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Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
Description of Business
Westlake Chemical Partners LP (the "Partnership") is a Delaware limited partnership formed in March 2014 to operate, acquire and develop ethylene production facilities and related assets. On August 4, 2014, the Partnership completed its initial public offering (the "IPO") of 12,937,500 common units representing limited partner interests. In connection with the IPO, the Partnership acquired a 10.6% interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo LP ("OpCo") and a 100% interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo GP LLC ("OpCo GP"), which is the general partner of OpCo. OpCo owns three ethylene production facilities and a common carrier ethylene pipeline.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited combined and consolidated interim financial statements were prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for interim periods. Accordingly, certain information and footnotes required for complete financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") have not been included. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the December 31, 2014 combined and consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of the Partnership included in the annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 (the "2014 Form 10-K"), filed with the SEC on March 9, 2015. These financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the accounting principles and practices as disclosed in the notes to the combined and consolidated financial statements of the Partnership for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.
Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this report to the "Predecessor" refer to Westlake Chemical Partners LP Predecessor, the Partnership's predecessor for accounting purposes and refer to the time periods prior to the IPO. References in this report to the Partnership used in the present tense or prospectively refer to Westlake Chemical Partners LP and refer to the periods subsequent to the IPO. References to "Westlake" refer collectively to Westlake Chemical Corporation and its subsidiaries, other than the Partnership, OpCo and OpCo GP.
The Partnership holds a 10.6% limited partner interest and the entire non-economic general partner interest in OpCo. The remaining 89.4% limited partner interest in OpCo is owned directly by Westlake, which has no rights to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of OpCo. As a result of the fact that substantially all of OpCo's activities are conducted on behalf of Westlake, and the fact that OpCo exhibits disproportionality of voting rights to economic interest, OpCo was deemed to be a variable interest entity. The Partnership, through its ownership of OpCo's general partner, has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of OpCo, and it also has the obligation or right to absorb losses or receive benefits from OpCo that could potentially be significant to OpCo. As such, the Partnership was determined to be OpCo's primary beneficiary and therefore consolidates OpCo's results of operations and financial position. Westlake's retained interest of 89.4% is recorded as noncontrolling interest in the Partnership's consolidated financial statements.
Financial information presented for the periods prior to the IPO on August 4, 2014 consists of the Predecessor's combined results of operations, changes in equity and cash flows. Financial information of the Predecessor is derived from the financial statements and accounting records of Westlake. Subsequent to the IPO, the Partnership's financial position, results of operations, changes in equity and cash flows consist of the consolidated activities and balances of the Partnership. The Partnership's consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Partnership and its consolidated subsidiary, OpCo.
In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited combined and consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that are necessary for a fair statement of the Predecessor's combined financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and the Partnership's consolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
Results of operations and changes in cash position for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that will be realized for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 or any other period. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Revenue from Contracts with Customers
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an accounting standards update on a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that will supersede the existing revenue recognition guidance. The new accounting guidance creates a framework by which an entity will allocate the transaction price to separate performance obligations and recognize revenue when each performance obligation is satisfied. Under the new standard, entities will be required to use judgment and make estimates, including identifying performance obligations in a contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price, allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation and determining when an entity satisfies its performance obligations. The standard allows for either "full retrospective" adoption, meaning that the standard is applied to all of the periods presented with a cumulative catch-up as of the earliest period presented, or "modified retrospective" adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements with a cumulative catch-up as of the current period. The accounting standard will be effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Partnership is in the process of evaluating the impact that the new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Simplifying Income Statement Presentation by Eliminating the Concept of Extraordinary Items
In January 2015, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to simplify income statement classification by removing the concept of extraordinary items from U.S. GAAP. Under the new standard, an unusual and infrequent event or transaction is no longer allowed to be separately disclosed as "extraordinary." The standard retains the existing requirement to separately present items that are of an unusual nature or occur infrequently on a pre-tax basis within income from continuing operations. The new guidance also requires similar separate presentation of items that are both unusual and infrequent on a pre-tax basis within income from continuing operations. The standard allows for either prospective or retrospective application. If adopted prospectively, both the nature and amount of any subsequent adjustments to previously reported extraordinary items must be disclosed. The accounting standard will be effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and is not expected to have an impact on the Partnership's consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis
In February 2015, the FASB issued an accounting standards update making certain changes to the current consolidation guidance. The amendments affect both the variable interest entity and voting interest entity consolidation models. The new standard changes the consideration of substantive rights, related party interests and fees paid to the decision maker when applying the variable interest entity consolidation model and eliminate certain guidance for limited partnerships and similar entities under the voting interest consolidation model. The accounting standard will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Partnership is in the process of evaluating the impact that the new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.