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Watchlist
Account
Cheniere Energy Partners
CQP
#857
Rank
$28.86 B
Marketcap
๐บ๐ธ
United States
Country
$59.64
Share price
4.16%
Change (1 day)
-1.45%
Change (1 year)
๐ข Oil&Gas
โก Energy
Categories
Cheniere Energy Partners
energy infrastructure company engaged in LNG-related businesses.
Market cap
Revenue
Earnings
Price history
P/E ratio
P/S ratio
More
Price history
P/E ratio
P/S ratio
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Total liabilities
Total debt
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Net Assets
Annual Reports (10-K)
Cheniere Energy Partners
Quarterly Reports (10-Q)
Financial Year FY2018 Q2
Cheniere Energy Partners - 10-Q quarterly report FY2018 Q2
Text size:
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
x
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended
June 30, 2018
OR
¨
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from
to
Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
001-33366
20-5913059
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(Commission File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
700 Milam Street, Suite 1900
Houston, Texas
77002
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip code)
(713) 375-5000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes
x
No
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes
x
No
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer
x
Accelerated filer
o
Non-accelerated filer
o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Smaller reporting company
o
Emerging growth company
o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
¨
No
x
As of
August 3, 2018
, the registrant had
348,620,792
common units and
135,383,831
subordinated units outstanding.
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Definitions
1
Part I. Financial Information
Item 1.
Consolidated Financial Statements
3
Consolidated Balance Sheets
3
Consolidated Statements of Income
4
Consolidated Statement of Partners’ Equity
5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
7
Item 2.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
34
Item 3.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
45
Item 4.
Controls and Procedures
45
Part II. Other Information
Item 1.
Legal Proceedings
46
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
46
Item 6.
Exhibits
47
Signatures
48
i
DEFINITIONS
As used in this
quarterly
report, the terms listed below have the following meanings:
Common Industry and Other Terms
Bcf
billion cubic feet
Bcf/d
billion cubic feet per day
Bcf/yr
billion cubic feet per year
Bcfe
billion cubic feet equivalent
DOE
U.S. Department of Energy
EPC
engineering, procurement and construction
FERC
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
FTA countries
countries with which the United States has a free trade agreement providing for national treatment for trade in natural gas
GAAP
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
Henry Hub
the final settlement price (in USD per MMBtu) for the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Henry Hub natural gas futures contract for the month in which a relevant cargo’s delivery window is scheduled to begin
LIBOR
London Interbank Offered Rate
LNG
liquefied natural gas, a product of natural gas that, through a refrigeration process, has been cooled to a liquid state, which occupies a volume that is approximately 1/600th of its gaseous state
MMBtu
million British thermal units, an energy unit
mtpa
million tonnes per annum
non-FTA countries
countries with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement providing for national treatment for trade in natural gas and with which trade is permitted
SEC
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
SPA
LNG sale and purchase agreement
TBtu
trillion British thermal units, an energy unit
Train
an industrial facility comprised of a series of refrigerant compressor loops used to cool natural gas into LNG
TUA
terminal use agreement
1
Abbreviated Legal Entity Structure
The following diagram depicts our abbreviated legal entity structure as of
June 30, 2018
, including our ownership of certain subsidiaries, and the references to these entities used in this
quarterly
report:
Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “
Cheniere Partners
,” “the Partnership,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to
Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P.
and its consolidated subsidiaries, including
SPLNG
,
SPL
and
CTPL
.
References to
“Blackstone Group”
refer to The Blackstone Group, L.P. References to
“Blackstone CQP Holdco”
refer to Blackstone CQP Holdco LP. References to “Blackstone” refer to Blackstone Group and Blackstone CQP Holdco.
2
PART I.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in millions, except unit data)
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
ASSETS
(unaudited)
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$
—
$
—
Restricted cash
1,521
1,589
Accounts and other receivables
241
191
Accounts receivable—affiliate
19
163
Advances to affiliate
139
36
Inventory
87
95
Other current assets
54
65
Other current assets—affiliate
1
—
Total current assets
2,062
2,139
Property, plant and equipment, net
15,207
15,139
Debt issuance costs, net
18
38
Non-current derivative assets
31
31
Other non-current assets, net
224
206
Total assets
$
17,542
$
17,553
LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
$
14
$
12
Accrued liabilities
572
637
Due to affiliates
39
68
Deferred revenue
98
111
Deferred revenue—affiliate
—
1
Derivative liabilities
7
—
Total current liabilities
730
829
Long-term debt, net
16,046
16,046
Non-current deferred revenue
—
1
Non-current derivative liabilities
7
3
Other non-current liabilities
8
10
Other non-current liabilities—affiliate
23
25
Partners’ equity
Common unitholders’ interest (348.6 million units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017)
1,739
1,670
Subordinated unitholders’ interest (135.4 million units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017)
(1,016
)
(1,043
)
General partner’s interest (2% interest with 9.9 million units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017)
5
12
Total partners’ equity
728
639
Total liabilities and partners’ equity
$
17,542
$
17,553
3
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(in millions, except per unit data)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
2018
2017
Revenues
LNG revenues
$
1,155
$
503
$
2,170
$
995
LNG revenues—affiliate
178
422
681
753
Regasification revenues
65
65
130
130
Other revenues
9
2
19
4
Other revenues—affiliate
—
—
—
1
Total revenues
1,407
992
3,000
1,883
Operating costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense shown separately below)
698
577
1,535
1,090
Operating and maintenance expense
98
82
193
132
Operating and maintenance expense—affiliate
30
21
56
39
Development expense
1
1
1
1
General and administrative expense
2
2
6
5
General and administrative expense—affiliate
17
23
35
45
Depreciation and amortization expense
106
86
211
152
Total operating costs and expenses
952
792
2,037
1,464
Income from operations
455
200
963
419
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
(184
)
(154
)
(369
)
(284
)
Loss on modification or extinguishment of debt
—
—
—
(42
)
Derivative gain (loss), net
3
(3
)
11
(3
)
Other income
7
3
11
3
Total other expense
(174
)
(154
)
(347
)
(326
)
Net income
$
281
$
46
$
616
$
93
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per common unit
$
0.55
$
(3.71
)
$
1.22
$
(4.50
)
Weighted average number of common units outstanding used for basic and diluted net income (loss) per common unit calculation
348.6
57.1
348.6
57.1
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
4
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PARTNERS’ EQUITY
(in millions)
(unaudited)
Common Unitholders’ Interest
Subordinated Unitholder’s Interest
General Partner’s Interest
Total Partners’ Equity
Units
Amount
Units
Amount
Units
Amount
Balance at December 31, 2017
348.6
$
1,670
135.4
$
(1,043
)
9.9
$
12
$
639
Net income
—
435
—
169
—
12
616
Distributions
—
(366
)
—
(142
)
—
(19
)
(527
)
Balance at June 30, 2018
348.6
$
1,739
135.4
$
(1,016
)
9.9
$
5
$
728
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
5
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in millions)
(unaudited)
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income
$
616
$
93
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense
211
152
Amortization of debt issuance costs, deferred commitment fees, premium and discount
16
19
Loss on modification or extinguishment of debt
—
42
Total losses on derivatives, net
41
43
Net cash used for settlement of derivative instruments
(3
)
(16
)
Other
3
—
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and other receivables
(50
)
(47
)
Accounts receivable—affiliate
142
59
Advances to affiliate
(70
)
(19
)
Inventory
8
12
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
(59
)
68
Due to affiliates
(15
)
(57
)
Deferred revenue
(14
)
(10
)
Other, net
(19
)
(13
)
Other, net—affiliate
(2
)
(2
)
Net cash provided by operating activities
805
324
Cash flows from investing activities
Property, plant and equipment, net
(345
)
(898
)
Net cash used in investing activities
(345
)
(898
)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issuances of debt
—
2,314
Repayments of debt
—
(703
)
Debt issuance and deferred financing costs
(1
)
(29
)
Distributions to owners
(527
)
(50
)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
(528
)
1,532
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(68
)
958
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period
1,589
605
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period
$
1,521
$
1,563
Balances per Consolidated Balance Sheet:
June 30,
2018
Cash and cash equivalents
$
—
Restricted cash
1,521
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
$
1,521
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
6
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)
NOTE 1—NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
T
hrough SPL, we are developing, constructing and operating
natural gas liquefaction facilities
(the “Liquefaction Project”)
at the Sab
ine Pass LNG terminal located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, on the Sabine-Neches Waterway less than four miles from the Gulf Coast. We plan to construct up to
six
Trains, which are in various stages of development, construction and operations. Trains 1 through 4 are operational, Train 5 is undergoing commissioning and Train 6 is being commercialized and has all necessary regulatory approvals in place. The Sabine Pass LNG terminal has operational regasification facilities owned by SPLNG and a
94
-mile pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG terminal with a number of large interstate pipelines
(the “Creole Trail Pipeline”)
through CTPL.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements of Cheniere Partners have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes included in our
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017
. In our opinion, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation, have been included. Certain reclassifications have been made to conform prior period information to the current presentation. The reclassifications did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
On January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2014-09,
Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)
, and subsequent amendments thereto (“ASC 606”) using the full retrospective method. The adoption of ASC 606 represents a change in accounting principle that will provide financial statement readers with enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The adoption of ASC 606 did not impact our previously reported consolidated financial statements in any prior period nor did it result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings.
Results of operations for the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that will be realized for the year ending December 31,
2018
.
We are not subject to either federal or state income tax, as our partners are taxed individually on their allocable share of our taxable income.
NOTE 2—UNITHOLDERS’ EQUITY
The common units and subordinated units represent limited partner interests in us. The holders of the units are entitled to participate in partnership distributions and exercise the rights and privileges available to limited partners under our partnership agreement. Our partnership agreement requires that, within
45 days
after the end of each quarter, we distribute all of our available cash (as defined in our partnership agreement). Generally, our available cash is our cash on hand at the end of a quarter less the amount of any reserves established by our general partner. All distributions paid to date have been made from operating surplus as defined in the partnership agreement.
The holders of common units have the right to receive initial quarterly distributions of
$0.425
per common unit, plus any arrearages thereon, before any distribution is made to the holders of the subordinated units. The holders of subordinated units will receive distributions only to the extent we have available cash above the initial quarterly distribution requirement for our common unitholders and general partner and certain reserves. Subordinated units will convert into common units on a one-for-one basis when we meet financial tests specified in the partnership agreement. Although common and subordinated unitholders are not obligated to fund losses of the Partnership, their capital accounts, which would be considered in allocating the net assets of the Partnership were it to be liquidated, continue to share in losses.
The general partner interest is entitled to at least
2%
of all distributions made by us. In addition, the general partner holds incentive distribution rights
(“IDRs”)
, which allow the general partner to receive a higher percentage of quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus after the initial quarterly distributions have been achieved and as additional target levels are
7
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
met, but may transfer these rights separately from its general partner interest. The higher percentages range from
15%
to
50%
, inclusive of the general partner interest.
Cheniere Holdings,
Blackstone CQP Holdco
and the public own a
48.6%
,
40.3%
and
9.1%
interest in us, respectively. Cheniere Holdings’ ownership percentage includes its subordinated units and
Blackstone CQP Holdco
’s ownership percentage excludes any common units that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by Blackstone Group, an affiliate of
Blackstone CQP Holdco
.
NOTE 3—RESTRICTED CASH
Restricted cash consists of funds that are contractually restricted as to usage or withdrawal and have been presented separately from cash and cash equivalents on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, restricted cash consisted of the following (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
Current restricted cash
Liquefaction Project
$
846
$
544
Cash held by us and our guarantor subsidiaries
675
1,045
Total current restricted cash
$
1,521
$
1,589
Under our
$2.8 billion
credit facilities
(the “CQP Credit Facilities”)
, we, as well as Cheniere Investments, Sabine Pass LP, SPLNG and CTPL as our guarantor subsidiaries, are subject to limitations on the use of cash under the terms of the
CQP Credit Facilities
and the related depositary agreement governing the extension of credit to us. Specifically, we, Cheniere Investments, SPLNG and CTPL may only withdraw funds from collateral accounts held at a designated depositary bank on a monthly basis and for specific purposes, including for the payment of operating expenses. In addition, distributions and capital expenditures may only be made quarterly and are subject to certain restrictions.
NOTE 4—ACCOUNTS AND OTHER RECEIVABLES
As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, accounts and other receivables consisted of the following (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
SPL trade receivable
$
219
$
185
Other accounts receivable
22
6
Total accounts and other receivables
$
241
$
191
Pursuant to the accounts agreement entered into with the collateral trustee for the benefit of SPL’s debt holders, SPL is required to deposit all cash received into reserve accounts controlled by the collateral trustee. The usage or withdrawal of such cash is restricted to the payment of liabilities related to the
Liquefaction Project
and other restricted payments.
NOTE 5—INVENTORY
As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, inventory consisted of the following (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
Natural gas
$
14
$
17
LNG
18
26
Materials and other
55
52
Total inventory
$
87
$
95
8
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
NOTE 6—PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Property, plant and equipment, net consists of LNG terminal costs and fixed assets, as follows (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
LNG terminal costs
LNG terminal
$
12,702
$
12,703
LNG terminal construction-in-process
3,583
3,310
Accumulated depreciation
(1,085
)
(880
)
Total LNG terminal costs, net
15,200
15,133
Fixed assets
Fixed assets
25
23
Accumulated depreciation
(18
)
(17
)
Total fixed assets, net
7
6
Property, plant and equipment, net
$
15,207
$
15,139
Depreciation expense was
$104 million
and
$84 million
during the
three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, respectively, and
$206 million
and
$148 million
during the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, respectively.
We realized offsets to LNG terminal costs of
$39 million
and
$163 million
in the
three and six months ended June 30, 2017
, respectively, that were related to the sale of commissioning cargoes because these amounts were earned or loaded prior to the start of commercial operations of the respective Train of the
Liquefaction Project
, during the testing phase for its construction. We did
no
t realize any offsets to LNG terminal costs in the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
.
NOTE 7—DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
We have entered into the following derivative instruments that are reported at fair value:
•
interest rate swaps to hedge the exposure to volatility in a portion of the floating-rate interest payments under certain credit facilities
(“Interest Rate Derivatives”)
and
•
commodity derivatives consisting of natural gas supply contracts for the commissioning and operation of the
Liquefaction Project
(“Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives”)
and associated economic hedges
(collectively, the “Liquefaction Supply Derivatives”)
.
We recognize our derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities and measure those instruments at fair value. None of our derivative instruments are designated as cash flow hedging instruments, and changes in fair value are recorded within our Consolidated
Statements of Income
to the extent not utilized for the commissioning process.
The following table shows the fair value of our derivative instruments that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, which are classified as
other current assets
,
non-current derivative assets
,
derivative liabilities
or non-current derivative liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets (in millions).
Fair Value Measurements as of
June 30, 2018
December 31, 2017
Quoted Prices in Active Markets
(Level 1)
Significant Other Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
Total
Quoted Prices in Active Markets
(Level 1)
Significant Other Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
Total
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives asset
$
—
$
29
$
—
$
29
$
—
$
21
$
—
$
21
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives asset (liability)
—
(2
)
11
9
2
10
43
55
There have been no changes to our evaluation of and accounting for our derivative positions during the
six months ended June 30, 2018
. See
Note 8—Derivative Instruments
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2017
for additional information.
9
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
We value our
Interest Rate Derivatives
using an income-based approach, utilizing observable inputs to the valuation model including interest rate curves, risk adjusted discount rates, credit spreads and other relevant data. We value our Liquefaction Supply Derivatives using a market based approach incorporating present value techniques, as needed, using observable commodity price curves, when available, and other relevant data.
The fair value of our
Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
is predominantly driven by market commodity basis prices and our assessment of the associated conditions precedent, including evaluating whether the respective market is available as pipeline infrastructure is developed. Upon the satisfaction of conditions precedent, including completion and placement into service of relevant pipeline infrastructure to accommodate marketable physical gas flow, we recognize a gain or loss based on the fair value of the respective natural gas supply contracts.
We include a portion of our Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives as Level 3 within the valuation hierarchy as the fair value is developed through the use of internal models which may be impacted by inputs that are unobservable in the marketplace. The curves used to generate the fair value of our
Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
are based on basis adjustments applied to forward curves for a liquid trading point. In addition, there may be observable liquid market basis information in the near term, but terms of a
Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
contract may exceed the period for which such information is available, resulting in a Level 3 classification. In these instances, the fair value of the contract incorporates extrapolation assumptions made in the determination of the market basis price for future delivery periods in which applicable commodity basis prices were either not observable or lacked corroborative market data.
The Level 3 fair value measurements of our
Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
could be materially impacted by a significant change in certain natural gas market basis spreads due to the contractual notional amount represented by our Level 3 positions, which is a substantial portion of our overall Physical Liquefaction Supply portfolio. The following table includes quantitative information for the unobservable inputs for our Level 3
Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
as of
June 30, 2018
:
Net Fair Value Asset
(in millions)
Valuation Approach
Significant Unobservable Input
Significant Unobservable Inputs Range
Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
$11
Market approach incorporating present value techniques
Basis Spread
$(0.632) - $0.180
The following table shows the changes in the fair value of our Level 3
Physical Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
(in millions):
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
2018
2017
Balance, beginning of period
$
10
$
41
$
43
$
79
Realized and mark-to-market losses:
Included in cost of sales
(1
)
(1
)
(13
)
(40
)
Purchases and settlements:
Purchases
6
2
6
5
Settlements
(4
)
(2
)
(25
)
(4
)
Balance, end of period
$
11
$
40
$
11
$
40
Change in unrealized gains relating to instruments still held at end of period
$
(1
)
$
(1
)
$
(13
)
$
(40
)
Derivative assets and liabilities arising from our derivative contracts with the same counterparty are reported on a net basis, as all counterparty derivative contracts provide for net settlement. The use of derivative instruments exposes us to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that a counterparty will be unable to meet its commitments in instances when our derivative instruments are in an asset position. Additionally, we evaluate our own ability to meet our commitments in instances where our derivative instruments are in a liability position. Our derivative instruments are subject to contractual provisions which provide for the unconditional right of set-off for all derivative assets and liabilities with a given counterparty in the event of default.
10
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Interest Rate Derivatives
During the
six months ended June 30, 2018
, there were no changes to the terms of the interest rate swaps
(“CQP Interest Rate Derivatives”)
we entered into to hedge a portion of the variable interest payments on the
CQP Credit Facilities
.
See
Note 8—Derivative Instruments
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2017
for additional information.
SPL had entered into interest rate swaps
(“SPL Interest Rate Derivatives”)
to protect against volatility of future cash flows and hedge a portion of the variable interest payments on the credit facilities it entered into in June 2015
(the “SPL Credit Facilities”)
, based on a portion of the expected outstanding borrowings over the term of the SPL Credit Facilities. In March 2017, SPL settled the
SPL Interest Rate Derivatives
and recognized a derivative loss of
$7 million
in conjunction with the termination of approximately
$1.6 billion
of commitments under the
SPL Credit Facilities
.
As of
June 30, 2018
, we had the following
Interest Rate Derivatives
outstanding:
Initial Notional Amount
Maximum Notional Amount
Effective Date
Maturity Date
Weighted Average Fixed Interest Rate Paid
Variable Interest Rate Received
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives
$225 million
$1.3 billion
March 22, 2016
February 29, 2020
1.19%
One-month LIBOR
The following table shows the fair value and location of the
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives
on our Consolidated Balance Sheets (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
Consolidated Balance Sheet Location
2018
2017
Other current assets
$
14
$
7
Non-current derivative assets
15
14
Total derivative assets
$
29
$
21
The following table shows the changes in the fair value and settlements of our
Interest Rate Derivatives
recorded in
derivative gain (loss), net
on our Consolidated
Statements of Income
during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
(in millions):
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
2018
2017
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives gain (loss)
$
3
$
(3
)
$
11
$
(1
)
SPL Interest Rate Derivatives loss
—
—
—
(2
)
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
SPL has entered into index-based physical natural gas supply contracts and associated economic hedges, if applicable, to purchase natural gas for the commissioning and operation of the Liquefaction Project. The terms of the noncurrent physical natural gas supply contracts range from approximately
one
to
six
years, some of which commence upon the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, if not already met.
SPL had secured up to approximately
2,163
TBtu
and
2,214
TBtu
of natural gas feedstock through natural gas supply contracts as of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, respectively. The notional natural gas position of our
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
was approximately
1,606
TBtu
and
1,520
TBtu
as of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, respectively.
11
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
The following table shows the fair value and location of our
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
on our Consolidated Balance Sheets (in millions):
Fair Value Measurements as of (1)
Consolidated Balance Sheet Location
June 30, 2018
December 31, 2017
Other current assets
$
7
$
41
Non-current derivative assets
16
17
Total derivative assets
23
58
Derivative liabilities
(7
)
—
Non-current derivative liabilities
(7
)
(3
)
Total derivative liabilities
(14
)
(3
)
Derivative asset, net
$
9
$
55
(1)
Does not include collateral calls of
$6 million
and
$1 million
as of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, respectively, for such contracts, which are included in
other current assets
in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The following table shows the changes in the fair value and settlements of our
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
recorded in cost of sales on our Consolidated
Statements of Income
during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
(in millions):
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
2018
2017
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives loss (1)
$
(2
)
$
(1
)
$
(52
)
$
(40
)
(1)
Does not include the realized value associated with derivative instruments that settle through physical delivery. Fair value fluctuations associated with commodity derivative activities are classified and presented consistently with the item economically hedged and the nature and intent of the derivative instrument.
Consolidated Balance Sheet Presentation
Our derivative instruments are presented on a net basis on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as described above. The following table shows the fair value of our derivatives outstanding on a gross and net basis (in millions):
Gross Amounts Recognized
Gross Amounts Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Net Amounts Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Offsetting Derivative Assets (Liabilities)
As of June 30, 2018
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives
$
29
$
—
$
29
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
28
(5
)
23
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
(17
)
3
(14
)
As of December 31, 2017
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives
$
21
$
—
$
21
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
64
(6
)
58
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
(3
)
—
(3
)
12
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
NOTE 8—OTHER NON-CURRENT ASSETS
As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, other non-current assets, net consisted of the following (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
Advances made under EPC and non-EPC contracts
$
49
$
26
Advances made to municipalities for water system enhancements
93
93
Advances and other asset conveyances to third parties to support LNG terminals
29
30
Tax-related payments and receivables
23
25
Information technology service assets
22
24
Other
8
8
Total other non-current assets, net
$
224
$
206
NOTE 9—ACCRUED LIABILITIES
As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, accrued liabilities consisted of the following (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
Interest costs and related debt fees
$
250
$
253
Sabine Pass LNG terminal and related pipeline costs
316
384
Other accrued liabilities
6
—
Total accrued liabilities
$
572
$
637
NOTE 10—DEBT
As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, our debt consisted of the following (in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
Long-term debt:
SPL
5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2021 (“2021 SPL Senior Notes”)
$
2,000
$
2,000
6.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (“2022 SPL Senior Notes”)
1,000
1,000
5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2023 (“2023 SPL Senior Notes”)
1,500
1,500
5.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (“2024 SPL Senior Notes”)
2,000
2,000
5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 (“2025 SPL Senior Notes”)
2,000
2,000
5.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 (“2026 SPL Senior Notes”)
1,500
1,500
5.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (“2027 SPL Senior Notes”)
1,500
1,500
4.200% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (“2028 SPL Senior Notes”)
1,350
1,350
5.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2037 (“2037 SPL Senior Notes”)
800
800
Cheniere Partners
5.250% Senior Notes due 2025 (“2025 CQP Senior Notes”)
1,500
1,500
CQP Credit Facilities
1,090
1,090
Unamortized premium, discount and debt issuance costs, net
(194
)
(194
)
Total long-term debt, net
16,046
16,046
Current debt:
$1.2 billion SPL Working Capital Facility (“SPL Working Capital Facility”)
—
—
Total debt, net
$
16,046
$
16,046
13
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Credit Facilities
Below is a summary of our credit facilities outstanding as of
June 30, 2018
(in millions):
SPL Working Capital Facility
CQP Credit Facilities
Original facility size
$
1,200
$
2,800
Less:
Outstanding balance
—
1,090
Commitments prepaid or terminated
—
1,470
Letters of credit issued
683
20
Available commitment
$
517
$
220
Interest rate
LIBOR plus 1.75% or base rate plus 0.75%
LIBOR plus 2.25% or base rate plus 1.25% (1)
Maturity date
December 31, 2020, with various terms for underlying loans
February 25, 2020, with principal payments due quarterly commencing on March 31, 2019
(1)
There is a
0.50%
step-up for both LIBOR and base rate loans beginning on February 25, 2019.
Restrictive Debt Covenants
As of
June 30, 2018
, we and SPL were in compliance with all covenants related to our respective debt agreements.
Interest Expense
Total interest expense consisted of the following (in millions):
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
2018
2017
Total interest cost
$
234
$
224
$
466
$
435
Capitalized interest
(50
)
(70
)
(97
)
(151
)
Total interest expense, net
$
184
$
154
$
369
$
284
Fair Value Disclosures
The following table shows the carrying amount, which is net of unamortized premium, discount and debt issuance costs, and estimated fair value of our debt (in millions):
June 30, 2018
December 31, 2017
Carrying
Amount
Estimated
Fair Value
Carrying
Amount
Estimated
Fair Value
Senior notes (1)
$
14,178
$
14,733
$
14,166
$
15,485
2037 SPL Senior Notes (2)
790
837
790
871
Credit facilities (3)
1,078
1,078
1,090
1,090
(1)
Includes
2021 SPL Senior Notes
,
2022 SPL Senior Notes
,
2023 SPL Senior Notes
,
2024 SPL Senior Notes
,
2025 SPL Senior Notes
,
2026 SPL Senior Notes
,
2027 SPL Senior Notes
,
2028 SPL Senior Notes
and
2025 CQP Senior Notes
. The Level 2 estimated fair value was based on quotes obtained from broker-dealers or market makers of these senior notes and other similar instruments.
(2)
The Level 3 estimated fair value was calculated based on inputs that are observable in the market or that could be derived from, or corroborated with, observable market data, including our stock price and interest rates based on debt issued by parties with comparable credit ratings to us and inputs that are not observable in the market.
(3)
Includes
SPL Working Capital Facility
and
CQP Credit Facilities
. The Level 3 estimated fair value approximates the principal amount because the interest rates are variable and reflective of market rates and the debt may be repaid, in full or in part, at any time without penalty.
14
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
NOTE 11—REVENUES FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS
The following table represents a disaggregation of revenue earned from contracts with customers during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
(in millions):
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
2018
2017
LNG revenues
$
1,121
$
493
$
2,117
$
978
LNG revenues—affiliate
178
422
681
753
Regasification revenues
65
65
130
130
Other revenues
9
2
19
4
Other revenues—affiliate
—
—
—
1
Total revenues from customers
1,373
982
2,947
1,866
Revenues from derivative instruments (1)
34
10
53
17
Total revenues
$
1,407
$
992
$
3,000
$
1,883
(1)
Includes the realized value associated with a portion of derivative instruments that settle through physical delivery.
LNG Revenues
We have entered into numerous SPAs with third party customers for the sale of LNG on a Free on Board (“FOB”) (delivered to the customer at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal) basis. Our customers generally purchase LNG for a price consisting of a fixed fee per MMBtu of LNG (a portion of which is subject to annual adjustment for inflation) plus a variable fee per MMBtu of LNG equal to approximately
115%
of Henry Hub. The fixed fee component is the amount payable to us regardless of a cancellation or suspension of LNG cargo deliveries by the customers. The variable fee component is the amount generally payable to us only upon delivery of LNG plus all future adjustments to the fixed fee for inflation. The SPAs and contracted volumes to be made available under the SPAs are not tied to a specific Train; however, the term of each SPA generally commences upon the date of first commercial delivery of a specified Train.
Revenues from the sale of LNG are recognized at a point in time when the LNG is delivered to the customer, at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal, which is the point legal title, physical possession and the risks and rewards of ownership transfer to the customer. Each individual molecule of LNG is viewed as a separate performance obligation. The stated contract price (including both fixed and variable fees) per MMBtu in each LNG sales arrangement is representative of the stand-alone selling price for LNG at the time the sale was negotiated. We have concluded that the variable fees meet the optional exception for allocating variable consideration. As such, the variable consideration for these contracts is allocated to each distinct molecule of LNG and recognized when that distinct molecule of LNG is delivered to the customer. Because of the use of the optional exception, variable consideration related to the sale of LNG is also not included in the transaction price.
Fees received pursuant to SPAs are recognized as LNG revenues only after substantial completion of the respective Train. Prior to substantial completion, sales generated during the commissioning phase are offset against the cost of construction for the respective Train, as the production and removal of LNG from storage is necessary to test the facility and bring the asset to the condition necessary for its intended use.
Regasification Revenues
The Sabine Pass LNG terminal has operational regasification capacity of approximately
4.0
Bcf/d. Approximately
2.0
Bcf/d of the regasification capacity at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal has been reserved under
two
long-term TUAs with unaffiliated third-party customers, under which they are required to pay fixed monthly fees regardless of their use of the LNG terminal. Each of the customers has reserved approximately
1.0
Bcf/d of regasification capacity. The customers are each obligated to make monthly capacity payments to SPLNG aggregating approximately
$125 million
annually for
20
years that commenced in 2009, which is representative of fixed consideration in the contract. A portion of this fee is adjusted annually for inflation which is considered variable consideration. The remaining capacity of the Sabine Pass LNG terminal has been reserved by SPL, for which the associated revenues are eliminated in consolidation.
15
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Because SPLNG is continuously available to provide regasification service on a daily basis with the same pattern of transfer, we have concluded that SPLNG provides a single performance obligation to its customers on a continuous basis over time. We have determined that an output method of recognition based on elapsed time best reflects the benefits of this service to the customer and accordingly, LNG regasification capacity reservation fees are recognized as regasification revenues on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective TUAs. We have concluded that the inflation element within the contract meets the optional exception for allocating variable consideration and accordingly the inflation adjustment is not included in the transaction price and will be recognized over the year in which the inflation adjustment relates on a straight-line basis.
In 2012, SPL entered into a partial TUA assignment agreement with Total Gas & Power North America, Inc.
(“Total”)
, whereby SPL would progressively gain access to
Total
’s capacity and other services provided under its TUA with SPLNG. This agreement provides SPL with additional berthing and storage capacity at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal that may be used to provide increased flexibility in managing LNG cargo loading and unloading activity, permit SPL to more flexibly manage its LNG storage capacity and accommodate the development of Trains 5 and 6.
Upon substantial completion of Train 3 of the
Liquefaction Project
, SPL gained access to a portion of
Total
’s capacity and other services provided under
Total
’s TUA with SPLNG. Upon substantial completion of Train 5, SPL will gain access to substantially all of
Total
’s capacity. Notwithstanding any arrangements between Total and SPL, payments required to be made by
Total
to SPLNG will continue to be made by
Total
to SPLNG in accordance with its TUA and we continue to recognize the payments received from
Total
as revenue. During the
three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, SPL recorded
$7 million
and
$8 million
, respectively, and during the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, SPL recorded
$15 million
and
$8 million
, respectively, as operating and maintenance expense under this partial TUA assignment agreement.
Deferred Revenue Reconciliation
The following table reflects the changes in our contract liabilities, which we classify as “Deferred revenue” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets (in millions):
Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
Deferred revenues, beginning of period
$
111
Cash received but not yet recognized
98
Revenue recognized from prior period deferral
(111
)
Deferred revenues, end of period
$
98
We record deferred revenue when we receive consideration, or such consideration is unconditionally due from a customer, prior to transferring goods or services to the customer under the terms of a sales contract. Changes in deferred revenue during the
six months ended June 30, 2018
are primarily attributable to differences between the timing of revenue recognition and the receipt of advance payments related to delivery of LNG under certain SPAs.
Transaction Price Allocated to Future Performance Obligations
Because many of our sales contracts have long-term durations, we are contractually entitled to significant future consideration which we have not yet recognized as revenue. The following table discloses the aggregate amount of the transaction price that is allocated to performance obligations that have not yet been satisfied as of
June 30, 2018
:
Unsatisfied
Transaction Price
(in billions)
Weighted Average Recognition Timing (years) (1)
LNG revenues
$
54.7
9.9
Regasification revenues
2.8
5.4
Total revenues
$
57.5
(1)
The weighted average recognition timing represents an estimate of the number of years during which we shall have recognized half of the unsatisfied transaction price.
16
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
We have elected the following optional exemptions which omit certain potential future sources of revenue from the table above:
(1)
We omit from the table above all performance obligations that are part of a contract that has an original expected duration of one year or less.
(2)
We omit from the table above all variable consideration that is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation or to a wholly unsatisfied promise to transfer a distinct good or service that forms part of a single performance obligation when that performance obligation qualifies as a series. The table above excludes all variable consideration under our SPAs and TUAs. The amount of revenue from variable fees that is not included in the transaction price will vary based on the future prices of Henry Hub throughout the contract terms, to the extent customers elect to take delivery of their LNG, and adjustments to the consumer price index. During each of the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
, approximately
55%
of our LNG revenues,
100%
of our LNG revenues—affiliate and approximately
3%
of our regasification revenues were related to variable consideration received from customers.
We have entered into contracts to sell LNG that are conditioned upon one or both of the parties achieving certain milestones such as reaching a final investment decision on a certain liquefaction Train, obtaining financing or achieving substantial completion of a Train and any related facilities. These contracts are considered completed contracts for revenue recognition purposes and are included in the transaction price above when the conditions are considered probable of being met.
We have elected the practical expedient to omit the disclosure of the transaction price allocated to future performance obligations and an explanation of when the entity expects to recognize the amount as revenue as of
December 31, 2017
.
NOTE 12—RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Below is a summary of our related party transactions as reported on our Consolidated
Statements of Income
for the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
(in millions):
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
2018
2017
LNG revenues—affiliate
Cheniere Marketing SPA and Cheniere Marketing Master SPA
$
178
$
422
$
681
$
753
Other revenues—affiliate
Terminal Marine Services Agreement
—
—
—
1
Operating and maintenance expense—affiliate
Services Agreements
30
21
56
39
General and administrative expense—affiliate
Services Agreements
17
23
35
45
17
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
LNG Terminal Capacity Agreements
Terminal Use Agreements
SPL obtained approximately
2.0
Bcf/d
of regasification capacity and other liquefaction support services under a
TUA
with SPLNG as a result of an assignment in July 2012 by Cheniere Investments of its rights, title and interest under its
TUA
with SPLNG. SPL is obligated to make monthly capacity payments to SPLNG aggregating approximately
$250 million
per year
(the “TUA Fees”)
, continuing until at least
20 years
after May 2016.
In connection with this
TUA
, SPL is required to pay for a portion of the cost (primarily LNG inventory) to maintain the cryogenic readiness of the regasification facilities at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal, which is recorded as operating and maintenance expense on our Consolidated
Statements of Income
.
Cheniere Investments, SPL and SPLNG entered into the terminal use rights assignment and agreement
(the “TURA”)
pursuant to which Cheniere Investments had the right to use SPL’s reserved capacity under the
TUA
and had the obligation to pay the
TUA Fees
required by the
TUA
to SPLNG. However, the revenue earned by SPLNG from the
TUA Fees
and the loss incurred by Cheniere Investments under the
TURA
are eliminated upon consolidation of our Consolidated Financial Statements. We have guaranteed the obligations of SPL under its
TUA
and the obligations of Cheniere Investments under the
TURA
.
In an effort to utilize Cheniere Investments’ reserved capacity under the
TURA
during construction of the
Liquefaction Project
, Cheniere Marketing, LLC (“
Cheniere Marketing US
”) has entered into an amended and restated variable capacity rights agreement with Cheniere Investments
(the “Amended and Restated VCRA”)
pursuant to which
Cheniere Marketing US
is obligated to pay Cheniere Investments
80%
of the expected gross margin of each cargo of LNG that
Cheniere Marketing US
arranges for delivery to the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. Cheniere Investments recorded
no
revenues—affiliate from
Cheniere Marketing US
during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
related to the
Amended and Restated VCRA
.
Cheniere Marketing
SPA
Cheniere Marketing has an
SPA
with SPL to purchase, at Cheniere Marketing’s option, any LNG produced by SPL in excess of that required for other customers at a price of
115%
of
Henry Hub
plus
$3.00
per
MMBtu
of LNG.
Cheniere Marketing Master
SPA
SPL has an agreement with Cheniere Marketing that allows the parties to sell and purchase LNG with each other by executing and delivering confirmations under this agreement.
Commissioning Confirmation
Under the Cheniere Marketing Master SPA, SPL executed a confirmation with Cheniere Marketing that obligates Cheniere Marketing in certain circumstances to buy LNG cargoes produced during the period while Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc. has control of, and is commissioning, Train 5 of the
Liquefaction Project
.
Services Agreements
As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, we had
$139 million
and
$36 million
of advances to affiliates, respectively, under the services agreements described below. The non-reimbursement amounts incurred under these agreements are recorded in general and administrative expense—affiliate.
Cheniere Partners Services Agreement
We have a services agreement with Cheniere Terminals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere, pursuant to which Cheniere Terminals is entitled to a quarterly non-accountable overhead reimbursement charge of
$3 million
(adjusted for inflation) for the provision of various general and administrative services for our benefit. In addition, Cheniere Terminals is entitled to reimbursement for all audit, tax, legal and finance fees incurred by Cheniere Terminals that are necessary to perform the services under the agreement.
18
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Cheniere Investments Information Technology Services Agreement
Cheniere Investments has an information technology services agreement with Cheniere, pursuant to which Cheniere Investments’ subsidiaries receive certain information technology services. On a quarterly basis, the various entities receiving the benefit are invoiced by Cheniere according to the cost allocation percentages set forth in the agreement. In addition, Cheniere is entitled to reimbursement for all costs incurred by Cheniere that are necessary to perform the services under the agreement.
SPLNG O&M Agreement
SPLNG has a long-term operation and maintenance agreement
(the “SPLNG O&M Agreement”)
with Cheniere Investments pursuant to which SPLNG receives all necessary services required to operate and maintain the Sabine Pass LNG receiving terminal. SPLNG pays a fixed monthly fee of
$130,000
(indexed for inflation) under the
SPLNG O&M Agreement
and the cost of a bonus equal to
50%
of the salary component of labor costs in certain circumstances to be agreed upon between SPLNG and Cheniere Investments at the beginning of each operating year. In addition, SPLNG is required to reimburse Cheniere Investments for its operating expenses, which consist primarily of labor expenses. Cheniere Investments provides the services required under the
SPLNG O&M Agreement
pursuant to a secondment agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere. All payments received by Cheniere Investments under the SPLNG O&M Agreement are required to be remitted to such subsidiary.
SPLNG MSA
SPLNG has a long-term management services agreement
(the “SPLNG MSA”)
with Cheniere Terminals, pursuant to which Cheniere Terminals manages the operation of the Sabine Pass LNG receiving terminal, excluding those matters provided for under the
SPLNG O&M Agreement
. SPLNG pays a monthly fixed fee of
$520,000
(indexed for inflation) under the
SPLNG MSA
.
SPL O&M Agreement
SPL has an operation and maintenance agreement
(the “SPL O&M Agreement”)
with Cheniere Investments pursuant to which SPL receives all of the necessary services required to construct, operate and maintain the
Liquefaction Project
. Before each Train of the
Liquefaction Project
is operational, the services to be provided include, among other services, obtaining governmental approvals on behalf of SPL, preparing an operating plan for certain periods, obtaining insurance, preparing staffing plans and preparing status reports. After each Train is operational, the services include all necessary services required to operate and maintain the Train. Prior to the substantial completion of each Train of the
Liquefaction Project
, in addition to reimbursement of operating expenses, SPL is required to pay a monthly fee equal to
0.6%
of the capital expenditures incurred in the previous month. After substantial completion of each Train, for services performed while the Train is operational, SPL will pay, in addition to the reimbursement of operating expenses, a fixed monthly fee of
$83,333
(indexed for inflation) for services with respect to the Train. Cheniere Investments provides the services required under the
SPL O&M Agreement
pursuant to a secondment agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere. All payments received by Cheniere Investments under the SPL O&M Agreement are required to be remitted to such subsidiary.
SPL MSA
SPL has a management services agreement
(the “SPL MSA”)
with Cheniere Terminals pursuant to which Cheniere Terminals manages the construction and operation of the
Liquefaction Project
, excluding those matters provided for under the
SPL O&M Agreement
. The services include, among other services, exercising the day-to-day management of SPL’s affairs and business, managing SPL’s regulatory matters, managing bank and brokerage accounts and financial books and records of SPL’s business and operations, entering into financial derivatives on SPL’s behalf and providing contract administration services for all contracts associated with the
Liquefaction Project
. Prior to the substantial completion of each Train of the
Liquefaction Project
, SPL pays a monthly fee equal to
2.4%
of the capital expenditures incurred in the previous month. After substantial completion of each Train, SPL will pay a fixed monthly fee of
$541,667
(indexed for inflation) for services with respect to such Train.
19
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
CTPL O&M Agreement
CTPL has an amended long-term operation and maintenance agreement
(the “CTPL O&M Agreement”)
with Cheniere Investments pursuant to which CTPL receives all necessary services required to operate and maintain the
Creole Trail Pipeline
. CTPL is required to reimburse Cheniere Investments for its operating expenses, which consist primarily of labor expenses. Cheniere Investments provides the services required under the
CTPL O&M Agreement
pursuant to a secondment agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere. All payments received by Cheniere Investments under the CTPL O&M Agreement are required to be remitted to such subsidiary.
Agreement to Fund SPLNG’s Cooperative Endeavor Agreements
SPLNG has executed Cooperative Endeavor Agreements
(“CEAs”)
with various Cameron Parish, Louisiana taxing authorities that allowed them to collect certain annual property tax payments from SPLNG from 2007 through 2016. This
ten
-year initiative represented an aggregate commitment of
$25 million
in order to aid in their reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Rita. In exchange for SPLNG’s advance payments of annual ad valorem taxes, Cameron Parish will grant SPLNG a dollar-for-dollar credit against future ad valorem taxes to be levied against the Sabine Pass LNG terminal starting in 2019. Beginning in September 2007, SPLNG entered into various agreements with Cheniere Marketing, pursuant to which Cheniere Marketing would pay SPLNG additional
TUA
revenues equal to any and all amounts payable by SPLNG to the Cameron Parish taxing authorities under the
CEAs
. In exchange for such amounts received as TUA revenues from Cheniere Marketing, SPLNG will make payments to Cheniere Marketing equal to, and in the year the Cameron Parish dollar-for-dollar credit is applied against, ad valorem tax levied on our LNG terminal.
On a consolidated basis, these advance tax payments were recorded to other non-current assets, and payments from Cheniere Marketing that SPLNG utilized to make the ad valorem tax payments were recorded as a long-term obligation. As of both
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, we had
$25 million
of both other non-current assets resulting from SPLNG’s ad valorem tax payments and other non-current liabilities—affiliate resulting from these payments received from Cheniere Marketing.
Contracts for Sale and Purchase of Natural Gas and LNG
SPLNG is able to sell and purchase natural gas and LNG under agreements with
Cheniere Marketing US
. Under these agreements, SPLNG purchases natural gas or LNG from
Cheniere Marketing US
at a sales price equal to the actual purchase price paid by
Cheniere Marketing US
to suppliers of the natural gas or LNG, plus any third-party costs incurred by
Cheniere Marketing US
with respect to the receipt, purchase and delivery of natural gas or LNG to the Sabine Pass LNG terminal.
Terminal Marine Services Agreement
In connection with its tug boat lease,
Tug Services
entered into an agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere to provide its LNG cargo vessels with tug boat and marine services at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal.
LNG Terminal Export Agreement
SPLNG and
Cheniere Marketing US
have an LNG Terminal Export Agreement that provides
Cheniere Marketing US
the ability to export LNG from the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. SPLNG did
no
t record any revenues associated with this agreement during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
.
State Tax Sharing Agreements
SPLNG has a state tax sharing agreement with Cheniere. Under this agreement, Cheniere has agreed to prepare and file all state and local tax returns which SPLNG and Cheniere are required to file on a combined basis and to timely pay the combined state and local tax liability. If Cheniere, in its sole discretion, demands payment, SPLNG will pay to Cheniere an amount equal to the state and local tax that SPLNG would be required to pay if its state and local tax liability were calculated on a separate company basis. There have been
no
state and local taxes paid by Cheniere for which Cheniere could have demanded payment from SPLNG under this agreement; therefore, Cheniere has not demanded any such payments from SPLNG. The agreement is effective for tax returns due on or after January 1, 2008.
20
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
SPL has a state tax sharing agreement with Cheniere. Under this agreement, Cheniere has agreed to prepare and file all state and local tax returns which SPL and Cheniere are required to file on a combined basis and to timely pay the combined state and local tax liability. If Cheniere, in its sole discretion, demands payment, SPL will pay to Cheniere an amount equal to the state and local tax that SPL would be required to pay if SPL’s state and local tax liability were calculated on a separate company basis. There have been
no
state and local taxes paid by Cheniere for which Cheniere could have demanded payment from SPL under this agreement; therefore, Cheniere has not demanded any such payments from SPL. The agreement is effective for tax returns due on or after August 2012.
CTPL has a state tax sharing agreement with Cheniere. Under this agreement, Cheniere has agreed to prepare and file all state and local tax returns which CTPL and Cheniere are required to file on a combined basis and to timely pay the combined state and local tax liability. If Cheniere, in its sole discretion, demands payment, CTPL will pay to Cheniere an amount equal to the state and local tax that CTPL would be required to pay if CTPL’s state and local tax liability were calculated on a separate company basis. There have been
no
state and local taxes paid by Cheniere for which Cheniere could have demanded payment from CTPL under this agreement; therefore, Cheniere has not demanded any such payments from CTPL. The agreement is effective for tax returns due on or after May 2013.
NOTE 13—NET INCOME (LOSS) PER COMMON UNIT
Net income (loss) per common unit for a given period is based on the distributions that will be made to the unitholders with respect to the period plus an allocation of undistributed net income (loss) based on provisions of the partnership agreement, divided by the weighted average number of common units outstanding. Distributions paid by us are presented on the Consolidated Statement of Partners’ Equity. On
July 27, 2018
, we declared a
$0.56
distribution per common unit and subordinated unit and the related distribution to our general partner and IDR holders to be paid on
August 14, 2018
to unitholders of record as of
August 6, 2018
for the period from
April 1, 2018
to
June 30, 2018
.
The two-class method dictates that net income (loss) for a period be reduced by the amount of available cash that will be distributed with respect to that period and that any residual amount representing undistributed net income be allocated to common unitholders and other participating unitholders to the extent that each unit may share in net income as if all of the net income for the period had been distributed in accordance with the partnership agreement. Undistributed income is allocated to participating securities based on the distribution waterfall for available cash specified in the partnership agreement. Undistributed losses (including those resulting from distributions in excess of net income) are allocated to common units and other participating securities on a pro rata basis based on provisions of the partnership agreement. Distributions are treated as distributed earnings in the computation of earnings per common unit even though cash distributions are not necessarily derived from current or prior period earnings.
The
Class B units
, which were mandatorily converted into our common units in accordance with the terms of our partnership agreement on August 2, 2017, were issued at a discount to the market price of the common units into which they were convertible. This discount, totaling
$2,130 million
, represented a beneficial conversion feature and was reflected as an increase in common and subordinated unitholders’ equity and a decrease in Class B unitholders’ equity to reflect the fair value of the
Class B units
at issuance on our Consolidated Statement of Partners’ Equity. The beneficial conversion feature was considered a dividend that was distributed ratably with respect to any Class B unit from its issuance date through its conversion date, which resulted in an increase in Class B unitholders’ equity and a decrease in common and subordinated unitholders’ equity. We amortized the beneficial conversion feature through the mandatory conversion date of August 2, 2017 using the effective yield method, with a weighted average effective yield of
888.7%
per year and
966.1%
per year for Cheniere Holdings’ and
Blackstone CQP Holdco
’s
Class B units
, respectively. The impact of the beneficial conversion feature was also included in earnings per unit for the
six months ended June 30, 2017
.
21
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
The following table provides a reconciliation of net income and the allocation of net income to the common units, the subordinated units, the general partner units and IDRs for purposes of computing net income (loss) per unit (in millions, except per unit data).
Limited Partner Units
Total
Common Units
Class B Units
Subordinated Units
General Partner Units
IDR
Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
Net income
$
281
Declared distributions
284
195
—
76
6
7
Assumed allocation of undistributed net loss (1)
$
(3
)
(2
)
—
(1
)
—
—
Assumed allocation of net income
$
193
$
—
$
75
$
6
$
7
Weighted average units outstanding
348.6
—
135.4
Net income per unit
$
0.55
$
0.55
Three Months Ended June 30, 2017
Net income
$
46
Declared distributions
25
25
—
—
—
—
Amortization of beneficial conversion feature of Class B units
—
(237
)
796
(559
)
—
—
Assumed allocation of undistributed net income
$
21
—
—
21
—
—
Assumed allocation of net income
$
(212
)
$
796
$
(538
)
$
—
$
—
Weighted average units outstanding
57.1
145.3
135.4
Net loss per unit
$
(3.71
)
$
(3.97
)
Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
Net income
$
616
Declared distributions
562
387
—
150
12
13
Assumed allocation of undistributed net income (1)
$
54
38
—
15
1
—
Assumed allocation of net income
$
425
$
—
$
165
$
13
$
13
Weighted average units outstanding
348.6
—
135.4
Net income per unit
$
1.22
$
1.22
Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
Net income
$
93
Declared distributions
50
49
—
—
1
—
Amortization of beneficial conversion feature of Class B units
—
(306
)
1,030
(724
)
—
—
Assumed allocation of undistributed net income
$
43
—
—
43
—
—
Assumed allocation of net income
$
(257
)
$
1,030
$
(681
)
$
1
$
—
Weighted average units outstanding
57.1
145.3
135.4
Net loss per unit
$
(4.50
)
$
(5.03
)
(1)
Under our partnership agreement, the
IDR
s participate in net income (loss) only to the extent of the amount of cash distributions actually declared, thereby excluding the
IDR
s from participating in undistributed net income (loss).
22
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
NOTE 14—CUSTOMER CONCENTRATION
The following table shows customers with revenues of 10% or greater of total third-party revenues and customers with accounts receivable balances of 10% or greater of total accounts receivable from third parties:
Percentage of Total Third-Party Revenues
Percentage of Accounts Receivable from Third Parties
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
Customer A
27%
46%
29%
50%
34%
39%
Customer B
22%
27%
23%
28%
20%
32%
Customer C
22%
13%
24%
*
28%
26%
Customer D
20%
—%
15%
—%
*
—%
* Less than 10%
NOTE 15—SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION
The following table provides supplemental disclosure of cash flow information (in millions):
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
Cash paid during the period for interest, net of amounts capitalized
$
350
$
273
The balance in property, plant and equipment, net funded with accounts payable and accrued liabilities (including affiliate) was
$255 million
and
$266 million
as of
June 30, 2018
and
2017
, respectively.
23
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
NOTE 16—RECENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
The following table provides a brief description of a recent accounting standard that had not been adopted by us as of
June 30, 2018
:
Standard
Description
Expected Date of Adoption
Effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2016-02,
Leases (Topic 842)
, and subsequent amendments thereto
This standard requires a lessee to recognize leases on its balance sheet by recording a lease liability representing the obligation to make future lease payments and a right-of-use asset representing the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. A lessee is permitted to make an election not to recognize lease assets and liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less. The standard also modifies the definition of a lease and requires expanded disclosures. This guidance may be early adopted, and may be adopted using either a modified retrospective approach to apply the standard at the beginning of the earliest period presented in the financial statements or an optional transition approach to apply the standard at the date of adoption with no retrospective adjustments to prior periods. Certain additional practical expedients are also available.
January 1, 2019
We continue to evaluate the effect of this standard on our Consolidated Financial Statements. This evaluation process includes reviewing all forms of leases, performing a completeness assessment over the lease population, analyzing the practical expedients and assessing opportunities to make certain changes to our lease accounting information technology system in order to determine the best implementation strategy. Preliminarily, we anticipate a material impact from the requirement to recognize all leases on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Because this assessment is preliminary and the accounting for leases is subject to significant judgment, this conclusion could change as we finalize our assessment. We have not yet determined the impact of the adoption of this standard upon our results of operations or cash flows. We anticipate electing the optional transition method to initially apply the standard at the January 1, 2019 adoption date. We expect to elect the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance which, among other things, allows the carryforward of prior conclusions related to lease identification and classification. We also expect to elect the practical expedient to retain our existing accounting for land easements which were not previously accounted for as leases. We have not yet determined whether we will elect any other practical expedients upon transition.
24
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Additionally, the following table provides a brief description of recent accounting standards that were adopted by us during the reporting period:
Standard
Description
Date of Adoption
Effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2014-09,
Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)
, and subsequent amendments thereto
This standard provides a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model which replaces and supersedes most existing revenue recognition guidance and requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard requires that the costs to obtain and fulfill contracts with customers should be recognized as assets and amortized to match the pattern of transfer of goods or services to the customer if expected to be recoverable. The standard also requires enhanced disclosures. This guidance may be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented subject to allowable practical expedients (“full retrospective approach”) or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption (“modified retrospective approach”).
January 1, 2018
We adopted this guidance on January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method. The adoption of this guidance represents a change in accounting principle that will provide financial statement readers with enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The adoption of this guidance did not impact our previously reported consolidated financial statements in any prior period nor did it result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings. See
Note 11—Revenues from Contracts with Customers
for additional disclosures.
ASU 2016-16,
Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory
This standard requires the immediate recognition of the tax consequences of intercompany asset transfers other than inventory. This guidance may be early adopted, but only at the beginning of an annual period, and must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach.
January 1, 2018
The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements or related disclosures.
NOTE 17—SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR INFORMATION
Our 2025 CQP Senior Notes are jointly and severally guaranteed by each of our subsidiaries other than SPL and, subject to certain conditions governing the release of its guarantee, Sabine Pass LP (the “CQP Guarantors”). These guarantees are full and unconditional, subject to certain customary release provisions including (1) the sale, exchange, disposition or transfer (by merger, consolidation or otherwise) of the capital stock or all or substantially all of the assets of the Guarantors, (2) upon the liquidation or dissolution of a Guarantor, (3) following the release of a Guarantor from its guarantee obligations and (4) upon the legal defeasance or satisfaction and discharge of obligations under the
CQP Indenture
. See
Note 11—Debt
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 for additional information regarding the 2025 CQP Senior Notes.
The following is condensed consolidating financial information for CQP (“Parent Issuer”), the CQP Guarantors on a combined basis and SPL (“Non-Guarantor”). We have accounted for investments in subsidiaries using the equity method.
25
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet
June 30, 2018
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
Restricted cash
663
12
846
—
1,521
Accounts and other receivables
1
4
236
—
241
Accounts receivable—affiliate
—
36
20
(37
)
19
Advances to affiliate
—
90
129
(80
)
139
Inventory
—
11
76
—
87
Other current assets
14
8
32
—
54
Other current assets—affiliate
—
1
21
(21
)
1
Total current assets
678
162
1,360
(138
)
2,062
Property, plant and equipment, net
79
2,145
13,007
(24
)
15,207
Debt issuance costs, net
3
—
15
—
18
Non-current derivative assets
15
—
16
—
31
Investments in subsidiaries
2,531
397
—
(2,928
)
—
Other non-current assets, net
—
35
189
—
224
Total assets
$
3,306
$
2,739
$
14,587
$
(3,090
)
$
17,542
LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
$
—
$
4
$
10
$
—
$
14
Accrued liabilities
20
15
537
—
572
Due to affiliates
—
111
43
(115
)
39
Deferred revenue
—
25
73
—
98
Deferred revenue—affiliate
—
21
—
(21
)
—
Derivative liabilities
—
—
7
—
7
Other current liabilities—affiliate
—
1
—
(1
)
—
Total current liabilities
20
177
670
(137
)
730
Long-term debt, net
2,558
—
13,488
—
16,046
Non-current derivative liabilities
—
—
7
—
7
Other non-current liabilities
—
8
—
—
8
Other non-current liabilities—affiliate
—
23
—
—
23
Partners’ equity
728
2,531
422
(2,953
)
728
Total liabilities and partners’ equity
$
3,306
$
2,739
$
14,587
$
(3,090
)
$
17,542
26
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet
December 31, 2017
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
Restricted cash
1,033
12
544
—
1,589
Accounts and other receivables
—
2
189
—
191
Accounts receivable—affiliate
—
36
163
(36
)
163
Advances to affiliate
—
20
26
(10
)
36
Inventory
—
10
85
—
95
Other current assets
8
3
54
—
65
Other current assets—affiliate
—
—
21
(21
)
—
Total current assets
1,041
83
1,082
(67
)
2,139
Property, plant and equipment, net
80
2,164
12,920
(25
)
15,139
Debt issuance costs, net
20
—
18
—
38
Non-current derivative assets
14
—
17
—
31
Investments in subsidiaries
2,076
(63
)
—
(2,013
)
—
Other non-current assets, net
—
37
169
—
206
Total assets
$
3,231
$
2,221
$
14,206
$
(2,105
)
$
17,553
LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
$
—
$
4
$
8
$
—
$
12
Accrued liabilities
23
8
606
—
637
Due to affiliates
—
47
66
(45
)
68
Deferred revenue
—
27
84
—
111
Deferred revenue—affiliate
—
22
—
(21
)
1
Other current liabilities—affiliate
—
1
—
(1
)
—
Total current liabilities
23
109
764
(67
)
829
Long-term debt, net
2,569
—
13,477
—
16,046
Non-current deferred revenue
—
1
—
—
1
Non-current derivative liabilities
—
—
3
—
3
Other non-current liabilities
—
10
—
—
10
Other non-current liabilities—affiliate
—
25
—
—
25
Partners’ equity (deficit)
639
2,076
(38
)
(2,038
)
639
Total liabilities and partners’ equity (deficit)
$
3,231
$
2,221
$
14,206
$
(2,105
)
$
17,553
27
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
Three Months Ended June 30, 2018
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
Revenues
LNG revenues
$
—
$
—
$
1,155
$
—
$
1,155
LNG revenues—affiliate
—
—
178
—
178
Regasification revenues
—
65
—
—
65
Regasification revenues—affiliate
—
66
—
(66
)
—
Other revenues
—
9
—
—
9
Other revenues—affiliate
—
80
—
(80
)
—
Total revenues
—
220
1,333
(146
)
1,407
Operating costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense shown separately below)
—
2
695
1
698
Cost of sales—affiliate
—
—
7
(7
)
—
Operating and maintenance expense
—
14
84
—
98
Operating and maintenance expense—affiliate
—
42
107
(119
)
30
Development expense
—
—
1
—
1
General and administrative expense
1
—
1
—
2
General and administrative expense—affiliate
3
7
12
(5
)
17
Depreciation and amortization expense
—
19
87
—
106
Total operating costs and expenses
4
84
994
(130
)
952
Income (loss) from operations
(4
)
136
339
(16
)
455
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
(34
)
(2
)
(148
)
—
(184
)
Derivative gain, net
3
—
—
—
3
Equity earnings of subsidiaries
313
193
—
(506
)
—
Other income
3
2
2
—
7
Total other income (expense)
285
193
(146
)
(506
)
(174
)
Net income
$
281
$
329
$
193
$
(522
)
$
281
28
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
Three Months Ended June 30, 2017
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
Revenues
LNG revenues
$
—
$
—
$
503
$
—
$
503
LNG revenues—affiliate
—
—
422
—
422
Regasification revenues
—
65
—
—
65
Regasification revenues—affiliate
—
47
—
(47
)
—
Other revenues
—
2
—
—
2
Other revenues—affiliate
—
60
—
(60
)
—
Total revenues
—
174
925
(107
)
992
Operating costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense shown separately below)
—
2
578
(3
)
577
Cost of sales—affiliate
—
—
6
(6
)
—
Operating and maintenance expense
2
12
68
—
82
Operating and maintenance expense—affiliate
—
29
83
(91
)
21
Development expense
—
—
1
—
1
General and administrative expense
1
1
—
—
2
General and administrative expense—affiliate
3
10
17
(7
)
23
Depreciation and amortization expense
—
19
67
—
86
Total operating costs and expenses
6
73
820
(107
)
792
Income (loss) from operations
(6
)
101
105
—
200
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
(27
)
—
(127
)
—
(154
)
Derivative loss, net
(3
)
—
—
—
(3
)
Equity earnings (losses) of subsidiaries
81
(20
)
—
(61
)
—
Other income
1
—
2
—
3
Total other income (expense)
52
(20
)
(125
)
(61
)
(154
)
Net income (loss)
$
46
$
81
$
(20
)
$
(61
)
$
46
29
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
Revenues
LNG revenues
$
—
$
—
$
2,170
$
—
$
2,170
LNG revenues—affiliate
—
—
681
—
681
Regasification revenues
—
130
—
—
130
Regasification revenues—affiliate
—
130
—
(130
)
—
Other revenues
—
19
—
—
19
Other revenues—affiliate
—
135
—
(135
)
—
Total revenues
—
414
2,851
(265
)
3,000
Operating costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense shown separately below)
—
2
1,533
—
1,535
Cost of sales—affiliate
—
—
15
(15
)
—
Operating and maintenance expense
—
31
162
—
193
Operating and maintenance expense—affiliate
—
74
210
(228
)
56
Development expense
—
—
1
—
1
General and administrative expense
2
1
3
—
6
General and administrative expense—affiliate
6
11
24
(6
)
35
Depreciation and amortization expense
1
37
173
—
211
Total operating costs and expenses
9
156
2,121
(249
)
2,037
Income (loss) from operations
(9
)
258
730
(16
)
963
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
(68
)
(2
)
(299
)
—
(369
)
Derivative gain, net
11
—
—
—
11
Equity earnings of subsidiaries
676
435
—
(1,111
)
—
Other income
6
1
4
—
11
Total other income (expense)
625
434
(295
)
(1,111
)
(347
)
Net income
$
616
$
692
$
435
$
(1,127
)
$
616
30
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations
Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
Revenues
LNG revenues
$
—
$
—
$
995
$
—
$
995
LNG revenues—affiliate
—
—
753
—
753
Regasification revenues
—
130
—
—
130
Regasification revenues—affiliate
—
80
—
(80
)
—
Other revenues
—
4
—
—
4
Other revenues—affiliate
—
111
—
(110
)
1
Total revenues
—
325
1,748
(190
)
1,883
Operating costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization expense shown separately below)
—
2
1,088
—
1,090
Cost of sales—affiliate
—
—
10
(10
)
—
Operating and maintenance expense
3
22
107
—
132
Operating and maintenance expense—affiliate
—
63
142
(166
)
39
Development expense
—
—
1
—
1
General and administrative expense
2
1
2
—
5
General and administrative expense—affiliate
6
13
34
(8
)
45
Depreciation and amortization expense
—
38
114
—
152
Total operating costs and expenses
11
139
1,498
(184
)
1,464
Income (loss) from operations
(11
)
186
250
(6
)
419
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
(52
)
—
(232
)
—
(284
)
Loss on modification or extinguishment of debt
—
—
(42
)
—
(42
)
Derivative loss, net
(1
)
—
(2
)
—
(3
)
Equity earnings (losses) of subsidiaries
156
(24
)
—
(132
)
—
Other income
1
—
2
—
3
Total other income (expense)
104
(24
)
(274
)
(132
)
(326
)
Net income (loss)
$
93
$
162
$
(24
)
$
(138
)
$
93
31
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities
$
(7
)
$
266
$
604
$
(58
)
$
805
Cash flows from investing activities
Property, plant and equipment, net
—
(18
)
(327
)
—
(345
)
Investments in subsidiaries
(112
)
(25
)
—
137
—
Distributions received from affiliates, net
277
—
—
(277
)
—
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
165
(43
)
(327
)
(140
)
(345
)
Cash flows from financing activities
Debt issuance and deferred financing costs
(1
)
—
—
—
(1
)
Distributions to parent
—
(335
)
—
335
—
Contributions from parent
—
112
25
(137
)
—
Distributions to owners
(527
)
—
—
—
(527
)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
(528
)
(223
)
25
198
(528
)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(370
)
—
302
—
(68
)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period
1,033
12
544
—
1,589
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period
$
663
$
12
$
846
$
—
$
1,521
Balances per Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet:
June 30, 2018
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
Cash and cash equivalents
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
Restricted cash
663
12
846
—
1,521
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
$
663
$
12
$
846
$
—
$
1,521
32
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED
(unaudited)
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
(in millions)
Parent Issuer
Guarantors
Non-Guarantor
Eliminations
Consolidated
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities
$
(55
)
$
163
$
221
$
(5
)
$
324
Cash flows from investing activities
Property, plant and equipment, net
—
(12
)
(891
)
5
(898
)
Investments in subsidiaries
(170
)
(7
)
—
177
—
Distributions received from affiliates, net
319
—
—
(319
)
—
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
149
(19
)
(891
)
(137
)
(898
)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issuances of debt
—
—
2,314
—
2,314
Repayments of debt
—
—
(703
)
—
(703
)
Debt issuance and deferred financing costs
—
—
(29
)
—
(29
)
Distributions to parent
—
(319
)
—
319
—
Contributions from parent
—
170
7
(177
)
—
Distributions to owners
(50
)
—
—
—
(50
)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
(50
)
(149
)
1,589
142
1,532
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
44
(5
)
919
—
958
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period
234
13
358
—
605
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period
$
278
$
8
$
1,277
$
—
$
1,563
33
ITEM 2.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This
quarterly
report contains certain statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements.” All statements, other than statements of historical or present facts or conditions, included herein or incorporated herein by reference are “forward-looking statements.” Included among “forward-looking statements” are, among other things:
•
statements regarding our ability to pay distributions to our unitholders;
•
statements regarding our expected receipt of cash distributions from SPLNG, SPL or CTPL;
•
statements that we expect to commence or complete construction of our proposed LNG terminals, liquefaction facilities, pipeline facilities or other projects, or any expansions or portions thereof, by certain dates, or at all;
•
statements regarding future levels of domestic and international natural gas production, supply or consumption or future levels of LNG imports into or exports from North America and other countries worldwide or purchases of natural gas, regardless of the source of such information, or the transportation or other infrastructure or demand for and prices related to natural gas, LNG or other hydrocarbon products;
•
statements regarding any financing transactions or arrangements, or our ability to enter into such transactions;
•
statements relating to the construction of our Trains, including statements concerning the engagement of any EPC contractor or other contractor and the anticipated terms and provisions of any agreement with any such EPC or other contractor, and anticipated costs related thereto;
•
statements regarding any SPA or other agreement to be entered into or performed substantially in the future, including any revenues anticipated to be received and the anticipated timing thereof, and statements regarding the amounts of total LNG regasification, natural gas liquefaction or storage capacities that are, or may become, subject to contracts;
•
statements regarding our planned development and construction of additional Trains, including the financing of such Trains;
•
statements that our Trains, when completed, will have certain characteristics, including amounts of liquefaction capacities;
•
statements regarding our business strategy, our strengths, our business and operation plans or any other plans, forecasts, projections, or objectives, including anticipated revenues, capital expenditures, maintenance and operating costs and cash flows, any or all of which are subject to change;
•
statements regarding legislative, governmental, regulatory, administrative or other public body actions, approvals, requirements, permits, applications, filings, investigations, proceedings or decisions; and
•
any other statements that relate to non-historica
l or future information.
All of these types of statements, other than statements of historical or present facts or conditions, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “project,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “target,” “continue,” the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. The forward-looking statements contained in this
quarterly
report are largely based on our expectations, which reflect estimates and assumptions made by our management. These estimates and assumptions reflect our best judgment based on currently known market conditions and other factors. Although we believe that such estimates are reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and involve a number of risks and uncertainties beyond our control. In addition, assumptions may prove to be inaccurate. We caution that the forward-looking statements contained in this
quarterly
report are not guarantees of future performance and that such statements may not be realized or the forward-looking statements or events may not occur. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors described in this
quarterly
report and in the other reports and other information that we file with the SEC, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” in our
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017
. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these risk factors. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and other than as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement or provide reasons why actual results may differ, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
34
Introduction
The following discussion and analysis presents management’s view of our business, financial condition and overall performance and should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes. This information is intended to provide investors with an understanding of our past performance, current financial condition and outlook for the future. Our discussion and analysis includes the following subjects:
•
Overview of Business
•
Overview of Significant Events
•
Liquidity and Capital Resources
•
Results of Operations
•
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
•
Summary of Critical Accounting Estimates
•
Recent Accounting Standards
Overview of Business
We are a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership formed by Cheniere. Our vision is to provide clean, secure and affordable energy to the world, while responsibly delivering a reliable, competitive and integrated source of LNG, in a safe and rewarding work environment. The liquefaction of natural gas into LNG allows it to be shipped economically from areas of the world where natural gas is abundant and inexpensive to produce to other areas where natural gas demand and infrastructure exist to economically justify the use of LNG.
T
hrough our wholly owned subsidiary, SPL, we are developing, constructing and operating
natural gas liquefaction facilities
(the “Liquefaction Project”)
at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal
located
in Cameron Parish, Louisiana,
on
the Sabine-Neches Waterway
less than four miles from the Gulf Coast.
We plan to construct up to six Trains, which are in various stages of development, construction and operations. Trains 1 through 4 are operational, Train 5 is undergoing commissioning and Train 6 is being commercialized and has all necessary regulatory approvals in place. Each Train is expected to have a nominal production capacity, which is prior to adjusting for planned maintenance, production reliability and potential overdesign, of approximately 4.5 mtpa of LNG and an adjusted nominal production capacity of approximately 4.3 to 4.6 mtpa of LNG. Through our wholly owned subsidiary, SPLNG, we own and operate regasification facilities at
the Sabine Pass LNG terminal, which includes pre-existing infrastructure of five LNG storage tanks with aggregate capacity of
approximately 16.9
Bcfe, two marine berths that can each accommodate
vessels with nominal capacity of
up to 266,000 cubic meters and vaporizers with regasification capacity of approximately 4.0 Bcf/d.
The Sabine Pass LNG terminal has operational regasification facilities owned by SPLNG and a
94
-mile pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG terminal with a number of large interstate pipelines
(the “Creole Trail Pipeline”)
through CTPL.
Overview of Significant Events
Our significant accomplishments since January 1,
2018
and through the filing date of this Form 10-Q include the following:
Operational
•
As of July 31, 2018, approximately
150
cargoes have been produced, loaded and exported from the
Liquefaction Project
year to date. To date, more than
400
cumulative LNG cargoes have been exported from the
Liquefaction Project
, with deliveries to
28
countries and regions worldwide.
Financial
•
In June 2018, the date of first commercial delivery was reached under the 20-year SPA with BG Gulf Coast LNG, LLC
(“BG”)
relating to Train 3 of the
Liquefaction Project
.
•
In March 2018, the date of first commercial delivery was reached under the 20-year SPA with GAIL (India) Limited (“GAIL”) relating to Train 4 of the
Liquefaction Project
.
35
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The following table provides a summary of our liquidity position at
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
(in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
Cash and cash equivalents
$
—
$
—
Restricted cash designated for the following purposes:
Liquefaction Project
846
544
Cash held by us and our guarantor subsidiaries
675
1,045
Available commitments under the following credit facilities:
$1.2 billion SPL Working Capital Facility (“SPL Working Capital Facility”)
517
470
CQP Credit Facilities (“CQP Credit Facilities”)
220
220
For additional information regarding our debt agreements, see
Note 10—Debt
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this quarterly report and
Note 11—Debt
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
2025 CQP Senior Notes
In September 2017, we issued an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion of 5.250% Senior Notes due 2025
(“the 2025 CQP Senior Notes”)
, which are jointly and severally guaranteed by each of our subsidiaries other than SPL and, subject to certain conditions governing the release of its guarantee, Sabine Pass LP
(collectively, the “CQP Guarantors”)
. Net proceeds of the offering of approximately $1.5 billion, after deducting the initial purchasers’ commissions and estimated fees and expenses, were used to prepay a portion of the outstanding indebtedness under the
CQP Credit Facilities
.
The
2025 CQP Senior Notes
are governed by an indenture
(the “CQP Indenture”)
, which contains customary terms and events of default and certain covenants that, among other things, limit our ability and the ability of the
CQP Guarantors
to incur liens and sell assets, enter into transactions with affiliates, enter into sale-leaseback transactions and consolidate, merge or sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the applicable entity’s properties or assets.
At any time prior to October 1, 2020, we may redeem all or a part of the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
at a redemption price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
redeemed, plus the “applicable premium” set forth in the
CQP Indenture
, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption. In addition, at any time prior to October 1, 2020, we may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
with an amount of cash not greater than the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings at a redemption price equal to 105.250% of the aggregate principal amount of the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption. We also may at any time on or after October 1, 2020 through the maturity date of October 1, 2025, redeem the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
, in whole or in part, at the redemption prices set forth in the
CQP Indenture
.
The
2025 CQP Senior Notes
are our senior obligations, ranking equally in right of payment with our other existing and future unsubordinated debt and senior to any of our future subordinated debt. The
2025 CQP Senior Notes
are secured alongside the
CQP Credit Facilities
on a first-priority basis (subject to permitted encumbrances) with liens on (1) substantially all the existing and future tangible and intangible assets and our rights and the rights of the
CQP Guarantors
and equity interests in the
CQP Guarantors
(except, in each case, for certain excluded properties set forth in the
CQP Credit Facilities
) and (2) substantially all of the real property of SPLNG (except for excluded properties referenced in the
CQP Credit Facilities
). The liens securing the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
would be released if (1) the aggregate principal amount of all indebtedness then outstanding under the term loans under the
CQP Credit Facilities
secured by such liens does not exceed $1.0 billion and (2) the aggregate amount of our secured indebtedness and the secured indebtedness of the
CQP Guarantors
(other than the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
or any other series of notes issued under the
CQP Indenture
) outstanding at any one time, together with all Attributable Indebtedness (as defined in the
CQP Indenture
) from sale-leaseback transactions (subject to certain exceptions), does not exceed the greater of (1) $1.5 billion and (2) 10% of net tangible assets. Upon the release of the liens securing the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
, the limitation on liens covenant under the
CQP Indenture
will continue to govern the incurrence of liens by us and the
CQP Guarantors
.
CQP Credit Facilities
In February 2016, we entered into the
CQP Credit Facilities
. The
CQP Credit Facilities
consist of: (1) a $450 million CTPL tranche term loan that was used to prepay the $400 million term loan facility
(the “CTPL Term Loan”)
in February 2016, (2) an approximately $2.1 billion SPLNG tranche term loan that was used to repay and redeem in November 2016 the approximately
36
$2.1 billion of the senior notes previously issued by SPLNG, (3) a $125 million facility that may be used to satisfy a six-month debt service reserve requirement and (4) a $115 million revolving credit facility that may be used for general business purposes. In September 2017, we issued the
2025 CQP Senior Notes
and the net proceeds were used to prepay $1.5 billion of the outstanding indebtedness under the
CQP Credit Facilities
. As of both
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, we had
$220 million
of available commitments,
$20 million
aggregate amount of issued letters of credit and
$1.1 billion
of loans outstanding under the
CQP Credit Facilities
.
The
CQP Credit Facilities
mature on February 25, 2020, with principal payments due quarterly commencing on March 31, 2019. The outstanding balance may be repaid, in whole or in part, at any time without premium or penalty, except for interest hedging and interest rate breakage costs. The
CQP Credit Facilities
contain conditions precedent for extensions of credit, as well as customary affirmative and negative covenants and limit our ability to make restricted payments, including distributions, to once per fiscal quarter as long as certain conditions are satisfied. Under the
CQP Credit Facilities
, we are required to hedge not less than 50% of the variable interest rate exposure on its projected aggregate outstanding balance, maintain a minimum debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.15x at the end of each fiscal quarter beginning March 31, 2019 and have a projected debt service coverage ratio of 1.55x in order to incur additional indebtedness to refinance a portion of the existing obligations.
The
CQP Credit Facilities
are unconditionally guaranteed by each of our subsidiaries other than (1) SPL and (2) certain of our subsidiaries owning other development projects, as well as certain other specified subsidiaries and members of the foregoing entities.
Sabine Pass LNG Terminal
Liquefaction Facilities
We are developing, constructing and operating the
Liquefaction Project
at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal adjacent to the existing regasification facilities. We have received authorization from the FERC to site, construct and operate Trains 1 through 6. We have achieved substantial completion of Trains 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
Liquefaction Project
and commenced operating activities in May 2016, September 2016, March 2017 and October 2017, respectively. The following table summarizes the status of Train 5 of the
Liquefaction Project
as of
June 30, 2018
:
Train 5
Overall project completion percentage
95.1%
Completion percentage of:
Engineering
100%
Procurement
100%
Subcontract work
81.1%
Construction
91.4%
Date of expected substantial completion
1H 2019
The following orders have been issued by the DOE authorizing the export of domestically produced LNG by vessel from the Sabine Pass LNG terminal:
•
Trains 1 through 4—
FTA countries
for a 30-year term, which commenced on May 15, 2016, and
non-FTA countries
for a 20-year term, which commenced on June 3, 2016, in an amount up to a combined total of the equivalent of 16
mtpa
(approximately 803
Bcf/yr
of natural gas).
•
Trains 1 through 4—
FTA countries
for a 25-year term and non-FTA countries for a 20-year term in an amount up to a combined total of the equivalent of approximately 203
Bcf/yr
of natural gas (approximately 4 mtpa).
•
Trains 5 and 6—
FTA countries
and
non-FTA countries
for a 20-year term, in an amount up to a combined total of 503.3
Bcf/yr
of natural gas (approximately 10 mtpa).
In each case, the terms of these authorizations begin on the earlier of the date of first export thereunder or the date specified in the particular order, which ranges from five to 10 years from the date the order was issued. In addition, SPL received an order providing for a three-year makeup period with respect to each of the non-FTA orders for LNG volumes SPL was authorized but unable to export during any portion of the initial 20-year export period of such order.
In January 2018, the DOE issued orders authorizing SPL to export domestically produced LNG by vessel from the Sabine Pass LNG terminal to
FTA countries
and
non-FTA countries
over a two-year period commencing January 2018, in an aggregate
37
amount up to the equivalent of 600
Bcf
of natural gas (however, exports under this order, when combined with exports under the orders above, may not exceed 1,509
Bcf/yr
).
Customers
SPL has entered into six fixed price
SPA
s with terms of at least 20 years (plus extension rights) with third parties to make available an aggregate amount of LNG that is between approximately 80% to 95% of the expected aggregate adjusted nominal production capacity of Trains 1 through 5. Under these
SPA
s, the customers will purchase LNG from SPL for a price consisting of a fixed fee per MMBtu of LNG (a portion of which is subject to annual adjustment for inflation) plus a variable fee per
MMBtu
of LNG equal to approximately 115% of
Henry Hub
. In certain circumstances, the customers may elect to cancel or suspend deliveries of LNG cargoes, in which case the customers would still be required to pay the fixed fee with respect to the contracted volumes that are not delivered as a result of such cancellation or suspension. We refer to the fee component that is applicable regardless of a cancellation or suspension of LNG cargo deliveries under the SPAs as the fixed fee component of the price under SPL’s SPAs. We refer to the fee component that is applicable only in connection with LNG cargo deliveries as the variable fee component of the price under SPL’s SPAs. The variable fees under SPL’s SPAs were sized at the time of entry into each SPA with the intent to cover the costs of gas purchases and transportation related to, and operating and maintenance costs to produce, the LNG to be sold under each such SPA. The
SPA
s and contracted volumes to be made available under the
SPA
s are not tied to a specific Train; however, the term of each
SPA
generally commences upon the date of first commercial delivery of a specified Train except for the SPA with
BG
related to Trains 3 and 4, which commence approximately one year after the date of first commercial delivery for the respective Train.
In aggregate, the annual fixed fee portion to be paid by the third-party SPA customers is approximately $2.2 billion for Trains 1 through 3 and the SPA with GAIL for Train 4, increasing to $2.3 billion upon the date of first commercial delivery under the SPA with BG for Train 4 and to $2.9 billion upon the date of first commercial delivery of Train 5, with the applicable fixed fees starting from the date of first commercial delivery from the applicable Train, as specified in each SPA.
In addition, Cheniere Marketing has entered into an
SPA
with SPL to purchase, at Cheniere Marketing’s option, any LNG produced by SPL in excess of that required for other customers.
Natural Gas Transportation, Storage and Supply
To ensure SPL is able to transport adequate natural gas feedstock to the Sabine Pass LNG terminal, it has entered into transportation precedent and other agreements to secure firm pipeline transportation capacity with CTPL and third-party pipeline companies. SPL has entered into firm storage services agreements with third parties to assist in managing volatility in natural gas needs for the
Liquefaction Project
. SPL has also entered into enabling agreements and long-term natural gas supply contracts with third parties in order to secure natural gas feedstock for the Liquefaction Project. As of
June 30, 2018
, SPL has secured up to approximately
2,163
TBtu
of natural gas feedstock through long-term and short-term natural gas supply contracts.
Construction
SPL entered into lump sum turnkey contracts with Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc.
(“Bechtel”)
for the engineering, procurement and construction of Trains 1 through 5 of the
Liquefaction Project
, under which
Bechtel
charges a lump sum for all work performed and generally bears project cost risk unless certain specified events occur, in which case
Bechtel
may cause SPL to enter into a change order, or SPL agrees with
Bechtel
to a change order.
The total contract price of the EPC contract for Train 5 of the
Liquefaction Project
is approximately
$3.1 billion
reflecting amounts incurred under change orders through
June 30, 2018
. Total expected capital costs for Trains 1 through 5 are estimated to be between
$12.5 billion
and
$13.5 billion
before financing costs and between
$17.5 billion
and
$18.5 billion
after financing costs, including, in each case, estimated owner’s costs and contingencies.
Final Investment Decision on Train 6
We will contemplate making a final investment decision to commence construction of Train 6 of the
Liquefaction Project
based upon, among other things, entering into an
EPC
contract, entering into acceptable commercial arrangements and obtaining adequate financing to construct Train 6.
38
Regasification Facilities
The Sabine Pass LNG terminal has operational regasification capacity of approximately 4.0
Bcf/d
and aggregate LNG storage capacity of approximately 16.9
Bcfe
. Approximately 2.0
Bcf/d
of the regasification capacity at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal has been reserved under two long-term third-party
TUA
s, under which SPLNG’s customers are required to pay fixed monthly fees, whether or not they use the LNG terminal. Each of Total Gas & Power North America, Inc.
(“Total”)
and Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
(“Chevron”)
has reserved approximately 1.0
Bcf/d
of regasification capacity and is obligated to make monthly capacity payments to SPLNG aggregating approximately $125 million annually for 20 years that commenced in 2009. Total S.A. has guaranteed
Total
’s obligations under its
TUA
up to $2.5 billion, subject to certain exceptions, and Chevron Corporation has guaranteed
Chevron
’s obligations under its
TUA
up to 80% of the fees payable by
Chevron
.
The remaining approximately 2.0
Bcf/d
of capacity has been reserved under a
TUA
by SPL. SPL is obligated to make monthly capacity payments to SPLNG aggregating approximately $250 million annually, continuing until at least May 2036. SPL entered into a partial TUA assignment agreement with
Total
, whereby upon substantial completion of Train 3 of the
Liquefaction Project
, SPL gained access to a portion of
Total
’s capacity and other services provided under
Total
’s TUA with SPLNG. This agreement provides SPL with additional berthing and storage capacity at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal that may be used to provide increased flexibility in managing LNG cargo loading and unloading activity, permit SPL to more flexibly manage its LNG storage capacity and accommodate the development of Trains 5 and 6. Notwithstanding any arrangements between
Total
and SPL, payments required to be made by
Total
to SPLNG will continue to be made by
Total
to SPLNG in accordance with its TUA. During the
three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, SPL recorded
$7 million
and
$8 million
, respectively, and during the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, SPL recorded
$15 million
and
$8 million
, respectively, as operating and maintenance expense under this partial TUA assignment agreement.
Under each of these
TUA
s, SPLNG is entitled to retain 2% of the LNG delivered to the Sabine Pass LNG terminal.
Capital Resources
We currently expect that SPL’s capital resources requirements with respect to Trains 1 through 5 of the
Liquefaction Project
will be financed through project debt and borrowings and cash flows under the
SPA
s. We believe that with the net proceeds of borrowings, available commitments under the
SPL Working Capital Facility
and cash flows from operations, we will have adequate financial resources available to complete Train 5 of the
Liquefaction Project
and to meet our currently anticipated capital, operating and debt service requirements. SPL began generating cash flows from operations from the
Liquefaction Project
in May 2016, when Train 1 achieved substantial completion and initiated operating activities. Trains 2, 3 and 4 subsequently achieved substantial completion in September 2016, March 2017 and October 2017, respectively. We realized offsets to LNG terminal costs of
$39 million
and
$163 million
in the
three and six months ended June 30, 2017
, respectively, that were related to the sale of commissioning cargoes because these amounts were earned or loaded prior to the start of commercial operations, during the testing phase for the construction of those Trains of the
Liquefaction Project
. We did
no
t realize any offsets to LNG terminal costs in the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
. Additionally, SPLNG generates cash flows from the TUAs, as discussed above.
The following table provides a summary of our capital resources from borrowings and available commitments for the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, excluding equity contributions to our subsidiaries and cash flows from operations (as described in
Sources and Uses of Cash
), at
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
(in millions):
June 30,
December 31,
2018
2017
Senior notes (1)
$
15,150
$
15,150
Credit facilities outstanding balance (2)
1,090
1,090
Letters of credit issued (3)
683
730
Available commitments under credit facilities (3)
517
470
Total capital resources from borrowings and available commitments
$
17,440
$
17,440
(1)
Includes SPL’s 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2021, 6.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2022, 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2023, 5.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2024, 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2025, 5.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2026
(the “2026 SPL Senior Notes”)
, 5.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2027
(the “2027 SPL Senior Notes”)
, 4.200% Senior Secured Notes due 2028
(the “2028 SPL Senior Notes”)
and 5.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2037
(the “2037 SPL Senior Notes”)
(collectively, the “SPL Senior Notes”)
and our
2025 CQP Senior Notes
.
39
(2)
Includes outstanding balance under the
SPL Working Capital Facility
and CTPL and SPLNG tranche term loans outstanding under the
CQP Credit Facilities
.
(3)
Consists of
SPL Working Capital Facility
. Does not include the letters of credit issued or available commitments under the
CQP Credit Facilities
, which are not specifically for the
Liquefaction Project
.
For additional information regarding our debt agreements related to the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, see
Note 10—Debt
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this quarterly report and
Note 11—Debt
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
SPL Senior Notes
The
SPL Senior Notes
are secured on a
pari passu
first-priority basis by a security interest in all of the membership interests in SPL and substantially all of SPL’s assets.
At any time prior to three months before the respective dates of maturity for each series of the
SPL Senior Notes
(except for the
2026 SPL Senior Notes
,
2027 SPL Senior Notes
,
2028 SPL Senior Notes
and
2037 SPL Senior Notes
, in which case the time period is six months before the respective dates of maturity), SPL may redeem all or part of such series of the
SPL Senior Notes
at a redemption price equal to the “make-whole” price (except for the
2037 SPL Senior Notes
, in which case the redemption price is equal to the “optional redemption” price) set forth in the respective indentures governing the
SPL Senior Notes
, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption. SPL may also, at any time within three months of the respective maturity dates for each series of the
SPL Senior Notes
(except for the
2026 SPL Senior Notes
,
2027 SPL Senior Notes
,
2028 SPL Senior Notes
and
2037 SPL Senior Notes
, in which case the time period is within six months of the respective dates of maturity), redeem all or part of such series of the
SPL Senior Notes
at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such series of the
SPL Senior Notes
to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption.
Both the indenture governing the
2037 SPL Senior Notes
(the “
2037 SPL Senior Notes
Indenture”) and the common indenture governing the remainder of the
SPL Senior Notes
(the “SPL Indenture”)
include restrictive covenants. SPL may incur additional indebtedness in the future, including by issuing additional notes, and such indebtedness could be at higher interest rates and have different maturity dates and more restrictive covenants than the current outstanding indebtedness of SPL, including the
SPL Senior Notes
and the
SPL Working Capital Facility
. Under the
2037 SPL Senior Notes
Indenture and the
SPL Indenture
, SPL may not make any distributions until, among other requirements, deposits are made into debt service reserve accounts as required and a debt service coverage ratio test of 1.25:1.00 is satisfied. Semi-annual principal payments for the
2037 SPL Senior Notes
are due on March 15 and September 15 of each year beginning September 15, 2025.
SPL Working Capital Facility
In September 2015, SPL entered into the
SPL Working Capital Facility
, which is intended to be used for loans to SPL
(“Working Capital Loans”)
, the issuance of letters of credit on behalf of SPL, as well as for swing line loans to SPL
(“Swing Line Loans”)
, primarily for certain working capital requirements related to developing and placing into operation the
Liquefaction Project
. SPL may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the
SPL Working Capital Facility
of up to $760 million and, upon the completion of the debt financing of Train 6 of the
Liquefaction Project
, request an incremental increase in commitments of up to an additional $390 million. As of
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, SPL had
$517 million
and $470 million of available commitments and
$683 million
and $730 million aggregate amount of issued letters of credit under the
SPL Working Capital Facility
, respectively. As of both
June 30, 2018
and
December 31, 2017
, SPL had
no
loans outstanding under the
SPL Working Capital Facility
.
The
SPL Working Capital Facility
matures on December 31, 2020, and the outstanding balance may be repaid, in whole or in part, at any time without premium or penalty upon three business days’ notice. Loans deemed made in connection with a draw upon a letter of credit have a term of up to one year.
Swing Line Loans
terminate upon the earliest of (1) the maturity date or earlier termination of the
SPL Working Capital Facility
, (2) the date 15 days after such Swing Line Loan is made and (3) the first borrowing date for a Working Capital Loan or Swing Line Loan occurring at least three business days following the date the Swing Line Loan is made. SPL is required to reduce the aggregate outstanding principal amount of all Working Capital Loans to zero for a period of five consecutive business days at least once each year.
The
SPL Working Capital Facility
contains conditions precedent for extensions of credit, as well as customary affirmative and negative covenants. The obligations of SPL under the
SPL Working Capital Facility
are secured by substantially all of the assets of SPL as well as all of the membership interests in SPL on a
pari passu
basis with the
SPL Senior Notes
.
40
Restrictive Debt Covenants
As of
June 30, 2018
, we and SPL were in compliance with all covenants related to our respective debt agreements.
Sources and Uses of Cash
The following table summarizes the sources and uses of our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash for the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
(in millions). The table presents capital expenditures on a cash basis; therefore, these amounts differ from the amounts of capital expenditures, including accruals, which are referred to elsewhere in this report. Additional discussion of these items follows the table.
Six Months Ended June 30,
2018
2017
Operating cash flows
$
805
$
324
Investing cash flows
(345
)
(898
)
Financing cash flows
(528
)
1,532
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(68
)
958
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period
1,589
605
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period
$
1,521
$
1,563
Operating Cash Flows
Our operating cash inflows during the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
were
$805 million
and
$324 million
, respectively. The
$481 million
increase in operating cash inflows in 2018 compared to 2017 was primarily related to increased cash receipts from the sale of LNG cargoes, partially offset by increased operating costs and expenses as a result of the of additional Trains that were operating at the Liquefaction Project in 2018. During the
six months ended June 30, 2018
, Trains 1 through 4 were operational, whereas during the
six months ended June 30, 2017
, Trains 1 and 2 were operational for six months and Train 3 was operational for approximately three months.
Investing Cash Flows
Investing cash outflows during the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
were
$345 million
and
$898 million
, respectively, and were primarily used to fund the construction costs for the
Liquefaction Project
. These costs are capitalized as construction-in-process until achievement of substantial completion.
Financing Cash Flows
Financing cash outflows during the
six months ended June 30, 2018
were primarily a result of
$527 million
in distributions to unitholders. Financing cash inflows during the
six months ended June 30, 2017
were
$1.5 billion
, primarily as a result of:
•
issuances of SPL’s senior notes for an aggregate principal amount of $2.15 billion;
•
$55 million of borrowings and $369 million of repayments made under the credit facilities SPL entered into in June 2015;
•
$110 million of borrowings and $334 million of repayments made under the
SPL Working Capital Facility
;
•
$29 million
of debt issuance costs related to up-front fees paid upon the closing of these transactions; and
•
$50 million
of distributions to unitholders.
41
Cash Distributions to Unitholders
Our partnership agreement requires that, within 45 days after the end of each quarter, we distribute all of our available cash (as defined in our partnership agreement). Our available cash is our cash on hand at the end of a quarter less the amount of any reserves established by our general partner. All distributions paid to date have been made from accumulated operating surplus. The following provides a summary of distributions paid by us during the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
:
Total Distribution (in millions)
Date Paid
Period Covered by Distribution
Distribution Per Common Unit
Distribution Per Subordinated Unit
Common Units
Subordinated Units
General Partner Units
Incentive Distribution Rights
May 15, 2018
January 1 - March 31, 2018
$
0.55
$
0.55
$
192
$
74
$
5
$
6
February 14, 2018
October 1 - December 31, 2017
0.50
0.50
174
68
5
1
May 15, 2017
January 1 - March 31, 2017
0.425
—
24
—
0.5
—
February 13, 2017
October 1 - December 31, 2016
0.425
—
24
—
0.5
—
On
July 27, 2018
, we declared a
$0.56
distribution per common unit and subordinated unit and the related distribution to our general partner and incentive distribution right holders to be paid on
August 14, 2018
to unitholders of record as of
August 6, 2018
for the period from
April 1, 2018
to
June 30, 2018
.
The subordinated units will receive distributions only to the extent we have available cash above the initial quarterly distributions requirement for our common unitholders and general partner along with certain reserves. Such available cash could be generated through new business development or fees received from Cheniere Marketing under an amended and restated variable capacity rights agreement pursuant to which Cheniere Marketing is obligated to pay Cheniere Investments 80% of the expected gross margin of each cargo of LNG that Cheniere Marketing arranges for delivery to the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. The ending of the subordination period and conversion of the subordinated units into common units will depend upon future business development.
Results of Operations
Our consolidated net income was
$281 million
, or
$0.55
income per common unit (basic and diluted), in the
three months ended June 30, 2018
, compared to a net income of
$46 million
, or
$3.71
loss per common unit (basic and diluted), in the
three months ended June 30, 2017
. This
$235 million
increase in net income in 2018 was primarily a result of increased income from operations due to additional Trains operating between the periods, which was partially offset by increased interest expense, net of amounts capitalized.
Our consolidated net income was
$616 million
, or
$1.22
income per common unit (basic and diluted), in the
six months ended June 30, 2018
, compared to a net income of
$93 million
, or
$4.50
loss per common unit (basic and diluted), in the
six months ended June 30, 2017
. This
$523 million
increase in net income in 2018 was primarily a result of increased income from operations due to additional Trains operating between the periods and decreased loss on modification or extinguishment of debt, which were partially offset by increased interest expense, net of amounts capitalized.
Revenues
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions, except volumes)
2018
2017
Change
2018
2017
Change
LNG revenues
$
1,155
$
503
$
652
$
2,170
$
995
$
1,175
LNG revenues—affiliate
178
422
(244
)
681
753
(72
)
Regasification revenues
65
65
—
130
130
—
Other revenues
9
2
7
19
4
15
Other revenues—affiliate
—
—
—
—
1
(1
)
Total revenues
$
1,407
$
992
$
415
$
3,000
$
1,883
$
1,117
LNG volumes recognized as revenues (in TBtu)
222
167
55
463
295
168
We begin recognizing LNG revenues from the
Liquefaction Project
following the substantial completion and the commencement of operating activities of the respective Trains. During the
six months ended June 30, 2018
, Trains 1 through 4 were operational, whereas during the
six months ended June 30, 2017
, Trains 1 and 2 were operational for six months and Train 3 was operational for approximately three months. The increase in revenues for the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
42
from the comparable periods in 2017 was primarily attributable to the increased volume of LNG sold following the achievement of substantial completion of these Trains. We expect our LNG revenues to increase in the future upon Train 5 becoming operational.
Prior to substantial completion of a Train, amounts received from the sale of commissioning cargoes from that Train are offset against LNG terminal construction-in-process because these amounts are earned or loaded during the testing phase for the construction of that Train. We realized offsets to LNG terminal costs of
$39 million
corresponding to 8
TBtu
of LNG in the
three months ended June 30, 2017
and
$163 million
corresponding to 26
TBtu
of LNG in the
six months ended June 30, 2017
that was related to the sale of commissioning cargoes. There were no commissioning cargoes sold that were realized as offsets to LNG terminal costs in the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
.
Operating costs and expenses
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)
2018
2017
Change
2018
2017
Change
Cost of sales
$
698
$
577
$
121
$
1,535
$
1,090
$
445
Operating and maintenance expense
98
82
16
193
132
61
Operating and maintenance expense—affiliate
30
21
9
56
39
17
Development expense
1
1
—
1
1
—
General and administrative expense
2
2
—
6
5
1
General and administrative expense—affiliate
17
23
(6
)
35
45
(10
)
Depreciation and amortization expense
106
86
20
211
152
59
Total operating costs and expenses
$
952
$
792
$
160
$
2,037
$
1,464
$
573
Our total operating costs and expenses increased during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
from the
three and six months ended June 30, 2017
, primarily as a result of additional Trains that were operating between the periods. There were four Trains operating during the
six months ended June 30, 2018
, whereas two Trains were operating for six months and a third Train was operating for approximately three months during the comparable periods in 2017.
Cost of sales increased during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
from the comparable periods in 2017, primarily as a result of the increase in operating Trains during 2018. Cost of sales includes costs incurred directly for the production and delivery of LNG from the
Liquefaction Project
, to the extent those costs are not utilized for the commissioning process. The increase during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
from the comparable periods in 2017 was primarily related to the increase in the volume of natural gas feedstock, partially offset by lower prices of natural gas feedstock between the periods. Cost of sales also includes gains and losses from derivatives associated with economic hedges to secure natural gas feedstock for the
Liquefaction Project
, variable transportation and storage costs and other costs to convert natural gas into LNG.
Operating and maintenance expense (including affiliates) increased during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
from the comparable periods in 2017, as a result of the increase in operating Trains during 2018. Operating and maintenance expense primarily includes costs associated with operating and maintaining the
Liquefaction Project
. The increase during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
from the comparable periods in 2017 was primarily related to natural gas transportation and storage capacity demand charges, third-party service and maintenance contract costs, payroll and benefit costs of operations personnel and TUA reservation charges from payments made under the partial TUA assignment agreement with Total. Operating and maintenance expense (including affiliates) also includes insurance and regulatory costs and other operating costs.
Depreciation and amortization expense increased during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
from the
three and six months ended June 30, 2017
as a result of an increased number of operational Trains, as the assets related to the Trains of the Liquefaction Project began depreciating upon reaching substantial completion.
We expect our operating costs and expenses to generally increase in the future upon Train 5 achieving substantial completion, although certain costs will not proportionally increase with the number of operational Trains as cost efficiencies will be realized.
43
Other expense (income)
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)
2018
2017
Change
2018
2017
Change
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
$
184
$
154
$
30
$
369
$
284
$
85
Loss on modification or extinguishment of debt
—
—
—
—
42
(42
)
Derivative loss (gain), net
(3
)
3
(6
)
(11
)
3
(14
)
Other income
(7
)
(3
)
(4
)
(11
)
(3
)
(8
)
Total other expense
$
174
$
154
$
20
$
347
$
326
$
21
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest, increased during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
compared to the
three and six months ended June 30, 2017
, primarily as a result of a decrease in the portion of total interest costs that could be capitalized as additional Trains of the
Liquefaction Project
completed construction between the periods. For the
three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, we incurred
$234 million
and
$224 million
of total interest cost, respectively, of which we capitalized
$50 million
and
$70 million
, respectively, which was directly related to the construction of the Liquefaction Project. For the
six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
, we incurred
$466 million
and
$435 million
of total interest cost, respectively, of which we capitalized
$97 million
and
$151 million
, respectively, which was directly related to the construction of the Liquefaction Project.
Loss on modification or extinguishment of debt decreased during the
six months ended June 30, 2018
, as compared to the
six months ended June 30, 2017
. Loss on modification or extinguishment of debt recognized in 2017 was attributable to the $42 million write-off of debt issuance costs in March upon termination of the remaining available balance of $1.6 billion under SPL’s previous credit facilities in connection with the issuance of the
2028 Senior Notes
and the
2037 Senior Notes
.
Derivative gain, net increased during the
three and six months ended June 30, 2018
compared to the
three and six months ended June 30, 2017
, primarily due to a favorable shift in the long-term forward LIBOR curve between the periods. During the
six months ended June 30, 2017
, the gain attributable to a relative increase in the long-term forward LIBOR curve during the period was partially offset by the
$7 million
loss in March recognized upon the termination of interest rate swaps associated with approximately $1.6 billion of commitments that were terminated under SPL’s previous credit facilities.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of
June 30, 2018
, we had no transactions that met the definition of off-balance sheet arrangements that may have a current or future material effect on our consolidated financial position or operating results.
Summary of Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes. There have been no significant changes to our critical accounting estimates from those disclosed in our
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017
.
Recent Accounting Standards
For descriptions of recently issued accounting standards, see
Note 16—Recent Accounting Standards
of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
44
ITEM 3.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Marketing and Trading Commodity Price Risk
We have entered into commodity derivatives consisting of natural gas supply contracts for the commissioning and operation of the
Liquefaction Project
(“Liquefaction Supply Derivatives”)
. In order to test the sensitivity of the fair value of the
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
to changes in underlying commodity prices, management modeled a 10% change in the commodity price for natural gas for each delivery location as follows (in millions):
June 30, 2018
December 31, 2017
Fair Value
Change in Fair Value
Fair Value
Change in Fair Value
Liquefaction Supply Derivatives
$
9
$
1
$
55
$
5
Interest Rate Risk
We have entered into interest rate swaps to hedge the exposure to volatility in a portion of the floating-rate interest payments under the
CQP Credit Facilities
(“CQP Interest Rate Derivatives”)
. In order to test the sensitivity of the fair value of the
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives
to changes in interest rates, management modeled a 10% change in the forward 1-month
LIBOR
curve across the remaining terms of the
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives
as follows (in millions):
June 30, 2018
December 31, 2017
Fair Value
Change in Fair Value
Fair Value
Change in Fair Value
CQP Interest Rate Derivatives
$
29
$
5
$
21
$
5
See
Note 7—Derivative Instruments
for additional details about our derivative instruments.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
We maintain a set of disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports filed by us under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”)
is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. As of the end of the period covered by this report, we evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our general partner’s management, including our general partner’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the
Exchange Act
. Based on that evaluation, our general partner’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
During the most recent fiscal quarter, there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
45
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We may in the future be involved as a party to various legal proceedings, which are incidental to the ordinary course of business. We regularly analyze current information and, as necessary, provide accruals for probable liabilities on the eventual disposition of these matters. Other than as discussed below, there have been no material changes to the legal proceedings disclosed in our
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017
.
In February 2018, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) issued a Corrective Action Order (the “CAO”) to SPL in connection with a minor LNG leak from one tank and minor vapor release from a second tank at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. These two tanks have been taken out of operational service while we conduct analysis, repair and remediation. On April 20, 2018, SPL and PHMSA executed a Consent Agreement and Order (the “Consent Order”) that replaces and supersedes the CAO. We continue to work with PHMSA and other appropriate regulatory authorities to address the matters identified in the Consent Order. We do not expect that the Consent Order and related analysis, repair and remediation will have a material adverse impact on our financial results or operations.
ITEM 1A.
RISK FACTORS
There have been no material changes from the risk factors disclosed in our
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017
.
46
ITEM 6.
EXHIBITS
Exhibit No.
Description
10.1
Second Amendment and Consent, dated as of May 23, 2018, amending and modifying the Credit and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of February 25, 2016 by and among the Partnership, MUFG Bank, Ltd., as Administrative Agent, the Lenders party thereto from time to time and each other Person party thereto from time to time (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Partnership’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (SEC File No. 333-225684) filed on June 15, 2018)
10.2
Third Omnibus Amendment, dated as of May 23, 2018 to (a) the Second Amended and Restated Common Terms Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2015, by and among SPL, Société Générale, as the Common Security Trustee and as the Intercreditor Agent, The Bank of Nova Scotia, and each other party thereto from time to time and (b) the Amended and Restated Senior Working Capital Revolving Credit and Letter of Credit Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of September 4, 2015, by and among SPL, Société Générale as the Swing Line Lender and as the Common Security Trustee, The Bank of Nova Scotia as the Senior Issuing Bank and Senior Facility Agent and the other agents and lenders from time to time party thereto. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Partnership’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (SEC File No. 333-225684) filed on June 15, 2018)
10.3
Change orders to the Lump Sum Turnkey Agreement for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction of the Sabine Pass LNG Stage 3 Liquefaction Facility, dated as of May 4, 2015, between SPL and Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc.: (i) the Change Order CO-00029 Existing Jetty Structural Steel Analysis – Tanks 104 & 105, dated March 28, 2018, (ii) the Change Order CO-00030 Train 5 JT Valve PV-16002 Internals Modification, Eaton Switchgear Bus Repairs & Inspection Isometrics, dated April 18, 2018, (iii) the Change Order CO-00031 Blind and Spacer Set for Feed Gas Header, dated April 18, 2018, and (iv) the Change Order CO-00032 Additional GTG Testing, dated April 18, 2018 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to CQP’s Registration Statement on S-4 (SEC File No. 333-225684), filed on June 15, 2018)
10.4*
Change orders to the Lump Sum Turnkey Agreement for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction of the Sabine Pass LNG Stage 3 Liquefaction Facility, dated as of May 4, 2015, between SPL and Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc.: (i) the Change Order CO-00033 System Inspection Isometrics, dated May 24, 2018, (ii) the Change Order CO-00034 Site Evacuation, dated May 31, 2018, (iii) the Change Order CO-00035 Stage 3 - Existing & Stages 1 and 2 Liquefaction Facility Labor Provisional Sum True-Up, dated June 7, 2018, and (iv) the Change Order CO-00036 General Electric, Instrument and Valve Spares, dated June 7, 2018
31.1*
Certification by Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Exchange Act
31.2*
Certification by Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Exchange Act
32.1**
Certification by Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2**
Certification by Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS*
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document
101.PRE*
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
*
Filed herewith.
**
Furnished herewith.
47
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P.
By:
Cheniere Energy Partners GP, LLC,
its general partner
Date:
August 8, 2018
By:
/s/ Michael J. Wortley
Michael J. Wortley
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(on behalf of the registrant and
as principal financial officer)
Date:
August 8, 2018
By:
/s/ Leonard E. Travis
Leonard E. Travis
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
(on behalf of the registrant and
as principal accounting officer)
48