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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2011
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

B. Summary of significant accounting policies

 

(1)    Nature of operations:  Ferrellgas Partners is a holding entity that conducts no operations and has two subsidiaries, Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp. and the operating partnership. Ferrellgas Partners owns a 100% equity interest in Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp., whose only business activity is to act as the co-issuer and co-obligor of any debt issued by Ferrellgas Partners. The operating partnership is the only operating subsidiary of Ferrellgas Partners. Ferrellgas is a single reportable operating segment.


The operating partnership is engaged primarily in the distribution of propane and related equipment and supplies in the United States. The propane distribution market is seasonal because propane is used primarily for heating in residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, the results of operations for the three months ended October 31, 2011 and 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full fiscal year. The operating partnership serves approximately one million residential, industrial/commercial, portable tank exchange, agricultural, wholesale and other customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

(2)    Accounting estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Significant estimates impacting the condensed consolidated financial statements include accruals that have been established for contingent liabilities, pending claims and legal actions arising in the normal course of business, useful lives of property, plant and equipment assets, residual values of tanks, capitalization of customer tank installation costs, amortization methods of intangible assets, valuation methods used to value sales returns and allowances, allowance for doubtful accounts, fair values of derivative contracts and stock and unit-based compensation calculations.

    

    

(3)    Supplemental cash flow information: For purposes of the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows, Ferrellgas considers cash equivalents to include all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less. Certain cash flow and significant non-cash activities are presented below:

     

 

 

For the three months

ended October 31,

 

 

2011

 

2010

CASH PAID FOR:

 

 

 

 

Interest

 

$16,817

 

$17,065

Income taxes

 

$         3

 

$         0

NON-CASH INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

 

 

 

 

Issuance of common units in connection with acquisitions

 

$         0

 

$ 1,625

Issuance of liabilities in connection with acquisitions

 

$    952

 

$    538

Property, plant and equipment additions

 

$    642

 

$    474

(4)    New accounting standards:

 

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-05

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-05 (ASU 2011-05), which revises the presentation of comprehensive income in the financial statements. The new guidance requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either a continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-08

In September 2011, the FASB issued FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-08 (ASU 2011-08), which amends the existing guidance on goodwill impairment testing. Under the new guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit. If an entity determines, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member]
 
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

B. Summary of significant accounting policies

 

(1)    Nature of operations: Ferrellgas, L.P. is a single reportable operating segment engaged primarily in the distribution of propane and related equipment and supplies in the United States. The propane distribution market is seasonal because propane is used primarily for heating in residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, the results of operations for the three months ended October 31, 2011 and 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full fiscal year. Ferrellgas, L.P. serves approximately one million residential, industrial/commercial, portable tank exchange, agricultural, wholesale and other customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

(2)    Accounting estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Significant estimates impacting the condensed consolidated financial statements include accruals that have been established for contingent liabilities, pending claims and legal actions arising in the normal course of business, useful lives of property, plant and equipment assets, residual values of tanks, capitalization of customer tank installation costs, amortization methods of intangible assets, valuation methods used to value sales returns and allowances, allowance for doubtful accounts, fair values of derivative contracts and stock and unit-based compensation calculations.

 

(3)  Supplemental cash flow information: For purposes of the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows, Ferrellgas, L.P. considers cash equivalents to include all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less. Certain cash flow and significant non-cash activities are presented below:

 

 

 

 

For the three months

ended October 31,

 

 

 

 

 

2011

 

2010

CASH PAID FOR:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest

 

 

 

 

$16,817

 

$17,065

Income taxes

 

 

 

 

$         2

 

$         0

NON-CASH INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Assets contributed from Ferrellgas Partners in connection with
          acquisitions

 

 

$         0

 

 

$ 1,625

      Issuance of liabilities in connection with acquisitions

 

$    952

 

$    538

      Property, plant and equipment additions

 

 

 

 

$  642

 

$    474

    

       

(4) New accounting standards:

 

     FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-05

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-05 (ASU 2011-05), which revises the presentation of comprehensive income in the financial statements. The new guidance requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either a continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas, L.P. does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-08

In September 2011, the FASB issued FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-08 (ASU 2011-08), which amends the existing guidance on goodwill impairment testing. Under the new guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit. If an entity determines, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas, L.P. does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.