Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation policy

Noncontrolling interests. WGP’s noncontrolling interests in the consolidated financial statements consist of the following for all periods presented: (i) the 25% interest in Chipeta held by a third-party member, (ii) the publicly held limited partner interests in WES, (iii) the 2,011,380 WES common units issued by WES to other subsidiaries of Anadarko as part of the consideration paid for the acquisitions of the Non-Operated Marcellus Interest, the TEFR Interests and Springfield Pipeline LLC (“Springfield”), and (iv) the WES Class C units issued by WES to a subsidiary of Anadarko as part of the funding for the acquisition of Delaware Basin Midstream, LLC (“DBM”). The WES Series A Preferred units issued to private investors as part of the funding of the Springfield acquisition were also noncontrolling interests in the consolidated financial statements until converted into WES common units in 2017. See Note 3 and Note 5.

When WES issues equity, the carrying amount of the noncontrolling interest reported by WGP is adjusted to reflect the noncontrolling ownership interest in WES. The resulting impact of such noncontrolling interest adjustment on WGP’s interest in WES is reflected as an adjustment to WGP’s partners’ capital.

Basis of presentation. The following table outlines WES’s ownership interests and the accounting method of consolidation used in WES’s consolidated financial statements for entities not wholly owned:

	Percentage Interest
Equity investments (1)
Fort Union	14.81	%
White Cliffs	10	%
Rendezvous	22	%
Mont Belvieu JV	25	%
TEP	20	%
TEG	20	%
FRP	33.33	%
Proportionate consolidation (2)
Marcellus Interest systems	33.75	%
Newcastle system	50	%
Springfield system	50.1	%
Full consolidation
Chipeta (3)	75	%

⁽¹⁾  Investments in non-controlled entities over which WES exercises significant influence are accounted for under the equity method. “Equity investment throughput” refers to WES’s share of average throughput for these investments.

⁽²⁾  WGP proportionately consolidates WES’s associated share of the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses attributable to these assets.

⁽³⁾  The 25% interest in Chipeta Processing LLC (“Chipeta”) held by a third-party member is reflected within noncontrolling interests in the consolidated financial statements, in addition to the noncontrolling interests noted below.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of WGP and entities in which it holds a controlling financial interest, including WES and WES GP. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Certain information and note disclosures commonly included in annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with WGP’s 2017 Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on February 16, 2018. Management believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading.

The consolidated financial results of WES are included in WGP’s consolidated financial statements due to WGP’s 100% ownership interest in WES GP and WES GP’s control of WES. Throughout these notes to consolidated financial statements, and to the extent material, any differences between the consolidated financial results of WGP and WES are discussed separately. WGP has no independent operations or material assets other than its partnership interests in WES. WGP’s consolidated financial statements differ from those of WES primarily as a result of (i) the presentation of noncontrolling interest ownership (attributable to the limited partner interests in WES held by the public, other subsidiaries of Anadarko and private investors, see Note 5), (ii) the elimination of WES GP’s investment in WES with WES GP’s underlying capital account, (iii) the general and administrative expenses incurred by WGP, which are separate from, and in addition to, those incurred by WES, (iv) the inclusion of the impact of WGP equity balances and WGP distributions, and (v) WGP’s senior secured revolving credit facility (“WGP RCF”). See Note 10.

Variable interest entity policy

Variable interest entity.WES is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) because the partners in WES with equity at risk lack the power, through voting or similar rights, to direct the activities that most significantly impact WES’s economic performance. A reporting entity that concludes it has a variable interest in a VIE must evaluate whether it has a controlling financial interest in the VIE, such that it is the VIE’s primary beneficiary and should consolidate. WGP is the primary beneficiary of WES and therefore should consolidate because (i) WGP has the power to direct the activities of WES that most significantly affect its economic performance and (ii) WGP has the right to receive benefits or the obligation to absorb losses that could be potentially significant to WES. As noted above, WGP has no independent operations or material assets other than its partnership interests in WES. The assets of WES cannot be used by WGP for general partnership purposes. WES’s long-term debt is recourse to WES GP, which is wholly owned by WGP. In turn, WES GP is indemnified by wholly owned subsidiaries of Anadarko for any claims made against WES GP under the indentures governing WES’s outstanding notes or borrowings under WES’s senior unsecured revolving credit facility (“WES RCF”). WES’s sources of liquidity include cash and cash equivalents, cash flows generated from operations, interest income on its $260.0 million note receivable from Anadarko, available borrowing capacity under the WES RCF, and issuances of additional equity or debt securities.

Business combinations policy

Presentation of WES assets. The term “WES assets” includes both the assets indirectly owned and the interests accounted for under the equity method by WGP through its partnership interests in WES as of March 31, 2018 (see Note 8). Because WGP owns the entire interest in and controls WES GP, and WGP GP is controlled by Anadarko, each of WES’s acquisitions of WES assets from Anadarko has been considered a transfer of net assets between entities under common control. As such, WES assets acquired from Anadarko were initially recorded at Anadarko’s historic carrying value, which did not correlate to the total acquisition price paid by WES. Further, after an acquisition of WES assets from Anadarko, WES and WGP (by virtue of its consolidation of WES) may be required to recast their financial statements to include the activities of such WES assets from the date of common control.

For those periods requiring recast, the consolidated financial statements for periods prior to the acquisition of WES assets from Anadarko are prepared from Anadarko’s historical cost-basis accounts and may not necessarily be indicative of the actual results of operations that would have occurred if WES had owned the WES assets during the periods reported. Net income (loss) attributable to the WES assets acquired from Anadarko for periods prior to WES’s acquisition of the WES assets is not allocated to the limited partners.

Use of estimates policy

Use of estimates. In preparing financial statements in accordance with GAAP, management makes informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Management evaluates its estimates and related assumptions regularly, using historical experience and other methods considered reasonable. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates and actual results may differ from these estimates. Effects on the business, financial condition and results of operations resulting from revisions to estimates are recognized when the facts that give rise to the revisions become known. The information furnished herein reflects all normal recurring adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements, and certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation.

New accounting standards policy

Recently adopted accounting standards. ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash requires an entity to explain the changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows and to provide a reconciliation of the totals in that statement to the related captions in the balance sheet when the cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents are presented in more than one line item on the balance sheet. WGP adopted this ASU using a retrospective approach on January 1, 2018, and the adoption did not impact the consolidated financial statements.

Revenue from contracts with customers (Topic 606). WGP adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (“Topic 606”) on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method applied to WES contracts that were not completed as of January 1, 2018. The cumulative effect adjustment that was recognized in the opening balance of equity and partners’ capital was a decrease of $44.4 million. The comparative historical financial information has not been adjusted and continues to be reported under Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) (“Topic 605”).

Effective January 1, 2018, WGP changed its accounting policy for revenue recognition as detailed below:

• Fee-based gathering / processing. Under Topic 605, fee revenues were recognized based on the rate in effect for the month of service, even when certain fees were charged on an upfront or limited-term basis. In addition, deficiency fees were charged and recognized only when the customer did not meet the specified delivery minimums for the completed performance period. Under Topic 606, revenues continue to be recognized based on the rate in effect when the fee is either the same rate per unit over the contract term or when the fee escalates and the escalation factor approximates inflation. Under Topic 606, WES recognizes revenue associated with upfront or limited-term fees over the expected period of customer benefit, which is generally the life of the related properties. In addition, deficiency fees are estimated and recognized during the performance period as the services are performed for the customer’s delivered volumes. Under Topic 606, differences between Service revenues – fee based recognized and amounts billed to customers are recognized as contract assets or contract liabilities, as appropriate. This results in a change in the timing of revenue and changes to net income as a result of the revenue contract’s consideration provisions.

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

• Cost of service rate adjustments. Under Topic 605, revenue was recognized based on the amounts billed to customers each period. Under Topic 606, fixed minimum volume commitment demand fees and variable fees that are also billed on these minimum volumes are recognized as Service revenues – fee based on a consistent per-unit rate over the term of the contract. Annual adjustments are made to the cost of service rates charged to customers, and, as a result, a cumulative catch-up revenue adjustment related to the services already provided under the contract may be recorded in future periods, with revenues for the remaining term of the contract recognized on a consistent per-unit rate. Fees received on volumes in excess of the minimum volumes are recognized as Service revenues – fee based as service is provided to the customer based on the billing rate in effect for the performance period. This revenue recognition timing does not affect billings to customers, and differences between amounts billed and revenue recognized are recorded as contract assets or liabilities, as appropriate.

• Aid in construction. Under Topic 605, aid in construction reimbursements were reflected as a reduction to property, plant and equipment upon receipt (and a reduction to capital expenditures). Under Topic 606, reimbursement of capital costs received from customers is reflected as a contract liability (deferred revenue) upon receipt. The contract liability is amortized to Service revenues – fee based over the expected period of customer benefit, which is generally the life of the related properties.

• Percent-of-proceeds gathering / processing. Under Topic 605, WES recognized cost of product expense when the product was purchased from a producer to whom it provides services, and WES recognized revenue when the product was sold to Anadarko or a third party. Under Topic 606, in some instances, where all or a percentage of the proceeds from the sale must be returned to the producer, the net margin from the purchase and sale transactions is presented net within Service revenues – product based because WES is acting as the producer’s agent in the product sale.

• Noncash consideration - keep-whole and percent-of-product agreements. Under Topic 605, WES recognized revenues only upon the sale of the related products. Under Topic 606, WES recognizes Service revenues – product based for the products received as noncash consideration in exchange for the services provided, with the keep-whole noncash consideration value based on the net value of the NGLs over the replacement residue gas cost. Under Topic 606, revenue from product sales is recognized, along with cost of product expense related to the sale, when the product is sold to Anadarko or a third party.

• Wellhead purchase / sale incorporated into gathering / processing. Under Topic 605, the natural gas purchase cost was recognized as cost of product expense and any specified gathering or processing fees charged to the producer were recognized as revenues. Under Topic 606, the fees charged to the producer under this contract type are recognized as adjustments to the amount recognized in cost of product expense instead of revenues when such fees relate to services performed after control of the product transfers to WES.

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

The following tables summarize the impact of adopting Topic 606 on the impacted line items within the consolidated statement of operations and the consolidated balance sheet. The differences between revenue as reported following Topic 606 and revenue as it would have been reported under Topic 605 are due to the changes described above.

	Three Months Ended   March 31, 2018
thousands	As Reported		Without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change Increase/(Decrease)
Revenues
Service revenues – fee based	$	338,419	$	342,338	$	(3,919	)
Service revenues – product based	22,593		—		22,593
Product sales	75,937		292,291		(216,354		)
Expenses
Cost of product	77,799		274,966		(197,167		)
Operation and maintenance	88,279		88,139		140
Depreciation and amortization	76,842		76,153		689
Income tax (benefit) expense	1,502		1,509		(7		)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	49,483		80,448		(30,965		)
Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP	101,005		71,375		29,630

	March 31, 2018
thousands	As Reported		Without Adoption of Topic 606		Effect of Change Increase/(Decrease)
Assets
Other current assets	$	23,256	$	17,418	$	5,838
Net property, plant and equipment	6,063,547		5,977,144		86,403
Other assets	14,525		14,303		222
Liabilities
Accrued liabilities	79,122		74,414		4,708
Deferred income taxes	8,592		8,746		(154		)
Other liabilities	128,757		2,553		126,204
Equity and partners’ capital
Total equity and partners’ capital	3,849,095		3,887,390		(38,295		)

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

New accounting standards issued but not yet adopted. ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than 12 months on the balance sheet. This ASU modifies the definition of a lease and outlines the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of leasing arrangements by both lessees and lessors. WGP plans to make certain elections allowing WGP not to reassess contracts that commenced prior to adoption, to continue applying WES’s current accounting policy for land easements and not to recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities for short-term leases. WGP continues to review contracts in WES’s portfolio of leased assets to assess the impact of adopting this ASU, which is expected to primarily affect other assets and other long-term liabilities. To facilitate compliance with this ASU, WES is implementing new accounting software and continuing to evaluate its systems, processes, and internal controls during 2018. WGP will adopt this ASU on January 1, 2019, using a modified retrospective approach for all comparative periods presented according to the ASU as it is currently written.

Revenues and cost of product policy

Revenue and cost of product. Upon adoption of the new revenue recognition standard on January 1, 2018 (discussed in Recently adopted accounting standards), WGP changed its accounting policy for revenue recognition as described below.

WESprovides gathering, processing, treating, transportation and disposal services pursuant to a variety of contracts. Under these arrangements, WES receives fees and/or retains a percentage of products or a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the customer’s products. These revenues are included in Service revenues and Product sales in the consolidated statements of operations. Payment is generally received from the customer in the month following the service or delivery of the product. Contracts with customers generally have initial terms ranging from 5 to 10 years.

Service revenues – fee based is recognized for fee-based contracts in the month of service based on the volumes delivered by the customer. Producers’ wells or production facilities are connected to WES’s gathering systems for gathering, processing, treating, transportation and disposal of natural gas, NGLs, condensate, crude oil and produced water, as applicable. Revenues are valued based on the rate in effect for the month of service when the fee is either the same rate per unit over the contract term or when the fee escalates and the escalation factor approximates inflation. Deficiency fees charged to customers that do not meet their minimum delivery requirements are recognized as services are performed based on an estimate of the fees that will be billed upon completion of the performance period. Because of its significant upfront capital investment, WES may charge additional service fees to customers for only a portion of the contract term (i.e., for the first year of a contract or until reaching a volume threshold), and these fees are recognized as revenue over the expected period of customer benefit, which is generally the life of the related properties.

WES also receives Service revenues – fee based from contracts that have minimum volume commitment demand fees and fees that require periodic rate redeterminations based upon the related facility cost of service. These fees include fixed and variable consideration that are recognized on a consistent per-unit rate over the term of the contract. Annual adjustments are made to the cost of service rates charged to customers, and a cumulative catch-up revenue adjustment related to services already provided to the minimum volumes under the contract may be recorded in future periods, with revenues for the remaining term of the contract recognized on a consistent per-unit rate.

Service revenues – product based includes service revenues from percent-of-proceeds gathering and processing contracts that are recognized net of the cost of product for purchases from WES’s customers since it is acting as the agent in the product sale. Keep-whole and percent-of-product agreements result in Service revenues – product based being recognized when the natural gas and/or NGLs are received from the customer as noncash consideration for the services provided. Noncash consideration for these services is valued at the time the services are provided. Revenue from product sales is also recognized, along with the cost of product expense related to the sale, when the product received as noncash consideration is sold to either Anadarko or a third party.

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

WES also purchases natural gas volumes from producers at the wellhead or from a production facility, typically at an index price, and charges the producer fees associated with the downstream gathering and processing services. When the fees relate to services performed after control of the product has transferred to WES, the fees are treated as a reduction of the purchase cost. Revenue from product sales is recognized, along with cost of product expense related to the sale, when the purchased product is sold to either Anadarko or a third party.

WES receives aid in construction reimbursements for certain capital costs necessary to provide services to customers (i.e., connection costs, etc.) under certain service contracts. Aid in construction reimbursements are reflected as a contract liability upon receipt and amortized to Service revenues – fee based over the expected period of customer benefit, which is generally the life of the related properties.

Net income (loss) per common unit policy

Net income (loss) per common unit. For WGP, basic net income (loss) per common unit is calculated by dividing the limited partners’ interest in net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common units outstanding during the period. Dilutive net income (loss) per common unit is calculated by dividing the limited partners’ interest in net income (loss) adjusted for distributions on the WES Series A Preferred units and a reallocation of the limited partners’ interest in net income (loss) assuming, prior to the actual conversion, conversion of the WES Series A Preferred units into WES common units, by the weighted-average number of WGP common units outstanding during the period. As of May 2, 2017, all WES Series A Preferred units were converted into WES common units on a one-for-one basis. The impact of the Series A Preferred units assuming, prior to the actual conversion, conversion to WES common units would be anti-dilutive for the three months ended March 31, 2017. Net income (loss) per common unit is calculated assuming that cash distributions are equal to the net income attributable to WGP. Net income (loss) attributable to the WES assets (as defined in Note 1) acquired from Anadarko for periods prior to WES’s acquisition of the WES assets is not allocated to the limited partners when calculating net income (loss) per common unit. Net income equal to the amount of available cash (as defined by WGP’s partnership agreement) is allocated to WGP common unitholders consistent with actual cash distributions.