Operating Segments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Operating Segments

Operating Segments

We manage our operations through three operating segments: Transportation, Facilities and Supply and Logistics. See Note 3 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a summary of the types of products and services from which each segment derives its revenues. Our CODM (our Chief Executive Officer) evaluates segment performance based on measures including Segment Adjusted EBITDA (as defined below) and maintenance capital investment.

We define Segment Adjusted EBITDA as revenues and equity earnings in unconsolidated entities less (a) purchases and related costs, (b) field operating costs and (c) segment general and administrative expenses, plus our proportionate share of the depreciation and amortization expense of unconsolidated entities, and further adjusted for certain selected items including (i) gains and losses on derivative instruments that are related to underlying activities in another period (or the reversal of such adjustments from a prior period), gains and losses on derivatives that are related to investing activities (such as the purchase of linefill) and inventory valuation adjustments, as applicable, (ii) long-term inventory costing adjustments, (iii) charges for obligations that are expected to be settled with the issuance of equity instruments, (iv) amounts related to deficiencies associated with minimum volume commitments, net of the applicable amounts subsequently recognized into revenue and (v) other items that our CODM believes are integral to understanding our core segment operating performance. Segment Adjusted EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization.

Maintenance capital consists of capital expenditures for the replacement and/or refurbishment of partially or fully depreciated assets in order to maintain the operating and/or earnings capacity of our existing assets.

The following tables reflect certain financial data for each segment (in millions):

	Transportation		Facilities		Supply and Logistics		Intersegment Adjustment		Total
Three Months Ended March 31, 2021
Revenues:
External customers (1)	$	234	$	163	$	8,083	$	(97)	$	8,383
Intersegment (2)	253		108		—		97		458
Total revenues of reportable segments	$	487	$	271	$	8,083	$	—	$	8,841
Equity earnings in unconsolidated entities	$	86	$	2	$	—			$	88
Segment Adjusted EBITDA	$	388	$	171	$	(13)			$	546
Maintenance capital	$	26	$	6	$	3			$	35
Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
Revenues:
External customers (1)	$	297	$	175	$	7,907	$	(110)	$	8,269
Intersegment (2)	282		138		1		110		531
Total revenues of reportable segments	$	579	$	313	$	7,908	$	—	$	8,800
Equity earnings in unconsolidated entities	$	108	$	2	$	—			$	110
Segment Adjusted EBITDA	$	442	$	210	$	141			$	793
Maintenance capital	$	34	$	14	$	3			$	51

(1)Transportation revenues from External customers include tariff revenue from transporting volumes associated with certain inventory exchanges with our customers where our Supply and Logistics segment has transacted the inventory exchange and serves as the shipper on our pipeline systems. See Note 3 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of our related accounting policy. We have included an estimate of the revenues from these inventory exchanges in our Transportation segment revenues from External customers presented above and adjusted those revenues out such that Total revenues from External customers reconciles to our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. This presentation is consistent with the information provided to our CODM.

(2)Segment revenues include intersegment amounts that are eliminated in Purchases and related costs and Field operating costs in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Intersegment activities are conducted at posted tariff rates where applicable, or otherwise at rates similar to those charged to third parties or rates that we believe approximate market at the time the agreement is executed or renegotiated.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation

The following table reconciles Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Net income/(loss) attributable to PAA (in millions):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021		2020
Segment Adjusted EBITDA	$	546	$	793
Adjustments: (1)
Depreciation and amortization of unconsolidated entities (2)	(20)		(17)
Gains/(losses) from derivative activities and inventory valuation adjustments (3)	198		(30)
Long-term inventory costing adjustments (4)	41		(115)
Deficiencies under minimum volume commitments, net (5)	32		2
Equity-indexed compensation expense (6)	(5)		(4)
Net gain on foreign currency revaluation (7)	1		13
Significant acquisition-related expenses (8)	—		(3)
Depreciation and amortization	(177)		(168)
Gains/(losses) on asset sales and asset impairments, net	(2)		(619)
Goodwill impairment losses	—		(2,515)
Gain on/(impairment of) investments in unconsolidated entities, net	—		(22)
Interest expense, net	(107)		(108)
Other expense, net	(60)		(31)
Income/(loss) before tax	447		(2,824)
Income tax expense	(24)		(21)
Net income/(loss)	423		(2,845)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)		(2)
Net income/(loss) attributable to PAA	$	422	$	(2,847)

(1)Represents adjustments utilized by our CODM in the evaluation of segment results.

(2)Includes our proportionate share of the depreciation and amortization of unconsolidated entities.

(3)We use derivative instruments for risk management purposes and our related processes include specific identification of hedging instruments to an underlying hedged transaction. Although we identify an underlying transaction for each derivative instrument we enter into, there may not be an accounting hedge relationship between the instrument and the underlying transaction. In the course of evaluating our results, we identify differences in the timing of earnings from the derivative instruments and the underlying transactions and exclude the related gains and losses in determining Segment Adjusted EBITDA such that the earnings from the derivative instruments and the underlying transactions impact Segment Adjusted EBITDA in the same period. In addition, we exclude gains and losses on derivatives that are related to investing activities, such as the purchase of linefill.

(4)We carry crude oil and NGL inventory that is comprised of minimum working inventory requirements in third-party assets and other working inventory that is needed for our commercial operations. We consider this inventory necessary to conduct our operations and we intend to carry this inventory for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we classify this inventory as long-term on our balance sheet and do not hedge the inventory with derivative instruments (similar to linefill in our own assets). We exclude the impact of changes in the average cost of the long-term inventory (that result from fluctuations in market prices) and write-downs of such inventory that result from price declines from Segment Adjusted EBITDA.

(5)We, and certain of our equity method investments, have certain agreements that require counterparties to deliver, transport or throughput a minimum volume over an agreed upon period. Substantially all of such agreements were entered into with counterparties to economically support the return on our capital expenditure necessary to construct the related asset. Some of these agreements include make-up rights if the minimum volume is not met. We record a receivable from the counterparty in the period that services are provided or when the transaction occurs, including amounts for deficiency obligations from counterparties associated with minimum volume commitments. If a counterparty has a make-up right associated with a deficiency, we defer the revenue attributable to the counterparty’s make-up right and subsequently recognize the revenue at the earlier of when the deficiency volume is delivered or shipped, when the make-up right expires or when it is determined that the counterparty’s ability to utilize the make-up right is remote. We include the impact of amounts billed to counterparties for their deficiency obligation, net of applicable amounts subsequently recognized into revenue, as a selected item impacting comparability. Our CODM views the inclusion of the contractually committed revenues associated with that period as meaningful to Segment Adjusted EBITDA as the related asset has been constructed, is standing ready to provide the committed service and the fixed operating costs are included in the current period results.

(6)Our total equity-indexed compensation expense includes expense associated with awards that will be settled in units and awards that will be settled in cash. The awards that will be settled in units are included in our diluted net income per unit calculation when the applicable performance criteria have been met. We exclude compensation expense associated with these awards in determining Segment Adjusted EBITDA as the dilutive impact of the outstanding awards is included in our diluted net income per unit calculation, as applicable. The portion of compensation expense associated with awards that will settle in cash is not excluded in determining Segment Adjusted EBITDA. See Note 18 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion regarding our equity-indexed compensation plans.

(7)During the periods presented, there were fluctuations in the value of CAD to USD, resulting in the realization of foreign exchange gains and losses on the settlement of foreign currency transactions as well as the revaluation of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency. These gains and losses are not integral to our core operating performance and were therefore excluded in determining Segment Adjusted EBITDA. See Note 8 for discussion regarding our currency exchange rate risk hedging activities.

(8)Includes acquisition-related expenses associated with the Felix Midstream LLC acquisition. See Note 7 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV of our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional discussion.