Noncontrolling Interests

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of noncontrolling interests and distributions payable to noncontrolling interests in our consolidated balance sheets is provided below.



	2019			2018
	CFN			CFN			TNCLP			Total
	(in millions)
Noncontrolling interests:
Balance as of January 1	$	2,773		$	2,772		$	333		$	3,105
Earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	114			84			8			92
Declaration of distributions payable	(186		)	(129		)	(10		)	(139		)
Purchase of the TNCLP Public Units	—			—			(331		)	(331		)
Balance as of September 30	$	2,701		$	2,727		$	—		$	2,727
Distributions payable to noncontrolling interests:
Balance as of January 1	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Declaration of distributions payable	186			129			10			139
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(186		)	(129		)	(10		)	(139		)
Balance as of September 30	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC (CFN)

We have a strategic venture with CHS under which they own an equity interest in CFN, a subsidiary of CF Holdings, which represents approximately 11% of the membership interests of CFN. We own the remaining membership interests. Under the terms of CFN’s limited liability company agreement, each member’s interest will reflect, over time, the impact of the profitability of CFN, any member contributions made to CFN and withdrawals and distributions received from CFN. For financial reporting purposes, the assets, liabilities and earnings of the strategic venture are consolidated into our financial statements. CHS’ interest in the strategic venture is recorded in noncontrolling interests in our consolidated financial statements. CHS also receives deliveries pursuant to a supply agreement under which CHS has the right to purchase annually from CFN up to approximately 1.1 million tons of granular urea and 580,000 tons of UAN at market prices. As a result of its equity interest in CFN, CHS is entitled to semi-annual cash distributions from CFN. We are also entitled to semi-annual cash distributions from CFN. The amounts of distributions from CFN to us and CHS are based generally on the profitability of CFN and determined based on the volume of granular urea and UAN sold by CFN to us and CHS pursuant to supply agreements, less a formula driven amount based primarily on the cost of natural gas used to produce the granular urea and UAN, and adjusted for the allocation of items such as operational efficiencies and overhead amounts. Additionally, under the terms of the strategic venture, we recognized an embedded derivative related to our credit rating. See Note 9—Fair Value Measurements for additional information.

Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. (TNCLP)

On February 7, 2018, we announced that, in accordance with the terms of TNCLP’s First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, the TNCLP Agreement of Limited Partnership), Terra Nitrogen GP Inc. (TNGP), the sole general partner of TNCLP and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of CF Holdings, elected to exercise its right to purchase all of the 4,612,562 publicly traded common units of TNCLP (the TNCLP Public Units). On April 2, 2018, TNGP completed its purchase of the TNCLP Public Units (the Purchase) for an aggregate cash purchase price of $388 million, at which time we recognized a reduction in paid-in capital of $62 million; a deferred tax liability of $5 million; and the removal of the TNCLP noncontrolling interests, as shown in the table above. Upon completion of the Purchase, CF Holdings owned, through its subsidiaries, 100 percent of the general and limited partnership interests of TNCLP.

Prior to April 2, 2018, TNCLP was a master limited partnership that owned a nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing facility in Verdigris, Oklahoma. We owned approximately 75.3% of TNCLP through general and limited partnership interests and outside investors owned the remaining approximately 24.7% of the limited partnership interests. For financial reporting purposes, the assets, liabilities and earnings of the partnership were consolidated into our financial statements. The outside investors’ limited partnership interests in TNCLP were recorded in noncontrolling interests in our consolidated financial statements. The noncontrolling interest represented the noncontrolling unitholders’ interest (prior to the Purchase) in the earnings and equity of TNCLP. Affiliates of CF Industries were required to purchase all of TNCLP’s fertilizer products at market prices as defined in the Amendment to the General and Administrative Services and Product Offtake Agreement, dated September 28, 2010.

Prior to April 2, 2018, TNCLP made cash distributions to the general and limited partners based on formulas defined within the TNCLP Agreement of Limited Partnership. Cash available for distribution (Available Cash) was defined in the TNCLP Agreement of Limited Partnership generally as all cash receipts less all cash disbursements, less certain reserves (including reserves for future operating and capital needs) established as the general partner determined in its reasonable discretion to be necessary or appropriate. Changes in working capital affected Available Cash, as increases in the amount of cash invested in working capital items (such as increases in receivables or inventory and decreases in accounts payable) reduced Available Cash, while declines in the amount of cash invested in working capital items increased Available Cash. Cash distributions to the limited partners and general partner varied depending on the extent to which the cumulative distributions exceeded certain target threshold levels set forth in the TNCLP Agreement of Limited Partnership.