Partnership Operations, Organization and Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Partnership Operations, Organization and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

Partnership Operations, Organization and Basis of Presentation

Note 1.  Partnership Operations, Organization and Basis of Presentation

General

We are a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership, the common units of which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the ticker symbol "EPD."  We were formed in April 1998 to own and operate certain natural gas liquids ("NGLs") related businesses of EPCO and are now a leading North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products and petrochemicals. 

Our integrated midstream energy asset network links producers of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil from some of the largest supply basins in the United States ("U.S."), Canada and the Gulf of Mexico with domestic consumers and international markets.  Our midstream energy operations include: natural gas gathering, treating, processing, transportation and storage; NGL transportation, fractionation, storage, and import and export terminals; crude oil gathering and transportation, storage and terminals; offshore production platforms; petrochemical and refined products transportation and services; and a marine transportation business that operates primarily on the U.S. inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico.  Our assets include approximately 50,000 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; 200 million barrels ("MMBbls") of storage capacity for NGLs, petrochemicals, refined products and crude oil; and 14 billion cubic feet ("Bcf") of natural gas storage capacity.  In addition, our asset portfolio includes 24 natural gas processing plants, 21 NGL and propylene fractionators, six offshore hub platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico, a butane isomerization complex, NGL import and export terminals, and octane enhancement and high-purity isobutylene production facilities.

We have five reportable business segments: (i) NGL Pipelines & Services; (ii) Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services; (iii) Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services; (iv) Offshore Pipelines & Services; and (v) Petrochemical & Refined Products Services.  All activities included in our former sixth reportable business segment, Other Investments, ceased on January 18, 2012, which was the date we discontinued using the equity method to account for our previously held investment in Energy Transfer Equity L.P. (together with its subsidiaries, "Energy Transfer Equity")  (see "Liquidation of Investment in Energy Transfer Equity" under Note 7).

We are 100% owned by our limited partners from an economic perspective.  We are managed and controlled by Enterprise GP, which has a non-economic general partner interest in us.  We, Enterprise GP, EPCO and Dan Duncan LLC are affiliates under the collective common control of the DD LLC Trustees and the EPCO Trustees.  We have no employees.  All of our operating functions and general and administrative support services are provided by employees of EPCO pursuant to an administrative services agreement (the "ASA") or by other service providers.  See Note 12 for information regarding the ASA and other related party matters.