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Agreement of Limited Partnership
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Partners' Capital Notes [Abstract]  
Agreement of Limited Partnership
Agreement of Limited Partnership
We make quarterly distributions to holders of our general partner interest and limited partner interests based on Available Cash for the quarter as defined in our agreement of limited partnership. Available Cash is defined 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 determines in its reasonable discretion to be necessary or appropriate. Changes in working capital affect Available Cash as changes in the amount of cash invested in working capital items (such as increases in inventory and decreases in accounts payable) reduce Available Cash, while declines in the amount of cash invested in working capital items increase Available Cash. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, we declared and paid partnership distributions of $208.5 million and $207.3 million, respectively.
We receive 99% of the Available Cash from the Operating Partnership and 1% is distributed by the Operating Partnership to the General Partner. Cash distributions from the Operating Partnership generally represent the Operating Partnership's Available Cash from operations. Our cash distributions are made 99.975% to common and Class B common unitholders and 0.025% to the General Partner except when cumulative distributions of Available Cash exceed specified target levels above the Minimum Quarterly Distributions (MQD) of $0.605 per unit. Under such circumstances, the General Partner is entitled to receive Incentive Distribution Rights.
On November 2, 2016, we announced a $1.77 cash distribution per common unit, payable on November 30, 2016 to holders of record as of November 15, 2016. In the third quarter of 2016, we exceeded the cumulative MQD amounts and will distribute Available Cash as summarized in the following table:
 
Income and Distribution Allocation
 
Target
Limit
 
Target
Increment
 
Common
Units
 
Class B
Common
Units
 
General
Partner
 
Total
Minimum Quarterly Distributions
$
0.605

 
$
0.605

 
98.990
%
 
0.985
%
 
0.025
%
 
100.00
%
First Target
0.715

 
0.110

 
98.990
%
 
0.985
%
 
0.025
%
 
100.00
%
Second Target
0.825

 
0.110

 
85.859
%
 
0.985
%
 
13.156
%
 
100.00
%
Third Target
1.045

 
0.220

 
75.758
%
 
0.985
%
 
23.257
%
 
100.00
%
Final Target and Beyond
>1.045

 

 
50.505
%
 
0.985
%
 
48.510
%
 
100.00
%

The General Partner is required to remit the majority of cash distributions it receives from the Partnership, in excess of its 1% Partnership equity interest, to an affiliated company.
The quarterly cash distributions to the unitholders and the General Partner declared during the first nine months of 2016 and 2015 are as follows:
 
 
 
Common Units
 
Class B
Common Units
 
General Partner
 
Total Distributions Declared
 
 
 
Total
 
Per unit
 
Total
 
Per unit
 
Total
 
 
 
 
(in millions, except per unit amounts)
 
 
2016
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
First Quarter
 
$
53.3

 
$
2.88

 
$
0.9

 
$
4.78

 
$
36.0

 
$
90.2

 
Second Quarter
 
28.0

 
1.51

 
0.4

 
2.09

 
11.1

 
39.5

 
Third Quarter
 
47.7

 
2.58

 
0.7

 
4.17

 
30.4

 
78.8

2015
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
First Quarter
 
$
46.3

 
$
2.50

 
$
0.7

 
$
4.03

 
$
29.1

 
$
76.1

 
Second Quarter
 
38.5

 
2.08

 
0.6

 
3.20

 
21.3

 
60.4

 
Third Quarter
 
43.6

 
2.36

 
0.7

 
3.74

 
26.5

 
70.8

As of September 30, 2016, the General Partner and its affiliates owned 75.3% of our outstanding units. When not more than 25% of our issued and outstanding units are held by non-affiliates of the General Partner, as was the case at September 30, 2016, we, at the General Partner's sole discretion, may call, or assign to the General Partner or its affiliates, our right to acquire all, but not less than all, such outstanding units held by non-affiliated persons. If the General Partner elects to acquire all outstanding units, we are required to give at least 30 but not more than 60 days' notice of our decision to purchase the outstanding units. The purchase price per unit will be the greater of (1) the average of the previous 20 trading days' closing prices as of the date five days before the purchase is announced or (2) the highest price paid by the General Partner or any of its affiliates for any unit within the 90 days preceding the date the purchase is announced.