changes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
322
|
|
|
|
(11,191
|
)
|
|
|
2,262
|
|
|
|
|
191
|
|
|
|
124
|
|
Loss on sale of assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,808
|
)
|
Unit based compensation expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2,906
|
)
|
|
|
|
(314
|
)
|
|
|
(1,103
|
)
|
Gain on the sale of Regency Gas
Treating LP assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
626
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gain on the sale of NGL line pack
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
628
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts receivable
|
|
|
19,832
|
|
|
|
|
(2,568
|
)
|
|
|
43,012
|
|
|
|
5,506
|
|
|
|
|
(16,938
|
)
|
|
|
1,959
|
|
Other current assets
|
|
|
1,169
|
|
|
|
|
2,456
|
|
|
|
2,644
|
|
|
|
(104
|
)
|
|
|
|
(921
|
)
|
|
|
(598
|
)
|
Accounts payable and accrued
liabilities
|
|
|
(18,122
|
)
|
|
|
|
(548
|
)
|
|
|
(52,651
|
)
|
|
|
1,359
|
|
|
|
|
23,535
|
|
|
|
(5,220
|
)
|
Accrued taxes payable
|
|
|
(1,475
|
)
|
|
|
|
921
|
|
|
|
(806
|
)
|
|
|
(492
|
)
|
|
|
|
(273
|
)
|
|
|
(203
|
)
|
Interest payable
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(11,918
|
)
|
Other current liabilities
|
|
|
(502
|
)
|
|
|
|
242
|
|
|
|
(1,269
|
)
|
|
|
(3,148
|
)
|
|
|
|
(12
|
)
|
|
|
1,504
|
|
Proceeds from termination of
interest rate swap
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4,940
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amount of swap termination proceeds
reclassified into earnings
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,862
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other assets
|
|
|
196
|
|
|
|
|
6,697
|
|
|
|
3,261
|
|
|
|
(3,014
|
)
|
|
|
|
(2,515
|
)
|
|
|
441
|
|
Other liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(269
|
)
|
|
|
|
626
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net (loss) income
|
|
$
|
20,016
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,474
|
|
|
$
|
(10,860
|
)
|
|
$
|
(7,244
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
(6,319
|
)
|
|
$
|
(1,295
|
)
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense, net
|
|
|
5,097
|
|
|
|
|
1,335
|
|
|
|
17,880
|
|
|
|
37,182
|
|
|
|
|
8,001
|
|
|
|
14,885
|
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
10,129
|
|
|
|
|
1,661
|
|
|
|
23,171
|
|
|
|
39,654
|
|
|
|
|
9,169
|
|
|
|
11,427
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EBITDA
|
|
$
|
35,242
|
|
|
|
$
|
4,470
|
|
|
$
|
30,191
|
|
|
$
|
69,592
|
|
|
|
$
|
10,851
|
|
|
$
|
25,017
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S-12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regency
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LLC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Predecessor
|
|
|
|
Regency Energy
Partners LP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period from
|
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January 1,
|
|
|
|
(December 1,
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
Year
|
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
Three Months
|
|
|
|
2004 to
|
|
|
|
2004) to
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
Ended
|
|
|
|
November 30,
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
($ in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation of total
segment margin to net (loss) income:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net (loss) income
|
|
$
|
20,016
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,474
|
|
|
$
|
(10,860
|
)
|
|
$
|
(7,244
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
(6,319
|
)
|
|
$
|
(1,295
|
)
|
Add (deduct):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operation and maintenance
|
|
|
17,786
|
|
|
|
|
1,819
|
|
|
|
24,291
|
|
|
|
39,496
|
|
|
|
|
9,445
|
|
|
|
10,925
|
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
6,571
|
|
|
|
|
645
|
|
|
|
15,039
|
|
|
|
22,826
|
|
|
|
|
5,416
|
|
|
|
6,851
|
|
Management services contract
termination fees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,542
|
|
|
|
|
9,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss on sale of assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,808
|
|
Related party expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
523
|
|
|
|
1,630
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transaction expenses
|
|
|
7,003
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,041
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
10,129
|
|
|
|
|
1,661
|
|
|
|
23,171
|
|
|
|
39,654
|
|
|
|
|
9,169
|
|
|
|
11,427
|
|
Interest expense, net
|
|
|
5,097
|
|
|
|
|
1,335
|
|
|
|
17,880
|
|
|
|
37,182
|
|
|
|
|
8,001
|
|
|
|
14,885
|
|
Equity income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(56
|
)
|
|
|
(312
|
)
|
|
|
(532
|
)
|
|
|
|
(91
|
)
|
|
|
(43
|
)
|
Loss on debt refinancing
|
|
|
3,022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,480
|
|
|
|
10,761
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income and deductions, net
|
|
|
(186
|
)
|
|
|
|
(8
|
)
|
|
|
(421
|
)
|
|
|
(307
|
)
|
|
|
|
(91
|
)
|
|
|
(67
|
)
|
Discontinued operations
|
|
|
121
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(732
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total segment margin
|
|
$
|
69,559
|
|
|
|
$
|
6,870
|
|
|
$
|
77,059
|
|
|
$
|
158,049
|
|
|
|
$
|
34,530
|
|
|
$
|
44,491
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S-13
Risk factors
An investment in our common units involves risk. You should
carefully read the risk factors included under the caption
Risk Factors beginning on page 4 of the
accompanying prospectus, as well as the risk factors discussed
in our 2006 annual report on
Form 10-K
and in our quarterly report for the quarter ended March 31,
2007, which are incorporated by reference herein.
S-14
Use of proceeds
Based on an assumed offering price of $34.12 per common
unit, we expect to receive proceeds of approximately
$332.8 million from the sale of the 10,000,000 common
units offered hereby, including our general partners
proportionate capital contribution and after deducting
underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering
expenses payable by us. We estimate that the total expenses of
this offering payable by us, not including the underwriting
discount, will be approximately $1.5 million. An increase
or decrease in the public offering price of $1.00 per
common unit would cause the net proceeds from the offering,
including our general partners proportionate capital
contribution and after deducting applicable underwriting
discounts and commissions, to increase or decrease by
$9.8 million.
We will use approximately $208.6 million of the net
proceeds to redeem $192.5 million, or 35%, of the
$550 million in aggregate principal amount of our
83/8% senior
notes due December 15, 2013, or senior notes, that were
issued by us in a private placement to qualified institutional
buyers pursuant to an indenture dated as of December 12,
2006. Under the terms of the indenture, we may, prior to
December 15, 2009 but within 90 days following an
Equity Offering (as defined therein), redeem out of the net cash
proceeds of that Equity Offering up to 35% of the
$550 million in aggregate principal amount of the senior
notes originally issued at a redemption price equal to 108.375%
of the aggregate principal amount of the notes being redeemed,
plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption. We
used the proceeds from the sale of the senior notes, plus
additional revolving credit borrowings under our credit
facility, to repay $550 million in term loans outstanding
under our credit facility.
In addition, we intend to apply $50.0 million of the net
proceeds to repay the remaining term loan outstanding under our
credit facility and the remaining $74.1 million of net
proceeds to pay outstanding indebtedness under our revolving
credit facility. The remaining term loan under our credit
facility had an average interest rate for the six months ended
June 30, 2007 of 7.835% and matures on August 15,
2013. Indebtedness under our revolving credit facility, which
matures on August 15, 2011, was $178.9 million as of
July 12, 2007 and had a weighted average annual interest
rate of 7.57%, without giving effect to interest rate hedges.
Substantially all of the outstanding indebtedness under the term
loan and the revolving credit facility was incurred to fund our
acquisition of TexStar Field Service, L.P., or TexStar, in
August 2006, to refinance our existing indebtedness prior to our
acquisition of TexStar, to fund organic growth projects and to
fund a portion of the acquisition price for Pueblo Midstream Gas
Corporation. Some of the underwriters or their affiliates are
lenders under our credit facility and will receive a portion of
the net proceeds of this offering as a result of our repayment
of outstanding indebtedness thereunder.
We will pay the accrued interest on all indebtedness redeemed or
repaid to the date of redemption or payment from cash on hand.
We will use any net proceeds from the underwriters
exercise of their option to purchase additional common units to
repay additional borrowings outstanding under our revolving
credit facility. If the underwriters exercise their option to
purchase additional common units after August 7, 2007, the
record date for our distribution for the quarter ended
June 30, 2007, the underwriters will pay an amount equal to
this distribution on those units and will deduct this amount
from the proceeds we receive.
Pending application of the net proceeds to redeem senior notes,
we intend to use those net proceeds to pay outstanding
indebtedness under our revolving credit agreement.
S-15
Capitalization
The following table sets forth our capitalization as of
March 31, 2007:
|
|
Ø
|
on a consolidated historical basis;
|
|
Ø
|
on an unaudited pro forma combined basis to reflect the
acquisition of Pueblo Midstream Gas Corporation by us on
April 2, 2007; and
|
|
Ø
|
as adjusted to reflect this offering of common units and the
application of the estimated net proceeds therefrom as described
in Use of Proceeds.
|
You should read our financial statements and notes that are
included or incorporated by reference elsewhere in this
prospectus supplement for additional information regarding us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
(unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro Forma As
|
|
|
|
Historical
|
|
|
Pro
Forma(1)
|
|
|
Adjusted(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
($ in
thousands)
|
|
|
Debt:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revolving credit facility
|
|
$
|
98,100
|
|
|
$
|
132,944
|
|
|
$
|
58,829
|
|
Term loan
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
50,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior notes
|
|
|
550,000
|
|
|
|
550,000
|
|
|
|
357,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Debt
|
|
|
698,100
|
|
|
|
732,944
|
|
|
|
416,329
|
|
Partners Capital:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common unitholders
|
|
$
|
155,613
|
|
|
$
|
176,520
|
|
|
$
|
481,325
|
|
Subordinated unitholders
|
|
|
35,988
|
|
|
|
35,988
|
|
|
|
35,988
|
|
General partner
|
|
|
5,231
|
|
|
|
5,231
|
|
|
|
11,916
|
|
Accumulated other comprehensive
loss
|
|
|
(11,480
|
)
|
|
|
(11,585
|
)
|
|
|
(10,808
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total partners capital(3)
|
|
|
185,352
|
|
|
|
206,154
|
|
|
|
518,421
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Capitalization
|
|
$
|
883,452
|
|
|
$
|
939,098
|
|
|
$
|
934,750
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The pro forma combined financial statements relating to our
acquisition of Pueblo Midstream Gas Corporation were filed with
the SEC on our Current Report on
Form 8-K/A
on June 12, 2007. |
|
(2) |
|
Assumes 10,000,000 unit offering at $34.12 per
unit, a 4% underwriting gross spread, $1.5 million of
offering expenses and our general partners proportionate
capital contribution of $6.7 million, for net proceeds of
$332.8 million, and repayment of debt as described in
Use of Proceeds. Also assumes the expensing of the
premium paid for the redemption of our senior notes
($16.1 million), the expensing of the proportionate amount
of deferred financing costs related to the term loan and senior
notes ($5.1 million), and reclassification of unamortized
gain on early termination of interest rate swaps from other
comprehensive loss ($0.8 million). |
|
(3) |
|
A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering
price per common unit would increase (decrease) the net proceeds
of this offering and our as adjusted total partners
capital by $9.8 million, assuming the number of common
units offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this
prospectus supplement, remains the same and including our
general partners proportionate capital contribution and
after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and
estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
S-16
Price range of
common units and distributions
Our common units were first offered and sold to the public on
February 3, 2006. Our common units are listed on the NASDAQ
Global Select Market under the symbol RGNC. As of
July 10, 2007, the number of holders of record of common
units was 56, including Cede & Co., as nominee for the
Depository Trust Company, which held of record 15,787,502
common units. Additionally, there were 12 unitholders of
record of our subordinated units. The following table sets
forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low quarterly
sales prices per common unit, as reported on the NASDAQ Global
Select Market, and the cash distributions declared per common
unit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
|
|
|
|
Price
Ranges
|
|
|
Distributions
|
|
Period
Ended:
|
|
Low
|
|
|
High
|
|
|
Per
Unit
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 30, 2007 (through
July 19, 2007)
|
|
$
|
33.45
|
|
|
$
|
34.32
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
|
June 30, 2007
|
|
$
|
24.97
|
|
|
$
|
33.18
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
|
March 31, 2007
|
|
$
|
26.11
|
|
|
$
|
28.40
|
|
|
$
|
0.3800
|
|
Fiscal 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, 2006(2)
|
|
$
|
24.75
|
|
|
$
|
27.20
|
|
|
$
|
0.3700
|
|
September 30, 2006(2)
|
|
$
|
22.21
|
|
|
$
|
24.52
|
|
|
$
|
0.3700
|
|
June 30, 2006
|
|
$
|
21.30
|
|
|
$
|
23.00
|
|
|
$
|
0.3500
|
|
March 31, 2006(1)
|
|
$
|
19.47
|
|
|
$
|
22.10
|
|
|
$
|
0.2217
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The distribution for the quarter ended March 31, 2006
reflects a pro rata portion of our $0.35 per unit minimum
quarterly distribution, covering the period from the
February 3, 2006 closing of our initial public offering
through March 31, 2006. |
|
(2) |
|
Represents the minimum quarterly distribution per common unit
plus $0.02 per unit excluding the Class B and Class C
common units, which were not entitled to any distributions until
after they were converted into common units. The Class B
Units and the Class C Units converted into common units on
a one-for-one basis on February 15, 2007 and
February 8, 2007, respectively, and as such, will be
entitled to future cash distributions. |
|
(3) |
|
The distributions attributable to the quarters ended
June 30, 2007 and September 30, 2007 have not yet been
declared or paid. |
S-17
Management
Management
Regency GP LP is our General Partner. Our General Partner
manages and directs all of our activities. The activities of the
General Partner are managed and directed by its general partner,
Regency GP LLC, our Managing General Partner. Our officers and
directors are officers and directors of our Managing General
Partner. The owners of our Managing General Partner may appoint
up to ten persons to serve on the Board of Directors of the
Managing General Partner. Although there is no requirement that
he do so, the President and Chief Executive Officer of our
Managing General Partner is currently a director of the Managing
General Partner and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
CHANGES IN BOARD
COMPOSITION
The board of directors of our Managing General Partner was,
until the resignation of Robert W. Shower in February 2007 for
reasons of health, in compliance with the NASDAQ Stock Market,
LLC., or NASDAQ, requirement that limited partnerships have
three directors who qualify as independent under the
NASDAQ standards for independence for audit committee members.
In accordance with Marketplace rule 4350(d)(4), NASDAQ has
provided us a cure period of one year within which to
reestablish compliance. We are currently in the process of
identifying a suitable nominee and must appoint another
independent director by February 2008 to remain in compliance
with NASDAQ rules.
In connection with the consummation of the acquisition of our
Managing General Partner and our General Partner by GE EFS and
the resulting change in control, effective June 18, 2007,
four members of the board of directors of the Managing General
Partner, Joe Colonnetta, Jason H. Downie, Jack E. Furst and J.
Edward Herring, all of whom are partners of HM Capital Partners
LLC, together with two additional directors, Robert D. Kincaid
and Gary W. Luce, resigned as directors of our Managing General
Partner. An indirect subsidiary of GE EFS designated James
Burgoyne, Daniel Castagnola, Paul Halas, Mark Mellana and Brian
Ward to serve as directors of our Managing General Partner. A.
Dean Fuller and J. Otis Winters continue to serve as independent
directors of our Managing General Partner and our Chief
Executive Officer, James W. Hunt, continues to serve as a
director and Chairman of the Board.
S-18
Management
DIRECTORS AND
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following table shows information regarding the current
directors and executive officers of Regency GP LLC. Directors
are elected for one-year terms.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Position with
Regency GP LLC
|
|
|
James W.
Hunt(1)(4)(5)(6)
|
|
|
63
|
|
|
Chairman of the Board, President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
Richard D. Moncrief
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer
|
Stephen L. Arata
|
|
|
41
|
|
|
Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
|
William E. Joor III
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
Executive Vice President, Chief
Legal and Administrative Officer and Secretary
|
Charles M. Davis, Jr.
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
Senior Vice President, Corporate
Development
|
James A. Scott
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
Senior Vice President, Gas Supply
and Business Development
|
Alvin Suggs
|
|
|
54
|
|
|
Senior Vice President and General
Counsel
|
Lawrence B. Connors
|
|
|
56
|
|
|
Vice President, Finance and Chief
Accounting Officer
|
James M. Richter
|
|
|
54
|
|
|
Vice President, Human Resources
|
Houston C. Ross III
|
|
|
37
|
|
|
Vice President, Financial Analysis
and Planning
|
Christofer D. Rozzell
|
|
|
31
|
|
|
Vice President, Corporate
Development
|
Ramon Suarez, Jr.
|
|
|
44
|
|
|
Vice President, Treasurer
|
James F.
Burgoyne(1)
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
Director
|
Daniel R.
Castagnola(4)(5)(6)
|
|
|
41
|
|
|
Director
|
A. Dean
Fuller(2)(3)
|
|
|
59
|
|
|
Director
|
Paul J.
Halas(6)
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
Director
|
Mark T.
Mellana(4)(5)
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
Director
|
Brian P.
Ward(1)(5)
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
Director
|
J. Otis
Winters(2)(3)(4)
|
|
|
74
|
|
|
Director
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Burgoyne is
chairman of this committee. |
|
(2) |
|
Member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Winters is chairman
of this committee. |
|
(3) |
|
Member of Conflicts Committee. Mr. Fuller is chairman of
this committee. |
|
(4) |
|
Member of Compensation Committee. Mr. Castagnola is
chairman of this committee. |
|
(5) |
|
Member of Risk Management Committee. Mr. Mellana is
chairman of this committee. |
|
(6) |
|
Member of Nominating Committee. Mr. Castagnola is
chairman of this committee. |
James W. Hunt was elected Chairman of the Board of
Directors of Regency GP LLC and Regency Gas Services in November
2005. Mr. Hunt has served as President and Chief Executive
Officer of Regency GP LLC from September 2005 to present.
Mr. Hunt has, since his election effective December 1,
2004, served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
of Regency Gas Services LP and its predecessor. From 1978 until
January 1981, Mr. Hunt served as President and Chief
Executive Officer of Diamond M Company, a major offshore
drilling company and the predecessor of Diamond Offshore
Company. From 1981 through 1987, he served as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Cenergy Corporation, a NYSE listed oil and
gas exploration, production and pipeline company. During the
period from 1987 to 1989, Mr. Hunt was an independent
financial consultant. From 1989 until December 2004,
Mr. Hunt was engaged in energy investment banking, three
years as head of the Houston office of Lehman Brothers
Incorporated and most recently as head of the U.S. Energy
Group of UBS Securities LLC. Mr. Hunt is an attorney and
member of the State Bar of Texas.
Richard D. Moncrief was elected Executive Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer of Regency GP LLC in June 2007. From
April 2006 to June 2007, Mr. Moncrief served as Senior Vice
President of Gas Supply and Business Development of Regency GP
LLC. Prior to April 2006, Mr. Moncrief was associated with
Sid Richardson Energy Services, of Fort Worth, Texas,
where, until that companys sale,
S-19
Management
he was Vice President, Business Development, and more recently
Vice President, Engineering & Business Development. He
previously held management positions at Koch Midstream Services
Company and at Delhi Gas Pipeline Corporation.
Stephen L. Arata was elected Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer of Regency GP LLC in September 2005.
From June 2005 to the present, Mr. Arata served as
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Regency
Gas Services LP and its predecessor. From September 1996 to June
2005, Mr. Arata worked for UBS Investment Bank, covering
the power and pipeline sectors; he was Executive Director from
2000 through June 2005. Prior to UBS, Mr. Arata worked for
Deloitte Consulting, focusing on the energy sector.
William E. Joor III was elected Executive Vice
President, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and Secretary
of Regency GP LLC in September 2005. Mr. Joor has, since
his election effective January 1, 2005, served as Executive
Vice President, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and
Secretary of Regency Gas Services LP and its predecessor. From
May 1966 through December 1973, Mr. Joor was associated
with, and from then until December 31, 2004 was a partner
of, Vinson & Elkins LLP. Mr. Joors area of
specialization was the law of corporate finance and mergers and
acquisitions with particular emphasis in the energy sector.
Charles M. Davis, Jr. was elected Senior Vice
President, Corporate Development for Regency GP LLC in March
2006. From September 2004 to February 2005, Mr. Davis was
Managing Director and Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for
Challenger Capital Group Ltd. From July 2002 until September
2004, Mr. Davis was a Managing Director in the Energy and
Power Group of UBS Investment Bank. From March 1992 until August
2002, Mr. Davis was a Managing Director in the Global
Energy and Power Group of Merrill Lynch. Prior to Merrill,
Mr. Davis worked in the Energy Groups of The First Boston
Corporation and McKinsey & Co. Mr. Davis has over
20 years experience with mergers and acquisitions as well
as financing in the pipeline industry.
James A. Scott was elected to serve as Senior Vice
President, Gas Supply and Business Development in June 2007.
From May 2006 to present, Mr. Scott served in various roles
at Regency GP LLC relating to gas supply and business
development. From 2003 to May 2006, Mr. Scott served as the
Vice President, Corporate Development of Crosstex Energy
Services with responsibilities including development of
Crosstexs grass roots pipeline and processing assets in
the Fort Worth Basin and lead roles in Crosstexs
acquisition efforts. From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Scott served as
Vice President, Business Development of
J-W
Operating Company with responsibilities for growth initiatives
including approximately 20 acquisitions in the energy services
business. Prior to 1998, Mr. Scott held management
positions with Koch Midstream Services Company and Delhi Gas
Pipeline Corporation.
Alvin Suggs was elected Senior Vice President and General
Counsel of Regency GP LLC in March 2007. From June 2005 to March
2007, Mr. Suggs served as Vice President and General
Counsel of Regency Gas Services LLC. From June 2003 to June
2005, Mr. Suggs engaged in the private practice of law
representing clients in the energy sector, first as a sole
practitioner and, after June 2004, with Thompson &
Knight, LLP. From September 1997 to June 2003, Mr. Suggs
served as counsel to three entities controlled by El Paso
Corporation, mostly recently (after September 1999) as Vice
President and Associate General Counsel with El Paso Energy
Corporation and General Counsel of El Paso Field Services,
L.P. From 1987 to 1999 he served Texas Oil & Gas
Corp., American Oil and Gas Corporation and KN Energy, Inc.
in various capacities as legal counsel. Prior to that service,
Mr. Suggs was in private practice of law for five years,
and also served as Assistant District Attorney for the Fifth
Circuit Court District in Mississippi in 1978.
Lawrence B. Connors was elected Vice President of Finance
and Chief Accounting Officer of Regency GP LLC in September
2005. From December 2004 to the present, Mr. Connors served
as Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer of
Regency Gas Services LLC. From June 2003 through November 2004,
Mr. Connors served as Controller of Regency Gas Services
LLC. From August
S-20
Management
2000 through November 2001, Mr. Connors was an independent
accounting and financial consultant. From 2001 through May 2003,
Mr. Connors was a Registered Representative with Foster
Financial Group. From 1996 through July 2000, Mr. Connors
was the Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of Central and
South West Corporation, or CSW; he had managerial
responsibilities at three CSW operating companies and CSW
Services. Prior to his employment at CSW, he was with Arthur
Andersen working with energy and health care audit clients.
Mr. Connors is a Certified Public Accountant.
James M. Richter was elected Vice President, Human
Resources in June 2007. From January 2007 to the present,
Mr. Richter served as the human resources manager at
Regency GP LLC. From October 2005 to August 2006,
Mr. Richter worked for USAA as Senior People Officer. From
June 2001 to August 2005, Mr. Richter was employed by
Argonaut Group, Inc. as Vice President, Human Resources. Prior
to Argonaut Group, Mr. Richter held the position of Vice
President, Human Resources for PG&Es National Energy
Group from August 1997 to March 2001. Prior to joining
PG&E, Mr. Richter held various senior management
positions at Aquila Energy and Honeywell, Inc.
Houston C. Ross III was elected Vice President of
Financial Analysis and Planning of Regency GP LLC in March 2007.
From February 2004 until the present, Mr. Ross served as
Director of Financial Analysis and Planning for Regency Gas
Services LP and its predecessor. From February 2003 until
February 2004, Mr. Ross worked for Energy, Economic, and
Environmental Consultants, Inc., as a Senior Economic Analyst
specializing in natural gas royalty litigation support. From May
2002 until February 2003, Mr. Ross was an independent
consultant. From May 1998 until May 2002, Mr. Ross worked
for Engage Energy US LP and its corporate successor,
El Paso Merchant Energy, trading electricity in the US
markets from May 1999 until May 2002. Mr. Ross graduated
from Rice University in 1998 with a B.S. in Mechanical
Engineering.
Christofer D. Rozzell was elected Vice President of
Corporate Development of Regency GP LLC in March 2007. From June
2005 to the present, Mr. Rozzell served in various roles at
Regency GP LLC, most recently as Director of Corporate
Development. From May 2001 to May 2005, Mr. Rozzell held
managerial positions in the strategic planning and enterprise
risk groups of TXU Corp. Prior to TXU Corp., Mr. Rozzell
worked in the investment banking division of Bear,
Stearns & Co. Inc., focusing on mergers and
acquisitions advisory and financings across multiple industries.
Ramon Suarez, Jr. was elected Vice President,
Treasurer of Regency GP LLC in March 2007. From February 2006 to
the present, Mr. Suarez was Director of Treasury for
Regency GP LLC. Mr. Suarez worked for CompUSA as Director
of Corporate Finance from March 1999 to December 2005. Prior to
March 1999, Mr. Suarez worked for Raytheon as a Director of
Finance. Mr. Suarez has over 21 years of financial
experience.
James F. Burgoyne is a Managing Director and global
leader of GE Energy Financial Services Diversified Energy
business, which invests in mid- and downstream oil &
gas infrastructure, producing oil, gas and coal reserves, and in
a broad range of energy infrastructure in Europe.
Mr. Burgoyne has headed this commercial unit within GE
Energy Financial Services since it was formed in 2004. Prior to
this position, Mr. Burgoyne was a Managing Director with GE
Structured Finances global energy team, where he was
responsible for client development and the origination of
business opportunities with US energy companies domestically and
internationally. Before joining GE in 1997, Mr. Burgoyne
was an Executive Director at SBC Warburg.
Daniel R. Castagnola is a Managing Director at GE Energy
Financial Services and is responsible for a team of
professionals investing in North America. Additionally,
Mr. Castagnola leads all equity origination efforts for GE
Energy Financial Services in Latin America. Mr. Castagnola
joined GE in 2002. Mr. Castagnola serves as a director of
Port Berre, LLC, a gas storage company, and Cash Creek LLC, a
coal gasification company. Prior to joining GE,
Mr. Castagnola worked for nine years at Enron Corp. in
its international division and three years at KPMG.
S-21
Management
A. Dean Fuller was elected to the Board of Directors
of Regency GP LLC on November 14, 2005. Having sold in 1993
a company he co-founded, Mr. Fuller became President and
Chief Executive Officer of Transok, Inc., the natural gas
pipeline subsidiary of Central and South West Corporation, until
its sale in 1996. Mr. Fuller continued to manage the fuels
and gas marketing function of CSW until late 2000 at which time
he became Senior Vice President of the midstream business of
Aquila, Inc. At the time of the acquisition of Aquilas
midstream business by Energy Transfer, Mr. Fuller continued
to manage those assets as Senior Vice President, and served as
President of Oasis Pipeline Company after its acquisition by
Energy Transfer. Mr. Fuller resigned his positions with
Energy Transfer in August 2004.
Paul J. Halas was elected to the Board of Directors of
Regency GP LLC in June 2007, at the time of the change in
ownership of our General Partner. From June 2006 to the present,
Mr. Halas has served as a Managing Director and General
Counsel of GE EFS. Mr. Halas served as the Senior Vice
President Business Development at the National Grid USA Service
Company Inc. from May 2005 to June 2006. From August 2003 to May
2005, Mr. Halas served as the President of GridAmerica LLC
(Independent Electric Transmission Company, subsidiary of
National Grid USA). He also served as Senior VP &
General Counsel of GridAmerica LLC from May 2002 to August 2003.
Prior to joining GridAmerica LLC, he held positions at
Ropes & Gray, Oak Industries Inc., Timex Group Limited
and All Energy Marketing Company LLC, a subsidiary of New
England Electric System.
Mark T. Mellana is a Managing Director at GE Energy
Financial Services, and has been with the firm since 1999.
Mr. Mellana has held various positions at GE Energy
Financial Services and is currently a Managing
DirectorOperations and Development responsible for equity
and development investments. Prior to joining GE,
Mr. Mellana worked for the unregulated subsidiary of GPU,
Inc. as the Director of Finance, Director of Mergers and
Acquisitions and the Director of New Business Development.
Mr. Mellana serves on a number of boards, including those
of Source Gas LLC and Bobcat Gas Storage LLC.
Brian P. Ward is Managing Director and Chief Risk Officer
for GE Energy Financial Services. In this role, he is
responsible for underwriting and portfolio risk management for
GE EFSs domestic and international assets. He has held
this position since January 2004. Immediately prior to joining
this unit, Mr. Ward served as Quality Leader for GE
Structured Finance, the predecessor business of GE Energy
Financial Services. Mr. Ward has worked for GE for more
than 25 years. He has held a number of management roles in
Risk, Finance and Business Development in a variety of
industries and regions.
J. Otis Winters was elected to the Board of
Directors of Regency GP LLC on November 14, 2005. The
following are exemplary of Mr. Winters extensive
business experience: Vice President of Warren American Oil
Company from 1964 to 1965; President and a director of
Educational Development Corporation from 1966 to 1973; Executive
Vice President and a director of The Williams Companies, Inc.
from 1973 to 1977; Executive Vice President and a director of
First National Bank of Tulsa from 1978 to 1979; President and a
director of Avanti Energy Corporation from 1980 to 1987;
Managing Director of Mason Best Company from 1988 to 1989;
Chairman, director and co-founder of the PWS Group from 1990 to
2000 and from 2001 to date Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of Oriole Oil Company. Mr. Winters has served on the board
of directors of 20 publicly owned corporations, including Alton
Box Board Company, AMFM, Inc., AMX Corporation, Dynegy, Inc.,
Liberty Bancorp., Inc., Tidel Engineering, Inc., Trident NGL,
Inc. and Walden Residential Properties, Inc.
S-22
Tax considerations
The tax consequences to you of an investment in our common units
will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. For a
discussion of the principal federal income tax considerations
associated with our operations and the purchase, ownership and
disposition of our common units, please read Material Tax
Considerations in the accompanying prospectus. You are
urged to consult with your own tax advisor about the federal,
state, local and foreign tax consequences peculiar to your
circumstances.
The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in
our common units depends largely on our being treated as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes. We have not
requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS on
this or any other tax matter affecting us.
If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our taxable income
at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%,
and would likely pay state income tax at varying rates.
Distributions to you would generally be taxed again as corporate
distributions, and no income, gains, losses or deductions would
flow through to you. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a
corporation, our cash available for distribution to you would be
substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a
corporation would result in a material reduction in the
anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to the unitholders,
likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our
common units.
We will be considered to have been terminated for federal income
tax purposes if, within a twelve-month period, there is a sale
or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital
and profits interests, which includes sales of our general
partners interest, together with all other common units
and subordinated units sold during such period. We believe, and
will take the position, that the combination of the GP
Acquisition and the public trading of our common units in the
twelve months preceding the GP Acquisition resulted in our
termination and immediate reconstitution as a new partnership
for federal income tax purposes on June 18, 2007.
Accordingly, our taxable year closed for all existing
unitholders. We were required to make new tax elections after
the termination, including a new election under Section 754
of the Internal Revenue Code. Moreover, because our termination
results in a significant deferral to unitholders of depreciation
deductions allowable in computing taxable income this year, you
will be allocated an increased amount of federal taxable income
for this year as a percentage of the cash distributed to you
with respect to that period.
We estimate that, taking into account the tax termination
described above, if you purchase common units in this offering
and own them through December 31, 2010, then you will be
allocated, on a cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable
income for that period that will be 20% or less of the cash
distributed with respect to that period. Thereafter, we
anticipate that the ratio of allocable taxable income to cash
distributions to the unitholders will increase. These estimates
are based upon the assumption that gross income from operations
will approximate the amount required to make the minimum
quarterly distribution on all units and other assumptions with
respect to capital expenditures, cash flow, net working capital
and anticipated cash distributions. These estimates and
assumptions are subject to, among other things, numerous
business, economic, regulatory, competitive and political
uncertainties beyond our control. Further, the estimates are
based on current tax law and tax reporting positions that we
will adopt and with which the IRS could disagree. Accordingly,
we cannot assure you that these estimates will prove to be
correct. The actual percentage of distributions that will
constitute taxable income could be higher or lower than
expected, and any differences could be material and could
materially affect the value of the common units. For example,
the ratio of allocable taxable
S-23
Tax
considerations
income to cash distributions to a purchaser of common units in
this offering will be greater, and perhaps substantially
greater, than our estimate with respect to the period described
above if:
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gross income from operations exceeds the amount required to make
minimum quarterly distributions on all units, yet we only
distribute the minimum quarterly distributions on all units; or
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we make a future offering of common units and use the proceeds
of the offering in a manner that does not produce substantial
additional deductions during the period described above, such as
to repay indebtedness outstanding at the time of this offering
or to acquire property that is not eligible for depreciation or
amortization for federal income tax purposes or that is
depreciable or amortizable at a rate significantly slower than
the rate applicable to our assets at the time of this offering.
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Ownership of common units by tax-exempt entities, regulated
investment companies and
non-U.S. investors
raises issues unique to such persons. Please read Tax
ConsiderationsTax-Exempt Organizations and Other
Investors in the accompanying prospectus.
S-24
Underwriting
We are offering our common units described in this prospectus
through the underwriters named below. UBS Securities LLC,
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Morgan Stanley &
Co. Incorporated are the representatives of the underwriters.
Subject to the terms and conditions of an underwriting
agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration
statement, each of the underwriters has severally agreed to
purchase the number of common units listed next to its name in
the following table:
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Number of
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Common
Units
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UBS Securities LLC
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Goldman, Sachs &
Co.
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Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated
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A.G. Edwards & Sons,
Inc.
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Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
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J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
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Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
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Total
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10,000,000
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The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters must
buy all of the common units if they buy any of them. However,
the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the common
units covered by the underwriters option to purchase
additional common units described below.
Our common units and the common units to be sold upon the
exercise of the underwriters option to purchase additional
common units, if any, are offered subject to a number of
conditions, including:
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receipt and acceptance of our common units by the underwriters,
and
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the underwriters right to reject orders in whole or in
part.
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We have been advised by the representatives that the
underwriters intend to make a market in our common units, but
that they are not obligated to do so and may discontinue making
a market at any time without notice.
In connection with this offering, certain of the underwriters or
securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
OPTION TO
PURCHASE ADDITIONAL COMMON UNITS
We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to an
aggregate 1,500,000 additional common units. This option may be
exercised if the underwriters sell more than 10,000,000 common
units in connection with this offering. The underwriters have
30 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this
option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each
purchase additional common units approximately in proportion to
the amounts specified in the table above.
COMMISSIONS AND
DISCOUNTS
Common units sold by the underwriters to the public will
initially be offered at the offering price set forth on the
cover of this prospectus. Any common units sold by the
underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of
up to $ per common unit from the
offering price. Any of these securities dealers may resell any
common units purchased from the underwriters to other brokers or
dealers at a discount of up to $
per common unit from the public offering price. If all the
common units are not sold at the offering price, the
representatives may change the offering price and the other
selling terms. Sales of common units made outside of the United
States may be made by affiliates of the
S-25
Underwriting
underwriters. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the
underwriters will be obligated to purchase the common units at
the prices and upon the terms stated therein, and, as a result,
will thereafter bear any risk associated with changing the
offering price to the public or other selling terms.
The following table shows the per unit and total underwriting
discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters
assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the
underwriters option to purchase up to an additional
1,500,000 units.
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No
exercise
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Full
exercise
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Per Unit
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$
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$
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Total
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$
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$
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We estimate that the total expenses of this offering payable by
us, not including the underwriting discounts and commissions,
will be approximately $1.5 million.
INDEMNIFICATION
We and certain of our affiliates have agreed to indemnify the
underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to contribute
to payments that may be required to be made in respect of these
liabilities. If we are unable to provide this indemnification,
we will contribute to payments the underwriters may be required
to make in respect of those liabilities.
LOCK-UP
AGREEMENTS
We, our subsidiaries, our General Partner and its affiliates,
including the executive officers and directors of our General
Partner, have entered into
lock-up
agreements with the underwriters. Under these agreements, we and
each of the these persons may not, without the prior written
approval of UBS Securities LLC, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, offer, sell,
contract to sell or otherwise dispose of or hedge our common
units or securities convertible into or exchangeable for our
common units, enter into any swap or other agreement that
transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences
of ownership of the common units, make any demand for or
exercise any right or file or cause to be filed a registration
statement with respect to the registration of any common units
or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into
common units or any of our other securities or publicly disclose
the intention to do any of the foregoing, provided that the
foregoing restrictions do not apply to sales made by certain
executive officers of our Managing General Partner in connection
with pre-existing contractual obligations to acquire an indirect
ownership interest in our Managing General Partner and the
General Partner and the sale by GE EFS or its affiliates of
certain subordinated units to certain executive officers of our
Managing General Partner. These restrictions will be in effect
for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus.
The lock-up
period will be extended under certain circumstances where we
release, or pre-announce a release of our earnings or announce
material news or a material event during the 17 days before
or 16 days after the termination of the
90-day
period in which case the restrictions described will continue to
apply until the expiration of the
18-day
period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the
announcement of the materials news or material event.
At any time and without public notice, UBS Securities LLC,
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Morgan Stanley &
Co. Incorporated may in their discretion, release all or some of
the securities from these
lock-up
agreements.
S-26
Underwriting
PRICE
STABILIZATION, SHORT POSITIONS AND PENALTY BIDS
In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in
activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the
price of our common units including:
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stabilizing transactions;
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short sales;
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purchases to cover positions created by short sales;
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imposition of penalty bids; and
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syndicate covering transactions.
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Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for
the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market
price of our common units while this offering is in progress.
These transactions may also include making short sales of our
common units, which involves the sale by the underwriters of a
greater number of common units than they are required to
purchase in this offering, and purchasing common units on the
open market to cover positions created by short sales. Short
sales may be covered shorts, which are short
positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters
option to purchase additional common units referred to above, or
may be naked shorts, which are short positions in
excess of that amount.
The underwriters may close out any covered short position by
either exercising their option to purchase additional common
units, in whole or in part, or by purchasing common units in the
open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will
consider, among other things, the price of common units
available for purchase in the open market as compared to the
price at which they may purchase common units through their
option to purchase additional common units.
Naked short sales are in excess of the underwriters option
to purchase additional common units. The underwriters must close
out any naked short position by purchasing common units in the
open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created
if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward
pressure on the price of the common units in the open market
that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this
offering.
LISTING
Our common units are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market
under the symbol RGNC.
AFFILIATIONS
The underwriters and their affiliates may from time to time in
the future engage in transactions with us and perform services
for us in the ordinary course of business. In addition, some of
the underwriters have engaged in, and may in the future engage
in, transactions with us and our predecessor and perform
services for us in the ordinary course of their business. In
particular, affiliates of UBS Securities LLC, J.P. Morgan
Securities Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Wachovia
Capital Markets LLC are lenders under Regency Gas Services
LLCs credit facilities. Morgan Stanley served as an
advisor to us in connection with the GE Acquisition.
Additionally, an affiliate of UBS Securities LLC is the
counterparty to one of our interest rate swaps and an affiliate
of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. was a counterparty to some
of our prior interest rate swaps.
NASD CONDUCT
RULES
Because the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or
NASD, views the common units offered by this prospectus
supplement as interests in a direct participation program, this
offering is being made in compliance with Rule 2810 of the
NASDs Conduct Rules.
S-27
Underwriting
Pursuant to a requirement by the NASD, the maximum commission or
discount to be received by any NASD member or independent
broker/dealer may not be greater than eight percent (8%) of the
gross proceeds received by us for the sale of any securities
being registered pursuant to SEC Rule 415 under the
Securities Act of 1933.
ELECTRONIC
DISTRIBUTION
A prospectus supplement in electronic format may be made
available by one or more of the underwriters or their
affiliates. The representatives may agree to allocate a number
of common units to underwriters for sale to their online
brokerage account holders. The representatives will allocate
common units to underwriters that may make Internet
distributions on the same basis as other allocations. In
addition, common units may be sold by the underwriters to
securities dealers who resell common units to online brokerage
account holders.
Other than the prospectus supplement in electronic format, the
information on any underwriters web site and any
information contained in any other web site maintained by an
underwriter is not part of the prospectus supplement or the
registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms
a part, has not been approved
and/or
endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as an
underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.
DISCRETIONARY
SALES
The underwriters have informed us they do not intend to confirm
sales to discretionary accounts that exceed 5% of the total
number of units offered by them.
S-28
Legal matters
The validity of the common units will be passed upon for us by
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas. Certain legal
matters in connection with the common units offered hereby will
be passed upon for the underwriters by Andrews Kurth LLP,
Houston, Texas.
Experts
The (1) consolidated financial statements of Regency Energy
Partners LP and subsidiaries and (2) the consolidated
balance sheet of Regency GP LP incorporated in this prospectus
supplement by reference from Regency Energy Partners LPs
Annual Report on
Form 10-K
have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in
their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference, and
have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such
firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
The consolidated financial statements of Pueblo Midstream Gas
Corporation and subsidiary as of and for the year ended
December 31, 2006 incorporated in this prospectus
supplement by reference from the Regency Energy Partners
LPs Current Report on
Form 8-K
dated May 10, 2007 have been audited by
Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent auditors, as stated
in their report, which is incorporated herein by reference, and
have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such
firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
S-29
Information
regarding forward-looking statements
Some of this information in this prospectus supplement and the
documents that we have incorporated herein by reference may
contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Forward-looking statements are identified as any statement that
does not relate strictly to historical or current facts.
Statements using words such as anticipate,
believe, intend, project,
plan, expect, continue,
estimate, goal, forecast,
may or similar expressions help identify
forward-looking statements. Although we believe our
forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions
and current expectations and projections about future events, we
cannot give assurances that such expectations will prove to be
correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of
risks, uncertainties and assumptions including the following:
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changes in laws and regulations impacting the midstream sector
of the natural gas industry;
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the level of creditworthiness of our counterparties;
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our ability to access the debt and equity markets;
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our use of derivative financial instruments to hedge commodity
and interest rate risks;
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the amount of collateral required to be posted from time to time
in our transactions;
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changes in commodity prices, interest rates and demand for our
services;
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weather and other natural phenomena;
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industry changes including the impact of consolidations and
changes in competition;
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our ability to obtain required approvals for construction or
modernization of our facilities and the timing of production
from such facilities; and
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the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by
accounting standard setting boards.
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If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or
if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results
may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated,
projected or expected.
Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the
particular statement and we undertake no obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in
mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in this
prospectus supplement and the documents that we have
incorporated by reference. We will not update these statements
unless the securities laws require us to do so.
S-30
Where you can find
more information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other
information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we
file with the SEC at the principal offices of the SEC located at
Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E.,
Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such
materials can be obtained by mail at prescribed rates from the
Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E.,
Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call
1-800-SEC-0330
for further information about the operation of the Public
Reference Room. Materials also may be obtained from the
SECs web site
(http://www.sec.gov),
which contains reports, proxy and information statements and
other information regarding companies that file electronically
with the SEC.
Incorporation of
certain documents by reference
We incorporate by reference information into this
prospectus supplement, which means that we disclose important
information to you by referring you to another document filed
separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by
reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement,
except for any information superseded by information contained
expressly in this prospectus supplement, and the information we
file later with the SEC will automatically supersede this
information. You should not assume that the information in this
prospectus supplement is current as of any date other than the
date on the front page of this prospectus supplement.
Any information that we file under Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and that is
deemed filed with the SEC will automatically update
and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the
documents listed below:
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Our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006;
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Our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended March 31, 2007;
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Our Current Reports on
Form 8-K
filed on April 3, 2007, April 27, 2007, May 15,
2007, June 19, 2007, June 28, 2007, July 3, 2007
and July 12, 2007; and
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Our Current Report on
Form 8-K/A
filed on May 11, 2007, May 25, 2007, and June 12,
2007.
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You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by making
written or telephone requests for such copies to:
Regency Energy Partners LP
Investor Relations
1700 Pacific Avenue, Suite 2900
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 750-1771
You should rely only on the information incorporated by
reference or provided in this prospectus supplement. If
information in incorporated documents conflicts with information
in this prospectus supplement, you should rely on the most
recent information. If information in an incorporated document
conflicts with information in another incorporated document, you
should rely on the most recent incorporated document. You should
not assume that the information in this prospectus supplement or
any document incorporated by reference is accurate as of any
date other than the date of those documents. We have not
authorized anyone else to provide you with any information.
S-31
Prospectus
$691,322,449
Regency Energy Partners
LP
Regency Energy Finance
Corp.
Common
Units
Debt
Securities
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more series, the
following securities under this prospectus:
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common units representing limited partnership interests in
Regency Energy Partners LP; and
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debt securities, which may be secured or unsecured senior debt
securities or secured or unsecured subordinated debt securities.
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Regency Energy Finance Corp. may act as co-issuer of the debt
securities, and all other direct or indirect subsidiaries of
Regency Energy Partners LP, other than minor
subsidiaries as such item is interpreted in the securities
regulation governing financial reporting for guarantors, may
guarantee the debt securities.
Our common units are listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under
the symbol RGNC. We will provide information in the
prospectus supplement for the trading market, if any, for any
debt securities we may offer.
We may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more
underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, on
a continuous or delayed basis. This prospectus describes the
general terms of these securities. The specific terms of any
securities and the specific manner in which we will offer them
will be included in a supplement to this prospectus relating to
that offering.
You should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus
supplement before you invest. You also should read the documents
we have referred you to in the Where You Can Find More
Information section of this prospectus for information on
us and our financial statements. This prospectus may not be used
to consummate sales of securities unless accompanied by a
prospectus supplement.
Investing in our securities involves risks. Limited
partnerships are inherently different from corporations. You
should carefully consider the risk factors beginning on
page 4 of this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus
supplement before you make an investment in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this
prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date of this prospectus is July 23, 2007.
In making your investment decision, you should rely only on
the information contained or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with
any other information. If anyone provides you with different or
inconsistent information, you should not rely on it.
You should not assume that the information contained in this
prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the
front cover of this prospectus. You should not assume that the
information contained in the documents incorporated by reference
in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the
respective dates of those documents. Our business, financial
condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed
since those dates.
Table of
Contents
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i
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on
Form S-3
that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or
SEC, using a shelf registration process. Under this
shelf process, we may offer from time to time up to $691,322,449
of our securities in one or more offerings. Each time we offer
securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement
that will describe, among other things, the specific amounts and
prices of the securities being offered and the terms of the
offering, including, in the case of debt securities, the
specific terms of the securities. The prospectus supplement may
include additional risk factors or other specific considerations
applicable to those securities. The prospectus supplement may
also add, update or change information contained in this
prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the
information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement,
you should rely on the information in that prospectus
supplement. Additional information, including our financial
statements and the notes thereto, is incorporated in this
prospectus by reference to our reports filed with the SEC.
Please read Where You Can Find More Information. You
are urged to read this prospectus carefully, including the
Risk Factors, and our SEC reports in their entirety
before investing in our common units or debt securities. You
should read this prospectus and any attached prospectus
supplements relating to the securities offered to you together
with the additional information described under the heading
Where You Can Find More Information.
As used in this prospectus, Regency Energy Partners,
we, our, us or like terms
mean Regency Energy Partners LP, or the Partnership, and its
subsidiaries. References to our general partner or
the General Partner refer to Regency GP LP, the
general partner of the Partnership, except where otherwise
indicated, and to the Managing General Partner refer
to Regency GP LLC, the general partner of the General Partner,
which effectively manages the business and affairs of the
Partnership.
REGENCY
ENERGY PARTNERS LP
We are a growth-oriented publicly-traded Delaware limited
partnership engaged in the gathering, processing, transportation
and marketing of natural gas. We provide these services through
systems located in Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and
Colorado. The Partnership was formed in September 2005 to
capitalize on opportunities in the midstream sector of the
natural gas industry.
We divide our operations into two business segments:
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Gathering and Processing: in which we provide
wellhead-to-market
services to producers of natural gas, which include transporting
raw natural gas from the wellhead through gathering systems,
treating to remove impurities such as hydrogen sulfide and
carbon dioxide, processing raw natural gas to separate natural
gas liquids, or NGLs, from the raw natural gas and selling or
delivering the pipeline-quality natural gas and NGLs to various
markets and pipeline systems; and
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Transportation: in which we deliver natural
gas from northwest Louisiana to more favorable markets in
northeast Louisiana through our
320-mile
Regency Intrastate Pipeline system.
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All of our assets are located in well-established areas of
natural gas production that are characterized by long-lived,
predictable reserves. These areas are generally experiencing
increased levels of natural gas exploration, development and
production activities as a result of strong demand for natural
gas, attractive recent discoveries, infill drilling
opportunities and the implementation of new exploration and
production techniques.
Regency Energy Finance Corp., our wholly-owned subsidiary, has
no material assets or any liabilities other than as a co-issuer
of our debt securities. Its activities will be limited to
co-issuing our debt securities and engaging in other activities
incidental thereto.
Our principal executive offices are located in 1700 Pacific
Avenue, Suite 2900, Dallas, Texas 75201 and our phone
number is
(214) 750-1771.
1
Change of
Control of Regency Energy Partners
On June 18, 2007, GE Energy Financial Services, or GE EFS,
a unit of General Electric Company, or GE, indirectly acquired
100% of the general and limited partner interests in our General
Partner as well as 17,763,809 subordinated units, representing
37.3% of the common and subordinated units outstanding or 37.0%
after giving effect to the contemporaneous awards of 355,000
restricted units under our long-term incentive plan. Pursuant to
this acquisition, which we refer to as the GP Acquisition, GE
EFS acquired 91.3% of both the member interest in our Managing
General Partner and the outstanding limited partner interests in
our General Partner from an affiliate of HM Capital Partners
LLC. GE EFS also indirectly acquired from members of our
management the remaining 8.7% of the member interest in the
Managing General Partner and the remaining 8.7% of the
outstanding limited partner interests in our General Partner. In
addition, also as a result of this acquisition, GE EFS acquired
17,763,809 subordinated units in us, of which
1,222,717 subordinated units were owned directly or
indirectly by certain members of our management team. Members of
our management team re-acquired or agreed to acquire interests
in an affiliate of GE EFS that entitle them to an indirect 8.2%
ownership interest in the Managing General Partner and the
General Partner, as well as approximately 58,000 subordinated
units.
As a result of these acquisitions and contemporaneous awards
under our Long-Term Incentive Plan, GE EFS owns (i) a 37.0%
limited partner interest in us, (ii) the 2% general partner
interest in us, and (iii) the right to receive the
incentive distributions associated with the general partner
interest. As a result of its ownership of our Managing General
Partner, GE EFS appoints all of the directors of our Managing
General Partner and has appointed five directors to serve on its
board of directors. Four partners of HM Capital Partners LLC and
two others resigned as directors concurrently with the GP
Acquisition, and our chief executive officer and two independent
directors remained on the board of directors of our Managing
General Partner.
This change of control caused all outstanding unvested option
and restricted unit awards under our Long-Term Incentive Plan to
vest. As a result, the Partnership will record a non-cash charge
of approximately $11.5 million to its results of operations
for quarter ending June 30, 2007.
CAUTIONARY
STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain matters discussed in this prospectus and the documents
we incorporate by reference herein are forward-looking
statements intended to qualify for the safe harbors from
liability established by the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the Securities Act) and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the Exchange Act). These forward-looking
statements are identified as any statement that does not relate
strictly to historical or current facts. Statements using words
such as anticipate, believe,
intend, project, plan,
expect, continue, estimate,
goal, forecast, may,
will, or similar expressions help identify
forward-looking statements. Although we and our Managing General
Partner believe such forward-looking statements are based on
reasonable assumptions and current expectations and projections
about future events, neither we nor our Managing General Partner
can give assurances that such expectations will prove to be
correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of
risks, uncertainties and assumptions.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to:
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changes in laws and regulations impacting the gathering and
processing industry;
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the level of creditworthiness of our counterparties;
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our ability to access the debt and equity markets;
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our use of derivative financial instruments to hedge commodity
and interest rate risks;
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the amount of collateral required to be posted from time to time
in our transactions;
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changes in commodity prices, interest rates, demand for our
services;
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weather and other natural phenomena;
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industry changes including the impact of consolidations and
changes in competition;
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our ability to obtain required approvals for construction or
modernization of our facilities and the timing of production
from such facilities; and
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the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by
accounting standard setting boards.
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If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or if
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may
vary materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or
expected. When considering forward-looking statements, please
read the section titled Risk Factors included in
this prospectus.
Except as required by applicable securities laws, we do not
intend to update these forward-looking statements and
information.
3
RISK
FACTORS
You should carefully consider the following risk factors
together with all of the other information included in this
prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information that
we have incorporated herein by reference in evaluating an
investment in Regency Energy Partners LP. If any of the
following risks were actually to occur, our business, financial
condition, results of operations or cash flows could be
materially adversely affected. In that case, we might not be
able to pay the minimum quarterly distribution on our common
units to pay debt service on our debt securities, the trading
price of our common units or debt securities could decline and
you could lose all or part of your investment. When we offer and
sell any securities pursuant to a prospectus supplement, we may
include additional risk factors relevant to such securities in
the prospectus supplement.
Risks
Related to Our Business
We may
not have sufficient cash from operations to enable us to pay our
current quarterly distribution following the establishment of
cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses, including
reimbursement of fees and expenses of our general
partner.
We may not have sufficient available cash from operating surplus
each quarter to pay our current quarterly distribution. The
amount of cash we can distribute on our units depends
principally on the amount of cash we generate from our
operations, which will fluctuate from quarter to quarter based
on, among other things:
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the fees we charge and the margins we realize for our services
and sales;
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the prices of, level of production of, and demand for natural
gas and NGLs;
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the volumes of natural gas we gather, process and transport;
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the level of our operating costs, including reimbursement of
fees and expenses of our general partner; and
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prevailing economic conditions.
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In addition, the actual amount of cash we will have available
for distribution will depend on other factors, some of which are
beyond our control, including:
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our debt service requirements;
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fluctuations in our working capital needs;
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our ability to borrow funds and access capital markets;
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restrictions contained in our debt agreements;
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the level of capital expenditures we make;
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the cost of acquisitions, if any; and
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the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner.
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You should be aware that the amount of cash we have available
for distribution depends primarily upon our cash flow and not
solely on profitability, which will be affected by non-cash
items. As a result, we may make cash distributions during
periods when we record losses for financial accounting purposes
and may not make cash distributions during periods when we
record net earnings for financial accounting purposes.
We may
be unable to integrate successfully the operations of TexStar or
future acquisitions with our operations and we may not realize
all the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of TexStar or
any future acquisition.
Integration of TexStar with our business and operations has been
a complex, time consuming and costly process. We cannot assure
you that we will achieve the desired profitability from TexStar
or any other
4
acquisitions we may complete in the future. In addition, failure
to assimilate future acquisitions successfully could adversely
affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our acquisitions involve numerous risks, including:
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operating a significantly larger combined organization and
adding operations;
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difficulties in the assimilation of the assets and operations of
the acquired businesses, especially if the assets acquired are
in a new business segment or geographic area;
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the risk that natural gas reserves expected to support the
acquired assets may not be of the anticipated magnitude or may
not be developed as anticipated;
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the loss of significant producers or markets or key employees
from the acquired businesses;
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the diversion of managements attention from other business
concerns;
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the failure to realize expected profitability or growth;
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the failure to realize expected synergies and cost savings;
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coordinating geographically disparate organizations, systems and
facilities; and
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coordinating or consolidating corporate and administrative
functions.
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Further, unexpected costs and challenges may arise whenever
businesses with different operations or management are combined,
and we may experience unanticipated delays in realizing the
benefits of an acquisition. If we consummate any future
acquisition, our capitalization and results of operation may
change significantly, and you may not have the opportunity to
evaluate the economic, financial and other relevant information
that we will consider in evaluating future acquisitions.
While
substantial amounts of the transportation capacity of the
Regency Intrastate Pipeline System have been contracted, if we
are unable to utilize the remaining transportation capacity, our
business and our operating results could be adversely
affected.
As of March 1, 2007, we had definitive agreements for
562,900 MMBtu/d of firm transportation on the Regency
Intrastate Pipeline System, of which 500,679 MMBtu/d was
utilized in February 2007. During the month of February 2007, we
also provided 195,395 MMBtu/d of interruptible
transportation. If we are unable to commit the remaining
uncommitted capacity on the system to firm gas transportation
contracts and the parties to existing interruptible
transportation contracts fail to utilize the capacity, our
business and operating results could be adversely affected.
Because
of the natural decline in production from existing wells, our
success depends on our ability to obtain new supplies of natural
gas, which involves factors beyond our control. Any decrease in
supplies of natural gas in our areas of operation could
adversely affect our business and operating
results.
Our gathering and transportation pipeline systems are dependent
on the level of production from natural gas wells that supply
our systems and from which production will naturally decline
over time. As a result, our cash flows associated with these
wells will also decline over time. In order to maintain or
increase through-put volume levels on our gathering and
transportation pipeline systems and the asset utilization rates
at our natural gas processing plants, we must continually obtain
new supplies. The primary factors affecting our ability to
obtain new supplies of natural gas and attract new customers to
our assets are: the level of successful drilling activity near
these systems and our ability to compete with other gathering
and processing companies for volumes from successful new wells.
The level of natural gas drilling activity is dependent on
economic and business factors beyond our control. The primary
factor that impacts drilling decisions is natural gas prices.
Natural gas prices reached historic highs in 2005 and early 2006
but have declined substantially in the second half of 2006. The
averages of the NYMEX daily settlement prices per MMBtu of
natural gas for the year ended December 31, 2005 and 2006
were $9.02 per MMBtu and $6.98 per MMBtu,
respectively. A sustained decline in natural gas prices
5
could result in a decrease in exploration and development
activities in the fields served by our gathering and processing
facilities and pipeline transportation systems, which would lead
to reduced utilization of these assets. Other factors that
impact production decisions include producers capital
budget limitations, the ability of producers to obtain necessary
drilling and other governmental permits and regulatory changes.
Because of these factors, even if additional natural gas
reserves were discovered in areas served by our assets,
producers may choose not to develop those reserves. If we were
not able to obtain new supplies of natural gas to replace the
natural decline in volumes from existing wells due to reductions
in drilling activity or competition, through-put volumes on our
pipelines and the utilization rates of our processing facilities
would decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations and financial condition.
We
depend on certain key producers and other customers for a
significant portion of our supply of natural gas. The loss of,
or reduction in volumes from, any of these key producers or
customers could adversely affect our business and operating
results.
We rely on a limited number of producers and other customers for
a significant portion of our natural gas supplies. Three
customers represented 44 percent of our natural gas supply
in our transportation segment for the year ended
December 31, 2006. These contracts have terms that are
either
month-to-month
or
year-to-year.
As these contracts expire, we will have to negotiate extensions
or renewals or replace the contracts with those of other
suppliers. For example, a significant contract with ExxonMobil
expired in August 2006 and was not renewed. We may be unable to
obtain new or renewed contracts on favorable terms, if at all.
The loss of all or even a portion of the volumes of natural gas
supplied by these producers and other customers, as a result of
competition or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In
accordance with industry practice, we do not obtain independent
evaluations of natural gas reserves dedicated to our gathering
systems. Accordingly, volumes of natural gas gathered on our
gathering systems in the future could be less than we
anticipate, which could adversely affect our business and
operating results.
In accordance with industry practice, we do not obtain
independent evaluations of natural gas reserves connected to our
gathering systems due to the unwillingness of producers to
provide reserve information as well as the cost of such
evaluations. Accordingly, we do not have estimates of total
reserves dedicated to our systems or the anticipated lives of
such reserves. If the total reserves or estimated lives of the
reserves connected to our gathering systems is less than we
anticipate and we are unable to secure additional sources of
natural gas, then the volumes of natural gas gathered on our
gathering systems in the future could be less than we
anticipate. A decline in the volumes of natural gas gathered on
our gathering systems could have an adverse effect on our
business, results of operations and financial condition.
Natural
gas, NGLs and other commodity prices are volatile, and a
reduction in these prices could adversely affect our cash flow
and operating results.
We are subject to risks due to frequent and often substantial
fluctuations in commodity prices. NGL prices generally fluctuate
on a basis that correlates to fluctuations in crude oil prices.
In the past, the prices of natural gas and crude oil have been
extremely volatile, and we expect this volatility to continue.
For example, natural gas prices reached historic highs in 2005
and early 2006, but declined substantially in the second half of
2006. The NYMEX daily settlement price for natural gas for the
prompt month contract in 2005 ranged from a high of
$15.38 per MMBtu to a low of $5.79 per MMBtu and for
the year ended December 31, 2006 ranged from a high of
$10.63 per MMBtu to a low of $4.20 per MMBtu. The
NYMEX daily settlement price for crude oil for the prompt month
contract in 2005 ranged from a high of $69.81 per barrel to
a low of $42.12 per barrel and for the year ended
December 31, 2006 ranged from a high of $77.03 per
barrel to a low of $55.81 per barrel. The markets and
prices for natural gas and NGLs depend upon factors beyond our
control. These factors include demand for oil, natural gas and
NGLs, which fluctuate with changes in market and economic
conditions and other factors, including:
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the impact of weather on the demand for oil and natural gas;
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the level of domestic oil and natural gas production;
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the availability of imported oil and natural gas;
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actions taken by foreign oil and gas producing nations;
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the availability of local, intrastate and interstate
transportation systems;
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the availability and marketing of competitive fuels;
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the impact of energy conservation efforts; and
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the extent of governmental regulation and taxation.
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Our natural gas gathering and processing businesses operate
under two types of contractual arrangements that expose our cash
flows to increases and decreases in the price of natural gas and
NGLs:
percentage-of-proceeds
and keep-whole arrangements. Under
percentage-of-proceeds
arrangements, we generally purchase natural gas from producers
and retain an agreed percentage of the proceeds (in cash or
in-kind) from the sale at market prices of pipeline-quality gas
and NGLs or NGL products resulting from our processing
activities. Under keep-whole arrangements, we receive the NGLs
removed from the natural gas during our processing operations as
the fee for providing our services in exchange for replacing the
thermal content removed as NGLs with a like thermal content in
pipeline-quality gas or its cash equivalent. Under these types
of arrangements our revenues and our cash flows increase or
decrease as the prices of natural gas and NGLs fluctuate. The
relationship between natural gas prices and NGL prices may also
affect our profitability. When natural gas prices are low
relative to NGL prices, it is more profitable for us to process
natural gas under keep-whole arrangements. When natural gas
prices are high relative to NGL prices, it is less profitable
for us and our customers to process natural gas both because of
the higher value of natural gas and of the increased cost
(principally that of natural gas as a feedstock and a fuel) of
separating the mixed NGLs from the natural gas. As a result, we
may experience periods in which higher natural gas prices
relative to NGL prices reduce our processing margins or reduce
the volume of natural gas processed at some of our plants.
In our
gathering and processing operations, we purchase raw natural gas
containing significant quantities of NGLs, process the raw
natural gas and sell the processed gas and NGLs. If we are
unsuccessful in balancing the purchase of raw natural gas with
its component NGLs and our sales of pipeline quality gas and
NGLs, our exposure to commodity price risks will
increase.
We purchase from producers and other customers a substantial
amount of the natural gas that flows through our natural gas
gathering and processing systems and our transportation pipeline
for resale to third parties, including natural gas marketers and
utilities. We may not be successful in balancing our purchases
and sales. In addition, a producer could fail to deliver
promised volumes or could deliver volumes in excess of
contracted volumes, a purchaser could purchase less than
contracted volumes, or the natural gas price differential
between the regions in which we operate could vary unexpectedly.
Any of these actions could cause our purchases and sales not to
be balanced. If our purchases and sales are not balanced, we
will face increased exposure to commodity price risks and could
have increased volatility in our operating results.
Our
results of operations and cash flow may be adversely affected by
risks associated with our hedging activities.
In performing our functions in the Gathering and Processing
segment, we are a seller of NGLs and are exposed to commodity
price risk associated with downward movements in NGL prices. As
a result of the volatility of NGL, we have executed swap
contracts settled against ethane, propane, butane and natural
gasoline market prices, supplemented with crude oil put options.
(Historically, changes in the prices of heavy NGLs, such as
natural gasoline, have generally correlated with changes in the
price of crude oil.) As of March 29, 2007, we have hedged
approximately 71 percent of our expected exposure to NGL
prices in 2007 and 2008 and approximately 28 percent in
2009. We have hedged approximately 66 percent of our
expected exposure to condensate prices in 2007 and approximately
64 percent in 2008 and 2009. We have hedged approximately
60 percent of our expected exposure to natural gas prices
in 2007. We continually monitor our
7
hedging and contract portfolio and expect to continue to adjust
our hedge position as conditions warrant. Also, we may seek to
limit our exposure to changes in interest rates by using
financial derivative instruments and other hedging mechanisms
from time to time. For more information about our risk
management activities, please read Item 7A
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk of
our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
incorporated by reference herein.
Even though our management monitors our hedging activities,
these activities can result in substantial losses. Such losses
could occur under various circumstances, including any
circumstance in which a counterparty does not perform its
obligations under the applicable hedging arrangement, the
hedging arrangement is imperfect, or our hedging policies and
procedures are not followed or do not work as planned.
To the
extent that we intend to grow internally through construction of
new, or modification of existing, facilities, we may not be able
to manage that growth effectively, which could decrease our cash
flow and adversely affect our results of
operation.
A principal focus of our strategy is to continue to grow by
expanding our business both internally and through acquisitions.
Our ability to grow internally will depend on a number of
factors, some of which will be beyond our control. In general,
the construction of additions or modifications to our existing
systems, and the construction of new midstream assets involve
numerous regulatory, environmental, political and legal
uncertainties beyond our control. Any project that we undertake
may not be completed on schedule, at budgeted cost or at all.
Construction may occur over an extended period, and we are not
likely to receive a material increase in revenues related to
such project until it is completed. Moreover, our revenues may
not increase immediately upon its completion because the
anticipated growth in gas production that the project was
intended to capture does not materialize, our estimates of the
growth in production prove inaccurate or for other reasons. For
any of these reasons, newly constructed or modified midstream
facilities may not generate our expected investment return and
that, in turn, could adversely affect our cash flows and results
of operations.
In addition, our ability to undertake to grow in this fashion
will depend on our ability to finance the construction or
modification project and on our ability to hire, train and
retain qualified personnel to manage and operate these
facilities when completed.
Because
we distribute all of our available cash to our unitholders, our
future growth may be limited.
Since we will distribute all of our available cash to our
unitholders, subject to the limitations on restricted payments
contained in the indenture governing our senior notes and our
credit facility, we will depend on financing provided by
commercial banks and other lenders and the issuance of debt and
equity securities to finance any significant internal organic
growth or acquisitions. For a definition of available cash,
please see our partnership agreement. If we are unable to obtain
adequate financing from these sources, our ability to grow will
be limited.
Our
industry is highly competitive, and increased competitive
pressure could adversely affect our business and operating
results.
We compete with similar enterprises in each of our areas of
operations. Some of our competitors are large oil, natural gas
and petrochemical companies that have greater financial
resources and access to supplies of natural gas than we do. In
addition, our customers who are significant producers or
consumers of NGLs may develop their own processing facilities in
lieu of using ours. Similarly, competitors may establish new
connections with pipeline systems that would create additional
competition for services that we provide to our customers. Our
ability to renew or replace existing contracts with our
customers at rates sufficient to maintain current revenues and
cash flows could be adversely affected by the activities of our
competitors. All of these competitive pressures could have a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
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If
third-party pipelines interconnected to our processing plants
become unavailable to transport NGLs, our cash flow and results
of operations could be adversely affected.
We depend upon third party pipelines that provide delivery
options to and from our processing plants for the benefit of our
customers. If any of these pipelines become unavailable to
transport the NGLs produced at our related processing plants, we
would be required to find alternative means to transport the
NGLs out of our processing plants, which could increase our
costs, reduce the revenues we might obtain from the sale of NGLs
or reduce our ability to process natural gas at these plants.
We are
exposed to the credit risks of our key customers, and any
material nonpayment or nonperformance by our key customers could
adversely affect our cash flow and results of
operations.
We are subject to risks of loss resulting from nonpayment or
nonperformance by our customers. Any material nonpayment or
nonperformance by our key customers could reduce our ability to
make distributions to our unitholders. Furthermore, some of our
customers may be highly leveraged and subject to their own
operating and regulatory risks, which increases the risk that
they may default on their obligations to us.
Our
business involves many hazards and operational risks, some of
which may not be fully covered by insurance. If a significant
accident or event occurs that is not fully insured, our
operations and financial results could be adversely
affected.
Our operations are subject to the many hazards inherent in the
gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas and
NGLs, including:
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damage to our gathering and processing facilities, pipelines,
related equipment and surrounding properties caused by
tornadoes, floods, fires and other natural disasters and acts of
terrorism;
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inadvertent damage from construction and farm equipment;
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leaks of natural gas, NGLs and other hydrocarbons or losses of
natural gas or NGLs as a result of the malfunction of pipelines,
measurement equipment or facilities at receipt or delivery
points;
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fires and explosions;
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weather related hazards, such as hurricanes; and
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other hazards, including those associated with high-sulfur
content, or sour gas, such as an accidental discharge of
hydrogen sulfide gas, that could also result in personal injury
and loss of life, pollution and suspension of operations.
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These risks could result in substantial losses due to personal
injury or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of
property and equipment and pollution or other environmental
damage and may result in curtailment or suspension of our
related operations. A natural disaster or other hazard affecting
the areas in which we operate could have a material adverse
effect on our operations. We are not insured against all
environmental events that might occur. If a significant accident
or event occurs that is not insured or fully insured, it could
adversely affect our operations and financial condition.
Due to
our lack of asset diversification, adverse developments in our
midstream operations would adversely affect our cash flows and
results of operations.
We rely exclusively on the revenues generated from our midstream
energy business, and as a result, our financial condition
depends upon prices of, and continued demand for, natural gas
and NGLs. Due to our lack of diversification in asset type, an
adverse development in this business would have a significantly
greater impact on our financial condition and results of
operations than if we maintained more diverse assets.
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Failure
of the gas that we ship on our pipelines to meet the
specifications of interconnecting interstate pipelines could
result in curtailments by the interstate
pipelines.
The markets to which the shippers on our pipelines ship natural
gas include interstate pipelines. These interstate pipelines
establish specifications for the natural gas that they are
willing to accept, which include requirements such as
hydrocarbon dewpoint, temperature, and foreign content including
water, sulfur, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. These
specifications vary by interstate pipeline. If the total mix of
natural gas shipped by the shippers on our pipeline fails to
meet the specifications of a particular interstate pipeline, it
may refuse to accept all or a part of the natural gas scheduled
for delivery to it. In those circumstances, we may be required
to find alternative markets for that gas or to shut-in the
producers of the non-conforming gas, potentially reducing our
through-put volumes or revenues.
Terrorist
attacks, the threat of terrorist attacks, continued hostilities
in the Middle East or other sustained military campaigns may
adversely impact our results of operations.
The long-term impact of terrorist attacks, such as the attacks
that occurred on September 11, 2001, and the magnitude of
the threat of future terrorist attacks on the energy
transportation industry in general and on us in particular are
not known at this time. Uncertainty surrounding continued
hostilities in the Middle East or other sustained military
campaigns may affect our operations in unpredictable ways,
including disruptions of natural gas supplies and markets for
natural gas and NGLs and the possibility that infrastructure
facilities could be direct targets of, or indirect casualties
of, an act of terror.
Changes in the insurance markets attributable to terrorist
attacks may make certain types of insurance more difficult for
us to obtain. Moreover, the insurance that may be available to
us may be significantly more expensive than our existing
insurance coverage. Instability in the financial markets as a
result of terrorism or war could also affect our ability to
raise capital.
We do
not own all of the land on which our pipelines and facilities
have been constructed, and we are therefore subject to the
possibility of increased costs or the inability to retain
necessary land use.
We obtain the rights to construct and operate our pipelines on
land owned by third parties and governmental agencies for
specified periods of time. Many of these
rights-of-way
are perpetual in duration; others have terms ranging from five
to ten years. Many are subject to rights of reversion in the
case of non-utilization for periods ranging from one to three
years. In addition, some of our processing facilities are
located on leased premises. Our loss of these rights, through
our inability to renew
right-of-way
contracts or leases or otherwise, could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
In addition, the construction of additions to our existing
gathering assets may require us to obtain new
rights-of-way
prior to constructing new pipelines. We may be unable to obtain
such
rights-of-way
to connect new natural gas supplies to our existing gathering
lines or to capitalize on other attractive expansion
opportunities. If the cost of obtaining new
rights-of-way
increases, then our cash flows and growth opportunities could be
adversely affected.
A
successful challenge to the rates we charge on our Regency
Intrastate Pipeline may reduce the amount of cash we
generate.
To the extent our Regency Intrastate Pipeline transports natural
gas in interstate commerce, the rates, terms and conditions of
that transportation service are subject to regulation by the
FERC, pursuant to Section 311 of the NGPA, which regulates,
among other things, the provision of transportation services by
an intrastate natural gas pipeline on behalf of an interstate
natural gas pipeline. Under Section 311, rates charged for
transportation must be fair and equitable, and the FERC is
required to approve the terms and conditions of the service.
Rates established pursuant to Section 311 are generally
analogous to the cost based rates FERC deems just and
reasonable for interstate pipelines under the NGA. FERC
may therefore apply its NGA policies to determine costs that can
be included in cost of service used to establish
Section 311 rates. These rate policies include the recent
FERC policy on income tax allowance that permits interstate
pipelines to
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include, as part of the cost of service, a full income tax
allowance for all entities owning the utility asset provided
such entities or individuals are subject to an actual or
potential tax liability. If the Section 311 rates presently
approved for Regency through May 1, 2008 are successfully
challenged in a complaint or after such date the FERC disallows
the inclusion of costs in the cost of service, changes its
regulations or policies, or establishes more onerous terms and
conditions applicable to Section 311 service, this may
adversely affect our business. Any reduction in our rates could
have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
A
change in the characterization of some of our assets by federal,
state or local regulatory agencies or a change in policy by
those agencies may result in increased regulation of our assets,
which may cause our revenues to decline and operating expenses
to increase.
Our natural gas gathering and intrastate transportation
operations are generally exempt from FERC regulation under the
NGA, but FERC regulation still affects these businesses and the
markets for products derived from these businesses. FERCs
policies and practices, including, for example, its policies on
open access transportation, ratemaking, capacity release, and
market center promotion, indirectly affect intrastate markets.
In recent years, FERC has pursued pro-competitive regulatory
policies. We cannot assure you, however, that FERC will continue
this approach as it considers matters such as pipeline rates and
rules and policies that may affect rights of access to natural
gas transportation capacity. In addition, the distinction
between FERC-regulated transmission service and federally
unregulated gathering services is the subject of regular
litigation at FERC and in the courts and of policy discussions
at FERC, so, in such circumstances, the classification and
regulation of some of our gathering facilities or our intrastate
transportation pipeline may be subject to change based on future
determinations by FERC, the courts or Congress. Such a change
could result in increased regulation by FERC.
Other state and local regulations also affect our business. Our
gathering lines are subject to ratable take and common purchaser
statutes in states in which we operate. Ratable take statutes
generally require gatherers to take, without undue
discrimination, oil or natural gas production that may be
tendered to the gatherer for handling. Similarly, common
purchaser statutes generally require gatherers to purchase
without undue discrimination as to source of supply or producer.
These statutes restrict our right as an owner of gathering
facilities to decide with whom we contract to purchase or
transport natural gas. Federal law leaves any economic
regulation of natural gas gathering to the states. States in
which we operate have adopted complaint-based regulation of oil
and natural gas gathering activities, which allows oil and
natural gas producers and shippers to file complaints with state
regulators in an effort to resolve grievances relating to oil
and natural gas gathering access and rate discrimination.
We may
incur significant costs and liabilities in the future resulting
from a failure to comply with new or existing environmental
regulations or an accidental release of hazardous substances
into the environment.
Our operations are subject to stringent and complex federal,
state and local environmental laws and regulations governing,
among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the
use, management and disposal of hazardous and nonhazardous
materials and wastes, and the cleanup of contamination.
Noncompliance with such laws and regulations, or incidents
resulting in environmental releases, could cause us to incur
substantial costs, penalties, fines and other criminal
sanctions, third party claims for personal injury or property
damage, investments to retrofit or upgrade our facilities and
programs, or curtailment of operations. Certain environmental
statutes, including CERCLA and comparable state laws, impose
strict, joint and several liability for costs required to clean
up and restore sites where hazardous substances have been
disposed or otherwise released.
There is inherent risk of the incurrence of environmental costs
and liabilities in our business due to the necessity of handling
natural gas and petroleum products, air emissions related to our
operations, and historical industry operations and waste
disposal practices. For example, an accidental release from one
of our pipelines or processing facilities could subject us to
substantial liabilities arising from environmental cleanup and
restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and
other third parties for personal injury and
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property damage, and fines or penalties for related violations
of environmental laws or regulations. Moreover, the possibility
exists that stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies
could significantly increase our compliance costs and the cost
of any remediation that may become necessary. We may not be able
to recover these costs from insurance. We believe, based on
current information, that any costs we may incur relating to
environmental matters will not adversely affect us. We cannot be
certain, however, that identification of presently unidentified
conditions, more vigorous enforcement by regulatory agencies,
enactment of more stringent laws and regulations, or other
unanticipated events will not arise in the future and give rise
to material environmental liabilities that could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results
of operations.
We may
incur significant costs and liabilities as a result of pipeline
integrity management program testing and any related pipeline
repair, or preventative or remedial measures.
The United States Department of Transportation, or DOT, has
adopted regulations requiring pipeline operators to develop
integrity management programs for transportation pipelines
located where a leak or rupture could do the most harm in
high consequence areas. The regulations require
operators to:
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perform ongoing assessments of pipeline integrity;
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identify and characterize applicable threats to pipeline
segments that could impact a high consequence area;
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improve data collection, integration and analysis;
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repair and remediate the pipeline as necessary; and
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implement preventive and mitigating actions.
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We currently estimate that we will incur costs of approximately
$2.0 million between 2007 and 2010 to implement pipeline
integrity management program testing along certain segments of
our pipeline, as required by existing DOT regulations. This
estimate does not include the costs, if any, for repair,
remediation, preventative or mitigating actions that may be
determined to be necessary as a result of the testing program,
which could be substantial.
If we
fail to develop or maintain an effective system of internal
controls, we may not be able to report our financial results
accurately or prevent fraud.
We became subject to the public reporting requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on February 3, 2006. We
produce our consolidated financial statements in accordance with
the requirements of GAAP, but we do not become subject to
certain of the internal controls standards applicable to most
companies with publicly traded securities until 2008. We may not
currently meet all those standards. Effective internal controls
are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports to
prevent fraud and to operate successfully as a publicly traded
partnership. Our efforts to develop and maintain our internal
controls compliance program may not be successful, and we may be
unable to maintain adequate controls over our financial
processes and reporting in the future, including compliance with
the obligations under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002, which we refer to as Section 404. For example,
Section 404 will require us, among other things, annually
to review and report on, and our independent registered public
accounting firm to attest to, our internal control over
financial reporting. We must comply with Section 404 for
our fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. Any failure to
develop or maintain an effective internal controls compliance
program or difficulties encountered in its implementation or
other effective improvement of our internal controls could harm
our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting
obligations. Given the difficulties inherent in the design and
operation of internal controls over financial reporting, we can
provide no assurance as to our conclusions under
Section 404, or those of our independent registered public
accounting firm, regarding the effectiveness of our internal
controls. Ineffective internal controls subject us to regulatory
scrutiny and a loss of confidence in our reported financial
information, which could have an adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition.
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Our
leverage may limit our ability to borrow additional funds,
comply with the terms of our indebtedness or capitalize on
business opportunities.
Our leverage is significant in relation to our partners
capital. Our debt to capital ratio (calculated as total debt
divided by the sum of total debt and partners capital) as
of December 31, 2006 was 76 percent. As of
March 22, 2007, our total outstanding long-term debt was
$698.1 million. We will be prohibited from making cash
distributions during an event of default under any of our
indebtedness. Various limitations in our credit facility, as
well as the indentures for the notes, may reduce our ability to
incur additional debt, to engage in some transactions and to
capitalize on business opportunities. Any subsequent refinancing
of our current indebtedness or any new indebtedness could have
similar or greater restrictions.
Our leverage may adversely affect our ability to fund future
working capital, capital expenditures and other general
partnership requirements, future acquisition, construction or
development activities, or to otherwise fully realize the value
of our assets and opportunities because of the need to dedicate
a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to
payments on our indebtedness or to comply with any restrictive
terms of our indebtedness.
Our leverage may also make our results of operations more
susceptible to adverse economic and industry conditions by
limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to,
changes in our business and the industry in which we operate and
may place us at a competitive disadvantage as compared to our
competitors that have less debt.
Restrictions
in our credit agreement could limit our ability to make
distributions upon the occurrence of certain
events.
Our payment of principal and interest on our debt will reduce
cash available for distributions on our common units. Our credit
agreement limits our ability to make distributions upon the
occurrence of the following events, among others:
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failure to pay any principal, interest, fees or other amounts
when due;
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any representation or warranty proves to be false or misleading
in any material respect;
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failure to perform or otherwise comply with the covenants in the
credit agreement or any loan document;
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failure to pay any other material debt or failure to perform or
otherwise to comply with the covenants of the agreements
governing any material debt;
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a bankruptcy or insolvency event involving us, our general
partner or any of our subsidiaries;
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the entry of, and failure to pay, one or more adverse judgments
in excess of a specified amount against which enforcement
proceedings are brought or that are not stayed pending appeal;
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a change in control of us (waived by our lenders in the case of
the GP Acquisition);
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the occurrence of certain events with respect to employee
benefit plans subject to ERISA;
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any security interest or lien in excess of a specified amount is
no longer valid or in effect; and
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any loan document is declared null and void or a proceeding is
initiated to challenge the validity or enforceability of the
loan document.
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Any subsequent refinancing of our current debt or any new debt
could have similar or more restrictive provisions. For more
information regarding our credit agreement, please read
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations Capital
Requirements Fourth Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement of our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
incorporated by reference herein.
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Increases
in interest rates, which have recently experienced record lows,
could adversely impact our unit price and our ability to issue
additional equity, in order to make acquisitions, to reduce debt
or for other purposes.
During 2004 and 2005, the credit markets experienced
50-year
record lows in interest rates. During the latter half of 2005
and in 2006, interest rates increased. If the overall economy
continues to strengthen, monetary policy may tighten further,
resulting in higher interest rates to counter possible
inflation. The interest rate on our senior notes is fixed and
the loans outstanding under our credit facility bear interest at
a floating rate. An increase of 100 basis points in the
LIBOR rate would increase our annual payment by approximately
$1,100,000. Additionally, interest rates on future credit
facilities and debt offerings could be higher than current
levels, causing our financing costs to increase accordingly. As
with other yield-oriented securities, the market price for our
units will be affected by the level of our cash distributions
and implied distribution yield. The distribution yield is often
used by investors to compare and rank yield-oriented securities
for investment decision-making purposes. Therefore, changes in
interest rates, either positive or negative, may affect the
yield requirements of investors who invest in our units, and a
rising interest rate environment could have an adverse effect on
our unit price and our ability to issue additional equity, in
order to make acquisitions, to reduce debt or for other purposes.
You
may not be able to sell large blocks of our common units in a
single day without realizing a lower than expected sales
price.
During the six months ended March 15, 2007, the average
daily volume of our common units traded on the NASDAQ was
43,000. The median of the daily volume for the same period was
39,200. The maximum and minimum daily volume for the same period
was 120,400 and 8,500, respectively. If we are unable to
increase the market demand for our equity securities, you may be
adversely affected.
We may
not have the ability to raise funds necessary to finance any
change of control offer required under our senior
notes.
If a change of control (as defined in the indenture) occurs, we
will be required to offer to purchase our outstanding senior
notes at 101 percent of their principal amount plus accrued
and unpaid interest. If a purchase offer obligation arises under
the indenture governing the senior notes, a change of control
could also have occurred under the senior secured credit
facilities, which could result in the acceleration of the
indebtedness outstanding thereunder. Any of our future debt
agreements may contain similar restrictions and provisions. If a
purchase offer were required under the indenture for our debt,
we may not have sufficient funds to pay the purchase price of
all debt that we are required to purchase or repay.
Risks
Related to Our Structure
GE
owns 37.0 percent of the limited partner units outstanding
and controls our general partner, which has sole responsibility
for conducting our business and managing our
operations.
GE owns 37.0 percent of the limited partner units
outstanding and controls our general partner. Although our
general partner has a fiduciary duty to manage us in a manner
beneficial to us and our unitholders, the directors and officers
of our general partner have a fiduciary duty to manage our
general partner in a manner beneficial to its owner, GE.
Conflicts of interest may arise between GE and its affiliates,
including our general partner, on the one hand, and us, on the
other hand. In resolving these conflicts of interest, our
general partner may favor its own interests and the interests of
its affiliates over our interests. These conflicts include,
among others, the following situations:
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neither our partnership agreement nor any other agreement
requires GE or its affiliates to pursue a business strategy that
favors us;
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our general partner is allowed to take into account the
interests of parties other than us, such as GE, in resolving
conflicts of interest;
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GE and its affiliates may engage in competition with us;
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our General Partner has limited its liability and reduced its
fiduciary duties, and has also restricted the remedies available
to our unitholders for actions that, without such limitations,
might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty;
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our General Partner determines the amount and timing of asset
purchases and sales, capital expenditures, borrowings and
repayments of debt, issuance of additional partnership
securities, and cash reserves, each of which can affect the
amount of cash available to pay interest on, and principal of,
the notes;
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our General Partner determines which costs incurred by it and
its affiliates are reimbursable by us;
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our partnership agreement does not restrict our General Partner
from causing us to pay it or its affiliates for any services
rendered to us or entering into additional contractual
arrangements with any of these entities on our behalf;
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our General Partner intends to limit its liability regarding our
contractual and other obligations; and
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our General Partner controls the enforcement of obligations owed
to us by our General Partner and its affiliates.
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GE and
its affiliates may compete directly with us.
GE and its affiliates are not prohibited from owning assets or
engaging in businesses that compete directly or independently
with us. GE and its affiliates currently own various midstream
assets and conduct midstream business that may potentially
compete with us. In addition, GE or its affiliates may acquire,
construct or dispose of any additional midstream or other assets
in the future, without any obligation to offer us the
opportunity to purchase or construct or dispose of those assets.
Our
reimbursement of our general partners expenses will reduce
our cash available for distribution to you.
Prior to making any distribution on the common units, we will
reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for all
expenses they incur on our behalf. These expenses will include
all costs incurred by our general partner and its affiliates in
managing and operating us, including costs for rendering
corporate staff and support services to us. Please read
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Party
Transactions of our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
incorporated by reference herein. The reimbursement of expenses
of our general partner and its affiliates could adversely affect
our ability to pay cash distributions to you.
Our
partnership agreement limits our general partners
fiduciary duties to our unitholders and restricts the remedies
available to unitholders for actions taken by our general
partner that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary
duty.
Our partnership agreement contains provisions that reduce the
standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held
by state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership
agreement:
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permits our general partner to make a number of decisions in its
individual capacity, as opposed to its capacity as our general
partner. This entitles our general partner to consider only the
interests and factors that it desires, and it has no duty or
obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or
factors affecting, us, our affiliates or any limited partner.
Examples include the exercise of its limited call right, its
voting rights with respect to the units it owns, its
registration rights and its determination whether or not to
consent to any merger or consolidation of the partnership;
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provides that our general partner will not have any liability to
us or our unitholders for decisions made in its capacity as a
general partner so long as it acted in good faith, meaning it
believed the decision was in the best interests of our
partnership;
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provides that our general partner is entitled to make other
decisions in good faith if it believes that the
decision is in our best interests;
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provides generally that affiliated transactions and resolutions
of conflicts of interest not approved by the conflicts committee
of our general partner and not involving a vote of unitholders
must be on terms no less favorable to us than those generally
being provided to or available from unrelated third parties or
be fair and reasonable to us, as determined by our
general partner in good faith, and that, in determining whether
a transaction or resolution is fair and reasonable,
our general partner may consider the totality of the
relationships between the parties involved, including other
transactions that may be particularly advantageous or beneficial
to us; and
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provides that our general partner and its officers and directors
will not be liable for monetary damages to us, our limited
partners or assignees for any acts or omissions unless there has
been a final and non- appealable judgment entered by a court of
competent jurisdiction determining that the general partner or
those other persons acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or
willful misconduct.
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By purchasing a common unit, a common unitholder will become
bound by the provisions in the partnership agreement, including
the provisions discussed above.
Unitholders
have limited voting rights and are not entitled to elect our
general partner or its directors.
Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, unitholders
have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our
business and, therefore, limited ability to influence
managements decisions regarding our business. Unitholders
did not elect our general partner or its board of directors and
will have no right to elect our general partner or its board of
directors on an annual or other continuing basis. The board of
directors of our general partner is chosen by the members of our
general partner. Furthermore, if the unitholders were
dissatisfied with the performance of our general partner, they
will have little ability to remove our general partner. As a
result of these limitations, the price at which the common units
will trade could be diminished because of the absence or
reduction of a takeover premium in the trading price.
Even
if unitholders are dissatisfied, they cannot remove our general
partner without its consent.
The unitholders are currently unable to remove the general
partner without its consent because the general partner and its
affiliates own sufficient units to be able to prevent its
removal. The vote of the holders of at least
662/3
percent of all outstanding units voting together as a single
class is required to remove the general partner. Our general
partner and its affiliates own 37.0 percent of the total of
our common and subordinated units. Moreover, if our general
partner is removed without cause during the subordination period
and units held by our general partner and its affiliates are not
voted in favor of that removal, all remaining subordinated units
will automatically convert into common units and any existing
arrearages on the common units will be extinguished. A removal
of the general partner under these circumstances would adversely
affect the common units by prematurely eliminating their
distribution and liquidation preference over the subordinated
units, which would otherwise have continued until we had met
certain distribution and performance tests.
Our
partnership agreement restricts the voting rights of those
unitholders owning 20 percent or more of our common
units.
Unitholders voting rights are further restricted by the
partnership agreement provision providing that any units held by
a person that owns 20 percent or more of any class of units
then outstanding, other than our general partner, its
affiliates, their transferees, and persons who acquired such
units with the prior approval of our general partner, cannot
vote on any matter. Our partnership agreement also contains
provisions limiting the ability of unitholders to call meetings
or to acquire information about our operations, as well as other
provisions limiting the unitholders ability to influence
the manner or direction of management.
Control
of our general partner may be transferred to a third party
without unitholder consent.
Our general partner may transfer its general partner interest to
a third party in a merger or in a sale of all or substantially
all of its assets without the consent of the unitholders.
Furthermore, our partnership agreement does not restrict the
ability of the partners of our general partner from transferring
their ownership in our general partner to a third party. The new
partners of our general partner would then be in a position to
replace
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the board of directors and officers of Regency GP LLC with their
own choices and to control the decisions taken by the board of
directors and officers.
We may
issue an unlimited number of additional units without your
approval, which would dilute your existing ownership
interest.
Our general partner, without the approval of our unitholders,
may cause us to issue an unlimited number of additional common
units. For example, in the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part, we have registered a total of $691,322,449
of equity and debt securities, some of which we expect to offer
as common units.
The issuance by us of additional common units or other equity
securities of equal or senior rank will have the following
effects:
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our unitholders proportionate ownership interest in us
will decrease;
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the amount of cash available for distribution on each unit may
decrease;
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because a lower percentage of total outstanding units will be
subordinated units, the risk that a shortfall in the payment of
the minimum quarterly distribution will be borne by our common
unitholders will increase;
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the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding unit
may be diminished; and
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the market price of the common units may decline.
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Our
general partner has a limited call right that may require you to
sell your units at an undesirable time or price.
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more
than 80 percent of the common units, our general partner
will have the right, but not the obligation (which it may assign
to any of its affiliates or to us) to acquire all, but not less
than all, of the common units held by unaffiliated persons at a
price not less than their then-current market price. As a
result, you may be required to sell your common units at an
undesirable time or price and may not receive any return on your
investment. You may also incur a tax liability upon a sale of
your units. Our general partner and its affiliates do not
currently own any of our common units. At the end of the
subordination period, assuming no additional issuances of common
units, our general partner and its affiliates will own
approximately 37.0 percent of the common units.
Your
liability may not be limited if a court finds that unitholder
action constitutes control of our business.
A general partner of a partnership generally has unlimited
liability for the obligations of the partnership, except for
those contractual obligations of the partnership that are
expressly made without recourse to the general partner. Our
partnership is organized under Delaware law and we conduct
business in a number of other states. The limitations on the
liability of holders of limited partner interests for the
obligations of a limited partnership have not been clearly
established in some of the other states in which we do business.
In most states, a limited partner is only liable if he
participates in the control of the business of the
partnership. These statutes generally do not define control, but
do permit limited partners to engage in certain activities,
including, among other actions, taking any action with respect
to the dissolution of the partnership, the sale, exchange, lease
or mortgage of any asset of the partnership, the admission or
removal of the general partner and the amendment of the
partnership agreement. You could, however, be liable for any and
all of our obligations as if you were a general partner if:
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a court or government agency determined that we were conducting
business in a state but had not complied with that particular
states partnership statute; or
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your right to act with other unitholders to take other actions
under our partnership agreement is found to constitute
control of our business.
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Unitholders
may have liability to repay distributions that were wrongfully
distributed to them.
Under certain circumstances, unitholders may have to repay
amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to them. Under
Section 17-607
of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, we may
not make a distribution to you if the distribution would cause
our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets. Delaware
law provides that for a period of three years from the date of
the distribution, limited partners who received an impermissible
distribution and who knew at the time of the distribution that
it violated Delaware law will be liable to the limited
partnership for the distribution amount. Substituted limited
partners are liable for the obligations of the assignor to make
required contributions to the partnership other than
contribution obligations that are unknown to the substituted
limited partner at the time it became a limited partner and that
could not be ascertained from the partnership agreement.
Liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interest
and liabilities that are non-recourse to the partnership are not
counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is
permitted.
Risks
Related to the Debt Securities
We
have a holding company structure in which our subsidiaries
conduct our operations and own our operating
assets.
We have a holding company structure, and our subsidiaries
conduct all of our operations and own all of our operating
assets. We have no significant assets other than the ownership
interests in our subsidiaries. As a result, our ability to make
required payments on the debt securities depends on the
performance of our subsidiaries and their ability to distribute
funds to us. The ability of our subsidiaries to make
distributions to us may be restricted by, among other things,
credit facilities and applicable state partnership laws and
other laws and regulations. Pursuant to the credit facilities,
we may be required to establish cash reserves for the future
payment of principal and interest on the amounts outstanding
under the credit facilities. If we are unable to obtain the
funds necessary to pay the principal amount at maturity of the
debt securities, or to repurchase the debt securities upon the
occurrence of a change of control, we may be required to adopt
one or more alternatives, such as a refinancing of the debt
securities. We cannot assure you that we would be able to
refinance the debt securities.
We do
not have the same flexibility as other types of organizations to
accumulate cash, which may limit cash available to service the
debt securities or to repay them at maturity.
Unlike a corporation, our partnership agreement requires us to
distribute, on a quarterly basis, 100% of our available cash to
our unitholders of record and our general partner. Available
cash is generally all of our cash receipts adjusted for cash
distributions and net changes to reserves. Our general partner
will determine the amount and timing of such distributions and
has broad discretion to establish and make additions to our
reserves or the reserves of our operating partnerships in
amounts the general partner determines in its reasonable
discretion to be necessary or appropriate:
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to provide for the proper conduct of our business and our
subsidiaries (including reserves for future capital expenditures
and for our anticipated future credit needs),
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to comply with applicable law or any of our debt instruments or
other agreements, or
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to provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and the
general partner for any one or more of the next four calendar
quarters.
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Although our payment obligations to our unitholders are
subordinate to our payment obligations to debtholders, the value
of our units will decrease in direct correlation with any
decrease in the amount we distribute per unit. Accordingly, if
we experience a liquidity problem in the future, we may not be
able to issue equity to recapitalize.
18
We
require a significant amount of cash to service our
indebtedness. Our ability to generate cash depends on many
factors beyond our control.
Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our
indebtedness, including our outstanding senior notes and any
future issuance of debt securities, and to fund planned capital
expenditures depends on our ability to generate cash in the
future. This, to a certain extent, is subject to general
economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and
other factors that are beyond our control.
We cannot assure you that we will generate sufficient cash flow
from operations or that future borrowings will be available to
us under the senior secured revolving credit facility or
otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our
indebtedness, including our outstanding senior notes and any
future issuance of debt securities, or to fund our other
liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of
our indebtedness, including our outstanding senior notes and any
future issuance of debt securities, on or before maturity. We
cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our
indebtedness, including our outstanding senior notes and any
future issuances of debt securities, on commercially reasonable
terms or at all.
The
guarantees by certain of our subsidiaries of our outstanding
senior notes and any future issuances of debt securities could
be deemed fraudulent conveyances under certain circumstances,
and a court may try to subordinate or void these subsidiary
guarantees.
Under U.S. bankruptcy law and comparable provisions of
state fraudulent transfer laws, a guarantee can be voided or
claims under a guarantee may be subordinated to all other debts
of that guarantor if, among other things, the guarantor, at the
time it incurred the indebtedness evidenced by its guarantee:
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intended to hinder, delay or defraud any present or future
creditor or received less than reasonably equivalent value or
fair consideration for the incurrence of the guarantee;
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was insolvent or rendered insolvent by reason of such incurrence;
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was engaged in a business or transaction for which the
guarantors remaining assets constituted unreasonably small
capital; or
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intended to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond
its ability to pay those debts as they mature.
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In addition, any payment by that guarantor under a guarantee
could be voided and required to be returned to the guarantor or
to a fund for the benefit of the creditors of the guarantor. The
measures of insolvency for purposes of these fraudulent transfer
laws will vary depending upon the law applied in any proceeding
to determine whether a fraudulent transfer has occurred.
Generally, however, a subsidiary guarantor would be considered
insolvent if:
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the sum of its debts, including contingent liabilities, was
greater than the fair saleable value of all of its assets;
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the present saleable value of its assets was less than the
amount that would be required to pay its probable liability,
including contingent liabilities, on its existing debts as they
become absolute and mature; or
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it could not pay its debts as they became due.
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Tax Risks
to Common Unitholders
In addition to reading the following risk factors, you should
read Material Tax Consequences for a more complete
discussion of the expected material federal income tax
consequences of owning and disposing of common units.
19
Our
tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for federal
income tax purposes, as well as our not being subject to a
material amount of entity-level taxation by individual states.
If the IRS were to treat us as a corporation or if we become
subject to a material amount of entity-level taxation for state
tax purposes, it would reduce the amount of cash available for
distribution to you.
The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in
our common units depends largely on our being treated as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes. We have not
requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS on
this or any other tax matter affecting us.
If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our taxable income
at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%,
and would likely pay state income tax at varying rates.
Distributions to you would generally be taxed again as corporate
distributions, and no income, gains, losses or deductions would
flow through to you. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a
corporation, our cash available for distribution to you would be
substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a
corporation would result in a material reduction in the
anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to the unitholders,
likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our
common units.
Current law may change so as to cause us to be treated as a
corporation for federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject
us to entity-level taxation. In addition, because of widespread
state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are
evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation
through the imposition of state income, franchise and other
forms of taxation. For example, beginning in 2008, we will be
required to pay Texas franchise tax at a maximum effective rate
of 0.7% of our gross income apportioned to Texas in the prior
year. Imposition of such a tax on us by Texas and, if
applicable, by any other state will reduce the cash available
for distribution to you.
Our partnership agreement provides that if a law is enacted or
existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner that
subjects us to taxation as a corporation or otherwise subjects
us to entity-level taxation for federal, state or local income
tax purposes, the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the
target distribution amounts will be adjusted to reflect the
impact of that law on us.
If the
IRS contests the federal income tax positions we take, the
market for our common units may be adversely impacted and the
cost of any IRS contest will reduce our cash available for
distribution to you.
We have not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our
treatment as a partnership for federal income tax purposes or
any other matter affecting us. The IRS may adopt positions that
differ from the conclusions of our counsel expressed in this
prospectus or from the positions we take. It may be necessary to
resort to administrative or court proceedings to sustain some or
all of our counsels conclusions or the positions we take.
A court may not agree with some or all of our counsels
conclusions or positions we take. Any contest with the IRS may
materially and adversely impact the market for our common units
and the price at which they trade. In addition, our costs of any
contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our unitholders
and our general partner because the costs will reduce our cash
available for distribution.
You
may be required to pay taxes on your share of our income even if
you do not receive any cash distributions from us.
Because our unitholders will be treated as partners to whom we
will allocate taxable income that could be different in amount
than the cash we distribute, you will be required to pay any
federal income taxes and, in some cases, state and local income
taxes on your share of our taxable income even if you receive no
cash distributions from us. You may not receive cash
distributions from us equal to your share of our taxable income
or even equal to the actual tax liability that results from that
income.
Tax
gain or loss on disposition of our common units could be more or
less than expected.
If you sell your common units, you will recognize a gain or loss
equal to the difference between the amount realized and your tax
basis in those common units. Because distributions in excess of
your allocable share of our net taxable income decrease your tax
basis in your common units, the amount, if any, of such
20
prior excess distributions with respect to the units you sell
will, in effect, become taxable income to you if you sell such
units at a price greater than your tax basis in those units,
even if the price you receive is less than your original cost.
Furthermore, a substantial portion of the amount realized,
whether or not representing gain, may be taxed as ordinary
income due to potential recapture items, including depreciation
recapture. In addition, because the amount realized includes a
unitholders share of our nonrecourse liabilities, if you
sell your units, you may incur a tax liability in excess of the
amount of cash you receive from the sale. Please read
Material Tax Consequences Disposition of
Common Units Recognition of Gain or Loss for a
further discussion of the foregoing.
Tax-exempt
entities and foreign persons face unique tax issues from owning
our common units that may result in adverse tax consequences to
them.
Investment in common units by tax-exempt entities, such as
individual retirement accounts (known as IRAs), and
non-U.S. persons
raises issues unique to them. For example, virtually all of our
income allocated to organizations that are exempt from federal
income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other
retirement plans, will be unrelated business taxable income and
will be taxable to them. Distributions to
non-U.S. persons
will be reduced by withholding taxes at the highest applicable
effective tax rate, and
non-U.S. persons
will be required to file United States federal tax returns and
pay tax on their share of our taxable income. If you are a tax
exempt entity or a foreign person, you should consult your tax
advisor before investing in our common units.
We
will treat each purchaser of common units as having the same tax
benefits without regard to the actual common units purchased.
The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely
affect the value of the common units.
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of common
units and because of other reasons, we will adopt depreciation
and amortization positions that may not conform to all aspects
of existing Treasury Regulations. A successful IRS challenge to
those positions could adversely affect the amount of tax
benefits available to you. It also could affect the timing of
these tax benefits or the amount of gain from your sale of
common units and could have a negative impact on the value of
our common units or result in audit adjustments to your tax
returns. Please read Material Tax Consequences
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership Section 754
Election for a further discussion of the effect of the
depreciation and amortization positions we adopted.
We
have adopted certain valuation methodologies that may result in
a shift of income, gain, loss and deduction between the general
partner and the unitholders. The IRS may challenge this
treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the common
units.
When we issue additional units or engage in certain other
transactions, we determine the fair market value of our assets
and allocate any unrealized gain or loss attributable to our
assets to the capital accounts of our unitholders and our
general partner. Although we may from time to time consult with
professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, including
the valuation of our assets, we make many of the fair market
value estimates of our assets ourselves using a methodology
based on the market value of our common units as a means to
measure the fair market value of our assets. Our methodology may
be viewed as understating the value of our assets. In that case,
there may be a shift of income, gain, loss and deduction between
certain unitholders and the general partner, which may be
unfavorable to such unitholders. Moreover, under our current
valuation methods, subsequent purchasers of common units may
have a greater portion of their Internal Revenue Code
Section 743(b) adjustment allocated to our tangible assets
and a lesser portion allocated to our intangible assets. The IRS
may challenge our valuation methods, or our allocation of the
Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to our tangible and
intangible assets, and allocations of income, gain, loss and
deduction between the general partner and certain of our
unitholders.
A successful IRS challenge to these methods or allocations could
adversely affect the amount of taxable income or loss being
allocated to our unitholders. It also could affect the amount of
gain from our unitholders
21
sale of common units and could have a negative impact on the
value of the common units or result in audit adjustments to our
unitholders tax returns without the benefit of additional
deductions.
The
sale or exchange of 50% or more of our capital and profits
interests during any twelve-month period will result in the
termination of our partnership for federal income tax
purposes.
We will be considered to have terminated for federal income tax
purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the
total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month
period. Pursuant to the GP Acquisition, GE EFS acquired
(i) a 37.3% limited partner interest in us (reduced to
37.0% after giving effect to the contemporaneous awards under
our long-term incentive plan), (ii) the 2% general partner
interest in us, and (iii) the right to receive the
incentive distributions associated with the general partner
interest. We believe, and will take the position, that the
GP Acquisition, together with all other common units sold
within the prior twelve-month period, represented a sale or
exchange of 50% or more of the total interest in our capital and
profits interests. Our termination would, among other things,
result in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders on
June 18, 2007 and upon any future termination. Such a
closing of the books could result in a significant deferral of
depreciation deductions allowable in computing our taxable
income. We anticipate that the impact of this termination to our
unitholders will be an increased amount of taxable income as a
percentage of the cash distributed to our unitholders. Although
the amount of increase cannot be estimated because it depends
upon numerous factors including the timing of the termination,
the amount could be material. Moreover, in the case of a
unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year
ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may
result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss
being includable in his taxable income for the year of
termination. Our termination currently would not affect our
classification as a partnership for federal income tax purposes,
but instead, we would be treated as a new partnership for tax
purposes. If treated as a new partnership, we must make new tax
elections and could be subject to penalties if we are unable to
determine that a termination occurred. Please read
Material Tax Consequences Disposition of
Common Units Constructive Termination for a
discussion of the consequences of our termination for federal
income tax purposes.
You
will likely be subject to state and local taxes and return
filing requirements in states where you do not live as a result
of investing in our common units.
In addition to federal income taxes, you will likely be subject
to other taxes, including foreign, state and local taxes,
unincorporated business taxes and estate, inheritance or
intangible taxes that are imposed by the various jurisdictions
in which we do business or own property, even if you do not live
in any of those jurisdictions. You will likely be required to
file foreign, state and local income tax returns and pay state
and local income taxes in some or all of these various
jurisdictions. Further, you may be subject to penalties for
failure to comply with those requirements. We will initially own
assets and do business in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana,
Oklahoma, and Texas. Each of these states, other than Texas,
currently imposes a personal income tax on individuals. Most of
these states also impose an income tax on corporations and other
entities. As we make acquisitions or expand our business, we may
own assets or conduct business in additional states that impose
a personal income tax. It is your responsibility to file all
United States federal, foreign, state and local tax returns. Our
counsel has not rendered an opinion on the state or local tax
consequences of an investment in our common units.
22
USE OF
PROCEEDS
Unless otherwise indicated to the contrary in an accompanying
prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the
sale of securities covered by this prospectus for general
partnership purposes, which may include repayment of
indebtedness and other capital expenditures and additions to
working capital.
The actual application of proceeds from the sale of any
particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be
described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to
such offering. The precise amount and timing of the application
of these proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and
the availability and cost of other funds.
RATIO OF
EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table presents the ratios of earnings to fixed
charges of the Partnership and its predecessor for the periods
indicated. For purposes of computing the ratios of earnings to
fixed charges, earnings consist of income from continuing
operations before adjustment for equity income from equity
method investees plus fixed charges, amortization of capitalized
interest and distributed income from investees accounted for
under the equity method. Fixed charges consist of interest
expensed and capitalized and an estimated interest component of
rent expense.
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Regency Energy Partners LP
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Regency Predecessor LLC
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Period from
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Period from
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Period from
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Acquisition Date
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Inception
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January 1,
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(December 1,
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(April 2, 2003) to
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2004 to
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2004) to
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Year Ended
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Year Ended
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Three Months
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Three Months
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December 31,
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November 30,
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December 31,
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December 31,
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December 31,
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Ended March 31,
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Ended March 31,
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2003(1)
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2004
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2004
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2005(2)
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2006(2)
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2006(2)
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2007(2)
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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
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3.39
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4.67
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2.03
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The predecessor of the Partnership was organized on
April 2, 2003 and commenced active operations in June 2003. |
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Earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges for the years
ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 by $8.2 million and
$14.5 million, respectively and for the three months ended
March 31, 2006 and 2007 by $7.0 million and
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23
DESCRIPTION
OF OUR COMMON UNITS
The
Units
The common units and the subordinated units are separate classes
of our limited partner interests. The holders of units are
entitled to participate in partnership distributions and
exercise the rights or privileges available to limited partners
under our partnership agreement. For a description of the
relative rights and preferences of holders of common units and
subordinated units in and to partnership distributions, please
read this section and How We Make Cash
Distributions. For a description of the rights and
privileges of limited partners under our partnership agreement,
including voting rights, please read The Partnership
Agreement.
Our outstanding common units are listed on The Nasdaq Stock
Market LLC, or Nasdaq, and trade in the Nasdaq Global Select
Market under the symbol RGNC.
The transfer agent and registrar for our common units is
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
Transfer
of Common Units
By transfer of our common units in accordance with our
partnership agreement, each transferee of our common units will
be admitted as a unitholder with respect to the common units
transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our
books and records. Additionally, each transferee of our common
units:
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represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and
authority to become bound by our partnership agreement;
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automatically agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of,
and is deemed to have executed, our partnership
agreement; and
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gives the consents and approvals contained in our partnership
agreement.
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An assignee will become a substituted limited partner of our
partnership for the transferred common units automatically upon
the recording of the transfer on our books and records. The
general partner will cause any transfers to be recorded on our
books and records no less frequently than quarterly.
We may, at our discretion, treat the nominee holder of a common
unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial
holders rights are limited solely to those that it has
against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between
the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.
Common units are securities and are transferable according to
the laws governing transfers of securities. In addition to other
rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the
transferee the right to become a substituted limited partner in
our partnership for the transferred common units.
Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and
the transfer agent, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary,
may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner
for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock
exchange regulations.
24
DESCRIPTION
OF OUR DEBT SECURITIES
We will issue our debt securities under an indenture among us,
as issuer, the Trustee and any subsidiary guarantors. The debt
securities will be governed by the provisions of the Indenture
and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust
Indenture Act of 1939. We, the Trustee and any subsidiary
guarantors may enter into supplements to the Indenture from time
to time. If we decide to issue subordinated debt securities, we
will issue them under a separate Indenture containing
subordination provisions.
This description is a summary of the material provisions of the
debt securities and the Indentures. We urge you to read the
forms of senior indenture and subordinated indenture filed as
exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus
is a part because those Indentures, and not this description,
govern your rights as a holder of debt securities. References in
this prospectus to an Indenture refer to the
particular Indenture under which we issue a series of debt
securities. References in this prospectus to Trustee
refer to the trustee that we appoint for any series of debt, as
further described in The Trustee.
Regency Energy Partners LP may issue debt securities in one or
more series, and Regency Energy Finance Corp. may be a co-issuer
of one or more series of debt securities. Regency Energy Finance
Corp. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware
in 2006, is wholly-owned by Regency Energy Partners LP, and has
no material assets or any liabilities other than as a co-issuer
of debt securities. Its activities will be limited to co-issuing
debt securities and engaging in other activities incidental
thereto. When used in this section Description of the Debt
Securities, the terms we, us,
our and issuers refer jointly to Regency
Energy Partners LP and Regency Energy Finance Corp., and the
terms Regency and Regency Finance Corp
refer strictly to Regency Energy Partners LP and Regency Energy
Finance Corp., respectively.
General
The
Debt Securities
Any series of debt securities that we issue:
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will be our general obligations;
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will be general obligations of any Subsidiary Guarantors that
guarantee that series; and
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may be subordinated to our senior indebtedness, with any
guarantees also being subordinated to any senior indebtedness.
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The Indenture does not limit the total amount of debt securities
that we may issue. We may issue debt securities under the
Indenture from time to time in separate series, up to the
aggregate amount authorized for each such series.
We will prepare a prospectus supplement and either an indenture
supplement or a resolution of the board of directors of our
general partner and accompanying officers certificate
relating to any series of debt securities that we offer, which
will include specific terms relating to some or all of the
following:
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whether Regency Finance Corp. will be a co-issuer of the debt
securities;
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whether the debt securities are entitled to the benefits of any
guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantors;
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the form and title of the debt securities;
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the total principal amount of the debt securities;
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the date or dates on which the debt securities may be issued;
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the portion of the principal amount that will be payable if the
maturity of the debt securities is accelerated;
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any right we may have to defer payments of interest by extending
the dates payments are due and whether interest on those
deferred amounts will be payable;
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the dates on which the principal and premium, if any, of the
debt securities will be payable;
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the interest rate that the debt securities will bear and the
interest payment dates for the debt securities;
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any optional redemption provisions;
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any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to
repurchase or otherwise redeem the debt securities;
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whether the debt securities may be issued in amounts other than
$1,000 each or multiples thereof;
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any changes to or additional Events of Default or covenants;
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the subordination, if any, of the debt securities and any
changes to the subordination provisions of the
Indenture; and
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any other terms of the debt securities.
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This description of debt securities will be deemed modified,
amended or supplemented by any description of any series of debt
securities set forth in a prospectus supplement related to that
series.
The prospectus supplement will also describe any material United
States federal income tax consequences or other special
considerations regarding the applicable series of debt
securities, including those relating to:
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debt securities with respect to which payments of principal,
premium or interest are determined with reference to an index or
formula, including changes in prices of particular securities,
currencies or commodities;
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debt securities with respect to which principal, premium or
interest is payable in a foreign or composite currency;
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debt securities that are issued at a discount below their stated
principal amount, bearing no interest or interest at a rate that
at the time of issuance is below market rates; and
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variable rate debt securities that are exchangeable for fixed
rate debt securities.
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At our option, we may make interest payments by check mailed to
the registered holders of any debt securities not in global form
or, if so stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, at the
option of a holder by wire transfer to an account designated by
the holder.
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus
supplement, fully registered securities may be transferred or
exchanged at the office of the Trustee at which its corporate
trust business is principally administered in the United States,
subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, without
the payment of any service charge, other than any applicable tax
or governmental charge.
Any funds we pay to a paying agent for the payment of amounts
due on any debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years
will be returned to us, and the holders of the debt securities
must look only to us for payment after that time.
The
Subsidiary Guarantees
Our payment obligations under any series of debt securities may
be jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guaranteed
by one or more Subsidiary Guarantors. If a series of debt
securities is so guaranteed, the Subsidiary Guarantors will
execute a notation of guarantee as further evidence of their
guarantee. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe
the terms of any guarantee by the Subsidiary Guarantors.
The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor under its guarantee
of the debt securities will be limited to the maximum amount
that will not result in the obligations of the Subsidiary
Guarantor under the guarantee constituting a fraudulent
conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law,
after giving effect to:
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all other contingent and fixed liabilities of the Subsidiary
Guarantor; and
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any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any
other Subsidiary Guarantors in respect of the obligations of the
Subsidiary Guarantor under its guarantee.
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The guarantee of any Subsidiary Guarantor may be released under
certain circumstances. If no default has occurred and is
continuing under the Indenture and to the extent not otherwise
prohibited by the Indenture, a Subsidiary Guarantor will be
unconditionally released and discharged from the guarantee:
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automatically upon any sale, exchange or transfer, to any person
that is not our affiliate, of all of our direct or indirect
limited partnership or other equity interests in the Subsidiary
Guarantor;
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automatically upon the merger of the Subsidiary Guarantor into
us or any other Subsidiary Guarantor or the liquidation and
dissolution of the Subsidiary Guarantor; or
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upon our delivery of a written notice to the Trustee of the
release of all guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantor of any
debt of ours for borrowed money (or a guarantee of such debt),
except for any series of debt securities, other than a release
resulting from a payment of such guarantees.
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If a series of debt securities is guaranteed by the Subsidiary
Guarantors and is designated as subordinate to our senior
indebtedness, then the guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantors
will be subordinated to the senior indebtedness of the
Subsidiary Guarantors to substantially the same extent as the
series is subordinated to our senior indebtedness. See
Subordination.
Covenants
Reports
The Indenture contains the following covenant for the benefit of
the holders of all series of debt securities:
So long as any debt securities are outstanding, we will:
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for as long as we are required to file information with the SEC
pursuant to the Exchange Act, file with the Trustee, within
30 days after we file with the SEC, copies of the annual
reports and of the information, documents and other reports that
we are required to file with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange
Act; and
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if we are not required to file information with the SEC pursuant
to the Exchange Act, file with the Trustee, within 30 days
after we would have been required to file with the SEC,
financial statements and a Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, both
comparable to what we would have been required to file with the
SEC had we been subject to the reporting requirements of the
Exchange Act.
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Other
Covenants
A series of debt securities may contain additional financial and
other covenants applicable to us and our subsidiaries. The
applicable prospectus supplement will contain a description of
any such covenants that are added to the Indenture specifically
for the benefit of holders of a particular series.
Events of
Default, Remedies and Notice
Events
of Default
Each of the following events will be an Event of
Default under the Indenture with respect to a series of
debt securities:
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default in any payment of interest on any debt securities of
that series when due that continues for 30 days;
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default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on
any debt securities of that series when due at its stated
maturity, upon redemption, upon required repurchase or otherwise;
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default in the payment of any sinking fund payment on any debt
securities of that series when due;
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failure by us or, if the series of debt securities is guaranteed
by the Subsidiary Guarantors, by a Subsidiary Guarantor, to
comply for 60 days after notice with the other agreements
contained in the Indenture, any supplement to the Indenture or
any board resolution authorizing the issuance of that series;
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certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of us
or, if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by the
Subsidiary Guarantors, of the Subsidiary Guarantors; or
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if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by the Subsidiary
Guarantors:
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any of the guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantors ceases to be
in full force and effect, except as otherwise provided in the
Indenture;
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any of the guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantors is declared
null and void in a judicial proceeding; or
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any Subsidiary Guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations
under the Indenture or its guarantee.
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Exercise
of Remedies
If an Event of Default, other than an Event of Default with
respect to us described in the fifth bullet point above, occurs
and is continuing, the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in
principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that
series may declare the entire principal of, premium, if any, and
accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all the debt securities
of that series to be due and payable immediately.
A default under the fourth bullet point above will not
constitute an Event of Default until the Trustee or the holders
of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of
that series notify us and, if the series of debt securities is
guaranteed by the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Subsidiary
Guarantors, of the default and such default is not cured within
60 days after receipt of notice.
If an Event of Default with respect to us described in the fifth
bullet point above occurs and is continuing, the principal of,
premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all
outstanding debt securities of all series will become
immediately due and payable without any declaration of
acceleration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any
holders.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of a series may rescind any declaration of
acceleration by the Trustee or the holders with respect to the
debt securities of that series, but only if:
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rescinding the declaration of acceleration would not conflict
with any judgment or decree of a court of competent
jurisdiction; and
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all existing Events of Default with respect to that series have
been cured or waived, other than the nonpayment of principal,
premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities of that
series that have become due solely by the declaration of
acceleration.
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If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee
will be under no obligation, except as otherwise provided in the
Indenture, to exercise any of the rights or powers under the
Indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders
unless such holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable
indemnity or security against any costs, liability or expense.
No holder may pursue any remedy with respect to the Indenture or
the debt securities of any series, except to enforce the right
to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest
when due with respect to its own debt securities, unless:
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such holder has previously given the Trustee notice that an
Event of Default with respect to that series is continuing;
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holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of that series have requested that the Trustee
pursue the remedy;
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such holders have offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity or
security against any cost, liability or expense;
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the Trustee has not complied with such request within
60 days after the receipt of the request and the offer of
indemnity or security; and
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the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of that series have not given the Trustee a
direction that is inconsistent with such request within such
60-day
period.
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The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of a series have the right, subject to certain
restrictions, to direct the time, method and place of conducting
any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of
exercising any right or power conferred on the Trustee with
respect to that series of debt securities. The Trustee, however,
may refuse to follow any direction that:
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conflicts with law;
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is inconsistent with any provision of the Indenture;
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the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of
any other holder; or
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would involve the Trustee in personal liability.
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Notice
of Event of Default
Within 30 days after the occurrence of an Event of Default,
we are required to give written notice to the Trustee and
indicate the status of the default and what action we are taking
or propose to take to cure the default. In addition, we and any
Subsidiary Guarantors are required to deliver to the Trustee,
within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a
compliance certificate indicating that we and any Subsidiary
Guarantors have complied with all covenants contained in the
Indenture or whether any default or Event of Default has
occurred during the previous year.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee
must mail to each holder a notice of the Event of Default by the
later of 90 days after the Event of Default occurs or
30 days after the Trustee knows of the Event of Default.
Except in the case of a default in the payment of principal,
premium, if any, or interest with respect to any debt
securities, the Trustee may withhold such notice, but only if
and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee
or a committee of directors or responsible officers of the
Trustee in good faith determines that withholding such notice is
in the interests of the holders.
Amendments
and Waivers
We may amend the Indenture without the consent of any holder of
debt securities to:
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provide for the assumption by a successor of our obligations
under the Indenture;
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add covenants for the benefit of the holders or surrender any
right or power conferred upon us or any Subsidiary Guarantor;
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cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;
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convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or
with the Trustee;
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comply with any requirement of the SEC in connection with the
qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;
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add Subsidiary Guarantors with respect to the debt securities;
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secure the debt securities or any guarantee;
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make any change that does not adversely affect the rights under
the Indenture of any holder;
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add or appoint a successor or separate Trustee;
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change or eliminate any restriction on the payment of principal
of, or premium, if any, on any subordinated debt
securities; or
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establish the form or terms of any new series of debt securities.
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In addition, we may amend the Indenture if the holders of a
majority in principal amount of all debt securities of each
series that would be affected under the Indenture consent to it.
We may not, however, without the consent of each holder of
outstanding debt securities that would be affected, amend the
Indenture to:
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reduce the percentage in principal amount of debt securities of
any series whose holders must consent to an amendment;
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reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on
any debt securities;
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reduce the principal of or extend the stated maturity of any
debt securities;
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reduce any premium payable upon the redemption of any debt
securities or change the time at which any debt securities may
or shall be redeemed;
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make any debt securities payable in other than U.S. dollars;
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impair the right of any holder to receive payment of premium, if
any, principal or interest with respect to such holders
debt securities on or after the applicable due date;
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impair the right of any holder to institute suit for the
enforcement of any payment with respect to such holders
debt securities;
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release any security that has been granted in respect of the
debt securities, other than in accordance with the Indenture;
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make any change in the amendment provisions that require each
holders consent;
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make any change in the waiver provisions; or
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release a Subsidiary Guarantor other than as provided in the
Indenture or modify such Subsidiary Guarantors guarantee
in any manner adverse to the holders.
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The consent of the holders is not necessary under the Indenture
to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment. It is
sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the
proposed amendment. After an amendment under the Indenture
requiring the consent of the holders of any series of debt
securities becomes effective, we are required to mail to all
holders a notice briefly describing the amendment with respect
to other holders. The failure to give, or any defect in, such
notice to any holder, however, will not impair or affect the
validity of the amendment with respect to other holders.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of each affected series, on behalf of all such
holders, may waive:
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compliance by us or a Subsidiary Guarantor with certain
restrictive provisions of the Indenture; and
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any past default under the Indenture; except that such majority
of holders may not waive a default:
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in the payment of principal, premium, if any, or
interest; or
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in respect of a provision that under the Indenture cannot be
amended without the consent of all holders of the series of debt
securities that is affected.
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Defeasance
At any time, we may terminate, with respect to debt securities
of a particular series, all our obligations under such series of
debt securities and the Indenture, which we call a legal
defeasance. If we decide to make a legal defeasance,
however, we may not terminate certain of our obligations,
including those:
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relating to the defeasance trust;
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to register the transfer or exchange of the debt securities of
that series;
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to replace mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities
of that series; or
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to maintain a registrar and paying agent in respect of the debt
securities of that series.
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At any time we may also affect a covenant
defeasance, which means we have elected to terminate our
obligations under or the operation of:
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covenants applicable to a series of debt securities and
described in the prospectus supplement applicable to such
series, other than as described in such prospectus supplement;
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the bankruptcy provisions with respect to the Subsidiary
Guarantors, if any; and
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the guarantee provision described under Events
of Default, Remedies and Notice Events of
Default above with respect to that series of debt
securities.
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If we exercise either our legal defeasance option or our
covenant defeasance option, any subsidiary guarantee will
terminate with respect to that series of debt securities.
We may exercise our legal defeasance option notwithstanding our
prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option. If we exercise
our legal defeasance option, payment of the affected series of
debt securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of
Default with respect to that series. If we exercise our covenant
defeasance option, payment of the affected series of debt
securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default
specified in the fourth, fifth (with respect only to a
Subsidiary Guarantor, if any) or sixth bullet points under
Events of Default, Remedies and
Notice Events of Default above or an
Event of Default that is added specifically for such series and
described in a prospectus supplement.
If we exercise either our legal defeasance option or our
covenant defeasance option, any subsidiary guarantee will
terminate with respect to that series of debt securities. In
order to exercise either defeasance option, we must:
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irrevocably deposit in trust with the Trustee money or certain
U.S. government obligations for the payment of principal,
premium, if any, and interest on the series of debt securities
to redemption or final maturity, as the case may be;
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comply with certain other conditions, including that no default
has occurred and is continuing after the deposit in
trust; and
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deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that
holders of the series of debt securities will not recognize
income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result
of such defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on
the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as
would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not
occurred. In the case of legal defeasance only, such opinion of
counsel must be based on a ruling of the Internal Revenue
Service or other change in applicable federal income tax law.
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No
Personal Liability of General Partner
Regency GP LP, our general partner, and its directors, officers,
employees and partners, as such, will not be liable for:
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any of our obligations or the obligations of any Subsidiary
Guarantors under the debt securities, the Indenture or the
guarantees; or
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any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such
obligations or their creation.
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By accepting a debt security, each holder will be deemed to have
waived and released all such liability. This waiver and release
are part of the consideration for our issuance of the debt
securities. This waiver may not be effective, however, to waive
liabilities under the federal securities laws and it is the view
of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
31
Subordination
Debt securities of a series may be subordinated to our
Senior Indebtedness, which we define generally to
include any obligation created or assumed by us (or, if the
series is guaranteed, the Subsidiary Guarantors) for the
repayment of borrowed money and any guarantee therefor, whether
outstanding or hereafter issued, unless, by the terms of the
instrument creating or evidencing such obligation, it is
provided that such obligation is subordinate or not superior in
right of payment to the debt securities (or, if the series is
guaranteed, the guarantee of the Subsidiary Guarantors), or to
other obligations that are pari passu with or subordinated to
the debt securities (or, if the series is guaranteed, the
guarantee of the Subsidiary Guarantors). Subordinated debt
securities will be subordinate in right of payment, to the
extent and in the manner set forth in the Indenture and the
prospectus supplement relating to such series, to the prior
payment of all of our indebtedness and that of any Subsidiary
Guarantor that is designated as Senior Indebtedness
with respect to the series.
The holders of our Senior Indebtedness or, if applicable, of a
Subsidiary Guarantor, will receive payment in full of the Senior
Indebtedness before holders of subordinated debt securities will
receive any payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest
with respect to the subordinated debt securities upon any
payment or distribution of our assets or, if applicable to any
series of outstanding debt securities, the Subsidiary
Guarantors assets, to creditors:
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upon a liquidation or dissolution of us or, if applicable to any
series of outstanding debt securities, the Subsidiary
Guarantors; or
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in a bankruptcy, receivership or similar proceeding relating to
us or, if applicable to any series of outstanding debt
securities, to the Subsidiary Guarantors.
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Until the Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, any distribution
to which holders of subordinated debt securities would otherwise
be entitled will be made to the holders of Senior Indebtedness,
except that the holders of subordinated debt securities may
receive units representing limited partner interests in us and
any debt securities that are subordinated to Senior Indebtedness
to at least the same extent as the subordinated debt securities.
If we do not pay any principal, premium, if any, or interest
with respect to Senior Indebtedness within any applicable grace
period (including at maturity), or any other default on Senior
Indebtedness occurs and the maturity of the Senior Indebtedness
is accelerated in accordance with its terms, we may not:
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make any payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest
with respect to subordinated debt securities;
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make any deposit for the purpose of defeasance of the
subordinated debt securities; or
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repurchase, redeem or otherwise retire any subordinated debt
securities, except that in the case of subordinated debt
securities that provide for a mandatory sinking fund, we may
deliver subordinated debt securities to the Trustee in
satisfaction of our sinking fund obligation,
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unless, and until,
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the default has been cured or waived and any declaration of
acceleration has been rescinded;
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the Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in cash; or
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we and the Trustee receive written notice approving the payment
from the representatives of each issue of Designated
Senior Indebtedness.
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Generally, Designated Senior Indebtedness will
include:
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any specified issue of Senior Indebtedness of at least
$100 million; and
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any other Senior Indebtedness that we may designate in respect
of any series of subordinated debt securities.
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During the continuance of any default, other than a default
described in the immediately preceding paragraph, that may cause
the maturity of any Designated Senior Indebtedness to be
accelerated immediately without further notice, other than any
notice required to effect such acceleration, or the expiration
of any applicable grace periods, we may not pay the subordinated
debt securities for a period called the Payment Blockage
Period. A Payment Blockage Period will commence on the
receipt by us and the Trustee of written notice of the default,
called a Blockage Notice, from the representative of
any Designated Senior Indebtedness specifying an election to
effect a Payment Blockage Period and will end 179 days
thereafter.
The Payment Blockage Period may be terminated before its
expiration:
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by written notice from the person or persons who gave the
Blockage Notice;
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by repayment in full in cash of the Designated Senior
Indebtedness with respect to which the Blockage Notice was
given; or
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if the default giving rise to the Payment Blockage Period is no
longer continuing.
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Unless the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness have
accelerated the maturity of the Designated Senior Indebtedness,
we may resume payments on the subordinated debt securities after
the expiration of the Payment Blockage Period.
Generally, not more than one Blockage Notice may be given in any
period of 360 consecutive days. The total number of days during
which any one or more Payment Blockage Periods are in effect,
however, may not exceed an aggregate of 179 days during any
period of 360 consecutive days.
After all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full and until the
subordinated debt securities are paid in full, holders of the
subordinated debt securities shall be subrogated to the rights
of holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive distributions
applicable to Senior Indebtedness.
As a result of the subordination provisions described above, in
the event of insolvency, the holders of Senior Indebtedness, as
well as certain of our general creditors, may recover more,
ratably, than the holders of the subordinated debt securities.
Book
Entry, Delivery and Form
We may issue debt securities of a series in the form of one or
more global certificates deposited with a depositary. We expect
that The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, or
DTC, will act as depositary. If we issue debt
securities of a series in book-entry form, we will issue one or
more global certificates that will be deposited with or on
behalf of DTC and will not issue physical certificates to each
holder. A global security may not be transferred unless it is
exchanged in whole or in part for a certificated security,
except that DTC, its nominees and their successors may transfer
a global security as a whole to one another.
DTC will keep a computerized record of its participants, such as
brokers, whose clients have purchased the debt securities. The
participants will then keep records of their clients who
purchased the debt securities. Beneficial interests in global
securities will be shown on, and transfers of beneficial
interests in global securities will be made only through,
records maintained by DTC and its participants.
DTC advises us that it is:
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a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York
Banking Law;
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a banking organization within the meaning of the New
York Banking Law;
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a member of the United States Federal Reserve System;
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a clearing corporation within the meaning of the New
York Uniform Commercial Code; and
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a clearing agency registered under the provisions of
Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
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33
DTC is owned by a number of its participants and by The Nasdaq
Stock Market LLC, The American Stock Exchange, Inc. and the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. The rules that
apply to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC
also records the settlement among participants of securities
transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited
securities through computerized records for participants
accounts. This eliminates the need to exchange certificates.
Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks,
trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other
organizations.
We will wire principal, premium, if any, and interest payments
due on the global securities to DTCs nominee. We, any
Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee and any paying agent will
treat DTCs nominee as the owner of the global securities
for all purposes. Accordingly, we, any Subsidiary Guarantors,
the Trustee and any paying agent will have no direct
responsibility or liability to pay amounts due on the global
securities to owners of beneficial interests in the global
securities.
It is DTCs current practice, upon receipt of any payment
of principal, premium, if any, or interest, to credit
participants accounts on the payment date according to
their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the global
securities as shown on DTCs records. In addition, it is
DTCs current practice to assign any consenting or voting
rights to participants, whose accounts are credited with debt
securities on a record date, by using an omnibus proxy.
Payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in
the global securities, as well as voting by participants, will
be governed by the customary practices between the participants
and the owners of beneficial interests, as is the case with debt
securities held for the account of customers registered in
street name. Payments to holders of beneficial
interests are the responsibility of the participants and not of
DTC, the Trustee, any Subsidiary Guarantors or us.
Beneficial interests in global securities will be exchangeable
for certificated securities with the same terms in authorized
denominations only if:
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DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as
depositary or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered
under applicable law and, in either event, a successor
depositary is not appointed by us within 90 days; or
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an Event of Default occurs and DTC notifies the Trustee of its
decision to require that all of the debt securities of a series
be represented by certificated securities.
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The
Trustee
We may appoint a separate trustee for any series of debt
securities. We use the term Trustee to refer to the
trustee appointed with respect to any such series of debt
securities. We may maintain banking and other commercial
relationships with the Trustee and its affiliates in the
ordinary course of business, and the Trustee may own debt
securities.
Governing
Law
The Indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
34
HOW WE
MAKE CASH DISTRIBUTIONS
Set forth below is a summary of the significant provisions of
our partnership agreement that relate to cash distributions.
General
Our partnership agreement requires that, within 45 days
after the end of each quarter, we distribute all of our
available cash to the holders of record of our common units on
the applicable record date. All cash distributed to unitholders
will be characterized as either operating surplus or
capital surplus. We treat distributions of available
cash from operating surplus differently than distributions of
available cash from capital surplus.
Operating
Surplus and Capital Surplus
Characterization
of Cash Distributions
We will treat all available cash distributed as coming from
operating surplus until the sum of all available cash
distributed since we began operations equals the operating
surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available
cash. We will treat any amount distributed in excess of
operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus.
We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from
capital surplus.
Definition
of Available Cash
Available cash is defined in our partnership agreement and
generally means, for each fiscal quarter, all cash on hand at
the end of such quarter:
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less the amount of cash reserves established by our general
partner:
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to provide for the proper conduct of our business (including
reserves for future capital expenditures and for our anticipated
credit needs);
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to comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or
other agreements; and
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to provide funds for distribution to our unitholders and to our
general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters;
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plus all cash on hand on the date of determination of available
cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings
made after the end of the quarter for which the determination is
being made. Working capital borrowings are generally borrowings
that will be made under our credit facility and in all cases are
used solely for working capital purposes or to pay distributions
to partners.
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Definition
of Operating Surplus
Operating surplus is defined in our partnership agreement, and
for any period it generally means:
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our cash balance on the closing date of our initial public
offering in February 2006 offering; plus
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$20.0 million (as described below); plus
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all of our cash receipts after the closing of our initial public
offering, excluding cash from (1) borrowings that are not
working capital borrowings, (2) sales of equity and debt
securities and (3) sales or other dispositions of assets
outside the ordinary course of business; plus
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working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but
before the date of determination of operating surplus for the
quarter; less
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operating expenses; less
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the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner
for future operating expenditures.
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35
If a working capital borrowing, which increases operating
surplus, is not repaid during the twelve-month period following
the borrowing, it will be deemed repaid at the end of such
period, thus decreasing operating surplus at such time. When
such working capital is in fact repaid, it will not be treated
as a reduction in operating surplus because operating surplus
will have been previously reduced by the deemed repayment.
As described above, operating surplus does not reflect actual
cash on hand at closing that is available for distribution to
our unitholders. For example, it includes a provision that will
enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up
to $20.0 million of cash we receive in the future from
non-operating sources, such as asset sales, issuances of
securities, and long-term borrowings, that would otherwise be
distributed as capital surplus.
Definition
of Capital Surplus
Capital surplus is defined in our partnership agreement, and it
will generally be generated only by:
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borrowings other than working capital borrowings;
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sales of debt and equity securities; and
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sales or other disposition of assets for cash, other than
inventory, accounts receivable and other current assets sold in
the ordinary course of business or non-current assets sold as
part of normal retirements or replacements of assets.
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Subordination
Period
Overview
During the subordination period, which we define below and is
defined in our partnership agreement, the common units have the
right to receive distributions of available cash from operating
surplus in an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution
of $0.35 per quarter, plus any arrearages in the payment of
the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units from
prior quarters, before any distributions of available cash from
operating surplus may be made on the subordinated units.
Distribution arrearages do not accrue on the subordinated units.
The purpose of the subordinated units is to increase the
likelihood that during the subordination period there will be
available cash from operating surplus to be distributed on the
common units.
Definition
of Subordination Period
The subordination period is defined in our partnership
agreement. Except as described below under
Early Termination of Subordination
Period, the subordination period will extend until the
first day of any quarter beginning after December 31, 2008
that each of the following tests are met:
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distributions of available cash from operating surplus on each
of the outstanding common units and subordinated units equaled
or exceeded the minimum quarterly distribution for each of the
three consecutive, non-overlapping four-quarter periods
immediately preceding that date;
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the adjusted operating surplus (as defined below)
generated during each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping
four-quarter periods immediately preceding that date equaled or
exceeded the sum of the minimum quarterly distributions on all
of the outstanding common units and subordinated units during
those periods on a fully diluted basis and the related
distribution on the 2% general partner interest during those
periods; and
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there are no arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units.
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36
Early
Termination of Subordination Period
The subordination period will automatically terminate and all of
the subordinated units will convert into common units on an
one-for-one
basis if each of the following occurs:
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distributions of available cash from operating surplus on each
outstanding common unit and subordinated unit equaled or
exceeded $2.10 (150% of the annualized minimum quarterly
distribution) for any four-quarter period ending on or after
December 31, 2006;
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the adjusted operating surplus (as defined below)
generated during any four-quarter period immediately preceding
that date equaled or exceeded the sum of a distribution of $2.10
(150% of the annualized minimum quarterly distribution) on all
of the outstanding common units and subordinated units on a
fully diluted basis; and
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there are no arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units.
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Definition
of Adjusted Operating Surplus
Adjusted operating surplus is defined in our partnership
agreement, and for any period it generally means:
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operating surplus generated with respect to that period; less
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any net increase in working capital borrowings with respect to
that period; less
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any net reduction in cash reserves for operating expenditures
made with respect to that period not relating to an operating
expenditure made with respect to that period; plus
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any net decrease in working capital borrowings with respect to
that period; plus
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any net increase in cash reserves for operating expenditures
with respect to that period required by any debt instrument for
the repayment of principal, interest or premium.
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Adjusted operating surplus is intended to reflect the cash
generated from operations during a particular period and
therefore excludes net increases in working capital borrowings
and net drawdowns of reserves of cash generated in prior periods.
Effect
of Expiration of the Subordination Period
Upon expiration of the subordination period, each outstanding
subordinated unit will convert into one common unit and will
then participate pro rata with the other common units in
distributions of available cash. In addition, if the unitholders
remove our general partner other than for cause and units held
by our general partner and its affiliates are not voted in favor
of such removal:
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The subordination period will end and each subordinated unit
will immediately convert into one common unit;
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any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units will be extinguished; and
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our general partner will have the right to convert its general
partner interest and, if any, its incentive distribution rights
into common units or to receive cash in exchange for those
interests.
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Distributions
of Available Cash from Operating Surplus During the
Subordination Period
We will make distributions of available cash from operating
surplus for any quarter during the subordination period in the
following manner:
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First, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our
general partner, until we distribute for each outstanding common
unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for
that quarter;
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second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our
general partner, until we distribute for each outstanding common
unit an amount equal to any arrearages in payment of the minimum
quarterly distribution on the common units for any prior
quarters during the subordination period;
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third, 98% to the subordinated unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to
our general partner, until we distribute for each subordinated
unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for
that quarter; and
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thereafter, in the manner described in
Incentive Distribution Rights below.
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The preceding discussion is based on the assumptions that our
general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and
that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.
Distributions
of Available Cash from Operating Surplus After the Subordination
Period
We will make distributions of available cash from operating
surplus for any quarter after the subordination period in the
following manner:
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First, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general
partner, until we distribute for each outstanding unit an amount
equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for that
quarter; and
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thereafter, in the manner described in
Incentive Distribution Rights below.
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The preceding discussion is based on the assumptions that our
general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and
that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.
Incentive
Distribution Rights
Incentive distribution rights represent the right to receive an
increasing percentage of quarterly distributions of available
cash from operating surplus after the minimum quarterly
distribution and the target distribution levels have been
achieved. Our general partner currently holds the incentive
distribution rights, but may transfer these rights separately
from its general partner interest, subject to restrictions in
the partnership agreement.
If for any quarter:
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we have distributed available cash from operating surplus to the
common and subordinated unitholders in an amount equal to the
minimum quarterly distribution; and
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we have distributed available cash from operating surplus on
outstanding common units in an amount necessary to eliminate any
cumulative arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution;
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then, we will distribute any additional available cash from
operating surplus for that quarter among the unitholders and our
general partner in the following manner:
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first, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of
$0.4025 per unit for that quarter (the first target
distribution);
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second, 85% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to our general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of
$0.4375 per unit for that quarter (the second target
distribution);
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third, 75% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to our general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of
$0.5250 per unit for that quarter (the third target
distribution); and
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thereafter, 50% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to our
general partner.
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In each case, the amount of the target distribution set forth
above is exclusive of any distributions to common unitholders to
eliminate any cumulative arrearages in payment of the minimum
quarterly distribution. The percentage interests set forth above
for our general partner assume that our general partner
maintains its 2% general partner interest, that our general
partner has not transferred the incentive distribution rights
and that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.
38
Percentage
Allocations of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of
the additional available cash from operating surplus among the
unitholders and our general partner up to the various target
distribution levels. The amounts set forth under Marginal
Percentage Interest in Distributions are the percentage
interests of the unitholders and our general partner in any
available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and
including the corresponding amount in the column Total
Quarterly Distribution Target Amount, until available cash
from operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target
distribution level, if any. The percentage interests shown for
the unitholders and our general partner for the minimum
quarterly distribution are also applicable to quarterly
distribution amounts that are less than the minimum quarterly
distribution. The percentage interests set forth below for our
general partner include its 2% general partner interest and
assume our general partner has contributed additional capital to
maintain its 2% general partner interest, that our general
partner has not transferred the incentive distribution rights
and that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.
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Marginal Percentage
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Total Quarterly
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Interest in Distributions
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Distribution Target
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General
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Amount
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Unitholders
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Partner
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Minimum Quarterly Distribution
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$0.3500
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98%
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2%
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First Target Distribution
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up to $0.4025
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98%
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2%
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Second Target Distribution
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above $0.4025 up to $0.4375
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85%
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15%
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Third Target Distribution
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above $0.4375 up to $0.5250
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75%
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25%
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Thereafter
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above $0.5250
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50%
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50%
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Distributions
from Capital Surplus
How
Distributions from Capital Surplus Will Be Made
We will make distributions of available cash from capital
surplus, if any, in the following manner:
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first, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general
partner, until we distribute for each common unit an amount of
available cash from capital surplus equal to the initial public
offering price;
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second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our
general partner, until we distribute for each common unit an
amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to any
unpaid arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units; and
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thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash
from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.
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The preceding discussion is based on the assumption that our
general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and
that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.
Effect
of a Distribution from Capital Surplus
The partnership agreement treats a distribution of capital
surplus as the repayment of the initial unit price from this
initial public offering, which is a return of capital. The
initial public offering price less any distributions of capital
surplus per unit is referred to as the unrecovered initial
unit price. Each time a distribution of capital surplus is
made the minimum quarterly distribution and the target
distribution levels will be reduced in the same proportion as
the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered initial unit
price. Because distributions of capital surplus will reduce the
minimum quarterly distribution, after any of these distributions
are made it may be easier for our general partner to receive
incentive distributions and for the subordinated units to
convert into common units. Any distribution of capital surplus
before the unrecovered initial unit price is reduced to zero
cannot be applied to the payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution or any arrearages.
Once we distribute capital surplus on a unit issued in this
offering in an amount equal to the initial unit price, we will
reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target
distribution levels to zero. We will
39
then make all future distributions from operating surplus, with
50% being paid to the holders of units and 50% to our general
partner.
Adjustment
to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution
Levels
In addition to adjusting the minimum quarterly distribution and
target distribution levels to reflect a distribution of capital
surplus, if we combine our units into fewer units or subdivide
our units into a greater number of units, we will
proportionately adjust:
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the minimum quarterly distribution;
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the target distribution levels;
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the unrecovered initial unit price; and
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the number of common units into which a subordinated unit is
convertible.
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For example, if a
two-for-one
split of the common units should occur, the minimum quarterly
distribution, the target distribution levels and the unrecovered
initial unit price would each be reduced to 50% of its initial
level and each subordinated unit would be convertible into two
common units. We will not make any adjustment by reason of the
issuance of additional units for cash or property.
In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is
modified or interpreted by a governmental taxing authority so
that we become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to
taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax
purposes, we will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and
the target distribution levels for each quarter by multiplying
each distribution level by a fraction, the numerator of which is
available cash for that quarter and the denominator of which is
the sum of available cash for that quarter plus our general
partners estimate of our aggregate liability for the
quarter for such income taxes payable by reason of such
legislation or interpretation. To the extent that the actual tax
liability differs from the estimated tax liability for any
quarter, the difference will be accounted for in subsequent
quarters.
Distributions
of Cash Upon Liquidation
Overview
If we dissolve in accordance with the partnership agreement, we
will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called
liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to
the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any remaining
proceeds to the unitholders and our general partner in
accordance with their capital account balances, as adjusted to
reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of
our assets in liquidation.
The allocations of gain and loss upon liquidation are intended,
to the extent possible, to entitle the holders of outstanding
common units to a preference over the holders of outstanding
subordinated units upon our liquidation, to the extent required
to permit common unitholders to receive their unrecovered
initial unit price plus the minimum quarterly distribution for
the quarter during which liquidation occurs plus any unpaid
arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly distribution on
the common units. There may not, however, be sufficient gain
upon our liquidation to enable the holders of common units to
recover fully all of these amounts, even though there may be
cash available to pay distributions to the holders of
subordinated units. Any further net gain recognized upon
liquidation will be allocated in a manner that takes into
account the incentive distribution rights of our general partner.
Manner
of Adjustments for Gain
The manner of the adjustment for gain is set forth in the
partnership agreement. If our liquidation occurs before the end
of the subordination period, we will allocate any gain to the
partners in the following manner:
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First, to our general partner and the holders of units who have
negative balances in their capital accounts to the extent of and
in proportion to those negative balances;
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second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our
general partner, until the capital account for each common unit
is equal to the sum of:
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(1) the unrecovered initial unit price for that common unit;
(2) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for
the quarter during which our liquidation occurs; and
(3) any unpaid arrearages in payment of the minimum
quarterly distribution;
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third, 98% to the subordinated unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to
our general partner until the capital account for each
subordinated unit is equal to the sum of:
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(1) the unrecovered initial unit price for that
subordinated unit; and
(2) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for
the quarter during which our liquidation occurs;
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fourth, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general
partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per
unit equal to:
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(1) the sum of the excess of the first target distribution
per unit over the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for
each quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the minimum
quarterly distribution per unit that we distributed 98% to the
unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, for each
quarter of our existence;
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fifth, 85% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to our general
partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per
unit equal to:
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(1) the sum of the excess of the second target distribution
per unit over the first target distribution per unit for each
quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the first
target distribution per unit that we distributed 85% to the
unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to our general partner for each
quarter of our existence;
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sixth, 75% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to our general
partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per
unit equal to:
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(1) the sum of the excess of the third target distribution
per unit over the second target distribution per unit for each
quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the second
target distribution per unit that we distributed 75% to the
unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to our general partner for each
quarter of our existence; and
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thereafter, 50% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to our
general partner.
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The percentage interests set forth above for our general partner
assume that our general partner maintains its 2% general partner
interest, that our general partner has not transferred the
incentive distribution rights and that we do not issue
additional classes of equity securities.
If the liquidation occurs after the end of the subordination
period, the distinction between common units and subordinated
units will disappear, so that clause (3) of the second
bullet point above and all of the third bullet point above will
no longer be applicable.
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Manner
of Adjustments for Losses
If our liquidation occurs before the end of the subordination
period, we will generally allocate any loss to our general
partner and the unitholders in the following manner:
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first, 98% to holders of subordinated units in proportion to the
positive balances in their capital accounts and 2% to our
general partner, until the capital accounts of the subordinated
unitholders have been reduced to zero;
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second, 98% to the holders of common units in proportion to the
positive balances in their capital accounts and 2% to our
general partner, until the capital accounts of the common
unitholders have been reduced to zero; and
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thereafter, 100% to our general partner.
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The percentage interests set forth above for our general partner
assume that our general partner maintains its 2% general partner
interest, that our general partner has not transferred the
incentive distribution rights and that we do not issue
additional classes of equity securities.
If the liquidation occurs after the end of the subordination
period, the distinction between common units and subordinated
units will disappear, so that all of the first bullet point
above will no longer be applicable.
Adjustments
to Capital Accounts
We will make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance
of additional units. In doing so, we will allocate any
unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss
resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and our
general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss
upon liquidation. If we make positive adjustments to the capital
accounts upon the issuance of additional units, we will allocate
any later negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting
from the issuance of additional units or upon our liquidation in
a manner which results, to the extent possible, in our general
partners capital account balances equaling the amount that
they would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to the
capital accounts had been made.
42
MATERIAL
PROVISIONS OF
THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF REGENCY ENERGY PARTNERS,
L.P.
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Regency
Energy Partners LP, as amended, which is referred to in this
prospectus as our partnership agreement. Our partnership
agreement is available as described under Where You Can
Find More Information. We will provide prospective
investors with a copy of this agreement upon request at no
charge.
We summarize the following provisions of our partnership
agreement elsewhere in this Prospectus:
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with regard to distributions of available cash, please read
How We Make Cash Distributions;
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with regard to the transfer of common units, please read
Description of the Common Units Transfer
of Common Units; and
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with regard to allocations of taxable income and taxable loss,
please read Material Tax Consequences.
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Organization
and Duration
Our partnership was organized in September 2005 and will have a
perpetual existence.
Purpose
Our purpose under the partnership agreement is to engage in any
business activities that are approved by our general partner.
Our general partner, however, may not cause us to engage in any
business activities that it determines would cause us to be
treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Our
general partner is authorized in general to perform all acts it
determines to be necessary or appropriate to carry out our
purposes and to conduct our business.
Power of
Attorney
Each limited partner, and each person who acquires a unit from a
unitholder, by accepting the common unit, automatically grants
to our general partner and, if appointed, a liquidator, a power
of attorney, among other things, to execute and file documents
required for our qualification, continuance or dissolution. The
power of attorney also grants our general partner the authority
to amend, and to grant consents and waivers on behalf of the
limited partners under, our partnership agreement.
Capital
Contributions
Unitholders are not obligated to make additional capital
contributions, except as described below under
Limited Liability.
Voting
Rights
The following table includes a summary of the unitholder vote
required for the matters specified below. Matters requiring the
approval of a unit majority require:
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during the subordination period, the approval of a majority of
the common units, excluding those common units held by our
general partner and its affiliates, and a majority of the
subordinated units, voting as separate classes; and
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after the subordination period, the approval of a majority of
the common units.
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In voting their common and subordinated units, our general
partner and its affiliates will have no fiduciary duty or
obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including
any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or
the limited partners.
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Issuance of additional units
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No approval right.
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Amendment of the partnership
agreement
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Certain amendments may be made by
the general partner without the approval of the unitholders.
Other amendments generally require the approval of a unit
majority. Please read Amendment of the
Partnership Agreement.
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Merger of our partnership or the
sale of all or substantially all of our assets
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Unit majority in certain
circumstances. Please read Merger, Sale or Other
Disposition of Assets.
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Dissolution of our partnership
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Unit majority. Please read
Termination and Dissolution.
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Reconstitution of our partnership
upon dissolution
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Unit majority. Please read
Termination and Dissolution.
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Withdrawal of the general partner
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Under most circumstances, the
approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common
units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is
required for the withdrawal of our general partner prior to
December 31, 2015 in a manner that would cause a
dissolution of our partnership. Please read
Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner.
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Removal of the general partner
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Not less than
662/3%
of the outstanding units, including units held by our general
partner and its affiliates. Please read
Withdrawal or Removal of the General
Partner.
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Transfer of the general partner
interest
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Our general partner may transfer
all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest in
us without a vote of our unitholders to an affiliate or another
person in connection with its merger or consolidation with or
into, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets, to such
person. The approval of a majority of the common units,
excluding common units held by the general partner and its
affiliates, is required in other circumstances for a transfer of
the general partner interest to a third party prior to
December 31, 2015. See Transfer of General
Partner Interest.
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Transfer of incentive distribution
rights
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Except for transfers to an
affiliate or another person as part of our general
partners merger or consolidation, sale of all or
substantially all of its assets or the sale of all of the
ownership interests in such holder, the approval of a majority
of the common units, excluding common units held by the general
partner and its affiliates, is required in most circumstances
for a transfer of the incentive distribution rights to a third
party prior to December 31, 2015. Please read
Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights.
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Transfer of ownership interests in
our general partner
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No approval required at any time.
Please read Transfer of Ownership Interests in the
General Partner.
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Limited
Liability
Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the
control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Act
and that he otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of
the partnership agreement, his liability under the Delaware Act
will be limited, subject to possible exceptions, to the amount
of capital he is obligated to contribute to us for his common
units plus his share of any undistributed profits and assets. If
it were determined, however, that the right, or exercise of the
right, by the limited partners as a group:
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to remove or replace the general partner;
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to approve some amendments to the partnership agreement; or
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to take other action under the partnership agreement;
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constituted participation in the control of our
business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited
partners could be held personally liable for our obligations
under the laws of Delaware, to the same extent as the general
partner. This liability would extend to persons who transact
business with us who reasonably believe that the limited partner
is a general partner. Neither the partnership agreement nor the
Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against
the general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited
liability through any fault of the general partner. While this
does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal
recourse, we know of no precedent for this type of a claim in
Delaware case law.
Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a
distribution to a partner if, after the distribution, all
liabilities of the limited partnership, other than liabilities
to partners on account of their partnership interests and
liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to
specific property of the partnership, would exceed the fair
value of the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose
of determining the fair value of the assets of a limited
partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of
property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is
limited shall be included in the assets of the limited
partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that
property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act
provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and
knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was
in violation of the Delaware Act shall be liable to the limited
partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years.
Under the Delaware Act, a substituted limited partner of a
limited partnership is liable for the obligations of his
assignor to make contributions to the partnership, except that
such person is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at
the time he became a limited partner and that could not be
ascertained from the partnership agreement.
Our subsidiaries conduct business in five states. Maintenance of
our limited liability as a member of the operating company may
require compliance with legal requirements in the jurisdictions
in which the operating company conducts business, including
qualifying our subsidiaries to do business there.
Limitations on the liability of limited partners for the
obligations of a limited partner have not been clearly
established in many jurisdictions. If, by virtue of our
membership interest in the operating company or otherwise, it
were determined that we were conducting business in any state
without compliance with the applicable limited partnership or
limited liability company statute, or that the right or exercise
of the right by the limited partners as a group to remove or
replace the general partner, to approve some amendments to the
partnership agreement, or to take other action under the
partnership agreement constituted participation in the
control of our business for purposes of the statutes of
any relevant jurisdiction, then the limited partners could be
held personally liable for our obligations under the law of that
jurisdiction to the same extent as the general partner under the
circumstances. We will operate in a manner that the general
partner considers reasonable and necessary or appropriate to
preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.
Issuance
of Additional Securities
Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited
number of additional partnership securities for the
consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our
general partner without the approval of the unitholders. We have
in the past funded, and may in the future fund, acquisitions
through the issuance of additional common units, subordinated
units or other partnership securities. Holders of any additional
common units we issue will be entitled to share equally with the
then-existing holders of common units in our distributions of
available cash. In addition, the issuance of additional common
units or other partnership securities may dilute the value of
the interests of the then-existing holders of common units in
our net assets.
In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our
partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership
securities that, as determined by our general partner, may have
special voting rights to which the common units are not
entitled. In addition, our partnership agreement does not
prohibit the issuance by our subsidiaries of equity securities
that may effectively rank senior to the common units.
Upon issuance of additional partnership securities, our general
partner will be entitled, but not required, to make additional
capital contributions to the extent necessary to maintain its 2%
general partner interest in us. Our general partners 2%
interest in us will be reduced if we issue additional units in
the future and our general partner does not contribute a
proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its 2% general
partner
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interest. Moreover, our general partner will have the right,
which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part to any
of its affiliates, to purchase common units, subordinated units
or other partnership securities whenever, and on the same terms
that, we issue those securities to persons other than our
general partner and its affiliates, to the extent necessary to
maintain the percentage interest of the general partner and its
affiliates, including such interest represented by common units
and subordinated units, that existed immediately prior to each
issuance. The holders of common units will not have preemptive
rights to acquire additional common units or other partnership
securities.
Amendment
of the Partnership Agreement
General. Amendments to our partnership
agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of our
general partner. Our general partner, however, will have no duty
or obligation to propose any amendment and may decline to do so
free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the
limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in
the best interests of us or the limited partners. In order to
adopt a proposed amendment, other than the amendments discussed
below, our general partner is required to seek written approval
of the holders of the number of units required to approve the
amendment or to call a meeting of the limited partners to
consider and vote upon the proposed amendment. Except as
described below, an amendment must be approved by a unit
majority.
Prohibited Amendments. No amendment may be
made that would:
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enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its
consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or
class of limited partner interests so affected; or
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enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or
rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable,
reimbursable or otherwise payable by us to our general partner
or any of its affiliates without the consent of our general
partner, which consent may be given or withheld at its option.
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The provision of our partnership agreement preventing the
amendments having the effects described in any of the clauses
above can only be amended upon the approval of the holders of at
least 90% of the outstanding units voting together as a single
class (including units owned by our general partner and its
affiliates). As of the date of this prospectus, General Electric
Company and its affiliates, including our general partner, own
approximately 37.0 percent of our outstanding limited
partner units.
No Unitholder Approval. Our general partner
may generally make amendments to our partnership agreement
without the approval of any limited partner or assignee to
reflect:
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a change in our name, the location of our principal place of our
business, our registered agent or our registered office;
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the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners
in accordance with our partnership agreement;
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a change that our general partner determines to be necessary or
appropriate to qualify or continue our qualification as a
limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited
partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or
to ensure that neither we nor the operating company nor any of
its subsidiaries will be treated as an association taxable as a
corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income
tax purposes;
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an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of our counsel,
to prevent us or our general partner or its directors, officers,
agents or trustees from in any manner being subjected to the
provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment
Advisors Act of 1940, or plan asset regulations
adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, or ERISA, whether or not substantially similar to plan
asset regulations currently applied or proposed;
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an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary
or appropriate for the authorization of additional partnership
securities or rights to acquire partnership securities;
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any amendment expressly permitted by our partnership agreement
to be made by our general partner acting alone;
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an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger
agreement that has been approved under the terms of our
partnership agreement;
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any amendment that our general partner determines to be
necessary or appropriate for the formation by us of, or our
investment in, any corporation, partnership or other entity, as
otherwise permitted by our partnership agreement;
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a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and related changes;
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mergers with or conveyances to another limited liability entity
that is newly formed and has no assets, liabilities or
operations at the time of the merger or conveyance other than
those it receives by way of the merger or conveyance; or
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any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters
described in the clauses above.
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In addition, our general partner may make amendments to our
partnership agreement without the approval of any limited
partner or transferee in connection with a merger or
consolidation approved in accordance with our partnership
agreement, or if our general partner determines that those
amendments:
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do not adversely affect the limited partners (or any particular
class of limited partners) in any material respect;
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are necessary or appropriate to satisfy any requirements,
conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive,
order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or
judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute;
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are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the trading of
limited partner interests or to comply with any rule,
regulation, guideline or requirement of any securities exchange
on which the limited partner interests are or will be listed for
trading;
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are necessary or appropriate for any action taken by our general
partner relating to splits or combinations of units under the
provisions of our partnership agreement; or
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are required to effect the intent expressed in this prospectus
or the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or
are otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement.
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Opinion of Counsel and Unitholder
Approval. Our general partner will not be
required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will
not result in a loss of limited liability to the limited
partners or result in our being treated as an entity for federal
income tax purposes in connection with any of the amendments
described under No Unitholder Approval.
No other amendments to our partnership agreement will become
effective without the approval of holders of at least 90% of the
outstanding units voting as a single class unless we first
obtain an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment
will not affect the limited liability under applicable law of
any of our limited partners.
In addition to the above restrictions, any amendment that would
have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of
any type or class of outstanding units in relation to other
classes of units will require the approval of at least a
majority of the type or class of units so affected. Any
amendment that reduces the voting percentage required to take
any action is required to be approved by the affirmative vote of
limited partners whose aggregate outstanding units constitute
not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced.
Merger,
Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
A merger or consolidation of us requires the prior consent of
our general partner. Our general partner, however, will have no
duty or obligation to consent to any merger or consolidation and
may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation
whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to
act in good faith or in the best interest of us or the limited
partners.
In addition, the partnership agreement generally prohibits our
general partner, without the prior approval of the holders of a
unit majority, from causing us, among other things, to sell,
exchange or otherwise dispose
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of all or substantially all of our assets in a single
transaction or a series of related transactions, including by
way of merger, consolidation or other combination, or approving
on our behalf the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the assets of our subsidiaries. Our general
partner may, however, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a
security interest in all or substantially all of our assets
without that approval. Our general partner may also sell all or
substantially all of our assets under a foreclosure or other
realization upon those encumbrances without that approval.
Finally, our general partner may consummate any merger without
the prior approval of our unitholders if we are the surviving
entity in the transaction, the transaction would not result in a
material amendment to the partnership agreement, and each of our
units will be an identical unit of our partnership following the
transaction.
If the conditions specified in the partnership agreement are
satisfied, our general partner may convert us or any of our
subsidiaries into a new limited liability entity or merge us or
any of our subsidiaries into, or convey all of our assets to, a
newly formed entity if the sole purpose of that merger or
conveyance is to effect a mere change in our legal form into
another limited liability entity. The unitholders are not
entitled to dissenters rights of appraisal under the
partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of
a conversion, merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially
all of our assets or any other transaction or event.
Termination
and Dissolution
We will continue as a limited partnership until terminated under
our partnership agreement. We will dissolve upon:
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the election of our general partner to dissolve us, if approved
by the holders of units representing a unit majority;
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there being no limited partners, unless we are continued without
dissolution in accordance with applicable Delaware law;
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the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of our
partnership; or
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the withdrawal or removal of our general partner or any other
event that results in it ceasing to be our general partner other
than by reason of a transfer of its general partner interest in
accordance with our partnership agreement or withdrawal or
removal following approval and admission of a successor.
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Upon a dissolution under the last clause above, the holders of a
unit majority, may also elect, within specific time limitations,
to reconstitute us and continue our business on the same terms
and conditions described in our partnership agreement by forming
a new limited partnership on terms identical to those in our
partnership agreement and having as general partner an entity
approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority,
subject to our receipt of an opinion of counsel to the effect
that:
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the action would not result in the loss of limited liability of
any limited partner; and
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neither our partnership, the reconstituted limited partnership,
our operating company nor any of our other subsidiaries, would
be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or
otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax
purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue.
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Liquidation
and Distribution of Proceeds
Upon our dissolution, unless we are reconstituted and continued
as a new limited partnership, the liquidator authorized to wind
up our affairs will, acting with all of the powers of our
general partner that are necessary or appropriate to liquidate
our assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as provided
in How We Make Cash
Distributions Distributions of Cash upon
Liquidation. The liquidator may defer liquidation or
distribution of our assets for a reasonable period of time or
distribute assets to partners in kind if it determines that a
sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to our
partners.
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Withdrawal
or Removal of the General Partner
Except as described below, our general partner has agreed not to
withdraw voluntarily as our general partner prior to
December 31, 2015 without obtaining the approval of the
holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units,
excluding common units held by the general partner and its
affiliates, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding
limited liability and tax matters. On or after December 31,
2015, our general partner may withdraw as general partner
without first obtaining approval of any unitholder by giving
90 days written notice, and that withdrawal will not
constitute a violation of our partnership agreement.
Notwithstanding the information above, our general partner may
withdraw without unitholder approval upon 90 days
notice to the limited partners if at least 50% of the
outstanding common units are held or controlled by one person
and its affiliates other than the general partner and its
affiliates. In addition, the partnership agreement permits our
general partner in some instances to sell or otherwise transfer
all of its general partner interest in us without the approval
of the unitholders. Please read Transfer of
General Partner Interest and Transfer of
Incentive Distribution Rights.
Upon withdrawal of our general partner under any circumstances,
other than as a result of a transfer by our general partner of
all or a part of its general partner interest in us, the holders
of a unit majority may select a successor to that withdrawing
general partner. If a successor is not elected, or is elected
but an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax
matters cannot be obtained, we will be dissolved, wound up and
liquidated, unless within a specified period after that
withdrawal, the holders of a unit majority agree in writing to
continue our business and to appoint a successor general
partner. Please read Termination and
Dissolution.
Our general partner may not be removed unless that removal is
approved by the vote of the holders of not less than
662/3%
of the outstanding units, voting together as a single class,
including units held by our general partner and its affiliates,
and we receive an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability
and tax matters. Any removal of our general partner is also
subject to the approval of a successor general partner by the
vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common
units and subordinated units, voting as separate classes. The
ownership of more than
331/3%
of the outstanding units by our general partner and its
affiliates would give them the practical ability to prevent our
general partners removal. General Electric Company and its
affiliates, including our general partner, own approximately
37.0 percent of our outstanding limited partner units.
Our partnership agreement also provides that, if our general
partner is removed as our general partner under circumstances in
which cause does not exist and units held by the general partner
and its affiliates are not voted in favor of that removal:
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the subordination period will end, and all outstanding
subordinated units will immediately convert into common units on
a
one-for-one
basis;
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any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units will be extinguished without
payment; and
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our general partner will have the right to convert its general
partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into
common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests
based on the fair market value of those interests at that time.
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In the event of removal of a general partner under circumstances
in which cause exists or withdrawal of a general partner where
that withdrawal violates our partnership agreement, a successor
general partner will have the option to purchase the general
partner interest and incentive distribution rights of the
departing general partner for a cash payment equal to the fair
market value of those interests. Under all other circumstances
where a general partner withdraws or is removed by the limited
partners, the departing general partner will have the option to
require the successor general partner to purchase the general
partner interest of the departing general partner and its
incentive distribution rights for fair market value. In each
case, this fair market value will be determined by agreement
between the departing general partner and the successor general
partner. If no agreement is reached, an independent investment
banking firm or other independent expert selected by the
departing general partner and the successor general partner will
determine the fair market
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value. Or, if the departing general partner and the successor
general partner cannot agree upon an expert, then an expert
chosen by agreement of the experts selected by each of them will
determine the fair market value.
If the option described above is not exercised by either the
departing general partner or the successor general partner, the
departing general partners general partner interest and
its incentive distribution rights will automatically convert
into common units equal to the fair market value of those
interests as determined by an investment banking firm or other
independent expert selected in the manner described in the
preceding paragraph.
In addition, we will be required to reimburse the departing
general partner for all amounts due the departing general
partner, including all employee-related liabilities, including
severance liabilities, incurred for the termination of any
employees employed by the departing general partner or its
affiliates for our benefit.
Transfer
of General Partner Interest
Except for a transfer by our general partner of all, but not
less than all, of its general partner interest in our
partnership to:
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an affiliate of our general partner (other than an
individual); or
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another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of our
general partner with or into another entity or the transfer by
our general partner of all or substantially all of its assets to
another entity;
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our general partner may not transfer all or any part of its
general partner interest in our partnership to another person
prior to December 31, 2015 without the approval of the
holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units,
excluding common units held by our general partner and its
affiliates. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must
assume, among other things, the rights and duties of our general
partner, agree to be bound by the provisions of our partnership
agreement, and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited
liability and tax matters.
Our general partner and its affiliates may at any time, transfer
subordinated units or units to one or more persons, without
unitholder approval, except that they may not transfer
subordinated units to us.
Transfer
of Ownership Interests in the General Partner
At any time, the General Electric Company and its affiliates may
sell or transfer all or part of their membership interest in
Regency GP LLC or their limited partner interests in our general
partner to an affiliate or third party without the approval of
our unitholders.
Transfer
of Incentive Distribution Rights
Our general partner or its affiliates or a subsequent holder may
transfer its incentive distribution rights to an affiliate of
the holder (other than an individual) or another entity as part
of the merger or consolidation of such holder with or into
another entity, the sale of all of the ownership interest of the
holder or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets to
that entity, in each case without the prior approval of the
unitholders. Prior to December 31, 2015, other transfers of
incentive distribution rights will require the affirmative vote
of holders of a majority of the outstanding common units,
excluding common units held by our general partner and its
affiliates. On or after December 31, 2015, the incentive
distribution rights will be freely transferable.
Change of
Management Provisions
Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are
intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to
remove our general partner or otherwise change our management.
If any person or group other than our general partner and its
affiliates acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any
class of units, that person or group loses voting rights on all
of its units. This loss of voting rights does not apply to any
person or group that acquires the units from our general partner
or its affiliates and any transferees of that person or group
approved by our general partner or to any person or group who
acquires the units with the prior approval of our general
partner.
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Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general
partner is removed under circumstances in which cause does not
exist and units held by our general partner and its affiliates
are not voted in favor of that removal:
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the subordination period will end and all outstanding
subordinated units will immediately convert into common units on
a
one-for-one
basis;
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any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units will be extinguished without
payment; and
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our general partner will have the right to convert its general
partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into
common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests.
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Limited
Call Right
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more
than 80% of the then issued and outstanding limited partner
interests of any class, our general partner will have the right,
which it may assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates
or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the
remaining partnership securities of the class held by
unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by our
general partner, on at least 10 but not more than 60 days
notice. The purchase price shall be the greater of:
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the highest cash price paid by our general partner or any of its
affiliates for any partnership securities of the class purchased
within the 90 days preceding the date on which our general
partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those
limited partner interests; and
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the current market price as of the date three days before the
date the notice is mailed.
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As a result of our general partners right to purchase
outstanding partnership securities, a holder of partnership
securities may have his partnership securities purchased at an
undesirable time or price. The tax consequences to a unitholder
of the exercise of this call right are the same as a sale by
that unitholder of his common units in the market. Please read
Material Tax Consequences Disposition of
Common Units.
Meetings;
Voting
Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20%
or more of any class of units then outstanding, unitholders or
transferees who are record holders of units on the record date
will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our
limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may
be solicited. In the case of common units held by our general
partner on behalf of non-citizen assignees, our general partner
will distribute the votes on those common units in the same
ratios as the votes of limited partners on other units are cast.
Our general partner does not anticipate that any meeting of
unitholders will be called in the foreseeable future. Any action
that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may
be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a
meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken
are signed by holders of the number of units necessary to
authorize or take that action at a meeting. Meetings of the
unitholders may be called by our general partner or by
unitholders owning at least 20% of the outstanding units of the
class for which a meeting is proposed. Unitholders may vote
either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a
majority of the outstanding units of the class or classes for
which a meeting has been called represented in person or by
proxy will constitute a quorum unless any action by the
unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage
of the units, in which case the quorum will be the greater
percentage.
Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to his
percentage interest in us; although additional limited partner
interests having special voting rights could be issued. Please
read Issuance of Additional Securities.
If, however, at any time any person or group, other than our
general partner and its affiliates or a direct or subsequently
approved transferee of our general partner or its affiliates,
acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more
of any class of units then outstanding, that person or group
will lose voting rights on all of its units and the units may
not be voted on any matter and will not be considered to be
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outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of unitholders,
calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum
or for other similar purposes. Common units held in nominee or
street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee
in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner
unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and his
nominee provides otherwise. Except as our partnership agreement
otherwise provides, subordinated units will vote together with
common units as a single class.
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required
or permitted to be given or made to record holders of common
units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the
record holder by us or by the transfer agent.
Status as
Limited Partner
By the transfer of common units in accordance with our
partnership agreement, each transferee of common units shall be
admitted as a limited partner with respect to the common units
transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our
books and records. Except as described under
Limited Liability, the common units will
be fully paid, and unitholders will not be required to make
additional contributions.
Non-Citizen
Assignees; Redemption
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or
regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general
partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture
of any property in which we have an interest because of the
nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited
partner, we may redeem the units held by the limited partner at
their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation
or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited
partner to furnish information about his nationality,
citizenship or related status. If a limited partner fails to
furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or other
related status within 30 days after a request for the
information or our general partner determines after receipt of
the information that the limited partner is not an eligible
citizen; the limited partner may be treated as a non-citizen
assignee. A non-citizen assignee, is entitled to an interest
equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share
in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating
distributions. A non-citizen assignee does not have the right to
direct the voting of his units and may not receive distributions
in kind upon our liquidation.
Indemnification
Under our partnership agreement, in most circumstances, we will
indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted
by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages or similar
events:
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our general partner;
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any departing general partner;
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any person who is or was an affiliate of a general partner or
any departing general partner;
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any person who is or was a director, officer, member, partner,
fiduciary or trustee of any entity set forth in the preceding
three bullet points;
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any person who is or was serving as director, officer, member,
partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person at the request
of our general partner or any departing general partner; and
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any person designated by our general partner.
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Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of
our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, our general partner will
not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to
contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable us to
effectuate, indemnification. We may purchase insurance against
liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons
for our activities, regardless of whether we would have the
power to indemnify the person against liabilities under our
partnership agreement.
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Reimbursement
of Expenses
Our partnership agreement requires us to reimburse our general
partner for all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or
payments it makes on our behalf and all other expenses allocable
to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner in connection
with operating our business. These expenses include salary,
bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons
who perform services for us or on our behalf and expenses
allocated to our general partner by its affiliates and include
amounts paid pursuant to indemnification obligations of our
general partner or its general partner. The general partner is
entitled to determine in good faith the expenses that are
allocable to us.
Books and
Reports
Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our
business at our principal offices. The books will be maintained
for both tax and financial reporting purposes on an accrual
basis. For tax and financial reporting purposes, our fiscal year
is the calendar year.
We will furnish or make available to record holders of common
units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year,
an annual report containing audited financial statements and a
report on those financial statements by our independent public
accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish
or make available summary financial information within
90 days after the close of each quarter.
We will furnish each record holder of a unit with information
reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within
90 days after the close of each calendar year. This
information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that
some complex calculations normally required of partners can be
avoided. Our ability to furnish this summary information to
unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders in
supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will
receive information to assist him in determining his federal and
state tax liability and filing his federal and state income tax
returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with information.
Right to
Inspect Our Books and Records
Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can,
for a purpose reasonably related to his interest as a limited
partner, upon reasonable demand and at his own expense, have
furnished to him:
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a current list of the name and last known address of each
partner;
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a copy of our tax returns;
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information as to the amount of cash, and a description and
statement of the agreed value of any other property or services,
contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on
which each partner became a partner;
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copies of our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited
partnership, related amendments and powers of attorney under
which they have been executed;
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information regarding the status of our business and financial
condition; and
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any other information regarding our affairs as is just and
reasonable.
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Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from
the limited partners trade secrets or other information the
disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith
is not in our best interests or that we are required by law or
by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.
Registration
Rights
Under our partnership agreement, we have agreed to register for
resale under the Securities Act and applicable state securities
laws any common units, subordinated units or other partnership
securities proposed to be sold by our general partner or any of
its affiliates or their assignees if an exemption from the
registration requirements is not otherwise available. These
registration rights continue for two years following any
withdrawal or removal of our general partner. We are obligated
to pay all expenses incidental to the registration, excluding
underwriting discounts and commissions.
53
MATERIAL
TAX CONSEQUENCES
This section is a summary of the material tax considerations
that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are
individual citizens or residents of the United States and,
unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the
opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel to our
general partner and us, insofar as it relates to legal
conclusions with respect to matters of United States federal
income tax law. This section is based upon current provisions of
the Internal Revenue Code, existing and proposed regulations and
current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which
are subject to change. Later changes in these authorities may
cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the
consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise
requires, references in this section to us or
we are references to Regency Energy Partners LP and
our operating company.
The following discussion does not comment on all federal income
tax matters affecting us or our unitholders. Moreover, the
discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or
residents of the United States and has only limited application
to corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other
unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as
tax-exempt institutions, foreign persons, individual retirement
accounts (IRAs), real estate investment trusts (REITs) or mutual
funds. Accordingly, we encourage each prospective unitholder to
consult, and depend on, his own tax advisor in analyzing the
federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to
him of the ownership or disposition of common units.
All statements as to matters of law and legal conclusions, but
not as to factual matters, contained in this section, unless
otherwise noted, are the opinion of Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. and are based on the accuracy of the representations made
by us.
No ruling has been or will be requested from the IRS regarding
any matter affecting us or prospective unitholders. Instead, we
will rely on opinions of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. Unlike
a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that
counsels best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or
the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein
may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any
contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely
impact the market for the common units and the prices at which
common units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with
the IRS, principally legal, accounting and related fees, will
result in a reduction in cash available for distribution to our
unitholders and our general partner and thus will be borne
indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner.
Furthermore, the tax treatment of us, or of an investment in us,
may be significantly modified by future legislative or
administrative changes or court decisions. Any modifications may
or may not be retroactively applied.
For the reasons described below, Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following
specific federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a
unitholder whose common units are loaned to a short seller to
cover a short sale of common units (please read
Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Treatment of Short Sales);
(2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable
income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations
(please read Disposition of
Common Units Allocations Between
Transferors and Transferees); and (3) whether our
method for depreciating Section 743 adjustments is
sustainable in certain cases (please read Tax
Consequences of Unit Ownership Section 754
Election).
Partnership
Status
A partnership is not a taxable entity and incurs no federal
income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is
required to take into account his share of items of income,
gain, loss and deduction of the partnership in computing his
federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash
distributions are made to him by the partnership. Distributions
by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable unless
the amount of cash distributed is in excess of the
partners adjusted basis in his partnership interest.
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that
publicly traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be taxed
as corporations. However, an exception, referred to as the
Qualifying Income Exception, exists with respect to
publicly traded partnerships of which 90% or more of the gross
income for every taxable year consists of qualifying
income. Qualifying income includes income and gains
derived from the transportation,
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storage processing and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and
products thereof. Other types of qualifying income include
interest (other than from a financial business), dividends,
gains from the sale of real property and gains from the sale or
other disposition of capital assets held for the production of
income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate
that less than 3% of our current gross income is not qualifying
income; however, this estimate could change from time to time.
Based upon and subject to this estimate, the factual
representations made by us and our general partner and a review
of the applicable legal authorities, Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. is of the opinion that at least 90% of our current gross
income constitutes qualifying income.
No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS and the IRS
has made no determination as to our status or the status of the
operating company for federal income tax purposes or whether our
operations generate qualifying income under
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. Instead, we will
rely on the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. on such
matters. It is the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
that, based upon the Internal Revenue Code, its regulations,
published revenue rulings and court decisions and the
representations described below, we will be classified as a
partnership and our operating company will be disregarded as an
entity separate from us for federal income tax purposes.
In rendering its opinion, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has
relied on factual representations made by us and our general
partner. The representations made by us and our general partner
upon which Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied are:
(a) Neither we nor the operating company has elected or
will elect to be treated as a corporation; and
(b) For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross
income has been and will be income that Vinson &
Elkins L.L.P. has opined or will opine is qualifying
income within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a
failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that
is cured within a reasonable time after discovery, in which case
the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to
our unitholders or pay other amounts, we will be treated as if
we had transferred all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to
a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in
which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return
for stock in that corporation, and then distributed that stock
to the unitholders in liquidation of their interests in us. This
deemed contribution and liquidation should be tax-free to
unitholders and us so long as we, at that time, do not have
liabilities in excess of the tax basis of our assets.
Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for federal
income tax purposes.
If we were treated as a corporation in any taxable year, either
as a result of a failure to meet the Qualifying Income Exception
or otherwise, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction
would be reflected only on our tax return rather than being
passed through to our unitholders, and our net income would be
taxed to us at corporate rates. In addition, any distribution
made to a unitholder would be treated as either taxable dividend
income, to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and
profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a
nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the
unitholders tax basis in his common units, or taxable
capital gain, after the unitholders tax basis in his
common units is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation as a
corporation would result in a material reduction in a
unitholders cash flow and after-tax return and thus would
likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of the
units.
The discussion below is based on Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P.s opinion that we will be classified as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes.
Limited
Partner Status
Unitholders who have become limited partners of Regency Energy
Partners LP will be treated as partners of Regency Energy
Partners LP for federal income tax purposes. Also:
(a) assignees who have executed and delivered transfer
applications, and are awaiting admission as limited
partners, and
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(b) unitholders whose common units are held in street name
or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in
the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the
ownership of their common units
will be treated as partners of Regency Energy Partners LP for
federal income tax purposes.
A beneficial owner of common units whose units have been
transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would
appear to lose his status as a partner with respect to those
units for federal income tax purposes. Please read
Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Treatment of Short Sales.
Income, gain, deductions or losses would not appear to be
reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal
income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a
unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes
would therefore appear to be fully taxable as ordinary income.
These holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with
respect to their tax consequences of holding common units in
Regency Energy Partners LP.
Tax
Consequences of Unit Ownership
Flow-Through of Taxable Income. We will not
pay any federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be
required to report on his income tax return his share of our
income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether
we make cash distributions to him. Consequently, we may allocate
income to a unitholder even if he has not received a cash
distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in
income his allocable share of our income, gains, losses and
deductions for our taxable year ending with or within his
taxable year. Our taxable year ends on December 31.
Treatment of Distributions. Distributions by
us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the
unitholder for federal income tax purposes, except to the extent
the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds his tax basis
in his common units immediately before the distribution. Our
cash distributions in excess of a unitholders tax basis
generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or
exchange of the common units, taxable in accordance with the
rules described under Disposition of Common
Units below. Any reduction in a unitholders share of
our liabilities for which no partner, including the general
partner, bears the economic risk of loss, known as
nonrecourse liabilities, will be treated as a
distribution of cash to that unitholder. To the extent our
distributions cause a unitholders at risk
amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, he
must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please
read Limitations on Deductibility of
Losses.
A decrease in a unitholders percentage interest in us
because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease
his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result
in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. A non-pro rata
distribution of money or property may result in ordinary income
to a unitholder, regardless of his tax basis in his common
units, if the distribution reduces the unitholders share
of our unrealized receivables, including
depreciation recapture,
and/or
substantially appreciated inventory items, both as
defined in the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively,
Section 751 Assets. To that extent, he will be
treated as having been distributed his proportionate share of
the Section 751 Assets and having exchanged those assets
with us in return for the non-pro rata portion of the actual
distribution made to him. This latter deemed exchange will
generally result in the unitholders realization of
ordinary income, which will equal the excess of (1) the
non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the
unitholders tax basis for the share of Section 751
Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.
Basis of Common Units. A unitholders
initial tax basis for his common units will be the amount he
paid for the common units plus his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. That basis will be increased by his share of our
income and by any increases in his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. That basis will be decreased, but not below zero,
by distributions from us, by the unitholders share of our
losses, by any decreases in his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities and by his share of our expenditures that are not
deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to
be capitalized. A unitholder will have no share of our debt that
is recourse to our general partner, but will have a share,
generally based on his share of profits, of our nonrecourse
liabilities. Please read Disposition of Common
Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
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Limitations on Deductibility of Losses. The
deduction by a unitholder of his share of our losses will be
limited to the tax basis in his units and, in the case of an
individual unitholder or a corporate unitholder, if more than
50% of the value of the corporate unitholders stock is
owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals
or some tax-exempt organizations, to the amount for which the
unitholder is considered to be at risk with respect
to our activities, if that is less than his tax basis. A
unitholder must recapture losses deducted in previous years to
the extent that distributions cause his at risk amount to be
less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed
to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations
will carry forward and will be allowable to the extent that his
tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor,
is subsequently increased. Upon the taxable disposition of a
unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by
losses that were previously suspended by the at risk limitation
but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis
limitation. Any excess loss above that gain previously suspended
by the at risk or basis limitations is no longer utilizable.
In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the
tax basis of his units, excluding any portion of that basis
attributable to his share of our nonrecourse liabilities,
reduced by (i) any portion of that basis representing
amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee,
stop loss agreement or other similar arrangement and
(ii) any amount of money he borrows to acquire or hold his
units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in
us, is related to the unitholder or can look only to the units
for repayment. A unitholders at risk amount will increase
or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholders units
increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or
decreases attributable to increases or decreases in his share of
our nonrecourse liabilities.
The passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals,
estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal
service corporations can deduct losses from passive activities,
which are generally trade or business activities in which the
taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of
the taxpayers income from those passive activities. The
passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to
each publicly traded partnership. Consequently, any passive
losses we generate will only be available to offset our passive
income generated in the future and will not be available to
offset income from other passive activities or investments,
including our investments or investments in other publicly
traded partnerships, or salary or active business income.
Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a
unitholders share of income we generate may be deducted in
full when he disposes of his entire investment in us in a fully
taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss
limitations are applied after other applicable limitations on
deductions, including the at risk rules and the basis limitation.
A unitholders share of our net income may be offset by any
of our suspended passive losses, but it may not be offset by any
other current or carryover losses from other passive activities,
including those attributable to other publicly traded
partnerships.
Limitations on Interest Deductions. The
deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayers
investment interest expense is generally limited to
the amount of that taxpayers net investment
income. Investment interest expense includes:
interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for
investment;
our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and
the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an
interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to
portfolio income.
The computation of a unitholders investment interest
expense will take into account interest on any margin account
borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit.
Net investment income includes gross income from property held
for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the
passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than
interest, directly connected with the production of investment
income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the
disposition of property held for investment. The IRS has
indicated that the net passive income earned by a publicly
traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its
unitholders. In addition, the unitholders share of our
portfolio income will be treated as investment income.
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Entity-Level Collections. If we are
required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal,
state, local or foreign income tax on behalf of any unitholder
or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are
authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if
made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the
unitholder on whose behalf the payment was made. If the payment
is made on behalf of a person whose identity cannot be
determined, we are authorized to treat the payment as a
distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to
amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to
maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of units
and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect
to these distributions, the priority and characterization of
distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership
agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by
us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax
on behalf of an individual unitholder in which event the
unitholder would be required to file a claim in order to obtain
a credit or refund.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and
Deduction. In general, if we have a net profit,
our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated
among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with
their percentage interests in us. At any time that distributions
are made to the common units in excess of distributions to the
subordinated units, or incentive distributions are made to our
general partner, gross income will be allocated to the
recipients to the extent of these distributions. If we have a
net loss for the entire year, that loss will be allocated first
to our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with
their percentage interests in us to the extent of their positive
capital accounts and, second, to our general partner.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be
allocated to account for the difference between the tax basis
and fair market value of our assets at the time of an offering,
referred to in this discussion as Contributed
Property. The effect of these allocations, referred to as
Section 704(c) allocations, to a unitholder
purchasing common units in this offering will be essentially the
same as if the tax basis of our assets were equal to their fair
market value at the time of this offering. In the event we issue
additional common units or engage in certain other transactions
in the future reverse Section 704(c)
allocations, similar to the Section 704(c)
allocations described above, will be made to all holders of
partnership interests, including purchasers of common units in
this offering, to account for the difference between the
book basis for purposes of maintaining capital
accounts and the fair market value of all property held by us at
the time of the future transaction. In addition, items of
recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible to the
unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the
treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize
the recognition of ordinary income by some unitholders. Finally,
although we do not expect that our operations will result in the
creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital
accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will
be allocated in an amount and manner to eliminate the negative
balance as quickly as possible.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction,
other than an allocation required by the Internal Revenue Code
to eliminate the difference between a partners
book capital account, credited with the fair market
value of Contributed Property, and tax capital
account, credited with the tax basis of Contributed Property,
referred to in this discussion as the Book-Tax
Disparity, will generally be given effect for federal
income tax purposes in determining a partners share of an
item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation
has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a
partners share of an item will be determined on the basis
of his interest in us, which will be determined by taking into
account all the facts and circumstances, including:
his relative contributions to us;
the interests of all the partners in profits and losses;
the interest of all the partners in cash flow; and
the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon
liquidation.
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that, with
the exception of the issues described in
Section 754 Election and
Disposition of Common Units
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,
allocations under our partnership agreement will be given effect
for federal income tax purposes in determining a partners
share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.
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Treatment of Short Sales. A unitholder whose
units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short
sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those
units. If so, he would no longer be treated for tax purposes as
a partner with respect to those units during the period of the
loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a
result, during this period:
any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those
units would not be reportable by the unitholder;
any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those
units would be fully taxable; and
all of these distributions would appear to be ordinary income.
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion
regarding the treatment of a unitholder where common units are
loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units;
therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as
partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a
short seller are urged to modify any applicable brokerage
account agreements to prohibit their brokers from loaning their
units. The IRS has announced that it is actively studying issues
relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership
interests. Please also read Disposition of
Common Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
Alternative Minimum Tax. Each unitholder will
be required to take into account his distributive share of any
items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the
alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for
noncorporate taxpayers is 26% on the first $175,000 of
alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption
amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable
income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their
tax advisors as to the impact of an investment in units on their
liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Tax Rates. In general, the highest effective
United States federal income tax rate for individuals is
currently 35.0% and the maximum United States federal income tax
rate for net capital gains of an individual is currently 15.0%
if the asset disposed of was held for more than twelve months at
the time of disposition.
Section 754 Election. We have made the
election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue
Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the
IRS. The election will generally permit us to adjust a common
unit purchasers tax basis in our assets (inside
basis) under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue
Code to reflect his purchase price. This election does not apply
to a person who purchases common units directly from us. The
Section 743(b) adjustment belongs to the purchaser and not
to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a
unitholders inside basis in our assets will be considered
to have two components: (1) his share of our tax basis in
our assets (common basis) and (2) his
Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.
Where the remedial allocation method is adopted (which we have
adopted as to property other than certain goodwill properties),
the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Internal
Revenue Code require a portion of the Section 743(b)
adjustment that is attributable to recovery property under
Section 168 of the Internal Revenue Code to be depreciated
over the remaining cost recovery period for the
Section 704(c) built-in gain. If we elect a method other
than the remedial method with respect to a goodwill property,
Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3)
generally requires that the Section 743(b) adjustment
attributable to an amortizable Section 197 intangible,
which includes goodwill property, should be treated as a
newly-acquired asset placed in service in the month when the
purchaser acquires the common unit. Under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6),
a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property
subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Internal
Revenue Code, rather than cost recovery deductions under
Section 168, is generally required to be depreciated using
either the straight-line method or the 150% declining balance
method. If we elect a method other than the remedial method, the
depreciation and amortization methods and useful lives
associated with the Section 743(b) adjustment, therefore,
may differ from the methods and useful lives generally used to
depreciate the inside basis in such properties. Under our
partnership agreement, our general partner is authorized to take
a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that
position is not consistent with these and any other Treasury
Regulations. If we elect a method other than the remedial method
with respect to a goodwill property, the common basis of such
property is not amortizable. Please read
Uniformity of Units.
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Although Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine as
to the validity of this approach because there is no direct or
indirect controlling authority on this issue, we intend to
depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment
attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of
Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax
Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived
from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life
applied to the common basis of the property, or treat that
portion as
non-amortizable
to the extent attributable to property the common basis of which
is not amortizable. This method is consistent with the methods
employed by other publicly traded partnerships but is arguably
inconsistent with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6),
which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of
our assets, and Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3).
To the extent this Section 743(b) adjustment is
attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the
unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules
described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history.
If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken,
we may take a depreciation or amortization position under which
all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would receive
depreciation or amortization, whether attributable to common
basis or a Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same
applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in
our assets. This kind of aggregate approach may result in lower
annual depreciation or amortization deductions than would
otherwise be allowable to some unitholders. Please read
Uniformity of Units. A unitholders
tax basis for his common units is reduced by his share of our
deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an
individuals income tax return) so that any position we
take that understates deductions will overstate the common
unitholders basis in his common units, which may cause the
unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of
such units. Please read Disposition of Common
Units Recognition of Gain or Loss. The
IRS may challenge our position with respect to depreciating or
amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to
preserve the uniformity of the units. If such a challenge were
sustained, the gain from the sale of units might be increased
without the benefit of additional deductions.
A Section 754 election is advantageous if the
transferees tax basis in his units is higher than the
units share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets
immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of
the election, the transferee would have, among other items, a
greater amount of depreciation and depletion deductions and his
share of any gain or loss on a sale of our assets would be less.
Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if
the transferees tax basis in his units is lower than those
units share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets
immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value
of the units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by
the election. A basis adjustment is required regardless of
whether a Section 754 election is made in the case of a
transfer of an interest in us if we have a substantial
built in loss immediately after the transfer, or if
we distribute property and have a substantial basis reduction.
Generally a built in loss or a basis reduction is
substantial if it exceeds $250,000.
The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are
complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the
value of our assets and other matters. For example, the
allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our
assets must be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue
Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any
Section 743(b) adjustment allocated by us to our tangible
assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is
generally nonamortizable or amortizable over a longer period of
time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible
assets. We cannot assure you that the determinations we make
will not be successfully challenged by the IRS and that the
deductions resulting from them will not be reduced or disallowed
altogether. Should the IRS require a different basis adjustment
to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of
compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek
permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election.
If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be
allocated more income than he would have been allocated had the
election not been revoked.
Tax
Treatment of Operations
Accounting Method and Taxable Year. We use the
year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual
method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each
unitholder will be required to include in income his share of
our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending
within or with his taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who
has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31
and who disposes of all of his units following the close of our
taxable year but before the close of his taxable year
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must include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction
in income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be
required to include in income for his taxable year his share of
more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction.
Please read Disposition of Common
Units Allocations Between Transferors and
Transferees.
Initial Tax Basis, Depreciation and
Amortization. The tax basis of our assets will be
used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery
deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of
these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the
difference between the fair market value of our assets and their
tax basis immediately prior to this offering will be borne by
our partners holding interests in us prior to the offering.
Please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and
Deduction.
To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation
and cost recovery methods that will result in the largest
deductions being taken in the early years after assets are
placed in service. Because our general partner may determine not
to adopt the remedial method of allocation with respect to any
difference between the tax basis and the fair market value of
goodwill immediately prior to this or any future offering, we
may not be entitled to any amortization deductions with respect
to any goodwill conveyed to us on formation or held by us at the
time of any future offering. Please read
Uniformity of Units. Property we
subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using
accelerated methods permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.
If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or
otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference
to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature
of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed
as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a
unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation
deductions with respect to property we own will likely be
required to recapture some or all of those deductions as
ordinary income upon a sale of his interest in us. Please read
Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and
Deduction and Disposition of Common
Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
The costs incurred in selling our units (called
syndication expenses) must be capitalized and cannot
be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. There
are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as
organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as
syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us. The
underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated
as syndication expenses.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties. The
federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition
of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative
fair market values, and the initial tax bases, of our assets.
Although we may from time to time consult with professional
appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the
relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates
and determinations of basis are subject to challenge and will
not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of
fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the
character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or
deductions previously reported by unitholders might change, and
unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for
prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to
those adjustments.
Disposition
of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss. Gain or loss will
be recognized on a sale of units equal to the difference between
the amount realized and the unitholders tax basis for the
units sold. A unitholders amount realized will be measured
by the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other
property received by him plus his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. Because the amount realized includes a
unitholders share of our nonrecourse liabilities, the gain
recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability
in excess of any cash received from the sale.
Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable
income for a common unit that decreased a unitholders tax
basis in that common unit will, in effect, become taxable income
if the common unit is sold
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at a price greater than the unitholders tax basis in that
common unit, even if the price received is less than his
original cost.
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder,
other than a dealer in units, on the sale or
exchange of a unit held for more than one year will generally be
taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an
individual on the sale of units held more than twelve months
will generally be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. However, a
portion of this gain or loss will be separately computed and
taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the
Internal Revenue Code to the extent attributable to assets
giving rise to depreciation recapture or other unrealized
receivables or to inventory items we own. The
term unrealized receivables includes potential
recapture items, including depreciation recapture. Ordinary
income attributable to unrealized receivables, inventory items
and depreciation recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized
upon the sale of a unit and may be recognized even if there is a
net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a
unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss
upon a sale of units. Net capital losses may offset capital
gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income, in the case of
individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gains in the
case of corporations.
The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a
partnership in separate transactions must combine those
interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those
interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of
those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated
to the interests sold using an equitable
apportionment method, which generally means that the tax
basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears
the same relation to the partners tax basis in his entire
interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold
bears to the value of the partners entire interest in the
partnership. Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the
Internal Revenue Code allow a selling unitholder who can
identify common units transferred with an ascertainable holding
period to elect to use the actual holding period of the common
units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling, a common
unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis common
units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but,
according to the regulations, may designate specific common
units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of
units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual
holding period of common units transferred must consistently use
that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges
of common units. A unitholder considering the purchase of
additional units or a sale of common units purchased in separate
transactions is urged to consult his tax advisor as to the
possible consequences of this ruling and application of the
regulations.
Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the
taxation of some financial products and securities, including
partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an
appreciated partnership interest, one in which gain
would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at
its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons
enter(s) into:
a short sale;
an offsetting notional principal contract; or
a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership
interest or substantially identical property.
Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short
sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or
forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the
taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the
taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership
interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of
the Treasury is also authorized to issue regulations that treat
a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have
substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as
having constructively sold the financial position.
Allocations Between Transferors and
Transferees. In general, our taxable income and
losses will be determined annually, will be prorated on a
monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the
unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each
of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the
first business day of the month, which we refer to in this
prospectus as the Allocation Date. However, gain or
loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets other
than in the ordinary course of
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business will be allocated among the unitholders on the
Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss is
recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring units may be
allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the
date of transfer.
The use of this method may not be permitted under existing
Treasury Regulations. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of
allocating income and deductions between transferor and
transferee unitholders. If this method is not allowed under the
Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than
all of the unitholders interest, our taxable income or
losses might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are
authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferor
and transferee unitholders, as well as unitholders whose
interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method
permitted under future Treasury Regulations.
A unitholder who owns units at any time during a quarter and who
disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash
distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our
income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to that quarter
but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.
Notification Requirements. A unitholder who
sells any of his units is generally required to notify us in
writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale (or, if
earlier, January 15 of the year following the sale). A purchaser
of units who purchases units from another unitholder is also
generally required to notify us in writing of that purchase
within 30 days after the purchase. Upon receiving such
notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of that
transaction and to furnish specified information to the
transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a purchase
may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties.
However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by
an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who
effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy
such requirements.
Constructive Termination. We will be
considered to have terminated for federal income tax purposes if
there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total
interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month
period. Pursuant to the GP Acquisition, GE EFS acquired
(i) a 37.3% limited partner interest in us (reduced to
37.0% after giving effect to the contemporaneous awards under
our long-term incentive plan), (ii) the 2% general partner
interest in us, and (iii) the right to receive the
incentive distributions associated with the general partner
interest. We believe, and will take the position, that the
GP Acquisition, together with all other common units sold
within the prior twelve-month period, represented a sale or
exchange of 50% or more of the total interest in our capital and
profits interests. Our termination would, among other things,
result in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders on
June 18, 2007 and upon any future termination. Such a
closing of the books could result in a significant deferral of
depreciation deductions allowable in computing our taxable
income. We anticipate that the impact of this termination to our
unitholders will be an increased amount of taxable income as a
percentage of the cash distributed to our unitholders. Although
the amount of increase cannot be estimated because it depends
upon numerous factors including the timing of the termination,
the amount could be material. Moreover, in the case of a
unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year
ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may
result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss
being includable in his taxable income for the year of
termination. Our termination currently would not affect our
classification as a partnership for federal income tax purposes,
but instead, we would be treated as a new partnership for tax
purposes. If treated as a new partnership, we must make new tax
elections and could be subject to penalties if we are unable to
determine that a termination occurred. Additionally, a
termination might either accelerate the application of, or
subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the
termination.
Uniformity
of Units
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units, we
must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics
of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of
uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number
of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and
regulatory. A lack of uniformity can result from a literal
application of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6)
and Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3).
Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of
the units. Please read Tax Consequences of
Unit Ownership Section 754 Election.
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We intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b)
adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value
of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized
Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization
derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful
life applied to the common basis of that property, or treat that
portion as nonamortizable, to the extent attributable to
property the common basis of which is not amortizable,
consistent with the regulations under Section 743 of the
Internal Revenue Code, even though that position may be
inconsistent with Treasury Regulation
Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6),
which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of
our assets, and Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3).
Please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Section 754 Election. To the
extent that the Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable
to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax
Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury
Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this
position cannot reasonably be taken, we may adopt a depreciation
and amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring
units in the same month would receive depreciation and
amortization deductions, whether attributable to a common basis
or Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same
applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in
our property. If this position is adopted, it may result in
lower annual depreciation and amortization deductions than would
otherwise be allowable to some unitholders and risk the loss of
depreciation and amortization deductions not taken in the year
that these deductions are otherwise allowable. This position
will not be adopted if we determine that the loss of
depreciation and amortization deductions will have a material
adverse effect on the unitholders. If we choose not to utilize
this aggregate method, we may use any other reasonable
depreciation and amortization method to preserve the uniformity
of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any units that would not
have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. The IRS may
challenge any method of depreciating the Section 743(b)
adjustment described in this paragraph. If this challenge were
sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and the
gain from the sale of units might be increased without the
benefit of additional deductions. Please read
Disposition of Common
Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
Tax-Exempt
Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt
organizations, non-resident aliens, foreign corporations and
other foreign persons raises issues unique to those investors
and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax
consequences to them.
Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from
federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and
other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on
unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income
allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will
be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.
Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, trusts or estates
that own units will be considered to be engaged in business in
the United States because of the ownership of units. As a
consequence, they will be required to file federal tax returns
to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and
pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our
net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly
traded partnerships, we will withhold at the highest applicable
effective tax rate from cash distributions made quarterly to
foreign unitholders. Each foreign unitholder must obtain a
taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that
number to our transfer agent on a
Form W-8BEN
or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for
these withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require
us to change these procedures.
In addition, because a foreign corporation that owns units will
be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that
corporation may be subject to the United States branch profits
tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax,
on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in
the foreign corporations U.S. net equity,
which is effectively connected with the conduct of a United
States trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated
by an income tax treaty between the United States and the
country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a
qualified resident. In addition, this type of
unitholder is subject to special information reporting
requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue
Code.
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Under a ruling of the IRS, a foreign unitholder who sells or
otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to federal income
tax on gain realized on the sale or disposition of that unit to
the extent that this gain is effectively connected with a United
States trade or business of the foreign unitholder. Because a
foreign unitholder is considered to be engaged in business in
the United States by virtue of the ownership of units, under
this ruling a foreign unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes
of a unit generally will be subject to federal income tax on
gain realized on the sale or disposition of units. Apart from
the ruling, a foreign unitholder will not be taxed or subject to
withholding upon the sale or disposition of a unit if he has
owned less than 5% in value of the units during the five-year
period ending on the date of the disposition and if the units
are regularly traded on an established securities market at the
time of the sale or disposition.
Administrative
Matters
Information Returns and Audit Procedures. We
intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after
the close of each calendar year, specific tax information,
including a
Schedule K-1,
which describes his share of our income, gain, loss and
deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this
information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take
various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have
been mentioned earlier, to determine each unitholders
share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure you
that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the
requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations
or administrative interpretations of the IRS. Neither we nor
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. can assure prospective
unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court
that those positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS
could negatively affect the value of the units.
The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns.
Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each
unitholder to adjust a prior years tax liability, and
possibly may result in an audit of his return. Any audit of a
unitholders return could result in adjustments not related
to our returns as well as those related to our returns.
Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for
purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of
administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement
proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income,
gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership
proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the
partners. The Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be
designated as the Tax Matters Partner for these
purposes. Our partnership agreement names Regency GP LP as our
Tax Matters Partner.
The Tax Matters Partner will make some elections on our behalf
and on behalf of unitholders. In addition, the Tax Matters
Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of
tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our returns.
The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a
1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless
that unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not
to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax
Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the
unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative
adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek
judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any unitholder
having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of
unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in
profits. However, only one action for judicial review will go
forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may
participate.
A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the
treatment of any item on his federal income tax return that is
not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return.
Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency
requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.
Nominee Reporting. Persons who hold an
interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to
furnish to us:
(a) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of
the beneficial owner and the nominee;
(b) whether the beneficial owner is:
1. a person that is not a United States person;
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2. a foreign government, an international organization or
any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the
foregoing; or
3. a tax-exempt entity;
(c) the amount and description of units held, acquired or
transferred for the beneficial owner; and
(d) specific information including the dates of
acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers,
and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net
proceeds from sales.
Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish
additional information, including whether they are United States
persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or
transfer for their own account. A penalty of $50 per
failure, up to a maximum of $100,000 per calendar year, is
imposed by the Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that
information to us. The nominee is required to supply the
beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to
us.
Accuracy-Related Penalties. An additional tax
equal to 20% of the amount of any portion of an underpayment of
tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes,
including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations,
substantial understatements of income tax and substantial
valuation misstatements, is imposed by the Internal Revenue
Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an
underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause
for that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith
regarding that portion.
For individuals, a substantial understatement of income tax in
any taxable year exists if the amount of the understatement
exceeds the greater of 10% of the tax required to be shown on
the return for the taxable year or $5,000. The amount of any
understatement subject to penalty generally is reduced if any
portion is attributable to a position adopted on the return:
(1) for which there is, or was, substantial
authority; or
(2) as to which there is a reasonable basis and the
pertinent facts of that position are disclosed on the return.
If any item of income, gain, loss or deduction included in the
distributive shares of unitholders might result in that kind of
an understatement of income for which no
substantial authority exists, we must disclose the
pertinent facts on our return. In addition, we will make a
reasonable effort to furnish sufficient information for
unitholders to make adequate disclosure on their returns and to
take other actions as may be appropriate to permit unitholders
to avoid liability for this penalty. More stringent rules apply
to tax shelters, which we do not believe includes us.
A substantial valuation misstatement exists if the value of any
property, or the adjusted basis of any property, claimed on a
tax return is 200% or more of the amount determined to be the
correct amount of the valuation or adjusted basis. No penalty is
imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a
substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 for
most corporations). If the valuation claimed on a return is 400%
or more than the correct valuation, the penalty imposed
increases to 40%.
Reportable Transactions. If we were to engage
in a reportable transaction, we (and possibly you
and others) would be required to make a detailed disclosure of
the transaction to the IRS. A transaction may be a reportable
transaction based upon any of several factors, including the
fact that it is a type of tax avoidance transaction publicly
identified by the IRS as a listed transaction or
that it produces certain kinds of losses for partnerships,
individuals, S corporations, and trusts in excess of
$2 million in any single year, or $4 million in any
combination of tax years. Our participation in a reportable
transaction could increase the likelihood that our federal
income tax information return (and possibly your tax return)
would be audited by the IRS. Please read
Information Returns and Audit Procedures.
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Moreover, if we were to participate in a reportable transaction
with a significant purpose to avoid or evade tax, or in any
listed transaction, you may be subject to the following
provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004:
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accuracy-related penalties with a broader scope, significantly
narrower exceptions, and potentially greater amounts than
described above at Accuracy-Related Penalties,
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for those persons otherwise entitled to deduct interest on
federal tax deficiencies, nondeductibility of interest on any
resulting tax liability and
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in the case of a listed transaction, an extended statute of
limitations.
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We do not expect to engage in any reportable
transactions.
State,
Local, Foreign and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income taxes, you likely will be subject
to other taxes, such as state, local and foreign income taxes,
unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or
intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various
jurisdictions in which we do business or own property or in
which you are a resident. Although an analysis of those various
taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should
consider their potential impact on his investment in us. We will
initially own property or conduct business in Arkansas,
Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Each of these
states, other than Texas, currently imposes a personal income
tax on individuals. Most of these states also impose an income
tax on corporations and other entities. We may also own property
or do business in other jurisdictions in the future. Although
you may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in some
jurisdictions because your income from that jurisdiction falls
below the filing and payment requirement, you will be required
to file income tax returns and to pay income taxes in many of
these jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and
may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those
requirements. In some jurisdictions, tax losses may not produce
a tax benefit in the year incurred and may not be available to
offset income in subsequent taxable years. Some of the
jurisdictions may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a
percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a
unitholder who is not a resident of the jurisdiction.
Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a
particular unitholders income tax liability to the
jurisdiction, generally does not relieve a nonresident
unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return.
Amounts withheld will be treated as if distributed to
unitholders for purposes of determining the amounts distributed
by us. Please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Entity-Level Collections.
Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations,
our general partner anticipates that any amounts required to be
withheld will not be material.
It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the
legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent
jurisdictions, of his investment in us. Accordingly, each
prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend upon, his
tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters.
Further, it is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all
state, local and foreign, as well as United States federal tax
returns, that may be required of him. Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion on the state, local or
foreign tax consequences of an investment in us.
Tax
Consequences of Ownership of Debt Securities
A description of the material federal income tax consequences of
the acquisition, ownership and disposition of debt securities
will be set forth on the prospectus supplement relating to the
offering of debt securities.
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PLAN OF
DISTRIBUTION
Under this prospectus, we intend to offer our securities to the
public:
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through one or more broker-dealers;
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through underwriters; or
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directly to investors.
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We will fix a price or prices of our securities at:
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market prices prevailing at the time of any sale under this
registration statement;
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prices related to market prices; or
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negotiated prices.
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We may change the price of the securities offered from time to
time.
We will pay or allow distributors or sellers
commissions that will not exceed those customary in the types of
transactions involved. Broker-dealers may act as agent or may
purchase securities as principal and thereafter resell the
securities from time to time:
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in or through one or more transactions (which may involve
crosses and block transactions) or distributions;
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on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC;
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in the
over-the-counter
market; or
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in private transactions.
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Broker-dealers or underwriters may receive compensation in the
form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may receive
commissions from purchasers of the securities for whom they may
act as agents. If any broker-dealer purchases the securities as
principal, it may effect resales of the securities from time to
time to or through other broker-dealers, and other
broker-dealers may receive compensation in the form of
concessions or commissions from the purchasers of securities for
whom they may act as agents.
To the extent required, the names of the specific managing
underwriter or underwriters, if any, as well as other important
information, will be set forth in prospectus supplements. In
that event, the discounts and commissions we will allow or pay
to the underwriters, if any, and the discounts and commissions
the underwriters may allow or pay to dealers or agents, if any,
will be set forth in, or may be calculated from, the prospectus
supplements. Any underwriters, brokers, dealers and agents who
participate in any sale of the securities may also engage in
transactions with, or perform services for, us or our affiliates
in the ordinary course of their businesses. We may indemnify
underwriters, brokers, dealers and agents against specific
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or
supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of
distribution.
In connection with offerings under this shelf registration and
in compliance with applicable law, underwriters, brokers or
dealers may engage in transactions that stabilize or maintain
the market price of the securities at levels above those that
might otherwise prevail in the open market. Specifically,
underwriters, brokers or dealers may over-allot in connection
with offerings, creating a short position in the securities for
their own accounts. For the purpose of covering a syndicate
short position or stabilizing the price of the securities, the
underwriters, brokers or dealers may place bids for the
securities or effect purchases of the securities in the open
market. Finally, the underwriters may impose a penalty whereby
selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other
brokers or dealers for distribution the securities in offerings
may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the syndicate repurchases
previously distributed securities in transactions to cover short
positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. These
activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the
market price of the securities, which may be higher than the
price that might otherwise prevail in the open market, and, if
commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
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LEGAL
MATTERS
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas, and Kean
Miller Hawthorne DArmond McCowan & Jarman, LLP
Baton Rouge, Louisiana will pass upon the validity of the
securities offered in this registration statement.
EXPERTS
The (1) consolidated financial statements of Regency Energy
Partners LP and subsidiaries and (2) the consolidated
balance sheet of Regency GP LP incorporated in this prospectus
by reference from Regency Energy Partners LPs Annual
Report on
Form 10-K
have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in
their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference, and
have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such
firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
The consolidated financial statements of Pueblo Midstream Gas
Corporation and subsidiary as of and for the year ended December
31, 2006 incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the
Regency Energy Partners LPs Current Report on Form 8-K
dated May 10, 2007 have been audited by Deloitte & Touche
LLP, independent auditors, as stated in their report, which is
incorporated herein by reference, and have been so incorporated
in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their
authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus, including any documents incorporated herein by
reference, constitutes a part of a registration statement on
Form S-3
that we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act. This
prospectus does not contain all the information set forth in the
registration statement. You should refer to the registration
statement and its related exhibits and schedules, and the
documents incorporated herein by reference, for further
information about our company and the securities offered in this
prospectus. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning
the provisions of any document are not necessarily complete and,
in each instance, reference is made to the copy of that document
filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or otherwise
filed with the SEC, and each such statement is qualified by this
reference. The registration statement and its exhibits and
schedules, and the documents incorporated herein by reference,
are on file at the offices of the SEC and may be inspected
without charge.
We file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements
and other information with the SEC. You can read and copy any
materials we file with the SEC at the SECs Public
Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20549. You can obtain information about the operation of the
Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330.
The SEC also maintains a website that contains information that
we file electronically with the SEC, which you can access over
the Internet at http://www.sec.gov.
Our home page is located at http://www.regencyenergy.com. Our
annual reports on
Form 10-K,
our quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q,
current reports on
Form 8-K
and other filings with the SEC are available free of charge
through our web site as soon as reasonably practicable after
those reports or filings are electronically filed or furnished
to the SEC. Information on our web site or any other web site is
not incorporated by reference in this prospectus and does not
constitute a part of this prospectus.
INCORPORATION
OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
We are incorporating by reference in this prospectus information
we file with the SEC, which means that we are disclosing
important information to you by referring you to those
documents. The information that we incorporate by reference is
an important part of this prospectus, and later information that
we file with the SEC automatically will update and supersede
this information. We incorporate by reference the documents
listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
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Exchange Act, excluding any information in those documents that
is deemed by the rules of the SEC to be furnished not filed,
until we close this offering:
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our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006; and
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Our Current Reports on
Form 8-K
and
Form 8-K/A
filed for January 26, 2007, February 16, 2007,
March 6, 2007, April 3, 2007, April 27, 2007,
May 11, 2007, May 25, 2007, June 12, 2007,
June 19, 2007, June 28, 2007, July 3, 2007 and
July 12, 2007.
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the description of our common units contained in our
registration statement on
Form 8-A
filed on January 24, 2006, and including any other
amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
description.
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You may request a copy of these filings, which we will provide
to you at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following
address and telephone number:
Regency GP
LLC
1700 Pacific, Suite 2900
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 750-1771
Attention: Investor Relations
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