XML 17 R7.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.5.0.2
Basis of Presentation (Notes)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
In this report, Transco (which includes Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC and, unless the context otherwise requires, all of our majority-owned subsidiaries) is at times referred to in the first person as “we,” “us” or “our.”
Transco is indirectly owned by Williams Partners L.P. (WPZ), a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership, which is consolidated by The Williams Companies, Inc. (Williams). On February 2, 2015, WPZ was merged into Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (ACMP), another publicly traded limited partnership consolidated by Williams. ACMP was the surviving partnership and was subsequently renamed Williams Partners L.P. At September 30, 2016, Williams holds an approximate 60 percent interest in WPZ, comprised of an approximate 58 percent limited partner interest and all of the 2 percent general partner interest.
On September 28, 2015, Williams publicly announced in a press release that it had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (Merger Agreement) with Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (Energy Transfer) and certain of its affiliates. The Merger Agreement provided that, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, Williams would be merged with and into the newly formed Energy Transfer Corp LP (ETC) (ETC Merger), with ETC surviving the ETC Merger. Energy Transfer formed ETC as a limited partnership that would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Immediately following the completion of the ETC Merger, ETC would contribute to Energy Transfer all of the assets and liabilities of Williams in exchange for the issuance by Energy Transfer to ETC of a number of Energy Transfer Class E common units equal to the number of ETC common shares issued to Williams stockholders in the ETC Merger.
On June 29, 2016, Energy Transfer provided Williams written notice terminating the Merger Agreement, citing the alleged failure of certain conditions under the Merger Agreement.
General
The condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of the subsidiaries we control. Companies in which we and our subsidiaries own 20 percent to 50 percent of the voting common stock or otherwise exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies of the company are accounted for under the equity method. The equity method investments as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 consist of Cardinal Pipeline Company, LLC (Cardinal) with an ownership interest of approximately 45 percent and Pine Needle LNG Company, LLC (Pine Needle) with an ownership interest of 35 percent. We received distributions associated with our equity method investments totaling $6.5 million and $5.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015, respectively. Included in the distributions are $2.1 million and $1.3 million return of capital in 2016 and 2015, respectively.
The condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements have been prepared from our books and records. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted in this Form 10-Q pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations. The condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments and others which, in the opinion of our management, are necessary to present fairly our interim financial statements. These condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted
In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-15 “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (ASU 2016-15). ASU 2016-15 provides specific guidance on eight cash flow classification issues, including debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs and distributions received from equity method investees, to reduce diversity in practice. The new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard requires a retrospective transition. We are evaluating the impact of the new standard on our consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (ASU 2016-13). ASU 2016-13 changes the impairment model for most financial assets and certain other instruments. For trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans, and other instruments, entities will be required to use a new forward-looking “expected loss” model that generally will result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. The guidance also requires increased disclosures. The new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard requires varying transition methods for the different categories of amendments. We are evaluating the impact of the new standard on our consolidated financial statements.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 “Leases (Topic 842)” (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 establishes a comprehensive new lease accounting model. The new standard clarifies the definition of a lease, requires a dual approach to lease classification similar to current lease classifications, and causes lessees to recognize leases on the balance sheet as a lease liability with a corresponding right-of-use asset. The new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard requires a modified retrospective transition for capital or operating leases existing at or entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. We are evaluating the impact of the new standard on our consolidated financial statements.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 establishing Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (ASC 606). ASC 606 establishes a comprehensive new revenue recognition model designed to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services and requires significantly enhanced revenue disclosures. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date” (ASU 2015-14). Per ASU 2015-14, the standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. ASC 606 allows either full retrospective or modified retrospective transition and early adoption is permitted for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We continue to evaluate both the impact of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements and the transition method we will utilize for adoption.