Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

General

       The accompanying interim financial statements do not include all the notes in our annual financial statements, and therefore, should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto in our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The accompanying unaudited financial statements include all adjustments both normal recurring and others which, in the opinion of our management, are necessary to present fairly our financial position at September 30,2011, and results of operationsfor the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

In this report, Northwest Pipeline GP (Northwest) is at times referred to in the first person as “we”, “us” or “our.”

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-5, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) Presentation of Comprehensive Income” (ASU 2011-5).  ASU 2011-5 requires presentation of net income and other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement or in two separate, but consecutive, statements.  The Update requires separate presentation in both net income and other comprehensive income of reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income.  The new guidance does not change the items reported in other comprehensive income.  We currently report net income in the Statement of Income and report other comprehensive income in our Notes to Financial Statements.  The standard is effective beginning the first quarter of 2012, with a retrospective application to prior periods.  We plan to apply the new presentation beginning in 2012.