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REVENUES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
REVENUES  
REVENUES

 

NOTE 6   REVENUES

 

In 2014, the FASB issued new guidance on revenue from contracts with customers. The Partnership adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method for all contracts that were in effect on the date of adoption. The reported results for all periods in 2018 reflect the application of the new guidance, while the reported results for all periods in 2017 were prepared under previous revenue recognition guidance which is referred to herein as “legacy U.S. GAAP”.

 

Disaggregation of Revenues

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2018, virtually all of the Partnership’s revenues were from Capacity Arrangements and Transportation Contracts with customers as discussed in more detail below.

 

Capacity Arrangements and Transportation Contracts

 

The Partnership’s performance obligations in its contracts with customers consist primarily of capacity arrangements and natural gas transportation.

 

The Partnership’s revenues are generated from contractual arrangements for committed capacity and from transportation of natural gas which are treated as a bundled performance obligation. Revenues earned from firm contracted capacity arrangements are recognized ratably over the term of the contract regardless of the amount of natural gas that is transported. Transportation revenues for interruptible or volumetric-based services are recognized when the service is performed. The Partnership has elected to utilize the practical expedient of recognizing revenue as invoiced.

 

The Partnership’s pipeline systems are subject to FERC regulations and, as a result, a portion of revenues collected may be subject to refund if invoiced during an interim period when a rate proceeding is ongoing. Allowances for these potential refunds are recognized using management’s best estimate based on the facts and circumstances of the proceeding. Any allowances that are recognized during the proceeding process are refunded or retained, as applicable, at the time a regulatory decision becomes final. Revenues are invoiced and paid on a monthly basis. The Partnership’s pipeline systems do not take ownership of the natural gas that is transported for customers. Revenues from contracts with customers are recognized net of any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities.

 

Financial Statement Impact of Adopting Revenue from Contracts with Customers

 

The Partnership adopted the new guidance using the modified retrospective transition method. As a practical expedient under this transition method, the Partnership is not required to analyze completed contracts at the date of adoption.  The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Partnership’s previously reported consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2017.

 

Pro-forma Financial Statements under Legacy U.S. GAAP

 

As required by the new revenue recognition guidance, the following tables illustrate the pro-forma impact on the affected line items of the consolidated balance sheet, as at March 31, 2018, had legacy U.S. GAAP been applied (the income statement line items were not affected):

 

 

 

March 31, 2018

 

(unaudited-millions of dollars)

 

As reported

 

Pro-forma using
Legacy U.S.
GAAP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance Sheet

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable and other

 

36

 

43

 

Contract assets

 

7

 

 

 

Contract Balances

 

(unaudited-millions of dollars)

 

March 31, 2018

 

January 1, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receivables from contracts with customers

 

31

 

40

 

Contract assets

 

7

 

 

 

Contract assets primarily relate to the Partnership’s right to recognize revenues for services completed but not invoiced at the reporting date. Any change in Contract assets is primarily related to the transfer to Accounts receivable when the right to recognize revenue becomes unconditional and the customer is invoiced as well as when revenue increases but remains to be invoiced.

 

Future revenue from remaining performance obligations

 

As required by the new revenue recognition guidance, the Partnership is required to provide disclosure on future revenue allocated to remaining performance obligations on our contracts with customers that have not yet been recognized. However, all of the Partnership’s contracts qualify for the use of a practical expedient listed below and therefore no disclosure on future revenues from remaining performance obligations is necessary:

 

1)

The original expected duration of the contract is one year or less.

2)

The Partnership recognizes revenue from the contract that is equal to the amount invoiced. This is referred to as the ‘right to invoice’ practical expedient.

3)

The variable revenue generated from the contract is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation or to a wholly unsatisfied promise to transfer a distinct good or service that forms part of a single performance obligation in a series. A single performance obligation in a series occurs when the promises under a contract are a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer over time.

 

In the application of the right to invoice practical expedient, the Partnership’s revenues from regulated capacity arrangements are recognized based on rates specified in the contract. Therefore, the amount invoiced, which includes the variable volume of natural gas transported, corresponds directly to the value the customer received. These revenues are recognized on a monthly basis once the Partnership’s performance obligation to provide capacity has been satisfied. In addition, the Partnership considers interruptible transportation service revenues to be variable revenues as volumes cannot be estimated. These variable revenues are recognized on a monthly basis when the Partnership’s performance obligation of natural gas deliveries is made at the agreed-upon delivery point.

 

Lastly, future revenues from the Partnership’s firm capacity contracts include fixed revenues for the time periods when current rate settlements are in effect, which is approximately one to four years. Many of these contracts are long-term in nature and revenues from the remaining performance obligations on these contracts will be recognized using the FERC approved rates once the performance obligation to provide capacity has been satisfied.