As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 15, 2007

Registration No. 333-          

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form S-1

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

WESTERN GAS PARTNERS, LP

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

1201 Lake Robbins Drive

The Woodlands, Texas 77380-1046

(832) 636-1000

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of

Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

Robert G. Gwin

1201 Lake Robbins Drive

The Woodlands, Texas 77380-1046

(832) 636-1000

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area

Code, of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

 

 

     Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:  As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

 

 

     If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  o

     If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

     If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

     If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

     If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box.  o

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

     The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED OCTOBER 15, 2007

PROSPECTUS

 

 

18,750,000 Common Units

Representing Limited Partner Interests

 

 

This is the initial public offering of our common units. We currently estimate that the initial public offering price will be between $      and $      per common unit. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the common units. We intend to apply to list our common units on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WES.”

 

Investing in our common units involves risks.  Please read “Risk factors” beginning on page 16.

 

These risks include the following:

 

 

 

 

We have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,812,500 common units from us on the same terms and conditions as set forth above if the underwriters sell more than 18,750,000 common units in this offering.

 

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 underwriters expect to deliver the common units on or about          , 2007.

 

UBS Investment Bank

 

 

          , 2007

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

Until          , 2007 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade our common units, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

						Approximate				Treating		Average
		Asset		Length		# of receipt		Gas compression		capacity		throughput
Area		Type		(miles)		points		(horsepower)		(MMcf/d)		(MMcf/d)
East Texas		Gathering and Treating		636		780		29,305		510			320	(1)
Rocky Mountains		Gathering and Treating		114		162		20,385		92			57
		Transportation		264		18		27,326		—			131
Mid-Continent		Gathering		1,752		1,495		130,720		—			120
West Texas		Gathering		79		48		—		—			192
Total				2,845		2,503		207,736		602			820

(1)	To avoid duplicating volumes, 217 MMcf/d that is gathered on our Dew gathering system and delivered into our Pinnacle gas treating system is included only once in the calculation of average throughput.

Ø	Pursuing accretive acquisitions.  We expect to pursue accretive acquisition opportunities within the midstream energy industry from Anadarko and third parties.
Ø	Capitalizing on organic growth opportunities.  We expect to grow organically by meeting Anadarko’s gathering needs, which we expect to increase as a result of its anticipated drilling activity in our areas of operation.
Ø	Attracting additional third-party volumes to our systems.  We intend to actively market our midstream services to and pursue strategic relationships with third-party producers to attract additional volumes and/or expansion opportunities.
Ø	Minimizing commodity price exposure.  Our midstream services are provided under fee-based arrangements which minimize our direct commodity price exposure. We expect to utilize hedging to manage any significant future commodity price risk that could result from contracts we may acquire or enter into in the future.

Ø	Affiliation with Anadarko.  We believe Anadarko, as the owner of our general partner interest, all of our incentive distribution rights and a 57.3% limited partner interest in us, is motivated to promote and support the successful execution of our business plan and to pursue projects that enhance the value of our business.
Ø	Relatively stable and predictable cash flow.  Our cash flow is largely protected from fluctuations caused by commodity price volatility due to the fee-based, long-term nature of our midstream service agreements.
Ø	Well-positioned, well-maintained and efficient assets. We believe that our established positions in our areas of operation provide us with opportunities to expand and attract additional volumes to our

	systems. Moreover, our systems consist of high-quality, well-maintained assets for which we have implemented modern treating, measuring and operating technologies.

Ø	Financial flexibility to pursue expansion and acquisition opportunities. After this offering, we expect to have up to $100 million of borrowing capacity available to us under Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility as well as a $30 million working capital facility. In addition, we will have no indebtedness outstanding at the closing of this offering. We believe that our borrowing capacity and our ability to effectively access debt and equity capital markets provide us with the financial flexibility necessary to achieve our organic expansion and acquisition strategy.
Ø	Experienced management team.  Members of our general partner’s management team have extensive experience in building, acquiring, integrating, financing and managing midstream assets. In addition, our relationship with Anadarko provides us with the services of experienced personnel who successfully managed our assets and operations while they were owned by Anadarko.

Ø	Anadarko will contribute certain midstream assets to us;
Ø	we will issue to Western Gas Holdings, LLC, our general partner and a subsidiary of Anadarko, a 2.0% general partner interest in us as well as all of our incentive distribution rights;
Ø	we will issue to Anadarko 3,823,925 common units and 22,573,925 subordinated units, representing an aggregate 57.3% limited partner interest in us;(1)
Ø	we will issue 18,750,000 common units to the public, representing a 40.7% limited partner interest in us;(1)
Ø	we will receive gross proceeds of $375.0 million from the issuance and sale of 18,750,000 common units at an assumed initial offering price of $20.00 per unit;
Ø	we will use the proceeds from this offering to pay underwriting discounts and a structuring fee totaling approximately $24.4 million and other estimated offering expenses of $3.0 million;
Ø	we will use the remaining $347.6 million of aggregate net proceeds of this offering to (i) make a loan of $337.6 million to Anadarko in exchange for a 30-year note bearing interest at a fixed annual rate of 6.00% and (ii) provide $10.0 million for general partnership purposes;
Ø	we expect to become a co-borrower under Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility and will have up to $100 million of borrowing capacity available to us;
Ø	we will enter into a $30 million working capital facility with Anadarko as the lender;
Ø	we will enter into an omnibus agreement with Anadarko and our general partner pursuant to which, among other things, (i) we will reimburse Anadarko and our general partner for certain expenses incurred on our behalf, including expenses for various general and administrative services rendered by Anadarko and our general partner to us, and (ii) the parties will agree to certain indemnification obligations; and
Ø	our general partner will enter into a services and secondment agreement with Anadarko, pursuant to which certain employees of Anadarko will be under our control and render services to us or on our behalf.

(1)		If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase up to 2,812,500 additional common units within 30 days of this offering, the number of units purchased by the underwriters pursuant to such exercise will be issued to the public instead of Anadarko.

Public Common Units			40.7	%
Anadarko Common and Subordinated Units			57.3	%
General Partner Interest			2.0	%
Total			100.0	%

				Marginal percentage interest
		Total quarterly distribution		in distributions(1)
		per unit		Unitholders			General partner
Minimum Quarterly Distribution		$0.300			98.0%			2.0%
First Target Distribution		up to $0.345			98.0%			2.0%
Second Target Distribution		above $0.345 up to $0.375			85.0%			15.0%
Third Target Distribution		above $0.375 up to $0.450			75.0%			25.0%
Thereafter		above $0.450			50.0%			50.0%

(1)		Assumes that there are no arrearages on common units and that our general partner maintains its 2.0% general partner interest and continues to own the incentive distribution rights.

Ø	first, 98.0% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2.0% to our general partner, until each unitholder receives a total amount equal to 115% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter;
Ø	second, 85.0% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 15.0% to our general partner, until each unitholder receives a total amount per unit equal to 125% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter;
Ø	third, 75.0% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 25.0% to our general partner, until each unitholder receives a total amount per unit equal to 150% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter; and
Ø	thereafter, 50.0% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 50.0% to our general partner.

Common units offered to the public		18,750,000 common units.
		21,562,500 common units, if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional common units.
Units outstanding after this offering		22,573,925 common units(1) and 22,573,925 subordinated units, each representing a 49.0% limited partner interest in us. Our general partner will own a 2.0% general partner interest in us.
Use of proceeds		We expect to receive gross proceeds of $375.0 million from this offering. We will use the proceeds to (i) make a loan of $337.6 million to Anadarko in exchange for a 30-year note bearing interest at a fixed annual rate of 6.00%, (ii) provide $10.0 million for general partnership purposes and (iii) pay underwriting discounts and a structuring fee totaling approximately $24.4 million and other estimated offering expenses of $3.0 million.
		The net proceeds from any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units will be used to reimburse Anadarko for capital expenditures it incurred with respect to the assets contributed to us during the two-year period prior to this offering.
Cash distributions		Our general partner will adopt a cash distribution policy that will require us to pay a minimum quarterly distribution of $0.30 per unit ($1.20 per unit on an annualized basis) to the extent we have sufficient cash from operations after establishment of cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses, including payments to our general partner and its affiliates. We refer to this cash as “available cash,” and it is defined in our partnership agreement included in this prospectus as Appendix A and in the glossary included in this prospectus as Appendix B. Our ability to pay the minimum quarterly distribution is subject to various restrictions and other factors described in more detail under the caption “Our cash distribution policy and restrictions on distributions.” We will adjust the minimum quarterly distribution payable for the period from the completion of this offering through March 31, 2008, based on the actual length of that period.
		Our partnership agreement requires that we distribute all of our available cash each quarter in the following manner:
		Ø first, 98.0% to the holders of common units and 2.0% to our general partner, until each common unit has received the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.30 plus any arrearages from prior quarters;
		Ø second, 98.0% to the holders of subordinated units and 2.0% to our general partner, until each subordinated unit

(1)		Excludes common units subject to issuance under our Long-Term Incentive Plan. Please read “Management — Long-Term Incentive Plan.”

		has received the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.30; and
		Ø third, 98.0% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2.0% to our general partner, until each unit has received a distribution of $0.345.
		If cash distributions to our unitholders exceed $0.345 per unit in any quarter, our general partner will receive, in addition to distributions on its 2.0% general partner interest, increasing percentages, up to 48.0%, of the cash we distribute in excess of that amount. We refer to these distributions as “incentive distributions.” Please read “Provisions of our partnership agreement relating to cash distributions.”
		The amount of pro forma available cash generated during the year ended December 31, 2006 would have been sufficient to allow us to pay the full minimum quarterly distribution ($0.30 per unit per quarter, or $1.20 on an annualized basis) on all of our common units and a cash distribution of $0.275 per unit per quarter ($1.10 per unit on an annualized basis), or approximately 92% of the minimum quarterly distribution, on all of our subordinated units for such period. The amount of pro forma available cash generated during the twelve months ended June 30, 2007 would have been sufficient to allow us to pay the full minimum quarterly distribution on all common and subordinated units for such period. Please read “Our cash distribution policy and restrictions on distributions.”
		We believe that, based on the Statement of Minimum Estimated EBITDA included under the caption “Our cash distribution policy and restrictions on distributions,” we will have sufficient cash available for distribution to pay the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.30 per unit on all common and subordinated units and the corresponding distributions on our general partner’s 2.0% interest for the four quarters ending December 31, 2008.
Subordinated units		Anadarko will initially indirectly own all of our subordinated units. The principal difference between our common and subordinated units is that in any quarter during the subordination period, holders of the subordinated units are not entitled to receive any distribution until the common units have received the minimum quarterly distribution plus any arrearages in the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution from prior quarters. Subordinated units will not accrue arrearages.
Conversion of subordinated units		The subordination period will end on the first business day after we have earned and paid at least (i) $1.20 (the minimum quarterly distribution on an annualized basis) on each outstanding unit and the corresponding distribution on our general partner’s 2.0% interest for each of three consecutive, non-overlapping four quarter periods ending on or after December 31, 2010 or (ii) $0.45 per quarter (150% of the minimum quarterly distribution, which is $1.80 on an

		annualized basis) on each outstanding unit and the corresponding distributions on our general partner’s 2.0% interest for each of four consecutive quarters.
		In addition, the subordination period will end upon the removal of our general partner other than for cause if the units held by our general partner and its affiliates are not voted in favor of such removal.
		When the subordination period ends, all subordinated units will convert into common units on a one-for-one basis, and all common units thereafter will no longer be entitled to arrearages.
General partner’s right to reset the target distribution levels		Our general partner has the right, at any time when there are no subordinated units outstanding and it has received incentive distributions at the highest level to which it is entitled (48%) for each of the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters, to reset the initial target distribution levels at higher levels based on our cash distributions at the time of the exercise of the reset election. Following a reset election by our general partner, the minimum quarterly distribution will be adjusted to equal the reset minimum quarterly distribution, and the target distribution levels will be reset to correspondingly higher levels based on the same percentage increases above the reset minimum quarterly distribution.
		If our general partner elects to reset the target distribution levels, it will be entitled to receive Class B units and will retain its then-current general partner interest. The Class B units will be entitled to the same cash distributions per unit as our common units and will be convertible into an equal number of common units. The number of Class B units to be issued to our general partner will be equal to that number of common units which would have entitled their holder to an average aggregate quarterly cash distribution in the prior two quarters equal to the average of the distributions to our general partner on the incentive distribution rights in the prior two quarters. Please read “Provisions of our partnership agreement relating to cash distributions—General partner’s right to reset incentive distribution levels.”
Issuance of additional units		We can issue an unlimited number of units without the consent of our unitholders. Please read “Units eligible for future sale” and “The partnership agreement—Issuance of additional securities.”
Limited voting rights		Our general partner will manage and operate us. Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, you will have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business. You will have no right to elect our general partner or its directors on an annual or continuing basis. Our general partner may not be removed except by a vote of the holders of at least 662/3% of the outstanding units voting together as a single class, including any units owned by our general partner and its affiliates,

		including Anadarko. Upon consummation of this offering, Anadarko will own an aggregate of 58.5% of our common and subordinated units. This will give Anadarko the ability to prevent the involuntary removal of our general partner. Please read “The partnership agreement—Voting rights.”
Limited call right		If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 80% of the outstanding common units, our general partner has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase all of the remaining common units at a price that is not less than the then-current market price of the common units.
Estimated ratio of taxable income to distributions		We estimate that if you own the common units you purchase in this offering through the record date for distributions for the period ending December 31, 2010, you will be allocated, on a cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable income for that period that will be     % or less of the cash distributed to you with respect to that period. For example, if you receive an annual distribution of $1.20 per unit, we estimate that your average allocable federal taxable income per year will be no more than $           per unit. Please read “Material tax consequences—Tax consequences of unit ownership—Ratio of taxable income to distributions.”
Material tax consequences		For a discussion of other material federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States, or the U.S., please read “Material tax consequences.”
Exchange listing		We intend to apply to list our common units on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WES.”

Ø	the receipt by the Partnership of gross proceeds of $375.0 million from the issuance and sale of 18,750,000 common units at an assumed initial offering price of $20.00 per unit;
Ø	the use of the proceeds from this offering to pay underwriting discounts and a structuring fee totaling approximately $24.4 million and other estimated offering expenses of $3.0 million; and
Ø	the use of the remaining $347.6 million of aggregate net proceeds of this offering to (i) make a loan of $337.6 million to Anadarko in exchange for a 30-year note bearing interest at a fixed annual rate of 6.00% and (ii) provide $10.0 million for general partnership purposes.

																						Partnership pro forma
																						as adjusted
		Predecessor combined																				Six months
														Six months ended								ended				Year ended
		Year ended December 31,												June 30,								June 30,				December 31,
thousands, except for operating and per unit data		2006				2005				2004				2007				2006				2007				2006
Statement of Income Data:
Total revenues		$	81,152			$	71,650			$	68,049			$	56,707			$	36,967			$	56,707			$	93,304
Costs and expenses			39,960				35,720				31,301				22,651				21,600				22,651				43,857
Depreciation			18,009				15,447				14,841				10,743				8,181				10,743				19,710
Total operating expenses			57,969				51,167				46,142				33,394				29,781				33,394				63,567
Operating income			23,183				20,483				21,907				23,313				7,186				23,313				29,737
Other income (expense)			(26	)			66				—				—				(4	)			—				(377	)
Interest expense (income)			9,631				8,650				7,146				5,756				5,348				(10,015	)			(20,030	)
Income tax expense (benefit)			3,814				4,789				5,504				6,446				(418	)			108				978
Net income		$	9,712			$	7,110			$	9,257			$	11,111			$	2,252			$	33,220			$	48,412
General partner interest in pro forma net income																							851				968
Limited partner interest in pro forma net income																							32,369				47,444
Net income per limited partner unit (basic and diluted)																						$	0.72			$	1.05
Balance Sheet Data (at period end):
Net, property, plant and equipment		$	310,871			$	200,451			$	196,065			$	339,519			$	210,506			$	339,519
Total assets			332,228				206,373				199,110				360,348				215,515				693,611
Total parent net equity			238,531				160,585				162,542				266,683				166,391				680,765
Cash Flow Data:
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities			27,323				30,131				31,160				24,134				13,467
Investing activities			(42,713	)			(21,076	)			(16,548	)			(21,842	)			(17,025	)
Financing activities			15,844				(9,067	)			(14,596	)			(2,748	)			3,554
EBITDA(1)			41,192				35,930				36,748				34,056				15,367				34,056				49,447
Capital expenditures			42,299				20,841				8,150				21,530				16,407
Operating Data:
Affiliate
Throughput, MMBtu/d			820				757				694				939				749								878
Average rate per MMBtu		$	0.22			$	0.21			$	0.21			$	0.27			$	0.22							$	0.23
Third Party
Throughput, MMBtu/d			72				41				36				84				63								93
Average rate per MMBtu		$	0.19			$	0.16			$	0.11			$	0.25			$	0.14							$	0.23
Total
Throughput, MMBtu/d			892				798				730				1,023				812								971
Average rate per MMBtu		$	0.21			$	0.21			$	0.21			$	0.27			$	0.21							$	0.23

(1)		EBITDA is defined in “—Non-GAAP financial measure” below.

Ø	our operating performance as compared to other publicly traded partnerships in the midstream energy industry, without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis;
Ø	the ability of our assets to generate sufficient cash flow to make distributions to our unitholders; and
Ø	the viability of acquisitions and capital expenditure projects and the returns on investment of various investment opportunities.

																														Partnership pro forma
		Predecessor combined																												as adjusted
																														Six months
		Year ended																				Six months								ended				Year ended
		December 31,																				ended June 30,								June 30,				December 31,
thousands		2006				2005				2004				2003				2002				2007				2006				2007				2006
Reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Income
Net income		$	9,712			$	7,110			$	9,257			$	5,502			$	(4,066	)		$	11,111			$	2,252			$	33,220			$	48,412
Add:
Interest expense (income)			9,631				8,650				7,146				6,782				9,019				5,756				5,348				(10,015	)			(20,030	)
Income tax expense (benefit)			3,814				4,789				5,504				2,529				(2,331	)			6,446				(418	)			108				978
Depreciation			18,009				15,447				14,841				14,294				16,509				10,743				8,181				10,743				19,710
Less:
Other income (expense)			(26	)			66				—				1,510	(1)			—				—				(4	)			—				(377	)
EBITDA		$	41,192			$	35,930			$	36,748			$	27,597			$	19,131			$	34,056			$	15,367			$	34,056			$	49,447

(1)	Includes impact of change in accounting principle.

 

Risk factors

 

Limited partner units are inherently different from capital stock of a corporation, although many of the business risks to which we are subject are similar to those that would be faced by a corporation engaged in similar businesses. We urge you to carefully consider the following risk factors together with all of the other information included in this prospectus in evaluating an investment in our common units.

 

If any of the following risks were to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In that case, we might not be able to pay the minimum quarterly distribution on our common units, the trading price of our common units could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment in us.

 

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS

 

We are dependent on a single natural gas producer, Anadarko, for almost all of the natural gas that we gather and transport. A material reduction in Anadarko’s production gathered or transported by our assets would result in a material decline in our revenues and cash available for distribution.

 

We rely on Anadarko for virtually all of the natural gas that we gather and transport. For the six months ended June 30, 2007, Anadarko accounted for approximately 92% of our natural gas gathering and transportation volumes. We may be unable to negotiate on favorable terms, if at all, extensions or replacements of our contracts to gather, compress, treat and transport Anadarko’s production. Furthermore, Anadarko may suffer a decrease in production volumes in the areas serviced by us and is under no contractual obligation to maintain its production dedicated to us. The loss of a significant portion of the natural gas volumes supplied by Anadarko would result in a material decline in our revenues and our cash available for distribution. In addition, Anadarko may determine in the future that drilling activity in other areas of operation is strategically more attractive. A shift in Anadarko’s focus away from our areas of operation could result in reduced throughput on our system and a material decline in our revenues.

 

We may not have sufficient cash from operations following the establishment of cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses, including cost reimbursements to our general partner, to enable us to pay the minimum quarterly distribution to holders of our common and subordinated units.

 

In order to pay the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.30 per unit per quarter, or $1.20 per unit per year, we will require available cash of approximately $13.8 million per quarter, or $55.3 million per year, based on the number of common and subordinated units to be outstanding immediately after completion of this offering. We may not have sufficient available cash from operating surplus each quarter to enable us to pay the minimum quarterly distribution. The amount of cash we can distribute on our units principally depends upon the amount of cash we generate from our operations, which will fluctuate from quarter to quarter based on, among other things:

 

 

Risk factors

 

 

 

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:

 

 

For a description of additional restrictions and factors that may affect our ability to make cash distributions, please read “Our cash distribution policy and restrictions on distributions.”

 

The amount of cash we have available for distribution to holders of our common and subordinated units depends primarily on our cash flow rather than on our profitability, which may prevent us from making distributions, even during periods in which we record net income.

 

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.

 

The amount of available cash we need to pay the minimum quarterly distribution on all of our units to be outstanding immediately after this offering and the corresponding distribution on our general partner’s 2.0% interest for four quarters is approximately $55.3 million. The amount of pro forma available cash generated during the year ended December 31, 2006 would have been sufficient to allow us to pay the full minimum quarterly distribution on all of our common units and a cash distribution of $0.275 per unit per quarter ($1.10 per unit on an annualized basis), or approximately 92% of the minimum quarterly distribution, on all of the subordinated units for such period. The amount of pro forma available cash generated during the twelve months ended June 30, 2007 would have been sufficient to allow us to pay the full minimum quarterly distribution on all of our common and subordinated units for that period. For a calculation of our ability to make distributions to unitholders based on our pro forma results for 2006, please read “Our cash distribution policy and restrictions on distributions.”

 

The assumptions underlying the forecast of cash available for distribution that we include in “Our cash distribution policy and restrictions on distributions” are inherently uncertain and are subject to significant business, economic, financial, regulatory and competitive risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forecasted.

 

The forecast of cash available for distribution set forth in “Our cash distribution policy and restrictions on distributions” includes our forecasted results of operations, EBITDA and cash available for distribution for the twelve months ending December 31, 2008. The financial forecast has been prepared by management, and we have not received an opinion or report on it from our or any other independent auditor. The assumptions underlying the forecast are inherently uncertain and are subject to significant business, economic, financial, regulatory and competitive risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forecasted. If we do not achieve the forecasted

 

Risk factors

 

 

results, we may not be able to pay the full minimum quarterly distribution or any amount on our common or subordinated units, in which event the market price of our common units may decline materially.

 

Because of the natural decline in production from existing wells, our success depends on our ability to obtain new sources of natural gas, which is dependent on certain factors beyond our control. Any decrease in the volumes of natural gas that we gather and transport could adversely affect our business and operating results.

 

The volumes that support our business are dependent on the level of production from natural gas wells connected to our gathering systems, the production of which 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 throughput levels on our gathering systems, we must obtain new sources of natural gas. The primary factors affecting our ability to obtain non-dedicated sources of natural gas include (i) the level of successful drilling activity near our systems and (ii) our ability to compete for volumes from successful new wells.

 

While Anadarko has dedicated production from certain of its properties to us, we have no control over the level of drilling activity in our areas of operation, the amount of reserves associated with wells connected to our gathering systems or the rate at which production from a well declines. In addition, we have no control over Anadarko or other producers or their drilling or production decisions, which are affected by, among other things, the availability and cost of capital, prevailing and projected energy prices, demand for hydrocarbons, levels of reserves, geological considerations, governmental regulations, the availability of drilling rigs and other production and development costs. Fluctuations in energy prices can also greatly affect investments by Anadarko and third parties in the development of new natural gas reserves. Declines in natural gas prices could have a negative impact on exploration, development and production activity, and if sustained, could lead to a material decrease in such activity. Sustained reductions in exploration or production activity in our areas of operation would lead to reduced utilization of our gathering and treating assets.

 

Because of these factors, even if new natural gas reserves are known to exist in areas served by our assets, producers may choose not to develop those reserves. Moreover, Anadarko may not develop the acreage it has dedicated to us. If competition or reductions in drilling activity result in our inability to maintain the current levels of throughput on our systems, it could reduce our revenue and impair our ability to make cash distributions to our unitholders.

 

We typically do not obtain independent evaluations of natural gas reserves connected to our gathering and transportation systems; therefore, in the future, volumes of natural gas on our systems could be less than we anticipate.

 

We typically do not obtain independent evaluations of natural gas reserves connected to our systems. Accordingly, we do not have independent estimates of total reserves dedicated to our systems or the anticipated life of such reserves. If the total reserves or estimated life of the reserves connected to our gathering systems are less than we anticipate and we are unable to secure additional sources of natural gas, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to you.

 

Lower natural gas and oil prices could adversely affect our business.

 

Lower natural gas and oil prices could impact natural gas and oil exploration and production activity levels and result in a decline in the production of natural gas and condensate, resulting in reduced throughput on our systems. Any such decline may cause our current or potential customers to delay drilling or shut in production. In addition, such a decline would reduce the amount of condensate we

 

Risk factors

 

 

retain and sell. As a result, lower natural gas prices could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to you.

 

In general terms, the prices of natural gas, oil, condensate, NGLs and other hydrocarbon products fluctuate in response to changes in supply and demand, market uncertainty and a variety of additional factors that are beyond our control. These factors include:

 

 

Our industry is highly competitive, and increased competitive pressure could adversely affect our business and operating results.

 

We compete with similar enterprises in our areas of operation. Our competitors may expand or construct gathering, compression, treating or transportation systems that would create additional competition for the services we provide to our customers. In addition, our customers, including Anadarko, may develop their own gathering, compression, treating or transportation systems in lieu of using ours. Our ability to renew or replace existing contracts with our customers at rates sufficient to maintain current revenues and cash flow could be adversely affected by the activities of our competitors and our customers. All of these competitive pressures could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions to you.

 

Our operating income could be affected by a change in oil prices relative to the price of natural gas.

 

Under our gathering agreements, we retain and sell condensate, which falls out of the natural gas stream during the gathering process, and compensate shippers with a thermally equivalent volume of natural gas. Condensate sales comprised approximately 12% of our gathering system revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2007. The price we receive for our condensate is generally tied to the market price of oil. The relationship between natural gas prices and oil prices therefore affects the margin on our condensate sales. When natural gas prices are high relative to oil prices, the profit margin we realize on our condensate sales is low due to the higher value of natural gas. Correspondingly, when natural gas prices are low relative to oil prices, the profit margin is high.

 

If third-party pipelines or other facilities interconnected to our gathering or transportation systems become partially or fully unavailable, or if the volumes we gather or transport do not meet the natural gas quality requirements of such pipelines or facilities, our revenues and cash available for distribution could be adversely affected.

 

Our natural gas gathering and transportation systems connect to other pipelines or facilities, the majority of which are owned by third parties. The continuing operation of such third-party pipelines or facilities is not within our control. If any of these pipelines or facilities becomes unable to transport

 

Risk factors

 

 

natural gas, or if the volumes we gather or transport do not meet the natural gas quality requirements of such pipelines or facilities, our revenues and cash available for distribution could be adversely affected.

 

Our interstate natural gas transportation operations are subject to regulation by FERC, which could have an adverse impact on our ability to establish transportation rates that would allow us to earn a reasonable return on our investment, or even recover the full cost of operating our pipeline, thereby adversely impacting our ability to make distributions to you.

 

MIGC, our interstate natural gas transportation system, is subject to regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, under the Natural Gas Act of 1938, or the NGA, and the Energy Policy Act of 2005, or the EPAct 2005.

 

Under the NGA, FERC has the authority to regulate natural gas companies that provide natural gas pipeline transportation services in interstate commerce. Federal regulation extends to such matters as:

 

 

Natural gas companies are prohibited from charging rates that have been determined to be not just and reasonable by FERC. In addition, FERC prohibits natural gas companies from unduly preferring or unreasonably discriminating against any person with respect to pipeline rates or terms and conditions of service.

 

The rates and terms and conditions for our interstate pipeline services are set forth in a FERC-approved tariff. Pursuant to FERC’s jurisdiction over rates, existing rates may be challenged by complaint and proposed rate increases may be challenged by protest. Any successful complaint or protest against our rates could have an adverse impact on our revenues associated with providing transportation service.

 

Should we fail to comply with all applicable FERC-administered statutes, rules, regulations and orders, we could be subject to substantial penalties and fines. Under the EPAct 2005, FERC has civil penalty authority under the NGA to impose penalties for current violations of up to $1,000,000 per day for each violation. FERC also has the power to order disgorgement of profits from transactions deemed to violate the NGA and EPAct 2005.

 

A change in the jurisdictional characterization of some of our assets by federal, state or local regulatory agencies or a change in policy by those agencies could result in increased regulation of our assets, which could cause our revenues to decline and operating expenses to increase.

 

Section 1(b) of the NGA exempts natural gas gathering facilities from the jurisdiction of FERC. We believe that our natural gas pipelines, other than MIGC, meet the traditional tests FERC has used to determine if a pipeline is a gathering pipeline and is, therefore, not subject to FERC jurisdiction. However, one characteristic FERC has considered on a secondary basis to be relevant in determining whether a service constitutes gathering is the primary business activity of the service provider. The

 

Risk factors

 

 

distinction between FERC-regulated transmission services and federally unregulated gathering services is the subject of substantial ongoing litigation and, over time, FERC policy concerning where to draw the line between activities it regulates and activities excluded from its regulation has changed. The classification and regulation of our gathering facilities are subject to change based on future determinations by FERC, the courts or Congress. State regulation of gathering facilities generally includes various safety, environmental and, in some circumstances, nondiscriminatory take requirements and complaint-based rate regulation. In recent years, FERC has taken a more light-handed approach to regulation of the gathering activities of interstate pipeline transmission companies, which has resulted in a number of such companies transferring gathering facilities to unregulated affiliates. As a result of these activities, natural gas gathering may begin to receive greater regulatory scrutiny at both the state and federal levels.

 

Our natural gas gathering operations are generally exempt from FERC regulation under the NGA. Nevertheless, FERC regulation still affects these businesses and the markets for products derived from these businesses. FERC’s policies and practices across the range of its natural gas regulatory activities, 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 policies in its regulation of interstate natural gas pipelines. However, FERC may not continue this approach as it considers matters such as pipeline rates, rules and policies that may affect rights of access to natural gas transportation capacity. Moreover, EPAct 2005 potentially subjects all natural gas market participants, including gatherers otherwise not subject to FERC regulation under the NGA, to rules that punish any participant found to be engaged in manipulation of such markets. Because the scope of FERC’s power in this regard is currently in dispute, we are unable to determine whether otherwise non-jurisdictional gatherers will ultimately be subject to FERC’s power to punish participants found to be engaged in manipulation of such markets.

 

Other state and local regulations also affect our business. Common purchaser statutes generally require gatherers to purchase natural gas volumes and take natural gas 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 transport natural gas. Some or all of the states in which we operate have adopted complaint-based regulation of natural gas gathering activities, which allows natural gas producers and shippers to file complaints with state regulators in an effort to resolve grievances relating to natural gas gathering access and rate discrimination. Other state regulations may not directly regulate our business, but may nonetheless affect the availability of natural gas for gathering and treatment, including state regulation of production rates and maximum daily production allowable from gas wells. While our proprietary gathering lines are currently subject to limited state regulation, there is a risk that state laws will be changed, which may give producers a stronger basis to challenge the proprietary status or the rates, terms and conditions of such lines. Please read “Business—Regulation of operations” for a further description of the rules and regulations governing our business.

 

The outcome of certain FERC proceedings involving FERC policy statements is uncertain and could affect the level of return on equity that MIGC may be able to achieve in any future rate proceeding.

 

In an effort to provide guidance and obtain further public comment on FERC’s policies concerning return on equity determinations, on July 19, 2007, FERC issued its Proposed Proxy Policy Statement, Composition of Proxy Groups for Determining Gas and Oil Pipeline Return on Equity. In the Proposed Proxy Policy Statement, FERC proposed to permit the inclusion of master limited partnerships in the proxy group analysis relating to return on equity determinations in rate proceedings, provided that such analysis be limited to actual master limited partnership distributions capped at the level of the pipeline’s earnings and that evidence be provided in the form of multiyear analysis of past earnings demonstrating the master limited partnership’s ability to provide stable earnings over time.

 

Risk factors

 

 

In a decision issued shortly after FERC issued its Proposed Proxy Policy, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, or the D.C. Circuit, vacated FERC’s orders in proceedings involving the High Island Offshore System and Petal Gas Storage. The Court held that FERC had failed to explain how the proxy group that it relied on there—one that included companies with substantially less risky distribution operations and excluded master limited partnerships with interstate pipeline operations—was based on the principle of relative risk. While the D.C. Circuit did not squarely address FERC’s rationale for excluding master limited partnerships, the D.C. Circuit stated that FERC’s rationale for excluding master limited partnerships from the proxy group because master limited partnership distributions may exceed earnings was “not self-evident.”

 

The ultimate outcome of these proceedings is not certain and may result in new policies being established at FERC that would not allow the full use of distributions to unitholders by pipeline master limited partnerships in any proxy group comparisons used to determine return on equity in future rate proceedings. We cannot ensure that such policy developments would not adversely affect MIGC’s ability to achieve a reasonable level of return on equity in any future rate proceeding.

 

The outcome of certain proceedings involving income tax allowances in rate calculations is uncertain and could affect MIGC’s ability to include an income tax allowance in its cost-of-service based rates, which would in turn impact our cash available for distribution.

 

In May 2005, FERC issued a policy statement permitting the inclusion of an income tax allowance in the cost of service-based rates of a pipeline organized as a tax pass-through partnership entity, if the pipeline proves that the ultimate owner of its equity interests has an actual or potential income tax liability on public utility income. The policy statement also provides that whether a pipeline’s owners have such actual or potential income tax liability will be reviewed by FERC on a case-by-case basis. In August 2005, FERC dismissed requests for rehearing of its new policy statement. On December 16, 2005, FERC issued its first significant case-specific review of the income tax allowance issue in a pipeline partnership’s rate case. FERC reaffirmed its new income tax allowance policy and directed the subject pipeline to provide certain evidence necessary for the pipeline to determine its income tax allowance. The new tax allowance policy and the December 16, 2005 order were appealed to the D.C. Circuit. The D.C. Circuit issued an order on May 29, 2007 in which it denied these appeals and upheld FERC’s new tax allowance policy and the application of that policy in the December 16, 2005 order on all points subject to appeal. The D.C. Circuit denied rehearing of the May 29, 2007 decision on August 20, 2007. Petitions for writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court regarding such decision are due within 90 days of the D.C. Circuit order denying rehearing of the decision.

 

On December 8, 2006, FERC issued another order addressing the income tax allowance in rates. In the December 8, 2006 order, FERC refined and reaffirmed prior statements regarding its income tax allowance policy, and notably raised a new issue regarding the implication of the policy statement for publicly traded partnerships. It noted that the tax deferral features of a publicly traded partnership may cause some investors to receive, for some indeterminate duration, cash distributions in excess of their taxable income, which FERC characterized as a “tax savings.” FERC stated that it is concerned that this created an opportunity for those investors to earn an additional return, funded by ratepayers. Responding to this concern, FERC chose to adjust the pipeline’s equity rate of return downward based on the percentage by which the publicly traded partnership’s cash flow exceeded taxable income. On February 7, 2007, the pipeline filed a request for rehearing on this issue, which is currently pending before FERC.

 

The ultimate outcome of these proceedings is not certain and could result in changes to FERC’s treatment of income tax allowances in cost of service. Depending upon how the policy statement on income tax allowances is applied in practice to pipelines organized as pass-through entities, these decisions might adversely affect us. Under FERC’s current income tax allowance policy, if the rates of MIGC are subject to general review in a proceeding before FERC, we could be required to demonstrate

 

Risk factors

 

 

that our equity interest owners incur actual or potential income tax liability on their respective shares of partnership public utility income. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to establish that our unitholders, or our unitholders’ owners, are subject to income taxation on the public utility income generated by us, or, if they are subject to such tax, the tax rate that should apply to such unitholders. If we are unable to do so, FERC could decide to reduce our rates from current levels. We can give no assurance that FERC’s current income tax allowance policy or its application will not be changed in the future.

 

We are subject to stringent environmental laws and regulations that may expose us to significant costs and liabilities.

 

Our natural gas gathering, compression, treating and transportation operations are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations that govern the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relate to environmental protection. Examples of these laws include:

 

 

These laws and regulations may impose numerous obligations that are applicable to our operations, including the acquisition of permits to conduct regulated activities, the incurrence of capital expenditures to limit or prevent releases of materials from our pipelines and facilities, and the imposition of substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations. Numerous governmental authorities, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA, and analogous state agencies, have the power to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued under them, oftentimes requiring difficult and costly corrective actions. Failure to comply with these laws, regulations and permits may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of remedial obligations, and the issuance of injunctions limiting or preventing some or all of our operations.

 

There is an inherent risk of incurring significant environmental costs and liabilities in connection with our operations due to historical industry operations and waste disposal practices, our handling of hydrocarbon wastes and potential emissions and discharges related to our operations. Joint and several, strict liability may be incurred, without regard to fault, under certain of these environmental laws and regulations in connection with discharges or releases of hydrocarbon wastes on, under or from our properties and facilities, many of which have been used for midstream activities for a number of years, oftentimes by third parties not under our control. Private parties, including the owners of the properties through which our gathering or transportation systems pass and facilities where our wastes are taken for reclamation or disposal, may also have the right to pursue legal actions to enforce compliance as well as to seek damages for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations or for personal injury or property damage. In addition, changes in environmental laws and regulations occur frequently,

 

Risk factors

 

 

and any such changes that result in more stringent and costly waste handling, storage, transport, disposal or remediation requirements could have a material adverse effect on our operations or financial position. We may not be able to recover all or any of these costs from insurance. Please read “Business—Environmental matters” for more information.

 

Our construction of new assets may not result in revenue increases and will be subject to regulatory, environmental, political, legal and economic risks, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

One of the ways we intend to grow our business is through the construction of new midstream assets. 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 that are beyond our control. Such expansion projects may also require the expenditure of significant amounts of capital, and financing may not be available on economically acceptable terms or at all. If we undertake these projects, they may not be completed on schedule, at the budgeted cost, or at all. Moreover, our revenues may not increase immediately upon the expenditure of funds on a particular project. For instance, if we expand a pipeline, the construction may occur over an extended period of time, yet we will not receive any material increases in revenues until the project is completed. Moreover, we could construct facilities to capture anticipated future growth in production in a region in which such growth does not materialize. Since we are not engaged in the exploration for and development of natural gas and oil reserves, we often do not have access to third-party estimates of potential reserves in an area prior to constructing facilities in that area. To the extent we rely on estimates of future production in our decision to construct additions to our systems, such estimates may prove to be inaccurate as a result of the numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of future production. As a result, new facilities may not be able to attract enough throughput to achieve our expected investment return, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the construction of additions to our existing gathering and transportation assets may require us to obtain new rights-of-way. We may be unable to obtain such rights-of-way and may, therefore, be unable to connect new natural gas volumes to our systems or capitalize on other attractive expansion opportunities. Additionally, it may become more expensive for us to obtain new rights-of-way or to renew existing rights-of-way. If the cost of renewing or obtaining new rights-of-way increases, our cash flows could be adversely affected.

 

If we do not make acquisitions on economically acceptable terms, our future growth will be limited, and the acquisitions we do make may reduce, rather than increase, our cash generated from operations on a per unit basis.

 

Our ability to grow depends, in part, on our ability to make acquisitions that increase our cash generated from operations on a per unit basis. If we are unable to make such accretive acquisitions, either because we are (i) unable to identify attractive acquisition candidates or negotiate acceptable purchase contracts, (ii) unable to obtain financing for these acquisitions on economically acceptable terms or (iii) outbid by competitors, then our future growth and ability to increase distributions will be limited. Furthermore, even if we do make acquisitions that we believe will be accretive, these acquisitions may nevertheless result in a decrease in the cash generated from operations on a per unit basis.

 

Any acquisition involves potential risks, including, among other things:

 

 

Risk factors

 

 

 

If we consummate any future acquisitions, our capitalization and results of operations may change significantly, and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial and other relevant information that we will consider in determining the application of these funds and other resources.

 

Our acquisition strategy is based, in part, on our expectation of ongoing divestitures of midstream energy assets by industry participants, including, most notably, Anadarko. A material decrease in such divestitures would limit our opportunities for future acquisitions and could adversely affect our operations and cash flow available for distribution to our unitholders.

 

We do not own all of the land on which our pipelines and facilities are located, which could result in disruptions to our operations.

 

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 more onerous terms and/or increased costs to retain necessary land use if we do not have valid rights-of-way or if such rights-of-way lapse or terminate. We obtain the rights to construct and operate our pipelines on land owned by third parties and governmental agencies for a specific period of time. Our loss of these rights, through our inability to renew right-of-way contracts or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions to you.

 

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 for which we are not fully insured, our operations and financial results could be adversely affected.

 

Our operations are subject to all of the risks and hazards inherent in the gathering, compressing, treating and transportation of natural gas, including:

 

 

These risks could result in substantial losses due to personal injury and/or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment and pollution or other environmental damage. These risks may also result in curtailment or suspension of our 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 fully insured against all risks inherent in our business. For example, we do not have any property insurance on any of our underground pipeline systems that would cover damage to the pipelines. In addition, we are not insured against all environmental accidents that might occur, some of which may result in toxic tort claims. If a significant accident or event occurs for which we are not fully insured, it could adversely affect our operations and financial condition. Furthermore, we may not be able to maintain or obtain insurance of the type and amount we desire at reasonable rates. As a result of

 

Risk factors

 

 

market conditions, premiums and deductibles for certain of our insurance policies may substantially increase. In some instances, certain insurance could become unavailable or available only for reduced amounts of coverage. Additionally, we may be unable to recover from prior owners of our assets, pursuant to our indemnification rights, for potential environmental liabilities.

 

We are exposed to the credit risk of Anadarko, and any material non-payment or non-performance by Anadarko, including with respect to our gathering and transportation agreements and our $337.6 million note receivable, could reduce our ability to make distributions to our unitholders.

 

We are dependent on Anadarko for the majority of our revenues. In addition, we anticipate using the proceeds of this offering to make a loan to Anadarko. Consequently, we are subject to the risk of non-payment or non-performance by Anadarko, including with respect to our gathering and transportation agreements and our $337.6 million note receivable. Any such non-payment or non-performance could reduce our ability to make distributions to our unitholders. Furthermore, Anadarko is subject to its own financial, operating and regulatory risks, which could increase the risk of default on its obligations to us. We cannot predict the extent to which Anadarko’s business would be impacted if conditions in the energy industry were to deteriorate nor can we estimate the impact such conditions would have on Anadarko’s ability to perform under our gathering and transportation agreements or note receivable. Further, unless and until we receive full repayment of the $337.6 million note from Anadarko, we will be subject to the risk of non-payment or late payment of the interest payments and principal of the note. Interest income on the note receivable from Anadarko will be allocated in accordance with the general profit and loss allocation provisions included in our partnership agreement. Accordingly, any material non-payment or non-performance by Anadarko could reduce our ability to make distributions to our unitholders.

 

Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility and other debt instruments contain financial and operating restrictions that may limit our access to credit. In addition, our ability to obtain credit in the future may be affected by Anadarko’s credit rating.

 

We expect to have the ability to incur up to $100 million of indebtedness under Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility. However, this $100 million of borrowing capacity will be available to us only to the extent that sufficient amounts remain unborrowed by Anadarko. As a result, borrowings by Anadarko could restrict our access to credit. In addition, if Anadarko were to fail to comply with the terms of its amended and restated credit facility, we could be unable to make any borrowings under Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility, even if capacity were otherwise available. As a result, the restrictions in Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility could adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs, to engage in, expand or pursue our business activities and could also prevent us from engaging in certain transactions that might otherwise be considered beneficial to us.

 

Anadarko’s ability to comply with the terms of its debt instruments may be affected by events beyond its and our control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate, Anadarko’s ability to comply with the terms of its debt instruments may be impaired. While we are not subject to any financial covenants or ratios under Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility or any of its other outstanding indebtedness, Anadarko is subject to these tests. A default under one debt instrument may cause a cross-default under Anadarko’s other debt instruments, including the amended and restated credit facility under which we expect to be a co-borrower. Accordingly, a breach by Anadarko of certain of the covenants or ratios in another debt instrument would cause the acceleration of any indebtedness we have outstanding under the amended and restated credit facility. In the event of an acceleration, we might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make the required repayments of debt, finance our operations and pay distributions to unitholders. For more information regarding our debt agreements, please read “Management’s

 

Risk factors

 

 

discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations—Liquidity and capital resources.”

 

Due to our relationship with Anadarko, our ability to obtain credit will be affected by Anadarko’s credit rating. Even if we obtain our own credit rating or separate financing arrangement, any future change in Anadarko’s credit rating would likely also result in a change in our credit rating. Regardless of whether we have our own credit rating, a downgrading of Anadarko’s credit rating could limit our ability to obtain financing in the future upon favorable terms or at all.

 

Debt we incur in the future may limit our flexibility to obtain financing and to pursue other business opportunities.

 

Our future level of debt could have important consequences to us, including the following:

 

 

Our ability to service our debt will depend upon, among other things, our future financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. If our operating results are not sufficient to service any future indebtedness, we will be forced to take actions such as reducing distributions, reducing or delaying our business activities, acquisitions, investments or capital expenditures, selling assets or seeking additional equity capital. We may not be able to effect any of these actions on satisfactory terms or at all.

 

Increases in interest rates could adversely impact our unit price, our ability to issue equity or incur debt for acquisitions or other purposes, and our ability to make cash distributions at our intended levels.

 

Interest rates may increase in the future to counter possible inflation. As a result, 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, our unit price is impacted by our 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 impact on our unit price and our ability to issue equity or incur debt for acquisitions or other purposes and to make cash distributions at our intended levels.

 

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, which would likely have a negative impact on the market price of our common units.

 

Prior to this offering, we have not been required to file reports with the SEC. Upon the completion of this offering, we will become subject to the public reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. We prepare our combined financial statements in accordance with the requirements of GAAP, but our internal accounting controls may not currently meet all standards applicable to companies with publicly traded securities. Effective internal controls are

 

Risk factors

 

 

necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports, prevent fraud and to operate successfully as a publicly traded partnership. Our efforts to develop and maintain our internal controls may not be successful, and we may be unable to maintain effective controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future or to comply with our 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, to annually review and report on, and our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to, the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. We must comply with Section 404 for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2008. Any failure to develop, implement or maintain effective internal controls or to improve 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, or our independent registered public accounting firm’s, conclusions about the effectiveness of our internal controls, and we may incur significant costs in our efforts to comply with Section 404. Ineffective internal controls will subject us to regulatory scrutiny and a loss of confidence in our reported financial information, which could have an adverse effect on our business and would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common units.

 

RISKS INHERENT IN AN INVESTMENT IN US

 

Anadarko owns and controls our general partner, which has sole responsibility for conducting our business and managing our operations. Anadarko and our general partner have conflicts of interest and may favor Anadarko’s interests to your detriment.

 

Following this offering, Anadarko will own and control our general partner, as well as appoint all of the officers and directors of our general partner, some of whom will also be officers of Anadarko. Although our general partner has a fiduciary duty to manage us in a manner that is 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 that is beneficial to its owner, Anadarko. Conflicts of interest may arise between Anadarko and our general partner, on the one hand, and us and our unitholders, on the other hand. In resolving these conflicts of interest, our general partner may favor its own interests and the interests of Anadarko over our interests and the interests of our unitholders. These conflicts include the following situations, among others:

 

 

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Please read “Conflicts of interest and fiduciary duties.”

 

Anadarko is not limited in its ability to compete with us and is not obligated to offer us the opportunity to acquire additional assets or businesses, which could limit our ability to grow and could adversely affect our results of operations and cash available for distribution to our unitholders.

 

Anadarko is not prohibited from owning assets or engaging in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. In addition, in the future, Anadarko may acquire, construct or dispose of additional midstream or other assets and may be presented with new business opportunities, without any obligation to offer us the opportunity to purchase or construct such assets or to engage in such business opportunities. Moreover, while Anadarko may offer us the opportunity to buy additional assets from it, it is under no contractual obligation to do so and we are unable to predict whether or when such acquisitions might be completed.

 

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Cost reimbursements due to Anadarko and our general partner for services provided to us or on our behalf will be substantial and will reduce our cash available for distribution to you. The amount and timing of such reimbursements will be determined by our general partner.

 

Prior to making distributions on our 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 Anadarko and our general partner in managing and operating us. While our reimbursement of allocated general and administrative expenses is capped under the omnibus agreement, we are required to reimburse Anadarko and our general partner for all direct operating expenses incurred on our behalf. These direct operating expense reimbursements and the reimbursement of incremental general and administrative expenses we will incur as a result of becoming a publicly traded partnership are not capped. Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner will determine in good faith the expenses that are allocable to us. The reimbursements to Anadarko and our general partner will reduce the amount of cash otherwise available for distribution to our unitholders.

 

Our general partner intends to limit its liability regarding our obligations.

 

Our general partner intends to limit its liability under contractual arrangements so that the counterparties to such arrangements have recourse only against our assets, and not against our general partner or its assets. Our general partner may therefore cause us to incur indebtedness or other obligations that are nonrecourse to our general partner. Our partnership agreement provides that any action taken by our general partner to limit its liability is not a breach of our general partner’s fiduciary duties, even if we could have obtained more favorable terms without the limitation on liability. In addition, we are obligated to reimburse or indemnify our general partner to the extent that it incurs obligations on our behalf. Any such reimbursement or indemnification payments would reduce the amount of cash otherwise available for distribution to our unitholders.

 

Our partnership agreement requires that we distribute all of our available cash, which could limit our ability to grow and make acquisitions.

 

We expect that we will distribute all of our available cash to our unitholders and will rely primarily upon external financing sources, including commercial bank borrowings and the issuance of debt and equity securities, to fund our acquisitions and expansion capital expenditures. As a result, to the extent we are unable to finance growth externally, our cash distribution policy will significantly impair our ability to grow. Furthermore, we anticipate using substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering to make a loan to Anadarko, and therefore, the net proceeds of this offering will not be directly used to grow our business.

 

In addition, because we distribute all of our available cash, our growth may not be as fast as that of businesses that reinvest their available cash to expand ongoing operations. To the extent we issue additional units in connection with any acquisitions or expansion capital expenditures, the payment of distributions on those additional units may increase the risk that we will be unable to maintain or increase our per unit distribution level. There are no limitations in our partnership agreement or in Anadarko’s amended and restated credit facility, under which we expect to become a co-borrower, on our ability to issue additional units, including units ranking senior to the common units. The incurrence of additional commercial borrowings or other debt to finance our growth strategy would result in increased interest expense, which, in turn, may impact the available cash that we have to distribute to our unitholders.

 

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Our partnership agreement limits our general partner’s fiduciary duties to holders of our common and subordinated units.

 

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that modify and reduce the fiduciary standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held by state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership agreement permits our general partner to make a number of decisions in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner, or otherwise free of fiduciary duties to us and our unitholders. This entitles our general partner to consider only the interests and factors that it desires and relieves it of any duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or factors affecting, us, our affiliates or our limited partners. Examples of decisions that our general partner may make in its individual capacity include:

 

 

By purchasing a common unit, a common unitholder agrees to become bound by the provisions in the partnership agreement, including the provisions discussed above. Please read “Conflicts of interest and fiduciary duties—Fiduciary duties.”

 

Our partnership agreement restricts the remedies available to holders of our common and subordinated units for actions taken by our general partner that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

 

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that restrict the remedies available to unitholders for actions taken by our general partner that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty under state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership agreement:

 

 

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In connection with a situation involving a transaction with an affiliate or a conflict of interest, any determination by our general partner must be made in good faith. If an affiliate transaction or the resolution of a conflict of interest is not approved by our common unitholders or the special committee and the board of directors of our general partner determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the affiliate transaction or conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in subclauses (c) and (d) above, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption.

 

Our general partner may elect to cause us to issue Class B units to it in connection with a resetting of the target distribution levels related to its incentive distribution rights, without the approval of the special committee of its board of directors or the holders of our common units. This could result in lower distributions to holders of our common units.

 

Our general partner has the right, at any time when there are no subordinated units outstanding and it has received incentive distributions at the highest level to which it is entitled (48%) for each of the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters, to reset the initial target distribution levels at higher levels based on our distributions at the time of the exercise of the reset election. Following a reset election by our general partner, the minimum quarterly distribution will be adjusted to equal the reset minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels will be reset to correspondingly higher levels based on percentage increases above the reset minimum quarterly distribution.

 

If our general partner elects to reset the target distribution levels, it will be entitled to receive a number of Class B units and will retain its then-current general partner interest. The Class B units will be entitled to the same cash distributions per unit as our common units and will be convertible into an equal number of common units. The number of Class B units to be issued to our general partner will be equal to that number of common units which would have entitled their holder to an average aggregate quarterly cash distribution in the prior two quarters equal to the average of the distributions to our general partner on the incentive distribution rights in the prior two quarters. We anticipate that our general partner would exercise this reset right in order to facilitate acquisitions or internal growth projects that would not be sufficiently accretive to cash distributions per common unit without such conversion. It is possible, however, that our general partner could exercise this reset election at a time when it is experiencing, or expects to experience, declines in the cash distributions it receives related to its incentive distribution rights and may, therefore, desire to be issued Class B units, which are entitled to distributions on the same priority as our common units, rather than retain the right to receive incentive distributions based on the initial target distribution levels. As a result, a reset election may cause our common unitholders to experience a reduction in the amount of cash distributions that our

 

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common unitholders would have otherwise received had we not issued new Class B units to our general partner in connection with resetting the target distribution levels. Please read “Provisions of our partnership agreement relating to cash distributions—General partner’s right to reset target distribution levels.”

 

Holders of our common units 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 management’s decisions regarding our business. Unitholders will have no right on an annual or ongoing basis to elect our general partner or its board of directors. The board of directors of our general partner will be chosen by Anadarko. Furthermore, if the unitholders are 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. 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.

 

Even if holders of our common units are dissatisfied, they cannot initially remove our general partner without its consent.

 

The unitholders initially will be unable to remove our general partner without its consent because our general partner and its affiliates will own sufficient units upon completion of this offering to be able to prevent its removal. The vote of the holders of at least 662/3% of all outstanding units voting together as a single class is required to remove our general partner. Following the closing of this offering, Anadarko will own 58.5% of our outstanding common and subordinated units. Also, 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 our common units will be extinguished. A removal of our general partner under these circumstances would adversely affect our common units by prematurely eliminating their distribution and liquidation preference over our subordinated units, which would otherwise have continued until we had met certain distribution and performance tests. Cause is narrowly defined to mean that a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final, non-appealable judgment finding our general partner liable for actual fraud, gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct in its capacity as our general partner. Cause does not include most cases of charges of poor management of the business, so the removal of our general partner because of the unitholder’s dissatisfaction with our general partner’s performance in managing our partnership will most likely result in the termination of the subordination period and conversion of all subordinated units to common units.

 

Our partnership agreement restricts the voting rights of unitholders owning 20% or more of our common units.

 

Unitholders’ voting rights are further restricted by a provision of our partnership agreement providing that any units held by a person that owns 20% 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 the board of directors of our general partner, cannot vote on any matter.

 

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Our general partner interest or the 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 Anadarko to transfer all or a portion of its ownership interest in our general partner to a third party. The new owner of our general partner would then be in a position to replace the board of directors and officers of our general partner with its own designees and thereby exert significant control over the decisions made by the board of directors and officers.

 

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in pro forma net tangible book value of $5.33 per common unit.

 

The estimated initial public offering price of $20.00 per unit exceeds our pro forma net tangible book value of $14.67 per unit. Based on the estimated initial public offering price of $20.00 per unit, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution of $5.33 per common unit. This dilution results primarily because the assets contributed by our general partner and its affiliates are recorded in accordance with GAAP at their historical cost, and not their fair value. Please read “Dilution.”

 

We may issue additional units without your approval, which would dilute your existing ownership interests.

 

Our partnership agreement does not limit the number of additional limited partner interests that we may issue at any time without the approval of our unitholders. The issuance by us of additional common units or other equity securities of equal or senior rank will have the following effects:

 

 

Anadarko may sell units in the public or private markets, and such sales could have an adverse impact on the trading price of the common units.

 

After the sale of the common units offered by this prospectus, assuming that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional common units, Anadarko will hold an aggregate of 3,823,925 common units and 22,573,925 subordinated units. All of the subordinated units will convert into common units at the end of the subordination period and may convert earlier under certain circumstances. The sale of these units in the public or private markets could have an adverse impact on the price of the common units or on any trading market that may develop.

 

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% of the common units, our general partner will have the right, which it may assign to any of its affiliates or to us, but not the obligation, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the common units held by unaffiliated persons at a price that is not less than their then-current market price. As a result, you may be required to sell your

 

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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. At the completion of this offering, and assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units, Anadarko will own approximately 16.9% of our outstanding common units. At the end of the subordination period, assuming no additional issuances of common units (other than upon the conversion of the subordinated units), Anadarko will own approximately 58.5% of our outstanding common units. For additional information about this right, please read “The partnership agreement—Limited call right.”

 

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. You could be liable for any and all of our obligations as if you were a general partner if a court or government agency were to determine that:

 

 

For a discussion of the implications of the limitations of liability on a unitholder, please read “The partnership agreement—Limited liability.”

 

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 an impermissible distribution, limited partners who received the 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 both for the obligations of the assignor to make contributions to the partnership that were known to the substituted limited partner at the time it became a limited partner and for those obligations that were unknown if the liabilities could have been determined from the partnership agreement. Neither liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interest nor liabilities that are non-recourse to the partnership are counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is permitted.

 

There is no existing market for our common units, and a trading market that will provide you with adequate liquidity may not develop. The price of our common units may fluctuate significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common units. After this offering, there will be only 18,750,000 publicly traded common units, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units. We do not know the extent to which investor interest will lead to the development of a trading market or how liquid that market might be. You may not be able to resell your common units at or above the initial public offering price. Additionally, the lack of

 

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liquidity may result in wide bid-ask spreads, contribute to significant fluctuations in the market price of the common units and limit the number of investors who are able to buy the common units.

 

The initial public offering price for the common units will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives of the underwriters and may not be indicative of the market price of the common units that will prevail in the trading market. The market price of our common units may decline below the initial public offering price. The market price of our common units may also be influenced by many factors, some of which are beyond our control, including:

 

 

We will incur increased costs as a result of being a publicly traded partnership.

 

We have no history operating as a publicly traded partnership. As a publicly traded partnership, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, have required changes in the corporate governance practices of publicly traded companies. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, as a result of becoming a publicly traded partnership, we are required to have at least three independent directors, create an audit committee and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures, including the preparation of reports on internal controls over financial reporting. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our publicly traded partnership reporting requirements. We also expect these new rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for our general partner to obtain director and officer liability insurance and to possibly result in our general partner having to accept reduced policy limits and coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for our general partner to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on its board of directors or as executive officers. We have included $2.5 million of estimated incremental costs per year associated with being a publicly traded partnership in our financial forecast included elsewhere in this prospectus. However, it is possible that our actual incremental costs of being a publicly traded partnership will be higher than we currently estimate. These costs are not subject to the $6.0 million cap in the omnibus agreement applicable to general and administrative expenses allocable to us by Anadarko.

 

If we are deemed to be an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, it would adversely affect the price of our common units and could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Our initial assets will consist of our ownership interests in our operating subsidiaries as well as a $337.6 million note receivable from Anadarko. If this note receivable together with a sufficient amount of our other assets are deemed to be “investment securities,” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Investment Company Act, we would either have to register as an

 

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investment company under the Investment Company Act, obtain exemptive relief from the SEC or modify our organizational structure or contract rights so as to fall outside of the definition of investment company. Registering as an investment company could, among other things, materially limit our ability to engage in transactions with affiliates, including the purchase and sale of certain securities or other property from or to our affiliates, restrict our ability to borrow funds or engage in other transactions involving leverage and require us to add additional directors who are independent of us or our affiliates. The occurrence of some or all of these events would adversely affect the price of our common units and could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Moreover, treatment of us as an investment company would prevent our qualification as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, in which case we would be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. As a result, we would pay federal income tax on our taxable income at the corporate tax rate, distributions to you would generally be taxed again as corporate distributions and none of our income, gains, losses or deductions would flow through to you. If we were taxed as a corporation, our cash available for distribution to you would be substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as an investment company 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. For a discussion of the federal income tax implications that would result from our treatment as a corporation in any taxable year, please read “Material tax consequences—Partnership status.”

 

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.

 

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 for federal income tax purposes or we were to become subject to additional amounts of entity-level taxation for state tax purposes, then our cash available for distribution to you could be substantially reduced.

 

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 Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, on this or any other tax matter affecting us.

 

Despite the fact that we are classified as a limited partnership under Delaware law, it is possible in certain circumstances for a partnership such as ours to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Although we do not believe, based upon our current operations, that we will be so treated, a change in our business (or a change in current law) could cause us to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject us to taxation as an entity.

 

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, deductions or credits 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, if we are deemed to be an

 

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investment company, as described above, we would be subject to such taxation. Moreover, at the federal level, legislation has been proposed that would eliminate partnership tax treatment for certain publicly traded partnerships. Although such legislation would not apply to us as currently proposed, it could be amended prior to enactment such that it would apply to us. We are unable to predict whether any of these changes, or other proposals, will ultimately be enacted. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our common units.

 

At the state level, were we to be subject to federal income tax, we would also be subject to the income tax provisions of many states. Moreover, because of widespread state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to independently subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of state income, franchise and other forms of taxation. Specifically, 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 may be adjusted to reflect the impact of that law on us.

 

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our units each month based upon the ownership of our units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular unit is transferred. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our unitholders.

 

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our units each month based upon the ownership of our units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular unit is transferred. The use of this proration method may not be permitted under existing Treasury regulations, and, accordingly, our counsel is unable to opine as to the validity of this method. If the IRS were to challenge this method or new Treasury regulations were issued, we may be required to change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our unitholders. Please read “Material tax consequences—Disposition of common units—Allocations between transferors and transferees.”

 

If the IRS contests the federal income tax positions we take or the pricing of our related party agreements with Anadarko, 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, including the pricing of our related party agreements with Anadarko. 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 counsel’s conclusions or the positions we take. A court may not agree with some or all of our counsel’s conclusions or positions we take. For example, the IRS may reallocate items of income, deductions, credits or allowances between related parties if the IRS determines that such reallocation is necessary to prevent evasion of taxes or clearly to reflect the income of any such related parties. Any contest with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for our common units and the price at which they trade. If the IRS were successful in any such challenge, we may be required to change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our unitholders and our general partner. Such a reallocation may require us and our unitholders to file amended tax returns. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne

 

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indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution.

 

You will 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 which 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 whether or not you receive 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 the 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 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 unitholder’s 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 non-U.S. persons face unique tax issues from owning common units that may result in adverse tax consequences to them.

 

Investment in common units by tax-exempt entities, such as employee benefit plans and 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 IRAs 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 U.S. federal tax returns and pay tax on their share of our taxable income. If you are a tax-exempt entity or a non-U.S. person, you should consult your tax advisor before investing in our common units.

 

We will treat each purchaser of our 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, we will adopt depreciation and amortization positions that may not conform to all aspects of existing Treasury Regulations. Our counsel is unable to opine on the validity of such filing positions. 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 adopt.

 

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We will adopt certain valuation methodologies that may result in a shift of income, gain, loss and deduction between our 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 will 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. 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 our general partner, which may be unfavorable to such unitholders. Moreover, under our 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 our 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’ 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 our partnership 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. Our termination would, among other things, result in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders and could result in a deferral of depreciation deductions allowable in computing our taxable income. 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 also 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 conduct 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 conduct business in the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Each of these states, other than Texas and Wyoming, currently imposes a personal income tax, and all of theses states also impose income taxes 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 U.S. federal, foreign, state and local tax returns. Our counsel has not rendered an opinion on the foreign, state or local tax consequences of an investment in our common units.

 

Use of proceeds

 

We expect to receive gross proceeds of approximately $375.0 million from the issuance and sale of 18,750,000 common units offered by this prospectus. We will use these proceeds to (i) make a loan of $337.6 million to Anadarko in exchange for a 30-year note bearing interest at a fixed annual rate of 6.00%, (ii) provide $10.0 million for general partnership purposes and (iii) pay underwriting discounts and a structuring fee totaling approximately $24.4 million and other estimated offering expenses of $3.0 million.

 

Our estimates assume an initial public offering price of $20.00 per common unit and no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units. An increase or decrease in the initial public offering price of $1.00 per common unit would cause the net proceeds from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and the structuring fee, to increase or decrease by $17.5 million. If the proceeds increase due to a higher initial public offering price, we will use the additional proceeds to reimburse Anadarko for capital expenditures it incurred with respect to the assets contributed to us during the two-year period prior to this offering. If the proceeds decrease due to a lower initial public offering price, our loan to Anadarko will decrease by such amount.

 

The proceeds from any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units will be used to reimburse Anadarko for capital expenditures it incurred with respect to the assets contributed to us during the two-year period prior to this offering.

 

Anadarko has informed us that it intends to use the $337.6 million of proceeds that we loan to it, and any other proceeds that it receives from this offering, to repay a portion of the amount outstanding under its 354-day credit facility. Affiliates of UBS Securities LLC are lenders under this facility and will receive their proportionate shares of any such repayment. Please read “Underwriting—Affiliations.”

 

Capitalization

 

The following table shows:

 

 

We derived this table from, and it should be read in conjunction with and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the historical and pro forma combined financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. You should also read this table in conjunction with “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations.”

 

 

 

 

Dilution

 

Dilution is the amount by which the offering price paid by the purchasers of common units sold in this offering will exceed the pro forma net tangible book value per unit after the offering. On a pro forma basis as of June 30, 2007, after giving effect to the offering of common units and the application of the related net proceeds, and assuming the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units is not exercised, our net tangible book value was $675.9 million, or $14.67 per unit. Net tangible book value excludes $4.8 million of net intangible assets. Purchasers of common units in this offering will experience substantial and immediate dilution in net tangible book value per common unit for financial accounting purposes, as illustrated in the following table:

 

 

 

 

The following table sets forth the number of units that we will issue and the total consideration contributed to us by our general partner and its affiliates and by the purchasers of common units in this offering upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by this prospectus: