Related Party Transactions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Transactions

Note 12.  Related Party Transactions

The following table summarizes our related party transactions for the periods presented:

	For the Three Months Ended September 30,				For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012		2011		2012		2011
Revenues – related parties:
Energy Transfer Equity and subsidiaries	$	--	$	95.8	$	--	$	392.7
Other unconsolidated affiliates		7.5		68.1		63.9		165.5
Total revenue – related parties	$	7.5	$	163.9	$	63.9	$	558.2
Costs and expenses – related parties:
EPCO and affiliates	$	210.8	$	187.8	$	616.9	$	553.2
Energy Transfer Equity and subsidiaries		--		278.8		--		769.2
Other unconsolidated affiliates		15.0		21.8		27.3		43.4
Total costs and expenses – related parties	$	225.8	$	488.4	$	644.2	$	1,365.8

Energy Transfer Equity was a related party to us during the period in which we accounted for our investment in its limited partner units using the equity method of accounting.  We ceased reporting Energy Transfer Equity as a related party in January 2012.  See Note 7 for information regarding the liquidation of our investment in Energy Transfer Equity.

The following table summarizes our related party accounts receivable and accounts payable amounts at the dates indicated:

	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Accounts receivable - related parties:
Energy Transfer Equity and subsidiaries	$	--	$	28.4
Other unconsolidated affiliates		10.4		15.1
Total accounts receivable – related parties	$	10.4	$	43.5
Accounts payable - related parties:
EPCO and affiliates	$	95.3	$	108.3
Energy Transfer Equity and subsidiaries		--		92.6
Other unconsolidated affiliates		17.3		10.7
Total accounts payable – related parties	$	112.6	$	211.6

We believe that the terms and provisions of our related party agreements are fair to us; however, such agreements and transactions may not be as favorable to us as we could have obtained from unaffiliated third parties.

Relationship with EPCO and Affiliates

We have an extensive and ongoing relationship with EPCO and its privately held affiliates (including Enterprise GP, our sole general partner), which are not a part of our consolidated group of companies.

EPCO is a privately held company controlled collectively by the EPCO Trustees.  At September 30, 2012, EPCO and its privately held affiliates (including Dan Duncan LLC and certain Duncan family trusts, the beneficiaries of which include the estate of Mr. Duncan) beneficially owned the following limited partner interests in us:

Number of Units	Percentage of Total Units Outstanding
338,930,881 (1)	37.7%
(1)   Includes 4,520,431 Class B units.

Dan Duncan LLC owns 100% of our general partner, Enterprise GP.

We and Enterprise GP are both separate legal entities apart from each other and apart from EPCO and its other affiliates, with assets and liabilities that are also separate from those of EPCO and its other affiliates.  EPCO and its privately held affiliates depend on the cash distributions they receive from us and other investments to fund their other operations and to meet their debt obligations.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, we paid EPCO and its privately held affiliates cash distributions of $557.7 million and $522.8 million, respectively.

We have no employees.  All of our operating functions and general and administrative support services are provided by employees of EPCO pursuant to the ASA or by other service providers.  The following table presents costs and expenses related to the ASA and other EPCO transactions for the periods indicated:

	For the Three Months Ended September 30,				For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012		2011		2012		2011
Operating costs and expenses	$	185.3	$	157.2	$	541.6	$	462.5
General and administrative expenses		25.5		30.6		75.3		90.7
Total costs and expenses	$	210.8	$	187.8	$	616.9	$	553.2