e424b3
The
information in this preliminary prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus is not complete and may be changed. This
preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities, and we are
not soliciting offers to buy these securities, in any state
where the offer or sale is not permitted.
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Filed Pursuant to
Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No.
333-126482
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PRELIMINARY
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
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SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION
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November 27,
2007
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(To
Prospectus dated August 30, 2005)
7,000,000 Common
Units
Representing
Limited Partner Interests
We are offering 7,000,000 common units representing limited
partner interests, as well as 559,035 common units to be
offered to our general partner. We will receive all of the net
proceeds from the sale of such common units. Our common units
are traded on the American Stock Exchange, or AMEX, under the
symbol GEL. On November 26, 2007, the last
reported sales price of our common units on the AMEX was $22.52
per common unit.
Investing in our common units involves a high degree of risk.
Before buying any common units, you should read the discussion
of material risks of investing in our common units in Risk
factors beginning on
page S-16
of this prospectus supplement and page 2 of the
accompanying prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Per common
unit
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Total
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Public offering price
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$
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$
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Underwriting discounts and
commissions(1)
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$
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$
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us
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$
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$
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(1) |
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The underwriters will receive no
discount or commission on the sale of common units to our
general partner. |
The underwriters may also purchase up to an additional
1,050,000 common units from us at the public offering
price, less underwriting discounts and commissions payable by us
to cover over-allotments, if any, within 30 days from the
date of this prospectus supplement. Our general partner will
purchase up to an additional 83,855 common units from us at
the public offering price, less the underwriting discount,
allowing it to maintain its proportionate interest in us to the
extent the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option.
The underwriters are offering the common units as set forth
under Underwriting. Delivery of the common units
will be made on or about December , 2007.
Joint
Book-Running Managers
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UBS
Investment Bank |
Wachovia
Securities |
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Goldman,
Sachs & Co. |
RBC
Capital Markets |
Banc
of America Securities LLC
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The date of this
prospectus supplement
is ,
2007.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Page
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Prospectus Supplement
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S-9
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S-11
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S-13
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S-46
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Prospectus Dated August 30, 2005
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S-i
This document is in two parts. The first part is the prospectus
supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering
of common units. The second part is the base prospectus dated
August 30, 2005, which gives more general information, some
of which may not apply to this offering. You should not assume
that the information provided by this prospectus supplement or
the accompanying base prospectus, as well as information we
previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
that is incorporated by reference herein, is accurate as of any
date other than its respective date. Generally, when we refer
only to the prospectus, we are referring to the two
parts combined. If information varies between the prospectus
supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely
on the information in this prospectus supplement.
We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other
person to provide you with different information. If anyone
provides you with different or inconsistent information, you
should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriters are not,
making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction
where an offer or sale is not permitted.
S-ii
Prospectus
supplement summary
This summary highlights some basic information from this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus to
help you understand the common units. It likely does not contain
all the information that is important to you. You should read
carefully the entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying
base prospectus and the other documents incorporated by
reference to understand fully the terms of the common units, as
well as the tax and other considerations that are important in
making your investment decision.
Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this
prospectus to Genesis Energy, L.P.,
Genesis, we, our,
us or like terms refer to Genesis Energy, L.P. and
its operating subsidiaries; Denbury means Denbury
Resources Inc. and its subsidiaries;
CO2
means carbon dioxide; and NaHS, which is commonly
pronounced as nash, means sodium hydrosulfide.
Except as the context otherwise indicates, the information in
this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise of the
underwriters over-allotment option. This prospectus
supplement presents segment margin and available cash before
reserve amounts, or ratios derived therefrom, which are non-GAAP
financial measures as used herein. For a reconciliation of
non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP
measures, please see Reconciliation of
Non-GAAP Financial Measures on
page S-13.
GENESIS ENERGY,
L.P.
OVERVIEW
We are a growth-oriented limited partnership focused on the
midstream segment of the oil and gas industry in the Gulf Coast
region of the United States, primarily Texas, Louisiana,
Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. We have a diverse
portfolio of customers, operations and assets, including
refinery-related plants, pipelines, storage tanks and terminals,
and trucks and truck terminals. We provide services to refinery
owners; oil, natural gas and
CO2
producers; industrial and commercial enterprises that use
CO2
and other industrial gases; and individuals and companies that
use our dry-goods trucking services. Consequently, substantially
all of our revenues are derived from providing services to
integrated oil companies, large independent oil and gas or
refinery companies, and large industrial and commercial
enterprises.
We manage our businesses through four divisions which are our
reportable segments:
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Pipeline Transportation: We transport oil and,
to a lesser extent, natural gas and
CO2
in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. through approximately
500 miles of pipeline. We own and operate three oil common
carrier pipelines, a small
CO2
pipeline and several small natural gas gathering pipelines. Our
pipeline systems include a total of approximately
0.7 million barrels of leased and owned tankage.
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Refinery Services: We provide services to
eight refining operations located predominantly in Texas,
Louisiana and Arkansas. These refineries generally are owned and
operated by large companies, including ConocoPhillips, Citgo and
Ergon. Our refinery services primarily involve processing high
sulfur (or sour) natural gas streams, which are
separated from hydrocarbon streams, to remove the sulfur. Our
refinery services contracts, which usually have an initial term
of two to ten years, have an average remaining term of five
years.
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Supply and Logistics: We provide terminaling,
blending, storing, marketing, gathering and transporting by
trucks, and other supply and logistics services to third
parties, as well as to support our other businesses. We own or
lease approximately 300 trucks, 600 trailers and almost
1.5 million barrels of liquid storage capacity at eleven
different locations. Our terminaling, blending, marketing and
gathering activities are focused on oil and petroleum products,
primarily fuel oil.
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Industrial Gases: We supply
CO2
to industrial customers under long-term, back-to-back
agreements. In addition, through our 50% interest in Sandhill
Group, LLC, we process raw
CO2
for sale to other customers for uses ranging from completing oil
and natural gas producing wells to food processing. Through our
50% interest in T&P Syngas Supply Company, or T&P
Syngas, we also process syngas (a combination of carbon monoxide
and hydrogen), which T&P Syngas sells to Praxair Inc., the
other 50% owner.
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S-1
OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH DENBURY RESOURCES INC.
We continue to benefit from our strategic affiliation with
Denbury Resources Inc. (NYSE:DNR), which indirectly owns 100% of
our general partner interest, 100% of our incentive distribution
rights and, prior to the closing of this offering, 7.4% of our
outstanding common units. Denbury, which had an equity market
capitalization of approximately $6.9 billion as of
October 31, 2007, operates primarily in Mississippi,
Louisiana and Texas, emphasizing the tertiary recovery of oil
using
CO2
flooding. Denbury is the largest producer (based on average
barrels produced per day) of oil in Mississippi, and it is one
of only a handful of producers in the U.S. that possesses
CO2
tertiary recovery expertise along with large deposits of
low-cost
CO2
reserves, consisting of approximately 5.5 trillion cubic feet of
estimated proved
CO2
reserves as of December 31, 2006. Other than the
CO2
reserves owned by Denbury, we do not know of any significant
natural sources of
CO2
from East Texas to Florida. Denbury is conducting the largest
CO2
tertiary recovery operations in the Eastern Gulf Coast of the
U.S., an area with many mature oil reservoirs that potentially
contain substantial volumes of recoverable oil. In addition to
the amounts it has already expended on the Free State and North
East Jackson Dome, or NEJD,
CO2
pipelines, Denbury has announced that it expects to spend
approximately $775 million between December 31, 2007
and the end of 2009 to build
CO2
pipelines to support its tertiary oil recovery expansions.
We believe Denbury has strong economic and strategic incentives
to furnish business opportunities to us in the form of
acquisitions, leases, transportation agreements and other
transactions. In fact, Denbury has indicated that it plans to
use us as a vehicle to provide its midstream infrastructure
needs, particularly with respect to
CO2
pipelines. We believe Denbury is likely to provide us with
future growth opportunities due to the following additional
factors, among others:
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Denburys stated intent for us to function as a provider of
pipelines and gathering systems necessary to support its
operations;
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Denburys significant economic and strategic interests in
us;
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the close proximity of certain of Denburys assets and
operations to certain of our assets and operations; and
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the extent of Denburys growth capital requirements.
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Denbury has announced its intention, which it can change at any
time, to drop down to us certain midstream assets over time, at
its discretion. Denbury intends to consider offering $1.00 of
drop down transactions to us for each $1.50 of
non-Denbury-related capital we economically deploy. For example,
because we have consummated the Davison acquisition for
approximately $623 million (net of cash acquired at closing
and subject to final purchase price adjustments), Denbury is
willing to discuss with us drop down transactions of
approximately $400 million.
We believe there is a broad array of transactions that we could
explore with Denbury which could result in strong growth
opportunities for us, including acquiring (through purchase,
construction, lease or otherwise)
CO2,
oil and/or
natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines and related
midstream infrastructure; transporting
CO2;
transporting, gathering and storing oil
and/or
natural gas; and enhancing our industrial gases opportunities.
In August, both Denbury and we announced our intention to enter
into negotiations regarding specific transactions. See
Recent EventsAnnounced Potential Denbury Drop
Down Transactions below.
Although our relationship with Denbury may provide us with a
source of acquisition and other growth opportunities, Denbury is
not obligated to enter into any transactions with (or to offer
any opportunities to) us or to promote our interest, and none of
Denbury or any of its affiliates (including our general partner)
has any obligation or commitment to contribute or sell any
assets to us or enter into any type of transaction with us, and
each of them, other than our general partner, has the right to
act in a manner that could be beneficial to its interests and
detrimental to ours. Further, Denbury may, at any time, and
without notice, alter its business strategy, including
determining that it no longer desires to use us as a provider of
its midstream infrastructure. Additionally, if Denbury were to
make one or more offers to us, we cannot say that we would elect
to pursue or consummate any such opportunity. In addition,
though our relationship with Denbury is a significant strength,
it also is a source of potential conflicts. Please read
Summary of Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary
Duties.
S-2
OUR OBJECTIVES
AND STRATEGIES
Our primary business objectives are to generate stable cash
flows to allow us to make quarterly cash distributions to our
unitholders and to increase those distributions over time. We
plan to achieve those objectives by executing the following
strategies:
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Expanding our asset base through strategic and accretive
acquisitions and construction and development projects with
third parties and Denbury;
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Optimizing our
CO2
and other industrial gases expertise and infrastructure;
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Leveraging our oil handling capabilities with Denburys
tertiary recovery projects;
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Attracting new refinery customers and expanding the services we
provide those customers;
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Increasing the utilization rates and enhancing the profitability
of our existing assets;
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Increasing stable cash flows generated through fee-based
services, long-term contractual arrangements and managing
commodity price risks;
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Maintaining a balanced and diversified portfolio of midstream
energy and industrial gases assets, operations and customers;
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Creating strategic arrangements and sharing capital costs and
risks through joint ventures and strategic alliances; and
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Maintaining, on average, a conservative capital structure that
will allow us to execute our growth strategy while, over the
longer term, enhancing our credit ratings.
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OUR COMPETITIVE
STRENGTHS
We believe we are well positioned to execute our strategies and
ultimately achieve our objectives due primarily to the following
competitive strengths:
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Relationship with Denbury. We have a strong
relationship with Denbury, the indirect owner of our general
partner. Denbury has indicated that it intends to use us as a
vehicle to provide its midstream infrastructure needs,
particularly with respect to
CO2
pipelines. We believe Denbury has strong economic and strategic
incentives to provide business opportunities to us. We also
believe that, if we can become an instrumental component of
Denburys future development projects, we can leverage
those operations (and our relationship with Denbury) into oil
transportation and storage opportunities with third parties,
such as other producers and refinery operators, in the areas
into which Denbury expands its operations.
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Experienced, Knowledgeable and Motivated Senior Management
Team with Proven Track Record. Our senior management team
has over 40 years of combined experience in the midstream
sector. They have worked together and separately in leadership
roles at a number of large, successful public companies,
including other publicly-traded partnerships. As discussed
below, the incentive compensation arrangements of our senior
management team are structured to help ensure that our senior
management team executes our growth strategy in a manner that is
accretive on a distribution per unit basis.
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Unique Platform, Limited Competition and Anticipated Growing
Demand in Refinery Services Operations. We
provide services to eight refining operations located
predominantly in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Our refinery
services primarily involve processing sour natural gas streams,
which are separated from hydrocarbon streams, to remove the
sulfur. We believe that the U.S. refinery industrys
demand for sulfur extraction services will increase because we
believe sour oil will constitute an ever-increasing portion of
the total supply of refinery oil worldwide. In addition, we have
an increasing array of services we can offer to our refinery
customers and we believe our
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S-3
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proprietary knowledge, scale, logistics capabilities and safety
and service record will encourage such customers to continue to
outsource their existing refinery services needs to us.
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Supply and Logistics Division Supports Full Suite of
Services. In addition to its established
customers, our supply and logistics division can, from time to
time, attract customers to our other divisions
and/or
create synergies that may not be available to our competitors.
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Diversified and Balanced Portfolio of Customers, Operations
and Assets. We have a diversified and
well-balanced portfolio of customers, operations and assets
throughout the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. Through our
diverse assets, we provide stand-alone and integrated gathering,
transporting, processing, blending, storing and marketing
services, among others, to four distinct customer groups. Our
operations and assets are characterized by:
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Strategic Locations. Our oil pipelines and
related assets are predominately located near areas that are
experiencing increasing oil production, in large part because of
Denburys tertiary recovery operations, and in and around
inland refining operations, many of which we believe are
contemplating expansion.
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Cost-Effective Expansion and Enhancement
Opportunities. We own pipelines, terminals and
other assets that have available capacity or that have
opportunities for expansion of capacity without incurring
material expenditures. Our available capacity allows us to
increase our revenues with little or no additional cost to us,
and our expansion capability allows us to increase our asset
base, as needed, in a cost-effective manner.
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Cash Flow Stability. Our cash flow is
relatively stable due to a number of factors, including our
long-term, fee-based contracts with our refinery services and
industrial gases customers, our diversified base of customers,
assets and services, and our relatively low exposure to volatile
fluctuations in commodity prices.
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Financial Flexibility. After we complete the
offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement, we believe
we will have the financial flexibility to pursue additional
growth projects. As of September 30, 2007, we had
$285 million of loans and $4.7 million in letters of
credit outstanding under our $500 million credit facility,
resulting in $90.4 million of remaining credit availability
under our borrowing base. In addition, any new acquisitions that
we complete will have the potential to increase our borrowing
base, subject to specified limitations and lender consent. We
will use the proceeds of this offering for general partnership
purposes, including temporarily paying down the outstanding
balance under our credit facility and, ultimately, indirectly
funding certain acquisitions. If we use $165.9 million, or
all of the net proceeds relating to this offering (including
proceeds received from our general partner), to reduce
indebtedness under our credit facility, we will have
$256.3 million of remaining credit availability under our
borrowing base. We believe this offering and our credit facility
will provide us with the financial flexibility to fund our short
term operations and strategic growth plan and to facilitate our
longer-term expansion and acquisition strategies, which include
accessing the capital markets from time to time to fund future
growth.
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RECENT
EVENTS
Acquisition of
Refinery Services Division and Other Businesses
On July 25, 2007, we acquired five energy-related
businesses, including the operations that comprise our refinery
services division, from several entities owned and controlled by
the Davison family of Ruston, Louisiana. The other acquired
businesses, which transport, store, procure and market petroleum
products and other bulk commodities, are included in our supply
and logistics segment.
Our acquisition agreement with the Davisons provided that we
would deliver to them $563 million of consideration, half
in common units (13,459,209 common units at an agreed-to value
of $20.8036 per unit) and half in cash, subject to specified
purchase price adjustments. Our financial statements at
September 30, 2007 reflect a total acquisition price of
$631 million, which includes the preliminary purchase price
adjustments, our transaction costs, working capital acquired,
net of cash acquired, and a
S-4
valuation of the units at $24.52 per unit, which was the average
closing price of our units during the five trading day period
ending two days after we signed the acquisition agreement. See
BusinessOverviewRecent
EventsAcquisition of Refinery Services Division and Other
Businesses.
The Davison family is our largest unitholder, with a 36.8%
interest in us (represented by 13,459,209 of our common units)
after giving effect to the issuances pursuant to this offering.
It has designated two of the members of the board of directors
of our general partner, and as long as it maintains a specified
minimum ownership percentage of our common units, it will have
the continuing right to designate up to two directors. The
Davison family has agreed to restrictions that limit its ability
to sell specified percentages of its common units through
July 26, 2010. For example, prior to July 25, 2008,
the Davison family may not sell more than 20% of its common
units.
Announced
Potential Denbury Drop Down Transactions
Denbury has announced plans to negotiate several anticipated
transactions with us involving the drop down of some of its
CO2
pipeline assets. We currently expect those transactions to
consist of property purchases combined with associated
transportation or service arrangements or direct financing
leases, or a combination of both. We anticipate that, during the
fourth quarter of 2007, we will enter into approximately $200 to
$250 million of transactions with Denbury relating to its
Free State and NEJD
CO2
pipelines. We also anticipate similar transactions in the range
of $100 to $150 million in the second half of 2008 for
other
CO2
pipelines that Denbury is currently constructing. Although we
currently are negotiating the Free State and NEJD transactions
with Denbury, we cannot assure you that we will reach mutually
satisfactory terms and consummate those transactions. See
BusinessOur Relationship with Denbury Resources
Inc.
Quarterly
Distribution Increase
On October 26, 2007, our board of directors declared a cash
distribution of $0.27 per unit for the quarter ended
September 30, 2007. The distribution was paid on
November 14, 2007 to our general partner and all common
unitholders of record as of the close of business on
November 6, 2007. That quarterly distribution rate
represents an increase of 17% relative to the distribution paid
for the second quarter of 2007, an approximate 35% increase
relative to the same period in 2006, and an approximate 69%
increase relative to the third quarter in 2005. This is our
ninth consecutive quarterly distribution increase, with the
previous eight being increased by $0.01 per unit.
Increased Credit
Facility to $500 Million
On November 15, 2006, we replaced our $50 million
working capital credit facility with a $500 million working
capital and acquisition facility. As of September 30, 2007,
we had borrowed $285 million under that facility, and we
had $4.7 million in letters of credit outstanding,
resulting in $90.4 million of remaining credit availability
under our borrowing base.
Adopted
Growth-Oriented Strategy and Hired an Experienced Midstream
Senior Management Team
Our board of directors has adopted a growth-oriented strategy
for us, and on August 8, 2006, we hired an experienced
senior management team. To help ensure that our senior
management team is incentivized to execute our growth strategy
in a manner that is accretive on a distribution per
unit basis, our general partner has undertaken to
negotiate definitive agreements relating to an incentive
compensation arrangement to provide the members of our senior
management team with the opportunity to earn up to a 20%
interest in our general partner if certain performance criteria
are met. Those performance criteria primarily relate to the
dollar amount of expenditures for acquisitions we consummate
(including development projects, but excluding acquisitions from
Denbury and its affiliates) provided such expenditures earn
(using a look-back provision) a specified minimum, un-levered
return on investment.
S-5
Acquired Terminal
and Dock Facilities
Effective July 1, 2007, we paid $8.1 million for BP
Pipelines (North America) Inc.s Port Hudson oil truck
terminal, marine terminal and marine dock on the Mississippi
River, which includes 215,000 barrels of tankage, a
pipeline and other related assets in East Baton Rouge Parish,
Louisiana.
Florida Oil
Pipeline System Expansion
We committed to construct an extension of our existing Florida
oil pipeline system that would extend to producers operating in
southern Alabama, which will consist of approximately
33 miles of 8 pipeline and gathering connections to
approximately 30 wells and oil storage capacity of
20,000 barrels in the field. We expect to place those
facilities in service in the second half of 2008.
Unitholder
Meeting
We have called a special meeting of our unitholders to be held
on December 18, 2007, for unitholders of record as of
November 2, 2007, to vote on (1) a proposal to amend
certain provisions of our partnership agreement to allow any
affiliated persons or group who hold more than 20% of our
outstanding voting units to vote on all matters on which holders
of our voting units have the right to vote, other than matters
relating to the succession, election, removal, withdrawal,
replacement or substitution of our general partner, and to
clarify and expand the concept of group as
defined in our partnership agreement; and (2) a proposal to
approve the terms of the Genesis Energy, Inc. 2007 Long Term
Incentive Plan, which provides for awards of our units and other
rights to our employees and, possibly, our directors.
OUR
OFFICES
Our executive offices are located at 500 Dallas,
Suite 2500, Houston, Texas 77002, and the phone number at
this address is
(713) 860-2500.
S-6
OWNERSHIP
STRUCTURE
We conduct our operations through, and our operating assets are
owned by, our subsidiaries and joint ventures. As is customary
with publicly-traded limited partnerships, or MLPs, our general
partner, Genesis Energy, Inc., is responsible for operating our
business, including providing all necessary personnel and other
resources.
Genesis Energy, Inc. is a holding company with employees, but
with no independent assets or operations other than its general
partner interest in us and several of our subsidiaries. Our
general partner is dependent upon the cash distributions it
receives from us to service any obligations it may incur. Our
general partner is a subsidiary of Denbury Gathering &
Marketing, Inc., a subsidiary of Denbury. After giving effect to
the issuances pursuant to this offering:
|
|
Ø
|
Public unitholders will own 19,765,000 common units,
representing a 54.0% interest in us.
|
|
Ø
|
The Davison family will own 13,459,209 common units,
representing a 36.8% interest in us.
|
|
Ø
|
Our general partner, who will maintain its proportionate
ownership interest in us, will own 2,653,358 common units
(representing a 7.2% interest in us) and all of our 2.0% general
partnership interest, as well as our incentive distribution
rights.
|
S-7
Below is a chart depicting our ownership structure after giving
effect to the issuances relating to this offering.
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The incentive compensation
arrangement in connection with which our general partner has
undertaken to negotiate definitive agreements to provide our
senior management team with the opportunity to earn up to 20% of
the interest in our general partner if certain performance
criteria are met. See Recent Events Adopted
Growth-Oriented Strategy and Hired an Experienced Midstream
Senior Management Team. |
S-8
|
|
|
Common units we are offering to the public |
|
7,000,000 common units, or 8,050,000 common units if
the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional
common units. |
|
Common units we are offering to our general partner in a private
offering concurrently with this offering |
|
559,035 common units, or 642,891 common units if the
underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full. The
per unit price for the sale to our general partner will be equal
to the per unit price offered to the public through this
prospectus supplement, less an amount equal to any underwriting
discounts and fees that would apply if those units had been
offered to the public. |
|
Common units to be outstanding after this offering |
|
35,877,567 common units, or 37,011,423 common units if
the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional
common units. |
|
Use of proceeds |
|
We will receive net proceeds (after deducting underwriting
discounts and estimated offering expenses) from this offering,
our concurrent offering to our general partner and the
contribution from our general partner to maintain its 2% general
partner interest of approximately $165.9 million. We will
use the net proceeds for general partnership purposes, including
temporarily repaying indebtedness under our credit facility and,
ultimately, funding a portion of our future growth expenditures. |
|
Cash distributions |
|
Within approximately 45 days after the end of each quarter,
we will distribute all available cash to unitholders of record
on the applicable record date. However, there is no guarantee
that we will pay a distribution on the common units in any
quarter, and we will be prohibited from making any distributions
to unitholders if it would cause an event of default, or if an
event of default then exists, under our credit facility. |
|
Incentive distributions |
|
Our general partner is entitled to receive incentive
distributions if the amount we distribute with respect to any
quarter exceeds levels specified in our partnership agreement.
Under the quarterly incentive distribution provisions, the
general partner is entitled to receive 13.3% of any
distributions in excess of $0.25 per unit, 23.5% of any
distributions in excess of $0.28 per unit, and 49% of any
distributions in excess of $0.33 per unit, without duplication. |
|
Risk factors |
|
An investment in our common units involves risk. See Risk
factors beginning on
page S-16
of this prospectus supplement and page 2 of the
accompanying base prospectus and the materials incorporated by
reference for a more detailed discussion of additional factors
that you should consider before purchasing our common units. |
S-9
|
|
|
Estimated ratio of taxable income to distributions |
|
We estimate that if you own the common units you purchase in
this offering through the record date for the distribution with
respect to the final calendar quarter of 2009, you will be
allocated, on a cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable
income for that period that will be 20% or less of the cash
distributed to you with respect to that period. Please read
Tax considerations on
page S-37
for the basis of this estimate. |
|
Material tax consequences |
|
For a discussion of other material federal income tax
considerations that may be relevant to prospective unitholders
who are individual citizens or residents of the U.S., please
read Material Tax Consequences in the accompanying
base prospectus. |
|
American Stock Exchange symbol |
|
GEL. |
S-10
Summary
historical and pro forma financial data
We have derived (i) the summary historical financial data
as of and for each of the years in the three-year period ended
December 31, 2006 from our audited financial statements and
related notes, (ii) the summary unaudited pro forma
financial data for the year ended December 31, 2006 from
our unaudited pro forma combined financial statements,
(iii) the summary unaudited historical financial data as of
and for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2007
from our unaudited financial statements and (iv) the
summary unaudited pro forma financial data as of and for the
nine months ended September 30, 2007 from our unaudited pro
forma combined financial statements. Pro forma information
assumes that the Davison acquisition was consummated as of
January 1.
You should read the information below in conjunction with our
historical interim and year-end financial statements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
Pro
Forma(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine months
ended
|
|
|
Year ended
|
|
|
Nine months
ended
|
|
|
|
Years ended
December 31,
|
|
|
September 30,
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
September 30,
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
(dollars in
thousands, except per unit amounts)
|
|
|
Income Statement Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$
|
927,143
|
|
|
$
|
1,078,739
|
|
|
$
|
918,369
|
|
|
$
|
726,496
|
|
|
$
|
738,850
|
|
|
$
|
1,479,174
|
|
|
$
|
1,113,927
|
|
Operating (loss) income
|
|
|
(23
|
)
|
|
|
5,220
|
|
|
|
8,584
|
|
|
|
7,415
|
|
|
|
7,304
|
|
|
|
25,319
|
|
|
|
19,619
|
|
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations
|
|
|
(949
|
)
|
|
|
3,689
|
|
|
|
8,351
|
|
|
|
7,700
|
|
|
|
1,912
|
|
|
|
156
|
(2)
|
|
|
(1,234
|
)
|
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations per limited partnership
unitdiluted
|
|
$
|
(0.10
|
)
|
|
$
|
0.38
|
|
|
$
|
0.59
|
|
|
$
|
0.55
|
|
|
$
|
0.11
|
|
|
$
|
0.01
|
(2)
|
|
$
|
(0.04
|
)
|
Balance Sheet Data (at period end):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
$
|
143,154
|
|
|
$
|
181,777
|
|
|
$
|
191,087
|
|
|
$
|
192,982
|
|
|
$
|
894,640
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long-term debt
|
|
|
15,300
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,000
|
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
|
|
285,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Partners capital
|
|
|
45,239
|
|
|
|
87,689
|
|
|
|
85,662
|
|
|
|
87,824
|
|
|
|
436,793
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Financial Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment
Margin(3)
Pipeline Transportation
|
|
$
|
8,543
|
|
|
$
|
9,804
|
|
|
$
|
12,426
|
|
|
$
|
9,862
|
|
|
$
|
8,858
|
|
|
$
|
12,426
|
|
|
$
|
8,858
|
|
Refinery Services
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,545
|
|
|
|
44,716
|
|
|
|
37,486
|
|
Supply and Logistics
|
|
|
4,034
|
|
|
|
3,661
|
|
|
|
7,366
|
|
|
|
6,074
|
|
|
|
7,986
|
|
|
|
24,321
|
|
|
|
17,685
|
|
Industrial Gases
|
|
|
5,762
|
|
|
|
8,154
|
|
|
|
11,443
|
|
|
|
8,808
|
|
|
|
8,804
|
|
|
|
11,443
|
|
|
|
8,804
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Segment Margin:
|
|
$
|
18,339
|
|
|
$
|
21,619
|
|
|
$
|
31,235
|
|
|
$
|
24,744
|
|
|
$
|
34,193
|
|
|
$
|
92,906
|
|
|
$
|
72,833
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted
EBITDA(4)
|
|
$
|
8,610
|
|
|
$
|
14,711
|
|
|
$
|
21,161
|
|
|
$
|
16,351
|
|
|
$
|
24,185
|
|
|
$
|
74,855
|
|
|
$
|
58,715
|
|
Available Cash before
Reserves(5)
|
|
|
6,282
|
|
|
|
11,136
|
|
|
|
18,831
|
|
|
|
15,157
|
|
|
|
15,036
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maintenance Capital
Expenditures(6)
|
|
|
939
|
|
|
|
1,543
|
|
|
|
967
|
|
|
|
560
|
|
|
|
2,842
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Pro forma amounts were prepared
assuming that the Davison acquisition was consummated as of
January 1 for each period for which income statement data is
presented. Per unit amounts assume the common units issued to
the Davison family and the common units purchased by our general
partner were outstanding January 1 of each period. These amounts
were prepared based upon assumptions deemed appropriate by
Genesis and may not be indicative of actual results. |
|
(2) |
|
This amount differs from the pro
forma amount reflected in our
Form 8-K/A
filed on October 10, 2007 due to the effects of including
approximately $3.6 million pro forma estimated federal and
state income tax expense. |
|
(3) |
|
Segment margin was calculated as
revenues less cost of sales and operations expense. It includes
our share of the operating income of equity joint ventures. A
reconciliation of segment margin (a non-GAAP measure) to income
from continuing operations before income taxes (the GAAP
measure) is on
page S-15.
Our Supply and Logistics segment was previously |
S-11
|
|
|
|
|
known as our Crude Oil Gathering
and Marketing segment. With the Davison acquisition, we expanded
our operations into petroleum products and other transportation
services, and combined these operations due to their
similarities and our approach to managing these operations. We
also added a new segment for the Refinery Services business
acquired in the Davison acquisition. |
|
(4) |
|
Adjusted EBITDA was calculated
as net income from continuing operations before interest, income
taxes, depreciation and amortization, and non-cash income or
loss related to (i) derivative instruments, (ii) our
stock appreciation rights plan and (iii) miscellaneous
items. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure)
to income from continuing operations and to operating cash flows
(the GAAP measures) is on
page S-15. |
|
(5) |
|
Available cash before reserves
was calculated as income from continuing operations with several
adjustments, the most significant of which are the elimination
of gains and losses on asset sales, except those from the sale
of surplus assets, the addition of non-cash expenses such as
depreciation, the replacement of the amount recognized as our
equity in the income of joint ventures with the available cash
generated from those ventures, and the subtraction of
maintenance capital expenditures. A reconciliation of Adjusted
EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) to income from continuing operations
and to operating cash flows (the GAAP measures) is on
page S-15. |
|
(6) |
|
Maintenance capital expenditures
are capital expenditures to replace or enhance partially or
fully depreciated assets to sustain the existing operating
capacity or efficiency of the assets and extend their useful
lives. Genesis expects maintenance capital expenditures related
to the Davison businesses to be approximately $4 million to
$5 million per year after 2008. Maintenance capital
expenditures for the historical Genesis operations are expected
to average $1.5 million per year. |
S-12
Reconciliation
of Non-GAAP financial measures
We believe that investors benefit from having access to the same
financial measures being utilized by management. The measures
used by management include Segment margin, Adjusted EBITDA and
Available Cash before Reserves.
Segment margin forms the basis of our internal financial
reporting and is used by senior management in deciding how to
allocate capital resources among business segments. The
U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP,
measure most directly comparable to total segment margin is
income before income taxes and cumulative effect adjustment. We
define and calculate segment margin as revenues less costs of
sales and operating expenses. This measure is exclusive of
depreciation and amortization, general and administrative
expenses, and any gains or losses on asset disposals. We have
reconciled segment margin to income before income taxes and
cumulative effect adjustment in the tables below.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income before interest, income
taxes, depreciation and amortization, and non-cash income or
loss related to (i) derivative instruments, (ii) our
stock appreciation rights plan and (iii) miscellaneous
items. Adjusted EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial
measure by our management and by external users of our financial
statements such as investors, commercial banks and others, to
assess:
|
|
Ø
|
the financial performance of our assets without regard to
financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis;
|
|
Ø
|
our operating performance and return on capital as compared to
other companies in the midstream energy sector, without regard
to financing or capital structure; and
|
|
Ø
|
the viability of acquisitions and capital expenditure projects
and the overall rates of return on alternative investment
opportunities.
|
The economic substance behind managements use of Adjusted
EBITDA is to measure the ability of our assets to generate cash
sufficient to pay interest costs, support our indebtedness, and
make distributions to our unitholders. The GAAP measures most
directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA are net cash provided by
operating activities and income from continuing operations. We
have reconciled Adjusted EBITDA to these measures in the tables
below.
Available Cash before Reserves is a non-GAAP liquidity measure
used by our management to compare cash flows generated by us to
the cash distribution we pay to our limited partners and the
general partner. This is an important financial measure to our
public unitholders since it is an indicator of our ability to
provide a cash return on their investment. Specifically, this
financial measure tells unitholders whether or not we are
generating cash flows at a level that can support a quarterly
cash distribution to our unitholders. Lastly, Available Cash
(also referred to as distributable cash flow) is a quantitative
standard used throughout the investment community with respect
to publicly-traded partnerships.
Several adjustments to net income are required to calculate
Available Cash before Reserves. These adjustments include:
(1) the addition of non-cash expenses such as depreciation
and amortization expense; (2) miscellaneous non-cash
adjustments such as the addition of decreases or the subtraction
of increases in the accrual for our stock appreciation rights
plan expense and the value of financial instruments; and
(3) the subtraction of maintenance capital expenditures.
Maintenance capital expenditures are capital expenditures to
replace or enhance partially or fully depreciated assets in
order to sustain the existing operating capacity or efficiency
of our assets and extend their useful lives.
The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Available Cash
before Reserves is cash flow from operating activities. We have
reconciled cash flow from operating activities to Available Cash
before Reserves in the tables below.
Our non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Available
Cash before Reserves should not be considered as alternatives to
GAAP net cash provided by operating activities and GAAP income
from continuing operations. Adjusted EBITDA and Available Cash
before Reserves are not presentations
S-13
made in accordance with GAAP and have important limitations as
analytical tools. You should not consider Adjusted EBITDA or
Available Cash before Reserves in isolation or as substitutes
for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because
Adjusted EBITDA and Available Cash before Reserves exclude some,
but not all, items that affect net income and net cash provided
by operating activities and are defined differently by different
companies in our industry, our definition of Adjusted EBITDA and
Available Cash before Reserves may not be comparable to
similarly titled measures of other companies.
Management compensates for the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA
and Available Cash before Reserves as analytical tools by
reviewing the comparable GAAP measures, understanding the
differences between the measures and incorporating this
information into managements decision-making processes.
S-14
Reconciliation of
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Years ended
|
|
|
Nine months
ended
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
September 30,
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation of Segment Margin to Income from Continuing
Operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment Margin excluding depreciation and amortization
|
|
$
|
18,339
|
|
|
$
|
21,619
|
|
|
$
|
31,235
|
|
|
$
|
24,744
|
|
|
$
|
34,193
|
|
General and administrative expenses
|
|
|
(11,031
|
)
|
|
|
(9,656
|
)
|
|
|
(13,573
|
)
|
|
|
(10,448
|
)
|
|
|
(13,652
|
)
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
(7,298
|
)
|
|
|
(6,721
|
)
|
|
|
(7,963
|
)
|
|
|
(6,000
|
)
|
|
|
(12,346
|
)
|
Net (loss) gain on disposal of surplus assets
|
|
|
(33
|
)
|
|
|
479
|
|
|
|
16
|
|
|
|
38
|
|
|
|
24
|
|
Interest expense, net
|
|
|
(926
|
)
|
|
|
(2,032
|
)
|
|
|
(1,374
|
)
|
|
|
(645
|
)
|
|
|
(5,248
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes and
cumulative effect adjustment
|
|
$
|
(949
|
)
|
|
$
|
3,689
|
|
|
$
|
8,341
|
|
|
$
|
7,689
|
|
|
$
|
2,971
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation of Income from Continuing Operations to
Adjusted
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EBITDA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Loss) income from continuing operations
|
|
$
|
(949
|
)
|
|
$
|
3,689
|
|
|
$
|
8,351
|
|
|
$
|
7,700
|
|
|
$
|
1,912
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing operations to
Adjusted EBITDA:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation & Amortization
|
|
|
7,298
|
|
|
|
6,721
|
|
|
|
7,963
|
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
|
|
12,346
|
|
Net Interest Expense
|
|
|
926
|
|
|
|
2,032
|
|
|
|
1,374
|
|
|
|
645
|
|
|
|
5,248
|
|
Income Taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(11
|
)
|
|
|
(11
|
)
|
|
|
1,059
|
|
Unrealized (gains)/losses FAS 133
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(6
|
)
|
|
|
(34
|
)
|
|
|
(12
|
)
|
|
|
833
|
|
Cash received from direct financing leases not included in income
|
|
|
39
|
|
|
|
441
|
|
|
|
531
|
|
|
|
394
|
|
|
|
422
|
|
Stock appreciation rights expense, net of payments
|
|
|
1,151
|
|
|
|
(541
|
)
|
|
|
1,565
|
|
|
|
614
|
|
|
|
1,696
|
|
Estimated cash from joint ventures in excess of equity income
recorded
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
836
|
|
|
|
1,401
|
|
|
|
988
|
|
|
|
664
|
|
Proceeds from sales of certain assets, net of gain or loss
recognized
|
|
|
145
|
|
|
|
1,106
|
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
29
|
|
|
|
171
|
|
Other non-cash (income) expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
433
|
|
|
|
(30
|
)
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
(166
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA
|
|
$
|
8,610
|
|
|
$
|
14,711
|
|
|
$
|
21,161
|
|
|
$
|
16,351
|
|
|
$
|
24,185
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flows to Adjusted EBITDA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from operating activities
|
|
$
|
9,702
|
|
|
$
|
9,490
|
|
|
$
|
11,262
|
|
|
$
|
6,722
|
|
|
$
|
25,653
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile operating cash flows to Adjusted EBITDA:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net interest expense
|
|
|
926
|
|
|
|
2,032
|
|
|
|
1,374
|
|
|
|
645
|
|
|
|
5,248
|
|
Income Taxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(11
|
)
|
|
|
(11
|
)
|
|
|
1,059
|
|
Proceeds from sales of certain assets
|
|
|
112
|
|
|
|
1,585
|
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
195
|
|
Amortization of credit facility issuance fees
|
|
|
(373
|
)
|
|
|
(373
|
)
|
|
|
(969
|
)
|
|
|
(279
|
)
|
|
|
(509
|
)
|
Cash effects of stock appreciation rights plan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(61
|
)
|
|
|
(364
|
)
|
|
|
(271
|
)
|
|
|
(1,447
|
)
|
Effect of available cash generated by investments in joint
ventures not included in cash flows from operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
848
|
|
|
|
967
|
|
|
|
756
|
|
|
|
303
|
|
Discontinued operations
|
|
|
463
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other items affecting Adjusted EBITDA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(38
|
)
|
|
|
(64
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Net effect of changes in working capital accounts not included
in calculation of Adjusted EBITDA
|
|
|
(2,220
|
)
|
|
|
1,190
|
|
|
|
8,873
|
|
|
|
8,786
|
|
|
|
(6,317
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA
|
|
$
|
8,610
|
|
|
$
|
14,711
|
|
|
$
|
21,161
|
|
|
$
|
16,351
|
|
|
$
|
24,185
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flows to Available Cash
before reserves
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from operating activities
|
|
$
|
9,702
|
|
|
$
|
9,490
|
|
|
$
|
11,262
|
|
|
$
|
6,722
|
|
|
$
|
25,653
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile operating cash flows to Available Cash:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maintenance capital expenditures
|
|
|
(939
|
)
|
|
|
(1,543
|
)
|
|
|
(967
|
)
|
|
|
(560
|
)
|
|
|
(2,842
|
)
|
Proceeds from sales of certain assets
|
|
|
112
|
|
|
|
1,585
|
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
195
|
|
Amortization of credit facility issuance fees
|
|
|
(373
|
)
|
|
|
(373
|
)
|
|
|
(969
|
)
|
|
|
(279
|
)
|
|
|
(509
|
)
|
Cash effects of stock appreciation rights plan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(61
|
)
|
|
|
(364
|
)
|
|
|
(271
|
)
|
|
|
(1,447
|
)
|
Effect of available cash generated by investments in joint
ventures not included in cash flows from operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
848
|
|
|
|
967
|
|
|
|
756
|
|
|
|
303
|
|
Other items affecting Available Cash
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(38
|
)
|
|
|
(64
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Net effect of changes in working capital accounts not included
in calculation of Available Cash
|
|
|
(2,220
|
)
|
|
|
1,190
|
|
|
|
8,873
|
|
|
|
8,786
|
|
|
|
(6,317
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Available Cash before reserves
|
|
$
|
6,282
|
|
|
$
|
11,136
|
|
|
$
|
18,831
|
|
|
$
|
15,157
|
|
|
$
|
15,036
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S-15
An investment in our common units involves risks. You should
carefully consider the discussion of risks set forth under the
caption Risk Factors beginning on page 2 of the
accompanying base prospectus as well as the section entitled
Risk Factors included in our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, and the other
documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus
supplement, prior to investing in our common units. If any of
these risks were to occur, our business, financial condition or
results of operations could be adversely affected, the trading
price of our common units could decline and you could lose all
or part of your investment. Some of the risks discussed in the
base prospectus as well as the documents incorporated by
reference into this prospectus supplement are summarized
below.
RISKS RELATED TO
OUR BUSINESS
|
|
Ø
|
Our growth strategy may adversely affect our results of
operations if we do not successfully integrate our refinery
services division and other assets that we acquired in July 2007
and any other businesses that we acquire or if we substantially
increase our indebtedness and contingent liabilities to make
acquisitions.
|
|
Ø
|
We may not be able to fully execute our growth strategy if we
are unable to raise debt and equity capital at an affordable
price.
|
|
Ø
|
We may not have sufficient cash from operations to pay the
current level of quarterly distribution following the
establishment of cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses,
including payments to our general partner.
|
|
Ø
|
Our indebtedness could adversely restrict our ability to
operate, affect our financial condition, and prevent us from
complying with our requirements under our debt instruments and
could prevent us from paying cash to our unitholders.
|
|
Ø
|
Our profitability and cash flow is dependent on our ability to
increase or, at a minimum, maintain our current
commodityoil, refined products, NaHS, natural gas and
CO2 volumes,
which often depends on actions and commitments by parties beyond
our control.
|
|
Ø
|
We face intense competition to obtain commodity volumes in our
supply and logistics segment, and fluctuations in commodity
prices could adversely affect our business.
|
|
Ø
|
Our operations are dependent upon demand for oil by refiners in
the Midwest and on the Gulf Coast.
|
|
Ø
|
We are exposed to the credit risk of our customers in the
ordinary course of our oil gathering and marketing activities.
|
|
Ø
|
Our operations are subject to federal and state environmental
protection and safety laws and regulations, and FERC regulation
and a changing regulatory environment could affect our cash flow.
|
|
Ø
|
Our
CO2
operations primarily relate to our volumetric production payment
interests, which are a finite resource and projected to deplete
around 2016, and our
CO2
operations are exposed to risks related to Denburys
operation of their
CO2
fields, equipment and pipeline.
|
|
Ø
|
Fluctuations in demand for
CO2
by our industrial customers could materially adversely impact
our profitability, results of operations and cash available for
distribution.
|
|
Ø
|
Our wholesale
CO2
industrial operations are dependent on five customers and our
syngas operations are dependent on one customer.
|
|
Ø
|
Our refinery services division is dependent on contracts with
eight refineries, and a few of our refineries represent a
majority of our refinery services business, with ConocoPhillips
representing approximately 65% of our refinery service business.
|
S-16
Risk
factors
|
|
Ø
|
Our actual construction, development and acquisition costs could
exceed our forecast, and our cash flow from construction and
development projects may not be immediate.
|
|
Ø
|
Fluctuations in interest rates could adversely affect our
business, and our use of derivative financial instruments could
result in financial losses.
|
|
Ø
|
A natural disaster, catastrophe, terrorist attack or other
interruption event involving us could result in severe personal
injury, property damage
and/or
environmental damage, which could curtail our operations and
otherwise adversely affect our assets and cash flow.
|
|
Ø
|
We cannot cause our joint ventures to take or not to take
certain actions unless some or all of the joint venture
participants agree.
|
|
Ø
|
Our refinery services operations are dependent upon the supply
of caustic soda and the demand for NaHS, as well as the
operations of the refiners for whom we process sour gas.
|
|
Ø
|
Our operating results from trucking operations acquired from the
Davison family may fluctuate and may be materially adversely
affected by economic conditions and business factors unique to
the trucking industry.
|
|
Ø
|
Denbury is the only shipper (other than us) on our Mississippi
System, and Denbury and its affiliates have conflicts of
interest with us and limited fiduciary responsibilities, which
may permit them to favor their own interests to unitholder
detriment.
|
RISKS RELATED TO
OUR PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURE
|
|
Ø
|
Even if unitholders are dissatisfied, they cannot easily remove
our general partner.
|
|
Ø
|
The control of our general partner may be transferred to a third
party without unitholder consent, which could affect our
strategic direction and liquidity.
|
|
Ø
|
Our general partner and its affiliates may sell units or other
limited partner interests in the trading market, which could
reduce the market price of common units.
|
|
Ø
|
Our general partner has anti-dilution rights.
|
|
Ø
|
Due to our significant relationships with Denbury, adverse
developments concerning Denbury could adversely affect us, even
if we have not suffered any similar developments.
|
|
Ø
|
We may issue additional common units without unitholders
approval, which would dilute their ownership interests.
|
|
Ø
|
Our general partner has a limited call right that may require
unitholders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or
price.
|
|
Ø
|
The interruption of distributions to us from our subsidiaries
and joint ventures may affect our ability to make payments on
indebtedness or cash distributions to our unitholders.
|
|
Ø
|
We do not have the same flexibility as other types of
organizations to accumulate cash and equity to protect against
illiquidity in the future.
|
TAX RISKS TO
COMMON UNITHOLDERS
|
|
Ø |
Our tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for
federal income tax purposes, as well as our not being subject to
a material amount of entity-level taxation by individual states.
A publicly-traded partnership can lose its status as a
partnership for a number of reasons, including if more than 90%
of its gross income is not from sources that constitute
qualifying income. The present tax treatment of
publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in
our common units may be modified at any time. If the IRS were to
treat us as a corporation or if we were to become subject
|
S-17
Risk
factors
|
|
|
to a material amount of entity-level taxation for state tax
purposes, then our cash available for distribution to
unitholders would be substantially reduced.
|
|
|
Ø
|
A successful IRS contest of the federal income tax positions we
take may adversely affect the market for our common units, and
the cost of any IRS contest will reduce our cash available for
distribution to our unitholders and our general partner.
|
|
Ø
|
Unitholders will be required to pay taxes on income from us even
if they do not receive any cash distributions from us, and tax
gain or loss on disposition of common units could be different
than expected.
|
|
Ø
|
Tax-exempt entities and foreign persons face unique tax issues
from owning common units that may result in adverse tax
consequences to them.
|
|
Ø
|
We registered as a tax shelter under prior law. This may
increase the risk of an IRS audit of us or a unitholder.
|
|
Ø
|
We will treat each purchaser of common units as having the same
tax benefits without regard to the actual common units
purchased. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could
adversely affect the value of our common units.
|
|
Ø
|
Unitholders will likely be subject to state and local taxes in
states where they do not live as a result of an investment in
the common units.
|
|
Ø
|
We have subsidiaries that are treated as corporations for
federal income tax purposes and subject to corporate-level
income taxes.
|
|
Ø
|
We have adopted certain valuation methodologies that may result
in a shift of income, gain, loss and deduction between the
general partner and the unitholders. The IRS may challenge this
treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the common
units.
|
|
Ø
|
The sale or exchange of 50% or more of our capital and profits
interests during any twelve-month period will result in the
termination of our partnership for federal income tax purposes.
|
S-18
We will receive net cash proceeds (after payment of underwriting
discounts and estimated offering expenses) from this offering
($150.3 million), our concurrent offering to our general
partner ($12.1 million) and the contribution of cash from
our general partner ($3.5 million) totaling approximately
$165.9 million. The underwriters will receive no discount
or commission on the common units sold to our general partner.
We will use the net proceeds for general partnership purposes,
which may include, among other things, temporarily repaying
indebtedness under our credit facility, acquiring assets
(including purchasing businesses and constructing facilities),
paying distributions and satisfying working capital
requirements. During the last 12 months, we have used
proceeds from our credit facility for general partnership
purposes, including:
|
|
Ø
|
partial consideration for the Davison acquisition (net of cash
acquired at closing) ($293 million);
|
|
Ø
|
acquiring and constructing pipelines and related infrastructure
facilities ($2.8 million);
|
|
Ø
|
acquiring terminal and dock facilities ($8.1 million); and
|
|
Ø
|
satisfying working capital requirements.
|
On September 30, 2007, the weighted average interest rate
on the debt was 9.00%. Our credit facility matures on
November 15, 2011.
S-19
The following table sets forth as of September 30, 2007:
|
|
Ø
|
our capitalization on a consolidated actual basis; and
|
|
Ø
|
our pro forma capitalization on a consolidated basis, as
adjusted to reflect (1) the aggregate net proceeds of
approximately $165.9 million we expect to receive from this
offering, our concurrent offering to our general partner and the
contribution from our general partner to maintain its 2% general
partner interest and (2) the use of the net proceeds as
described under Use of proceeds.
|
We derived this table from, and it should be read in conjunction
with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our
historical consolidated financial statements and the notes to
those financial statements that are incorporated by reference in
this prospectus supplement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of
|
|
|
|
September 30,
2007
|
|
|
|
Actual
|
|
|
Pro
forma
|
|
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
Long-term debt
|
|
$
|
285,000
|
|
|
$
|
119,116
|
|
Partners capital:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common unitholders
|
|
|
428,993
|
|
|
|
591,413
|
|
General partner
|
|
|
7,800
|
|
|
|
11,264
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total partners capital
|
|
|
436,793
|
|
|
|
602,677
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total capitalization
|
|
$
|
721,793
|
|
|
$
|
721,793
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S-20
Price
range of common units and distributions
We are required by our partnership agreement to distribute 100%
of our available cash within 45 days after the end of each
quarter to our unitholders of record and to our general partner.
Available cash consists generally of all of our cash receipts
less cash disbursements adjusted for net changes to reserves.
Cash reserves are the amounts deemed necessary or appropriate,
in the reasonable discretion of our general partner, to provide
for the proper conduct of our business or to comply with
applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements.
The full definition of available cash is set forth in our
partnership agreement and amendments thereto, which is filed as
an exhibit to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006. See Where
you can find more information.
Our general partner is entitled to receive incentive
distributions if the amount we distribute with respect to any
quarter exceeds levels specified in our partnership agreement.
Under the quarterly incentive distribution provisions, the
general partner is entitled to receive 13.3% of any
distributions in excess of $0.25 per unit, 23.5% of any
distributions in excess of $0.28 per unit, and 49% of any
distributions in excess of $0.33 per unit, without duplication.
The likelihood and timing of the payment of any incentive
distributions will depend on our ability to increase the cash
flow from our existing operations and to make cash flow
accretive acquisitions. In addition, our partnership agreement
authorizes us to issue additional equity interests in our
partnership with such rights, powers and preferences (which may
be senior to our common units) as our general partner may
determine in its sole discretion, including with respect to the
right to share in distributions and profits and losses of the
partnership.
At September 30, 2007, there were 28,318,532 common
units outstanding, held by approximately 5,880 record
holders and beneficial owners (held in street name), including
2,094,323 common units held by our general partner and
13,459,209 held by the Davison family. The common units are
traded on the AMEX under the symbol GEL. The
following table sets forth the high and low sales prices for the
common units in each quarter, as reported by the AMEX, and the
declared cash distributions for the common units in each
quarter. The last reported sale price of common units on the
AMEX on November 26, 2007 was $22.52 per unit. On
November 14, 2007 we paid a cash distribution of $0.27 per
unit for the quarter ended September 30, 2007. That
distribution represents a 17% increase from our distribution of
$0.23 per unit for the second quarter of 2007 which was paid
during the third quarter of 2007.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
|
|
|
|
Price range
per
|
|
|
distributions
|
|
|
|
common
unit
|
|
|
per common
|
|
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
|
unit(1)
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth
Quarter(2)
|
|
$
|
28.62
|
|
|
$
|
22.27
|
|
|
$
|
0.27
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
|
37.50
|
|
|
|
27.07
|
|
|
|
0.23
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
|
35.98
|
|
|
|
20.01
|
|
|
|
0.22
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
|
22.01
|
|
|
|
18.76
|
|
|
|
0.21
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$
|
20.65
|
|
|
|
14.48
|
|
|
$
|
0.20
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
|
19.18
|
|
|
|
11.20
|
|
|
|
0.19
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
|
14.14
|
|
|
|
10.25
|
|
|
|
0.18
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
|
12.85
|
|
|
|
11.25
|
|
|
|
0.17
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$
|
12.00
|
|
|
|
9.61
|
|
|
$
|
0.16
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
|
12.15
|
|
|
|
9.22
|
|
|
|
0.15
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
|
10.00
|
|
|
|
8.25
|
|
|
|
0.15
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
|
12.60
|
|
|
|
8.50
|
|
|
|
0.15
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Cash distributions are shown in
the quarter paid. |
|
(2) |
|
Through November 26,
2007 |
S-21
This Business section summarizes certain information about
our business and properties from the documents incorporated by
reference, particularly the more complete business description
contained in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006. You should read
carefully this and the other documents incorporated by reference
to understand fully our business and properties. See Where
you can find more information.
OVERVIEW
We are a growth-oriented limited partnership focused on the
midstream segment of the oil and gas industry in the Gulf Coast
region of the United States, primarily Texas, Louisiana,
Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. We have a diverse
portfolio of customers, operations and assets, including
refinery-related plants, pipelines, storage tanks and terminals,
and trucks and truck terminals. We provide services to refinery
owners; oil, natural gas and
CO2
producers; industrial and commercial enterprises that use
CO2
and other industrial gases; and individuals and companies that
use our dry-goods trucking services. Substantially all of our
revenues are derived from providing services to integrated oil
companies, large independent oil and gas or refinery companies,
and large industrial and commercial enterprises.
We manage our businesses through four divisions which are our
reportable segments:
|
|
Ø
|
Pipeline Transportation: We transport oil and,
to a lesser extent, natural gas and
CO2
in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. through approximately
500 miles of pipeline. We own and operate three oil common
carrier pipelines, a small
CO2
pipeline and several small natural gas pipelines. Our pipeline
systems include a total of approximately 0.7 million
barrels of leased and owned tankage.
|
|
Ø
|
Refinery Services: We provide services to
eight refining operations located predominantly in Texas,
Louisiana and Arkansas. These refineries generally are owned and
operated by large companies, including ConocoPhillips, Citgo and
Ergon. Our refinery services primarily involve processing high
sulfur (or sour) natural gas streams, which are
separated from hydrocarbon streams, to remove the sulfur. Our
refinery services contracts, which usually have an initial term
of two to ten years, have an average remaining term of five
years.
|
|
Ø
|
Supply and Logistics: We provide terminaling,
blending, storing, marketing, gathering and transporting by
trucks, and other supply and logistics services to third
parties, as well as to support our other businesses. We own or
lease approximately 300 trucks, 600 trailers and almost
1.5 million barrels of liquid storage capacity at eleven
different locations. Our terminaling, blending, marketing and
gathering activities are focused on oil and petroleum products,
primarily fuel oil.
|
|
Ø
|
Industrial Gases: We supply
CO2
to five industrial customers under long-term, back-to-back,
agreements. In addition, through our 50% interest in Sandhill
Group, LLC, we process raw
CO2
for sale to other customers for uses ranging from completing oil
and natural gas producing wells to food processing. Through our
50% interest in T&P Syngas Supply Company, we also process
syngas (a combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen), which
T&P Syngas sells to Praxair Inc., the other 50% owner.
|
We conduct our business through subsidiaries and joint ventures.
As is customary with MLPs, our general partner is responsible
for operating our business, including providing all necessary
personnel and other resources.
OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH DENBURY RESOURCES INC.
We continue to benefit from our strategic affiliation with
Denbury, which indirectly owns 100% of our general partnership
interest, 100% of our incentive distribution rights and, prior
to the closing of this
S-22
Business
offering, a 7.2% interest in us (represented by 2,094,323 of our
outstanding common units). Denbury, which had an equity market
capitalization of approximately $6.9 billion as of
October 31, 2007, operates primarily in Mississippi,
Louisiana and Texas. As a result of its emphasis on the tertiary
recovery of oil using
CO2
flooding, Denbury has become the largest producer (based on
average barrels produced per day) of oil in Mississippi.
Denbury is a uniquely situated oil company. It is one of only a
handful of producers in the U.S. that possesses
CO2
tertiary recovery expertise along with large deposits of
low-cost
CO2
reserves, estimated to contain approximately 5.5 trillion
cubic feet of estimated proved
CO2
reserves as of December 31, 2006. Other than the
CO2
reserves owned by Denbury, we do not know of any significant
natural sources of
CO2
from East Texas to Florida. Denbury is conducting the largest
CO2
tertiary recovery operations in the Eastern Gulf Coast of the
U.S., an area with many mature oil reservoirs that potentially
contain substantial volumes of recoverable oil. In addition to
the amounts it has already expended on the Free State and North
East Jackson Dome, or NEJD,
CO2
pipelines, Denbury has announced that it expects to spend
approximately $775 million between December 31, 2007
and the end of 2009 to build
CO2
pipelines to support its tertiary oil recovery expansions.
We believe Denbury has strong economic and strategic incentives
to furnish business opportunities to us. In fact, Denbury has
indicated that it plans to use us as a vehicle to provide its
midstream infrastructure needs, particularly with respect to
CO2
pipelines. We believe Denbury is likely to provide us with
future growth opportunities due to the following additional
factors, among others:
|
|
Ø
|
Denburys stated intent for us to function as a provider of
pipelines and gathering systems necessary to support its
operations;
|
|
Ø
|
Denburys significant economic and strategic interests in
us;
|
|
Ø
|
the close proximity of certain of Denburys assets and
operations to certain of our assets and operations; and
|
|
Ø
|
the extent of Denburys growth capital requirements.
|
Denbury has announced its intention, which it can change at any
time, to drop down to us certain midstream assets over time, at
its discretion. Denbury intends to consider offering $1.00 of
drop down transactions to us for each $1.50 of
non-Denbury-related capital we economically deploy. For example,
because we have consummated the Davison acquisition for
approximately $623 million (net of cash acquired at closing
and subject to final purchase price adjustments), Denbury is
willing to discuss with us drop down transactions of
approximately $400 million.
We believe there is a broad array of transactions that we could
explore with Denbury which could result in strong growth
opportunities for us, including acquiring (through purchase,
construction, lease or otherwise)
CO2,
oil and/or
natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines and related
midstream infrastructure; transporting
CO2;
transporting, gathering and storing oil
and/or
natural gas; and enhancing our industrial gases opportunities.
In August, both Denbury and we announced our intention to enter
into negotiations regarding specific transactions. See
Recent Events Announced Potential Denbury
Drop Down Transactions below.
Although our relationship with Denbury may provide us with a
source of acquisition and other growth opportunities, Denbury is
not obligated to enter into any transactions with (or to offer
any opportunities to) us or to promote our interest, and none of
Denbury or any of its affiliates (including our general partner)
has any obligation or commitment to contribute or sell any
assets to us or enter into any type of transaction with us, and
each of them, other than our general partner, has the right to
act in a manner that could be beneficial to its interests and
detrimental to ours. Further, Denbury may, at any time, and
without notice, alter its business strategy, including
determining that it no longer desires to use us as a provider of
its midstream infrastructure. Additionally, even if Denbury were
to
S-23
Business
make one or more offers to us, we cannot say that we would elect
to pursue or consummate any such opportunity. In addition,
though our relationship with Denbury is a significant strength,
it also is a source of potential conflicts. Please read
Summary of Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary
Duties.
OUR OBJECTIVES
AND STRATEGIES
Our primary business objectives are to generate stable cash
flows to allow us to make quarterly cash distributions to our
unitholders and to increase those distributions over time. We
plan to achieve those objectives by executing the following
strategies:
|
|
Ø
|
Expanding our asset base through strategic and accretive
acquisitions with third parties and Denbury. We
intend to expand our asset base through strategic and accretive
acquisitions from Denbury and third parties in new and existing
markets. Such acquisitions could be structured as, among other
things, purchases, leases, tolling or similar agreements or
joint ventures.
|
|
Ø
|
Expanding our asset base through strategic construction and
development projects with third parties and
Denbury. We intend to expand our asset base
through strategic and accretive construction and developments
projects, or joint ventures, in new and existing markets.
|
|
Ø
|
Optimizing our
CO2
and other industrial gases expertise and
infrastructure. We intend to optimize our
CO2
and other industrial gases expertise to create growth
opportunities.
|
|
Ø
|
Leveraging our oil handling capabilities with Denburys
tertiary recovery projects. Because we have
facilities in close proximity to some properties on which
Denbury is conducting tertiary recovery operations, we believe
we are likely to have the opportunity to provide oil
transportation, gathering, blending and marketing services to
them and other producers as production from those properties
increases.
|
|
Ø
|
Attracting new refinery customers and expanding the services
we provide those customers. We expect to attract
new refinery customers as more sour crude is imported (or
produced) and refined in the U.S., and we plan to expand the
services we provide to our refinery customers by offering an
array of services that is broader than those offered by the
Davisons, leveraging our strong relationships with refinery
owners and producers and deploying our proprietary knowledge.
|
|
Ø
|
Increasing the utilization rates and enhancing the
profitability of our existing assets. We intend
to increase the utilization rates and, thereby, enhance the
profitability of our existing assets. We own some pipelines and
terminals that have available capacity and others that we can
increase the capacity for a relatively nominal amount.
|
|
Ø
|
Increasing stable cash flows generated through fee based
services, long-term contractual arrangements and managing
commodity price risks. We intend to generate more
stable cash flows, when practical, by (i) emphasizing
fee-based compensation under long-term contracts, and
(ii) using contractual arrangements, including back-to-back
contracts and derivatives. We charge fee-based arrangements for
substantially all of our services. We are able to enter into
longer term contracts with most of our customers in our refinery
services and industrial gases divisions. Our marketing
activities do not include speculative transactions. While our
refinery services division has some exposure to monthly changes
in the prices of caustic soda and sodium hydrosulfide, also
referred to as NaHS, a natural by-product of those operations,
prices for those commodities are not as volatile as prices for
oil, natural gas and their derivatives.
|
|
Ø
|
Maintaining a balanced and diversified portfolio of midstream
energy and industrial gases assets, operations and
customers. We intend to maintain a balanced and
diversified portfolio of midstream energy and industrial gases
assets, operations and customers. While we have the capability
to provide an ever increasing array of integrated services to
both producers and refineries, we believe our cash
|
S-24
Business
|
|
|
flows will continue to be relatively stable due to the diversity
of our base of customers, the nature of our services and the
geographic location of our operations.
|
|
|
Ø
|
Creating strategic arrangements and sharing capital costs and
risks through joint ventures and strategic
alliances. We intend to continue to create
strategic arrangements with customers and other industry
participants and to share capital costs and risks through the
formation and operation of joint ventures and strategic
alliances.
|
|
Ø
|
Maintaining, on average, a conservative capital structure
that will allow us to execute our growth strategy while, over
the longer term, enhancing our credit ratings. We
intend to maintain, on average, a conservative capital structure
that will allow us to execute our growth strategy while, over
the longer term, enhancing our credit ratings.
|
OUR COMPETITIVE
STRENGTHS
We believe we are well positioned to execute our strategies and
ultimately achieve our objectives due primarily to the following
competitive strengths:
|
|
Ø
|
Relationship with Denbury. We have a strong
relationship with Denbury, the indirect owner of our general
partner. Denbury has indicated that it intends to use us as a
vehicle to provide its midstream infrastructure needs
particularly with respect to
CO2
pipelines. Denbury has announced its intent, which it can change
at any time, to drop down to us certain midstream assets over
time, at its discretion. Denbury intends to consider offering
$1.00 of drop down transactions to us for each $1.50
of non-Denbury-related capital we economically deploy. We
believe Denbury has strong economic and strategic incentives to
provide business opportunities to us in the form of
acquisitions, leases, transportation agreements and other
transactions. We also believe that, if we can become an
instrumental component of Denburys future development
projects, we can leverage those operations (and our relationship
with Denbury) into oil transportation and storage opportunities
with third parties, such as other producers and refinery
operators, in the areas into which Denbury expands its
operations.
|
|
Ø
|
Experienced, Knowledgeable and Motivated Senior Management
Team with Proven Track Record. Our senior
management team has over 40 years of combined experience in
the midstream sector. They have worked together and separately
in leadership roles at a number of large, successful public
companies, including other publicly-traded partnerships. Their
acquisition and development, commercial, operational, technical,
marketing and financial expertise and their extensive industry
contacts provide a strong platform from which we can grow our
asset base (through purchases and construction and development
projects) and improve our operating efficiencies. To help ensure
that our senior management team is incentivized to execute our
growth strategy in a manner that is accretive on a
distribution per unit basis, our general partner has
undertaken to negotiate definitive agreements relating to an
incentive compensation arrangement to provide the members of our
senior management team with the opportunity to earn up to a 20%
interest in our general partner if certain performance criteria
are met. Those performance criteria primarily relate to the
dollar amount of acquisitions we consummate (including
development projects, but excluding acquisitions from Denbury
and its affiliates), provided such expenditures earn (using a
look-back provision) a certain minimum, un-levered return on
investment.
|
|
Ø
|
Unique Platform, Limited Competition and Anticipated Growing
Demand in Refinery Services Operations. We
provide services to eight refining operations located
predominately in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, which are owned
and operated by companies such as ConocoPhillips and Citgo. Our
refinery services primarily involve processing sour natural gas
streams, which are
|
S-25
Business
|
|
|
separated from hydrocarbon streams, to remove the sulfur.
Refineries contract with us for a number of reasons, including
the following:
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
sulfur handling and removal is typically not a core business of
our refinery customers, especially our proprietary processes
that result in the by-product of NaHS;
|
|
|
-
|
over a long period of time, we have developed and maintained
strong relationships with our refinery services customers, which
are based on our reputation for high standards of performance,
reliability and safety;
|
|
|
-
|
the sulfur removal process we use, the NaHS sulfur removal
process, is generally more reliable and less capital and labor
intensive from the conventional Claus process
employed at most refineries;
|
|
|
-
|
we have experience in, and we possess the specialized knowledge
and expertise to use, the NaHS sulfur removal process;
|
|
|
-
|
we have the scale of operations and supply and logistics
capabilities to make the NaHS sulfur removal process extremely
reliable as a means to remove sulfur efficiently working in
concert with the refineries to insure uninterrupted refinery
operations;
|
|
|
-
|
other than each individual refinery, we do not have many
competitors in the sulfur removal business; and
|
|
|
-
|
we believe that the demand for sulfur removal at
U.S. refineries will increase in the years ahead as the
quality of the oil supply used by refineries in the
U.S. continues to drop (or become more sour).
As that occurs, we believe more refineries will seek economic
and proven sulfur removal processes from reputable service
providers that have the scale and logistical capabilities to
efficiently perform such services. In addition, we have an
increasing array of services we can offer to our refinery
customers.
|
|
|
Ø |
Supply and Logistics Division Supports Full Suite of
Services. In addition to its established
customers, our supply and logistics division can, from time to
time, attract customers to our other divisions
and/or
create synergies that may not be available to our competitors.
Several examples include:
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
our refinery services division can effectively compete with
refineries, on a stand alone basis, to remove sulfur partially
due to the synergies created from our ability to economically
source, transport and store large supplies of caustic soda (the
main input into the NaHS sulfur removal process), as well as our
ability to store, transport and market NaHS;
|
|
|
-
|
our pipeline transportation division receives throughput related
to the gathering and marketing services our supply and logistics
division provides to producers;
|
|
|
-
|
our supply and logistics division gives us the opportunity to
bundle services in certain circumstances; for example, in the
future, we hope to gather disparate qualities of oil and use our
terminal and storage assets to customize blends for some of our
refinery customers; and
|
|
|
-
|
our supply and logistics division gives us the opportunity to
blend/store and distribute products made by our refinery
customers.
|
|
|
Ø |
Diversified and Balanced Portfolio of Customers, Operations
and Assets. We have a diversified and
well-balanced portfolio of customers, operations and assets
throughout the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. Our operations
and assets include refinery-related plants, transportation and
gathering pipelines, oil and refined petroleum product storage
tanks and terminals, industrial gas plants, and truck terminals
supporting a fleet of approximately 300 trucks and 600 trailers
that transport oil, intermediate and finished refined products,
caustic soda, NaHS and other goods. We service refinery
|
S-26
Business
|
|
|
owners; oil, natural gas and
CO2
producers; industrial and commercial enterprises that use
CO2
and other industrial gases; and individuals and companies that
use our dry-goods trucking services. Our assets and operations
are characterized by:
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
Strategic Locations. Our oil pipelines and
related assets are predominately located near areas that are
experiencing increasing oil production, in large part because of
Denburys tertiary recovery operations, and in and around
inland refining operations, many of which are contemplating
expansion.
|
|
|
-
|
Cost-Effective Expansion and Enhancement
Opportunities. We own pipelines, terminals and
other assets that have available capacity or that have
opportunities for expansion of capacity without incurring
material expenditures. Our available capacity allows us to
increase our revenues with little or no additional cost to us,
and our expansion capability allows us to increase our asset
base, as needed, in a cost-effective manner.
|
|
|
-
|
Cash Flow Stability. Our cash flow is
relatively stable due to a number of factors, including our
long-term, fee-based contracts with our refinery services and
industrial gases customers, our diversified base of customers,
assets and services, and our relatively low exposure to volatile
fluctuations in commodity prices.
|
|
|
Ø |
Financial Flexibility. After we complete the
offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement, we believe
we will have the financial flexibility to pursue additional
growth projects. As of September 30, 2007, we had
$285 million of loans and $4.7 million in letters of
credit outstanding under our $500 million credit facility,
resulting in $90.4 million of remaining credit availability
under our borrowing base. In addition, any new acquisitions that
we complete will have the potential to increase our borrowing
base, subject to specified limitations and lender consent. We
will use the proceeds of this offering for general partnership
purposes, including temporarily paying down the outstanding
balance under our credit facility and, ultimately, indirectly
funding certain acquisitions. If we use $165.9 million, or
all of the net proceeds relating to this offering (including
proceeds received from our general partner), to reduce
indebtedness under our credit facility, we will have
$256.3 million of remaining credit availability under our
borrowing base. We believe this offering and our credit facility
will provide us with the financial flexibility to fund our short
term operations and strategic growth plan and to facilitate our
longer-term expansion and acquisition strategies, which include
accessing the capital markets from time to time to fund future
growth.
|
RECENT
EVENTS
Acquisition of
Refinery Services Division and Other Businesses
On July 25, 2007, we acquired five energy-related
businesses, including the operations that comprise our refinery
services division, from several entities owned and controlled by
the Davison family of Ruston, Louisiana. The other businesses we
acquired from the Davisons transport, store, procure and market
petroleum products and other bulk commodities and are included
in our supply and logistics division. Our acquisition agreement
with the Davisons provided that we would deliver to them
$563 million of consideration, half in common units
(13,459,209 common units at an agreed-to value of $20.8036 per
unit) and half in cash. In addition, we agreed to adjust the
cash portion of the consideration in connection the value of
working capital, inventory and other specified adjustment
matters.
Our financial statements at September 30, 2007 reflect a
total acquisition price of $631 million, which includes the
preliminary purchase price adjustments, our transaction costs,
working capital acquired, net of cash acquired, and a valuation
of the units at $24.52 per unit, which was the average closing
price of our units during the five trading day period ending two
days after we signed the acquisition agreement.
S-27
Business
The Davison family is our largest unitholder, with a 36.8%
interest in us (represented by 13,459,209 of our common units)
after giving effect to the issuances pursuant to this offering.
It has designated two of the family members to the board of
directors of our general partner, and as long as it maintains a
specified minimum percentage of our common units, it will have
the continuing right to designate up to two directors. The
Davison family has agreed to restrictions that limit its ability
to sell specified percentages of its common units through
July 26, 2010. Prior to July 25, 2008, the Davison
family may not sell more than 20% of its units. On that date, an
additional 20% of its units will be released. An additional 20%,
30% and 10% of its issued units will be released 18, 24 and
36 months after closing, at which point the Davisons will
be free to sell or otherwise dispose of all of their units.
Announced
Potential Denbury Drop Down Transactions
Denbury has announced plans to negotiate several anticipated
transactions with us involving the drop down of some of its
CO2
pipeline assets. We currently expect those transactions to
consist of property purchases combined with associated
transportation or service arrangements or direct financing
leases, or a combination of both. We anticipate that, during the
fourth quarter of 2007, we will enter into approximately $200 to
$250 million of transactions with Denbury relating to its
Free State and North East Jackson Dome, or NEJD,
CO2
pipelines. We also anticipate similar transactions in the range
of $100 to $150 million in the second half of 2008 for
other
CO2
pipelines that Denbury is currently constructing. Although we
currently are negotiating the Free State and NEJD transactions
with Denbury, we cannot assure you that we will reach mutually
satisfactory terms and consummate those transactions.
Denbury has begun negotiations with us with respect to the
transactions described above because we have recently completed
over $600 million in non-Denbury-related acquisitions or
growth projects, which includes the Davison acquisition.
Quarterly
Distribution Increase
On October 26, 2007, our board of directors declared a cash
distribution of $0.27 per unit for the quarter ended
September 30, 2007. The distribution was paid on
November 14, 2007 to our general partner and all common
unitholders of record as of the close of business on
November 6, 2007. That quarterly distribution rate
represents an increase of 17% relative to the distribution paid
for the second quarter of 2007, an approximate 35% increase
relative to the same period in 2006, and an approximate 69%
increase relative to the third quarter in 2005. This is our
ninth consecutive quarterly distribution increase, with the
previous eight being increased by $0.01 per unit.
Increased Credit
Facility to $500 Million
On November 15, 2006, we replaced our $50 million
working capital credit facility with a $500 million working
capital and acquisition facility. As of September 30, 2007,
we had borrowed $285 million under that facility, and we
had $4.7 million in letters of credit outstanding,
resulting in $90.4 million of remaining credit availability
under our borrowing base.
Adopted
Growth-Oriented Strategy and Hired an Experienced Midstream
Senior Management Team
Our board of directors has adopted a growth-oriented strategy
for us, and on August 8, 2006, we hired an experienced
senior management team; Grant E. Sims, former CEO of Leviathan
Gas Pipeline Partners, L.P., was appointed as the new Chief
Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors and
Joseph A. Blount, Jr., former President and Chief Operating
Officer of Unocal Midstream & Trade, was appointed as
President and Chief Operating Officer. Our senior management
S-28
Business
team is responsible for designing and implementing a
growth-oriented strategy that will include acquisitions from
third parties (such as the recent acquisition from the
Davisons), development projects and, ultimately, acquisitions
from (or leases or financing arrangements with) subsidiaries of
Denbury.
To help ensure that our senior management team is incentivized
to execute our growth strategy in a manner that is accretive on
a distribution per unit basis, the team and our
general partner have undertaken to negotiate definitive
agreements relating to an incentive compensation arrangement to
provide the members of our senior management team with the
opportunity to earn up to a 20% interest in our general partner
if certain performance criteria are met. Those performance
criteria primarily relate to the dollar amount of expenditures
for acquisitions we consummate (including development projects,
but excluding acquisitions from Denbury and its affiliates)
provided such expenditures earn (using a look-back provision) a
specified minimum, un-levered return on investment.
Acquired Terminal
and Dock Facilities
Effective July 1, 2007, we paid $8.1 million for BP
Pipelines (North America) Inc.s Port Hudson oil truck
terminal, marine terminal and marine dock on the Mississippi
River, which includes 215,000 barrels of tankage, a
pipeline and other related assets in East Baton Rouge Parish,
Louisiana. The acquisition was funded with borrowings under our
credit facility.
Florida Oil
Pipeline System Expansion
We committed to construct an extension of our existing Florida
oil pipeline system that would extend to producers operating in
southern Alabama. That new lateral will consist of approximately
33 miles of 8 pipeline originating in the Little
Cedar Creek Field in Conecuh County, Alabama to a connection to
our Florida Pipeline System in Escambia County, Alabama. That
project also will include gathering connections to approximately
30 wells and oil storage capacity of 20,000 barrels in
the field. We expect to place those facilities in service in the
second half of 2008.
Unitholder
Meeting
We have called a special meeting of our unitholders to be held
on December 18, 2007, for unitholders of record as of
November 2, 2007, to vote on (1) a proposal to amend
certain provisions of our partnership agreement to allow any
affiliated persons or group who hold more than 20% of our
outstanding voting units to vote on all matters on which holders
of our voting units have the right to vote, other than matters
relating to the succession, election, removal, withdrawal,
replacement or substitution of our general partner, and to
clarify and expand the concept of group as
defined in our partnership agreement; and (2) a proposal to
approve the terms of the Genesis Energy, Inc. 2007 Long Term
Incentive Plan, which provides for awards of our units and other
rights to our employees and, possibly, our directors.
BUSINESS
SEGMENTS
We conduct our business through four primary
segments: Pipeline Transportation, Refinery Services,
Supply and Logistics and Industrial Gases. Our Supply and
Logistics segment was previously known as Crude Oil Gathering
and Marketing. With the Davison acquisition, we expanded our
operations into petroleum products and other transportation
services, and combined these operations due to their
similarities and our approach to managing these operations.
These segments are strategic business units that provide a
variety of energy related services. For information relating to
revenues from external customers, operating income and total
assets of each segment, see the financial statements
incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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Business
PIPELINE
TRANSPORTATION
Oil Pipelines. Our core pipeline
transportation business is the transportation of oil for others
for a fee. Our
230-mile
Mississippi System provides shippers of oil in Mississippi
indirect access to refineries, pipelines, storage, terminaling
and other oil infrastructure located in the Midwest. Our
90-mile
Texas System extends from West Columbia to Webster, Webster to
Texas City and Webster to Houston. Our
100-mile Jay
System originates in eastern Alabama and the panhandle of
Florida and extends to a point near Mobile, Alabama. On a much
smaller scale, we also transport
CO2
and natural gas for a fee.
Our regulated pipelines are open-access carriers whose tariff
rates are regulated by FERC or the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Accordingly, we offer transportation services to any shipper of
oil, if the products tendered for transportation satisfy the
conditions and specifications contained in the applicable
tariff. Pipeline revenues are a function of the level of
throughput and the particular point where the oil was injected
into the pipeline and the delivery point. We also can earn
revenue from pipeline loss allowance volumes. In exchange for
bearing the risk of pipeline volumetric losses, we deduct
volumetric pipeline loss allowances and crude quality
deductions. Such allowances and deductions are offset by
measurement gains and losses. When the allowances and deductions
exceed measurement losses, the net pipeline loss allowance
volumes are earned and recognized as income and inventory
available for sale valued at the market price for the oil. Until
the volumes are sold, we account for them as inventory and value
them at the lower of cost or market value. When we sell the
inventory, we recognize any difference between the carrying
amount and the sale price as additional pipeline revenue.
The margins from our pipeline operations are generated by the
difference between the revenues from regulated published
tariffs, pipeline loss allowance revenues and the fixed and
variable costs of operating and maintaining our pipelines.
Mississippi System. Our Mississippi System
extends from Soso, Mississippi to Liberty, Mississippi. Our
Mississippi System includes tankage at various locations with an
aggregate owned storage capacity of 247,500 barrels. The
system is adjacent to several oil fields operated by Denbury,
which is the sole shipper (other than us) on our Mississippi
System. As a result of its emphasis on the tertiary recovery of
oil using
CO2
flooding, Denbury has become the largest producer (based on
average barrels produced per day) of oil in the State of
Mississippi, and it owns more developed
CO2
reserves than anyone in the Eastern Gulf Coast Region of the
U.S. As Denbury continues to implement its tertiary oil
recovery strategy, its anticipated increased production could
create increased demand for our oil transportation services
because of the close proximity of the pipelines, especially the
Mississippi System, and their projects.
Some of our oil gathering, marketing and transportation
arrangements with Denbury have an incentive tariff.
Under our incentive tariff, the average rate per barrel that we
charge during any month decreases as our aggregate throughput
for that month increases above specified thresholds.
Texas System. The active segments of our Texas
System extend from West Columbia to Webster, Webster to Texas
City and Webster to Houston. Those segments include
approximately 90 miles of pipe. The Texas System receives
all of its volume from connections to other pipeline carriers.
We earn a tariff for our transportation services, with the
tariff rate per barrel of oil varying with the distance from
injection point to delivery point. We entered into a joint
tariff with TEPPCO to receive oil from their system at West
Columbia and a joint tariff with TEPPCO and ExxonMobil Pipeline
Company to receive oil from their systems at Webster. We also
continue to receive barrels from a connection with Seminole
Pipeline Company at Webster. We own tankage with approximately
55,000 barrels of storage capacity associated with the
Texas System. We lease an additional approximately
165,000 barrels of storage capacity for our Texas System in
Webster. We have a tank rental reimbursement agreement with the
primary shipper on our Texas System to reimburse us for the
lease of that storage capacity at Webster.
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Business
Jay System. Our Jay System begins near oil
fields in southeastern Alabama and the panhandle of Florida and
extends to a point near Mobile, Alabama. Our Jay System includes
tankage with 230,000 barrels of storage capacity, primarily
at Jay Station. Recently, we have witnessed significant
re-development work at some of the more mature fields attached
to the Jay System. As a result of new production in the area
surrounding our Jay System, volumes have stabilized on that
system.
We recently committed to construct an extension of our existing
Florida oil pipeline system that would extend to producers
operating in southern Alabama. The new lateral will consist of
approximately 33 miles of 8 pipeline originating in
the Little Cedar Creek Field in Conecuh County, Alabama to a
connection to our Florida Pipeline System in Escambia County,
Alabama. The project will also include gathering connections to
approximately 30 wells and additional oil storage capacity
of 20,000 barrels in the field. The project is expected to
be placed in service in the second half of 2008.
CO2
Pipeline. During 2004, we constructed a
10-mile,
10
CO2
pipeline that is connected to Denburys
183-mile
pipeline that transports
CO2
from their Jackson Dome
CO2
reservoir. Our pipeline moves the
CO2
to the Brookhaven oil field used by Denbury in tertiary
recovery. We entered into a contract granting Denbury the
exclusive right to use that
CO2
pipeline through 2012 in exchange for a monthly demand and
commodity charge.
Natural Gas Pipelines. We have several small
natural gas gathering systems located in Texas, Louisiana and
Oklahoma, which we acquired in January 2005 from Multifuels
Energy Asset Group, L.P.
REFINERY
SERVICES
We provide services for eight refining operations primarily
located in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. In our processing, we
apply proprietary technology that uses large quantities of
caustic soda. In exchange for our services, we receive a
by-product of our process, NaHS, which we sell to approximately
100 customers. As such, we are one of the largest marketers of
NaHS in North America. Our refinery services business generates
revenue by selling the NaHS, the by-product of our process.
NaHS is used in the specialty chemicals business and the pulp
and paper business, in connection with mining operations and
also has environmental applications. NaHS is used in various
industries for applications including, but not limited to,
agricultural, dyes and other chemical processing; waste
treatment programs requiring stabilization and reduction of
heavy and toxic metals through precipitation; and sulfidizing
oxide ores (most commonly to separate copper from molybdenum).
NaHS is also used in Kraft pulping process to prepare synthetic
cooking liquor (white liquor); as a
make-up
chemical to replace lost sulfur values; as a scrubbing media for
residual chlorine dioxide generated and consumed in mill bleach
plants; and for removing hair from hides at the beginning of the
tannery process.
Our refinery service contracts typically range from two to ten
years. Because of our reputation, experience and logistical
capability to transport, store and deliver both NaHS and caustic
soda (the primary input used by our proprietary process), we
believe such contracts will likely be renewed upon the
expiration of their primary terms. We also believe that the
demand for sulfur removal at U.S. refineries will increase
in the years ahead as the quality of the oil supply used by
refineries in the U.S. continues to drop (or become more
sour). As that occurs, we believe more refineries
will seek economic and proven sulfur removal processes from
reputable service providers that have the scale and logistical
capabilities to efficiently perform such services. Because of
our existing scale, we believe we will be able to attract such
refineries as new customers for our sulfur handling/removal
services.
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Business
SUPPLY AND
LOGISTICS
Our oil gathering and marketing operations are concentrated in
Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. These
operations, which involve purchasing, gathering and transporting
by trucks and pipelines operated by us and trucks, pipelines and
barges operated by others, and reselling, help to ensure (among
other things) a base supply source for our oil pipeline systems.
Our profit for those services is derived from the difference
between the price at which we re-sell oil less the price at
which we purchase that oil, minus the associated costs of
aggregation and any cost of supplying credit. The most
substantial component of our aggregating costs relates to
operating our fleet of leased trucks. Our oil gathering and
marketing activities provide us with an extensive expertise,
knowledge base and skill set that facilitates our ability to
capitalize on regional opportunities which arise from time to
time in our market areas. Usually, this segment experiences
limited commodity price risk because we generally make
back-to-back purchases and sales, matching our sale and purchase
volumes on a monthly basis.
With the Davison acquisition, we gained approximately 225
trucks, 525 trailers and 1.3 million barrels of existing
leased and owned storage and expanded our activities to include
transporting, storing and blending intermediate and finished
refined petroleum products. In combination with our historical
focus on oil, we believe we are well positioned to provide a
full suite of logistical services to both independent and
integrated refinery operators, ranging from upstream (the
procurement and staging of refinery inputs) to downstream (the
transportation, staging and marketing) of refined products.
Port Hudson. Effective July 1, 2007, we
acquired the Port Hudson oil truck terminal, marine terminal and
marine dock of BP Pipelines (North America) Inc., or Port
Hudson, for $8.1 million. The assets acquired in this
transaction include docking facilities on the Mississippi River,
215,000 barrels of tankage, a pipeline and other related
assets in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. In connection with
such acquisition, we entered into a long-term purchase contract
with several producers to ensure steady throughput on those
facilities. With some of our existing activities and some
identified opportunities, as well as the committed production,
we see Port Hudson developing into a focus area for oil handling
activities in South Louisiana.
Segment margin from our supply and logistics operations varies
from period to period, depending, to a significant extent, upon
changes in the supply of and demand for oil, refined products
and natural gas. Generally, as we purchase products, we
simultaneously establish a margin by selling products for
physical delivery to third-party users. Through these
transactions, we seek to maintain a position that is
substantially balanced between purchases, on the one hand, and
sales or future delivery obligations, on the other hand. We do
not acquire and hold oil or refined products, futures contracts
or other derivative products for the purpose of speculating on
price changes.
INDUSTRIAL
GASES
Our industrial gases segment is a natural outgrowth from our
pipeline transportation business. Because of the substantial
tertiary recovery operations using
CO2
flooding being conducted around our Mississippi System, we
became familiar with
CO2-related
activities and, ultimately, began our
CO2
business in 2003. Our relationships with industrial customers
who use
CO2
have expanded, which has introduced us to potential
opportunities associated with other industrial gases, such as
syngas (also known as synthesis gas), which is a combination of
carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
CO2. We
supply
CO2
to five industrial customers under seven long-term
CO2
sales contracts. We acquired those contracts, as well as the
CO2
necessary to satisfy substantially all of our expected
obligations under those contracts, in three separate
transactions with Denbury. Since 2003, we have purchased those
contracts, along with three volumetric production payments, or
VPPs, representing 280.0 Bcf of
CO2
(in the aggregate), from Denbury for a total of
$43.1 million in cash. We sell our
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Business
CO2
to customers who treat the
CO2
and sell it to end users for use for beverage carbonation and
food chilling and freezing. Our compensation for supplying
CO2
to our industrial customers is the effective difference between
the price at which we sell our
CO2
under each contract and the price at which we acquired our
CO2
pursuant to our VPPs, less transportation costs. We expect our
CO2
contracts to provide stable cash flows until they expire, at
which time we will attempt to extend or replace those contracts.
Sandhill Group, LLC. On April 1, 2006, we
acquired a 50% interest in Sandhill Group, LLC, or Sandhill. At
September 30, 2007, Reliant Holdings, Ltd. held the other
50% interest in Sandhill. Sandhill is a limited liability
company that owns a
CO2
processing facility located in Brandon, Mississippi and is
engaged in the production and distribution of liquid
CO2
for use in the food, chemical and oil industries. The facility
acquires
CO2
from us under a long-term supply contract that we acquired in
2005 from Denbury.
Syngas. On April 1, 2005, we acquired
from TCHI Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ChevronTexaco
Global Energy Inc., a 50% partnership interest in T&P
Syngas for $13.4 million in cash, which we funded with
proceeds from our credit facility. T&P Syngas is a
partnership which owns a facility located in Texas City, Texas
that manufactures syngas and high-pressure steam. We receive a
proportionate share of fees under a long-term processing
agreement between the joint venture and its sole customer,
Praxair Hydrogen Supply, Inc. Under that processing agreement,
the joint venture receives a fixed fee in exchange for Praxair
receiving the exclusive right to use the facility through at
least 2016 (term extendable at Praxairs option for two
additional five year terms). Praxair also is our partner in the
joint venture and owns the remaining 50% interest.
The results of operations relating to our syngas investment are
reflected in our Industrial Gases Segment margin because we use
the equity method to account for that investment.
CUSTOMERS AND
COMPETITION
Our customers are diverse and numerous. Our pipeline
transportation customers consist of Denbury and other large
energy companies. In our refinery services business, we service
eight refinery operations located primarily in Texas, Louisiana
and Arkansas, and sell NaHS to over 100 customers. We do however
rely on a few refineries for much of the NaHS supply, with
ConocoPhillips representing approximately 65% of our refinery
services business. In our supply and logistics segment, we sell
crude oil and petroleum products and provide transportation
services to hundreds of customers. We do not believe that the
loss of any one customer for crude oil or petroleum products
would have a material adverse effect on us as these products are
readily marketable commodities. Our industrial gases customers
consist primarily of several large international customers and
the approximately 25 customers of our joint ventures.
ENVIRONMENTAL
MATTERS
Information regarding environmental-related regulations and
occurrences that may impact our business can be found in our
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
SEC) that are incorporated by reference into this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. See
Where you can find more information. In
addition to the matters discussed there, voluntary remediation
of subsurface hydrocarbon contamination is in process at the
former Jay Trucking Facility. The estimated remediation and
related costs are $1.3 million, which we are sharing with
other responsible parties. We currently have no reason to
believe that this remediation will have a material adverse
effect on our financial position, results of operation or cash
flow.
S-33
Business
CREDIT
FACILITY
We have a credit facility, with a maximum facility amount of
$500 million, with a group of banks led by Fortis Capital
Corp. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. The committed amount
under our credit facility is $500 million and the maximum
for letters of credit is $100 million. Our borrowing base
as of September 30, 2007 was $380 million. The
committed amount represents the amount the banks have committed
to fund pursuant to the terms of the credit agreement. The
borrowing base is recalculated quarterly and may be increased to
the extent of pro forma additional EBITDA (earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), attributable to
acquisitions with approval of the lenders. The borrowing base
represents the amount that can be borrowed or utilized for
letters of credit from a credit standpoint based on our EBITDA
computed in accordance with the provisions of our credit
facility.
At September 30, 2007, we had $285 million borrowed
under our credit facility and we had $4.7 million in
letters of credit outstanding. Due to the revolving nature of
loans under our credit facility, additional borrowings and
periodic repayments and re-borrowings may be made until the
maturity date of November 15, 2011. Under our credit
facilitys borrowing base, the total amount available for
borrowings at September 30, 2007 was $90.4 million
under our credit facility.
The key terms for rates under our credit facility are as follows:
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The interest rate on borrowings may be based on the prime rate
or the LIBOR rate, at our option. The interest rate on prime
rate loans can range from the prime rate plus 0.50% to the prime
rate plus 1.875%. The interest rate for LIBOR-based loans can
range from the LIBOR rate plus 1.50% to the LIBOR rate plus
2.875%. The rate is based on our leverage ratio as computed
under the credit facility. Our leverage ratio is recalculated
quarterly and in connection with each material acquisition. At
September 30, 2007, our borrowing rates were the prime rate
plus 1.25% or the LIBOR rate plus 2.25%.
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Letter of credit fees will range from 1.50% to 2.875% based on
our leverage ratio as computed under the credit facility. The
rate can fluctuate quarterly. At September 30, 2007, our
letter of credit rate was 2.25%.
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We pay a commitment fee on the unused portion of the
$500 million commitment. The commitment fee will range from
0.30% to 0.50% based on our leverage ratio as computed under the
credit facility. The rate can fluctuate quarterly. At
September 30, 2007, the commitment fee rate was 0.50%.
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Collateral under the credit facility consists of substantially
all our assets. While in general, our general partner is jointly
and severally liable for all of our obligations unless and
except to the extent those obligations provide that they are
non-recourse to our general partner, our credit facility
expressly provides that it is non-recourse to our general
partner (except to the extent of its pledge of its general
partner interest in certain of our subsidiaries) and Denbury and
its other subsidiaries.
Our credit facility contains customary covenants (affirmative,
negative and financial) that limit the manner in which we may
conduct our business. Our credit facility contains three primary
financial covenantsa debt service coverage ratio, leverage
ratio and funded indebtedness to capitalization ratiothat
require us to achieve specific minimum financial metrics. In
general, the debt service coverage ratio calculation compares
EBITDA (as adjusted in accordance with the credit facility) to
interest expense. The leverage ratio calculation compares our
consolidated funded debt (as calculated in accordance with the
credit facility) to EBITDA (as adjusted). The funded
indebtedness ratio compares outstanding debt to the sum of our
consolidated total funded debt plus our consolidated net worth.
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Business
Our credit facility includes provisions for the temporary
adjustment of the required ratios following material
acquisitions and with lender approval. If we meet these
financial metrics and are not otherwise in default under our
credit facility, we may make quarterly distributions; however
the amount of such distributions may not exceed the sum of the
distributable cash generated by us for the eight most recent
quarters, less the sum of the distributions made with respect to
those quarters. At September 30, 2007, the excess of
distributable cash over distributions under this provision of
the credit facility was $19.7 million. For a summary of our
non-financial covenants, please refer to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006 which is incorporated
by reference into this prospectus.
The carrying value of our debt under our credit facility
approximates fair value primarily because interest rates
fluctuate with prevailing market rates, and the applicable
margin on outstanding borrowings reflect what we believe is
market.
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Historically, we have entered into transactions with Denbury and
its subsidiaries to acquire assets. We have instituted specific
procedures for evaluating and valuing our material transactions
with Denbury and its subsidiaries. However, the partnership
agreement does not require that we use these procedures and we
may change them at any time. Before we consider entering into a
transaction with Denbury or any of its subsidiaries, we
determine whether the proposed transaction (1) would comply
with the requirements under our credit facility, (2) would
comply with substantive law and (3) would be fair, or
deemed to be fair under the terms of the partnership agreement,
to us and our limited partners. In addition, our general
partners board of directors is authorized to utilize its
Audit Committee comprised solely of independent directors. That
committee may:
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evaluate and, where appropriate, negotiate the proposed
transaction;
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engage an independent financial advisor and independent legal
counsel to assist with its evaluation of the proposed
transaction; and
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determine whether to reject or approve and recommend the
proposed transaction.
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Under the partnership agreement, the general partner may resolve
a conflict without input from the Audit Committee.
Information concerning specific transactions with Denbury can be
found in reports filed with the SEC that are incorporated into
this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus
by reference. See Where you can find more
information.
SUMMARY OF
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FIDUCIARY DUTIES
General. Our general partner has a duty to
manage us in a manner that is reasonably believed by the general
partner to be in, or not inconsistent with, our best interests,
and in a manner that is beneficial to holders of our common
units. These duties originate under our partnership agreement
and in statutes and judicial decisions and are commonly referred
to as a fiduciary duty. However, because our general partner is
owned by Denbury Gathering and Marketing, Inc., the officers and
directors of our general partner will also have fiduciary duties
to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to Denbury
Gathering and, ultimately, Denbury which indirectly owns and
controls our general partner. As a result of those
relationships, conflicts of interest may arise in the future
between us and holders of our common units, on the one hand, and
our general partner and its owners on the other hand. For
example, our general partner will be entitled to make
determinations that affect our ability to make cash
distributions, including, but not limited to, determinations
related to the operation of our business, such as those related
to capital expenditures, asset purchases and sales and other
acquisitions and
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Business
dispositions, borrowings and the amount of cash reserves
necessary or appropriate to satisfy general administrative and
other expenses and debt service requirements, and otherwise
provide for the proper conduct of our business. Those
determinations will have an effect on the value of the common
units, the amount of cash distributions we make to the holders
of our common units, and that in turn has an effect on whether
our general partner receives incentive cash distributions as
discussed below.
Partnership Agreement Modifications of Fiduciary
Duties. Our partnership agreement limits the
liability and reduces the fiduciary duties of our general
partner to us and our unitholders. Our partnership agreement
also restricts the remedies available to our unitholders for
actions that might otherwise constitute a breach of our general
partners fiduciary duties owed to our unitholders. Our
partnership agreement also provides that Denbury and its
affiliates, other than our general partner (in certain
circumstances), may own assets or engage in businesses that
compete with us. For example, Denbury may acquire, invest in or
dispose of midstream or other assets in the future without any
obligation to offer us the opportunity to purchase or own
interests in those assets, and Denbury may, at any time, alter
its strategy, including determining that it no longer desires to
use us as a vehicle to provide any of its midstream
infrastructure needs. Denbury and its affiliates are also not
under any obligation to make any acquisitions on our behalf. By
purchasing a common unit, the purchaser agrees to be bound by
the terms of our partnership agreement and, under the terms of
our partnership agreement, each holder of common units consents
to various actions contemplated in the partnership agreement and
conflicts of interest that might otherwise be considered a
breach of a general partners fiduciary or other duties
under applicable state law.
For a description of our other relationships with our
affiliates, please read Certain Relationships and
Related Transactions. For more detail on our
relationship with our general partner and Denbury, please read
Risk FactorsRisks related to our partnership
structureDenbury Resources and its affiliates have
conflicts of interest with us and limited fiduciary
responsibilities, which may permit them to favor their own
interests to your detriment, et seq., which can be
found beginning on page 8 of the base prospectus attached
to this prospectus supplement.
S-36
The tax consequences to you of an investment in common units
will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. For a
discussion of the principal federal income tax considerations
associated with our operations and the purchase, ownership and
disposition of common units, please read Material Tax
Consequences beginning on page 25 of the
accompanying base prospectus. You are urged to consult your own
tax advisor about the federal, state and local tax consequences
peculiar to your circumstances.
The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in
us depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for
federal income tax purposes. No ruling has been or will be
sought from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and
the IRS has made no determination as to our status as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes or whether our
operations generate qualifying income under
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. We estimate that
less than 8% of our current income is not qualifying income;
however, this estimate could change from time to time.
We will rely on the opinion of Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld LLP that, based upon the Internal Revenue
Code, its regulations, published revenue rulings and court
decisions and the representations described below, we will be
classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
In rendering its opinion, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer &
Feld LLP has relied on factual representations made by us and
our general partner, including the following:
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Neither we nor the operating company has elected or will elect
to be treated as a corporation; and
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For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has
been and will be income from sources that Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld LLP has opined or will opine is
qualifying income within the meaning of
Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our income at the
corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%, and
would likely pay state and local income tax at varying rates.
Distributions would generally be taxed again to unitholders as
corporate distributions and no income, gains, losses, or
deductions would flow through to unitholders. Because a tax
would be imposed upon us as an entity, cash available for
distribution to unitholders would be substantially reduced.
Treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material
reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to
unitholders and thus would likely result in a substantial
reduction in the value of the common units.
Current law may change so as to cause us to be treated as a
corporation for federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject
us to entity-level taxation. Any modification to the federal
income tax laws and interpretations thereof may or may not be
applied retroactively and could make it more difficult or
impossible to meet the exception for us to be treated as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes that is not taxable
as a corporation, referred to as the Qualifying Income
Exception, affect or cause us to change our business
activities, affect the tax considerations of an investment in
us, change the character or treatment of portions of our income
and adversely affect an investment in our common units. For
example, in response to certain developments, members of
Congress are considering substantive changes to the definition
of qualifying income. It is possible that these
legislative efforts could result in changes to the existing
federal income tax laws that affect publicly traded partnerships
including us. We are unable to predict whether any of these
changes, or other proposals will ultimately be enacted. Any such
changes could negatively impact an investment in our common
units. In addition, because of widespread state budget deficits
and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject
partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of
state income, franchise and other forms of taxation. For
example, beginning in 2008, we will be required to pay Texas
franchise tax at a maximum rate of 0.5% of our gross income
apportioned to Texas in the prior year.
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Tax
considerations
We estimate that if you purchase a common unit in this offering
and hold the unit through the record date for the distribution
with respect to the final calendar quarter of 2009 (assuming
quarterly distributions on the common units with respect to that
period are equal to the current announced quarterly distribution
rate of $0.27 per common unit), you will be allocated, on a
cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable income for that
period that will be 20% or less of the amount of cash
distributed to you with respect to that period. This estimate is
based upon many assumptions regarding our business and
operations, including assumptions as to tariffs, capital
expenditures, cash flows and anticipated cash distributions.
This estimate and the underlying assumptions are subject to,
among other things, numerous business, economic, regulatory,
competitive and political uncertainties beyond our control and
to tax reporting positions that we have adopted. The IRS could
disagree with our tax reporting positions, including estimates
of the relative fair market values of our assets and the
validity of certain allocations. Accordingly, we cannot assure
you that the estimate will be correct. The actual percentage of
distributions that will constitute taxable income could be
higher or lower than our estimate, and any differences could be
material and could materially affect the value of the common
units. For example, the ratio of allocable taxable income to
cash distributions could be greater, and perhaps substantially
greater, than our estimate with respect to the period described
above if:
|
|
Ø
|
gross income from operations exceeds the amount required to make
the minimum quarterly distribution on all units, yet we only
distribute the minimum quarterly distribution on all units; or
|
|
Ø
|
we make a future offering of common units and use the proceeds
of the offering in a manner that does not produce substantial
additional deductions during the period described above, such as
to repay indebtedness outstanding at the time of this offering
or to acquire property that is not depreciable or amortizable
for federal income tax purposes or that is depreciable or
amortizable at a rate significantly slower than the rate
applicable to our assets at the time of this offering.
|
Ownership of common units by tax-exempt entities and foreign
investors raises issues unique to such persons. Please read
Material Tax ConsequencesTax-Exempt Organizations
and Other Investors beginning on page 35 of the
accompanying base prospectus.
S-38
As is common with MLPs, we do not directly employ any persons
responsible for managing or operating our activities or for
providing services relating to day-to-day business affairs. Our
general partner provides such services and is reimbursed for its
direct and indirect costs and expenses, including all
compensation and benefit costs.
The board of directors of our general partner is composed of ten
members. Four of the directors, including the Chairman of the
Board, are executives of Denbury. In addition, our Chief
Executive Officer serves on the board. The three remaining
directors are independent directors as contemplated
by the rules of the American Stock Exchange.
DIRECTORS AND
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF OUR GENERAL PARTNER
The following table sets forth certain information concerning
the directors and executive officers of our general partner. All
executive officers serve at the discretion of our general
partner.
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
|
Position(s)
|
|
|
Gareth Roberts
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
Director and Chairman of the Board
|
Grant E. Sims
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
Director and Chief Executive Officer
|
Mark C. Allen
|
|
|
39
|
|
|
Director
|
Ronald T. Evans
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
Director
|
Herbert I. Goodman
|
|
|
84
|
|
|
Director
|
Susan O. Rheney
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
Director
|
Phil Rykhoek
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
Director
|
J. Conley Stone
|
|
|
76
|
|
|
Director
|
James E. Davison
|
|
|
70
|
|
|
Director
|
James E. Davison, Jr.
|
|
|
41
|
|
|
Director
|
Joseph A. Blount, Jr.
|
|
|
47
|
|
|
President and Chief Operating Officer
|
Ross A. Benavides
|
|
|
54
|
|
|
Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and Secretary
|
Karen N. Pape
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
Senior Vice President and Controller
|
Gareth Roberts has served as a Director and Chairman of
the Board of our general partner since May 2002.
Mr. Roberts is President, Chief Executive Officer and a
director of Denbury Resources Inc. and has been employed by
Denbury since 1992.
Grant E. Sims has served as Director and Chief Executive
Officer of our general partner since August 2006. Mr. Sims
had been a private investor since 1999. He was affiliated with
Leviathan Gas Pipeline Partners, L.P. from 1992 to 1999, serving
as the Chief Executive Officer and a director beginning in 1993
until he left to pursue personal interests, including
investments. Leviathan (subsequently known as El Paso
Energy Partners, L.P. and then GulfTerra Energy Partners, L.P.)
was a NYSE listed master limited partnership.
Mark C. Allen has served as a director of our general
partner since June 2006. Mr. Allen is Vice President and
Chief Accounting Officer of Denbury, and has been employed by
Denbury since April 1999.
Ronald T. Evans has served as a director of our general
partner since May 2002. Mr. Evans is Senior Vice President
of Reservoir Engineering of Denbury and has been employed by
Denbury since September 1999.
Herbert I. Goodman has served as a director of our
general partner since January 1997. During 2001, he served as
the Chief Executive Officer of PEPEX.NET, LLC, which provides
electronic trading solutions to the international oil industry.
From 2002 to 2005, he served as Chairman of PEPEX.NET,
S-39
Management
LLC. He was Chairman of IQ Holdings, Inc., a manufacturer and
marketer of petrochemical-based consumer products until 2004.
From 1988 until 1996 he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of Applied Trading Systems, Inc., a trading and consulting
business.
Susan O. Rheney has served as a director of our general
partner since March 2002. Ms. Rheney is a private investor
and formerly was a principal of The Sterling Group, L.P., a
private financial and investment organization, from 1992 to 2000.
Phil Rykhoek has served as a director of our general
partner since May 2002. Mr. Rykhoek is Chief Financial
Officer, Senior Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of
Denbury, and has been employed by Denbury since 1995.
J. Conley Stone has served as a director of our
general partner since January 1997. From 1987 to his retirement
in 1995, he served as President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Operating Officer and Director of Plantation Pipe Line Company,
a common carrier liquid petroleum products pipeline transporter.
James E. Davison has served as a director of our general
partner since July 2007. Mr. Davison has served as chairman
of the board of Davison Transport, Inc. for over 30 years.
He also serves as President of Sunshine Oil and Storage, Inc.
Mr. Davison has over forty years experience in the
energy-related transportation and refinery services businesses.
James E. Davison, Jr. has served as a director of
our general partner since July 2007. Mr. Davison is also a
director of Community Trust Bank and serves on its
executive committee.
Joseph A. Blount, Jr. has served as President and
Chief Operating Officer of our general partner since August
2006. Mr. Blount served as President and Chief Operating
Officer of Unocal Midstream & Trade from March of 2000
to September of 2005. In such capacity, Mr. Blount oversaw
the worldwide marketing of Unocals natural gas, crude oil
and condensate resources, the development and management of its
pipeline, terminal and storage assets, and its commodity risk
management activities. Upon the acquisition of Unocal by Chevron
in September of 2005, Mr. Blount left to pursue personal
interests, including investments.
Ross A. Benavides has served as Chief Financial Officer
of our general partner since October 1998. He has served as
General Counsel and Secretary since December 1999.
Karen N. Pape has served as Senior Vice President since
July 2007 and as Controller of our general partner since March
2002. Ms. Pape served as Director of Finance and
Administration of our general partner since December 1996.
S-40
We are offering our common units described in this prospectus
through the underwriters named below. UBS Securities LLC and
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC are the representatives of the
underwriters. Subject to the terms and conditions of an
underwriting agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the
registration statement, each of the underwriters has severally
agreed to purchase the number of common units listed next to its
name in the following table:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of common
units
|
|
|
|
|
UBS Securities LLC
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|
|
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|
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
|
|
|
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Goldman, Sachs & Co.
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|
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RBC Capital Markets Corporation
|
|
|
|
|
Banc of America Securities LLC
|
|
|
|
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Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
SMH Capital Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Total
|
|
|
7,000,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters must
buy all of the common units if they buy any of them. However,
the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the common
units covered by the underwriters option to purchase
additional common units described below.
Our common units and the common units to be sold upon the
exercise of the underwriters option to purchase additional
common units, if any, are offered subject to a number of
conditions, including:
|
|
Ø
|
receipt and acceptance of our common units by the underwriters,
and
|
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Ø
|
the underwriters right to reject orders in whole or in
part.
|
We have been advised by the representatives that the
underwriters intend to make a market in our common units, but
that they are not obligated to do so and may discontinue making
a market at any time without notice.
In connection with this offering, certain of the underwriters or
securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.
Our general partner will purchase an aggregate of 559,035 common
units, or 642,891 common units if the underwriters exercise
their over-allotment option in full, concurrently with this
offering directly from us at a price equal to the public
offering price, less an amount equal to any underwriting
discounts and fees that would apply if those units had been
offered to the public. The underwriters will not receive any
discount or commission on the sale of those common units.
OPTION TO
PURCHASE ADDITIONAL COMMON UNITS
We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to an
aggregate 1,050,000 additional common units. This option may be
exercised if the underwriters sell more than 7,000,000 common
units in connection with this offering. The underwriters have
30 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this
option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each
purchase additional common units approximately in proportion to
the amounts specified in the table above.
COMMISSIONS AND
DISCOUNTS
Common units sold by the underwriters to the public will
initially be offered at the offering price set forth on the
cover of this prospectus. Any common units sold by the
underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of
up to $ per common unit from the
offering price. Any of these
S-41
Underwriting
securities dealers may resell any common units purchased from
the underwriters to other brokers or dealers at a discount of up
to $ per common unit from the
public offering price. If all the common units are not sold at
the offering price, the representatives may change the offering
price and the other selling terms. Sales of common units made
outside of the U.S. may be made by affiliates of the
underwriters. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the
underwriters will be obligated to purchase the common units at
the prices and upon the terms stated therein, and, as a result,
will thereafter bear any risk associated with changing the
offering price to the public or other selling terms.
The following table shows the per unit and total underwriting
discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters
assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the
underwriters option to purchase up to an additional
1,050,000 units.
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No
exercise
|
|
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Full-exercise
|
|
|
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Per Unit
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$
|
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|
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$
|
|
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Total
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
We estimate that the total expenses of this offering payable by
us, not including the underwriting discounts and commissions,
will be approximately $1.0 million.
INDEMNIFICATION
We and certain of our affiliates have agreed to indemnify the
underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to contribute
to payments that may be required to be made in respect of these
liabilities. If we are unable to provide this indemnification,
we will contribute to payments the underwriters may be required
to make in respect of those liabilities.
LOCK-UP
AGREEMENTS
We, our subsidiaries, our general partner and certain of its
affiliates, including the executive officers and certain
directors of our general partner, will enter into
lock-up
agreements with the underwriters. Under these agreements,
subject to specified exceptions, we and each of the these
persons may not, without the prior written approval of UBS
Securities LLC and Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC, offer, sell,
contract to sell or otherwise dispose of or hedge our common
units or securities convertible into or exchangeable for our
common units, enter into any swap or other agreement that
transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences
of ownership of the common units, make any demand for or
exercise any right or file or cause to be filed a registration
statement with respect to the registration of any common units
or any of our other securities or publicly disclose the
intention to do any of the foregoing. These restrictions will be
in effect for a period of 90 days after the date of this
prospectus. The
lock-up
period will be extended under certain circumstances where we
release, or pre-announce a release of our earnings or announce
material news or a material event during the 17 days before
or 16 days after the termination of the 90-day period in
which case the restrictions described will continue to apply
until the expiration of the
18-day
period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the
announcement of the materials news or material event.
The restrictions described in this paragraph do not apply to:
|
|
Ø
|
the issuance and sale of common units by us to the underwriters
pursuant to the underwriting agreement;
|
|
Ø
|
certain bona fide gifts; and
|
|
Ø
|
certain other exceptions.
|
At any time and without public notice, UBS Securities LLC and
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC may in their discretion, release
all or some of the securities from these
lock-up
agreements.
S-42
Underwriting
PRICE
STABILIZATION, SHORT POSITIONS AND PENALTY BIDS
In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in
activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the
price of our common units including:
|
|
Ø
|
stabilizing transactions;
|
|
Ø
|
short sales;
|
|
Ø
|
purchases to cover positions created by short sales;
|
|
Ø
|
imposition of penalty bids; and
|
|
Ø
|
syndicate covering transactions.
|
Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for
the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market
price of our common units while this offering is in progress.
These transactions may also include making short sales of our
common units, which involves the sale by the underwriters of a
greater number of common units than they are required to
purchase in this offering, and purchasing common units on the
open market to cover positions created by short sales. Short
sales may be covered shorts, which are short
positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters
option to purchase additional common units referred to above, or
may be naked shorts, which are short positions in
excess of that amount.
The underwriters may close out any covered short position by
either exercising their option to purchase additional common
units, in whole or in part, or by purchasing common units in the
open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will
consider, among other things, the price of common units
available for purchase in the open market as compared to the
price at which they may purchase common units through their
option to purchase additional common units.
Naked short sales are in excess of the underwriters option
to purchase additional common units. The underwriters must close
out any naked short position by purchasing common units in the
open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created
if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward
pressure on the price of the common units in the open market
that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this
offering.
The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when
a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of
the underwriting discount received by it because the
representatives have repurchased units sold by or for the
account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short transactions.
LISTING
Our common units are traded on the American Stock Exchange under
the symbol GEL.
AFFILIATIONS
The underwriters and their affiliates may from time to time in
the future engage in transactions with us and perform services
for us in the ordinary course of business. In addition, some of
the underwriters have engaged in, and may in the future engage
in, transactions with us and our predecessor and perform
services for us in the ordinary course of their business. In
particular, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, an
affiliate of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., is a lender under
our credit facility and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. is the
joint lead arranger and syndication agent in our credit
facility. Additionally, each of Bank of America, N.A., Royal
Bank of Canada and Wachovia Bank, National Association,
affiliates of Bank of America Securities LLC, RBC Capital
Markets Corporation and Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC,
respectively, are co-documentation agents under our credit
facility.
S-43
Underwriting
NASD AND FINRA
CONDUCT RULES
Because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc., or
FINRA, views the common units offered by this prospectus
supplement as interests in a direct participation program, this
offering is being made in compliance with Rule 2810 of the
NASDs Conduct Rules (which are part of the FINRA Rules).
Pursuant to a requirement by FINRA, the maximum commission or
discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent
broker/dealer may not be greater than eight percent (8%) of the
gross proceeds received by us for the sale of any securities
being registered pursuant to SEC Rule 415 under the
Securities Act of 1933.
As described under Use of Proceeds, we intend
to use the proceeds of this offering to, among other things,
temporarily repay a portion of the indebtedness under our credit
facility. The underwriters or their affiliates may receive
proceeds from this offering if they hold such debt on or after
the closing of this offering. Because it is possible that the
underwriters or their affiliates could receive more than 10% of
the proceeds of the offering as repayment for such debt, the
offering is made pursuant to the provisions of
Section 2710(h) of the NASD Conduct Rules. Pursuant to that
section, the appointment of a qualified independent underwriter
is not necessary in connection with this offering, as a bona
fide independent market (as defined in the NASD Conduct Rules)
exists in the common units.
ELECTRONIC
DISTRIBUTION
A prospectus supplement in electronic format may be made
available by one or more of the underwriters or their
affiliates. The representatives may agree to allocate a number
of common units to underwriters for sale to their online
brokerage account holders. The representatives will allocate
common units to underwriters that may make Internet
distributions on the same basis as other allocations. In
addition, common units may be sold by the underwriters to
securities dealers who resell common units to online brokerage
account holders.
Other than the prospectus supplement in electronic format, the
information on any underwriters web site and any
information contained in any other web site maintained by an
underwriter is not part of the prospectus supplement or the
registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms
a part, has not been approved
and/or
endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as an
underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.
DISCRETIONARY
SALES
The underwriters have informed us they do not intend to confirm
sales to discretionary accounts that exceed 5% of the total
number of units offered by them.
S-44
The validity of the common units being offered and certain tax
matters relating to those units will be passed upon for us by
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Houston, Texas.
Certain legal matters with respect to the legality of the common
units being offered will be passed upon for the underwriters by
Andrews Kurth LLP, Houston, Texas.
The consolidated financial statements as of December 31,
2006 and 2005, and for each of the three years in the period
ended December 31, 2006, and managements report on
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2006 incorporated in this prospectus by
reference from the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K
and the related financial statement schedule included elsewhere
in the Registration Statement have been audited by
Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered
public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are
incorporated herein by reference (which reports (1) express
an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements
and financial statement schedule and include an explanatory
paragraph referring to the changes in methods of accounting for
equity-based payments and asset retirement obligations based on
the adoption of new accounting standards, (2) express an
unqualified opinion on managements assessment regarding
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting,
and (3) express an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness
of internal control over financial reporting), and have been so
incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given
upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The balance sheet of Genesis Energy, Inc., incorporated in this
prospectus by reference from Genesis Energy, L.P.s Current
Report on
Form 8-K
as of December 31, 2006 filed on June 11, 2007, has
been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent
auditors, as stated in their report, which is incorporated
herein by reference, and has been so incorporated in reliance
upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as
experts in accounting and auditing.
The combined financial statements of the Davison Combined
Entities as of December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for each of
the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006
incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Current
Report on
Form 8-K/A
of Genesis Energy, L.P. filed on October 10, 2007 have been
audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent
auditors, as stated in their report, which is incorporated
herein by reference, and have been so incorporated in reliance
upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as
experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of Fuel Masters, LLC as of
December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for each of the three years
in the period ended December 31, 2006, incorporated in this
prospectus by reference from the Current Report on
Form 8-K/A
of Genesis Energy, L.P. filed on October 10, 2007 have been
audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent
auditors, as stated in their report, which is incorporated
herein by reference, and have been so incorporated in reliance
upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as
experts in accounting and auditing.
The balance sheets of the TDC, L.L.C. (formerly known as
Tessenderlo Davison Companies LLC) as of December 31,
2006 and 2005 and the related statements of income,
members equity and cash flows for each of the years in the
three-year period ended December 31, 2006, have been
incorporated by reference herein and in the registration
statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent
auditors, incorporated by reference herein, which report and
related financial statements of TDC, L.L.C. appear in the
Current Report on
Form 8-K/A
of Genesis Energy, L.P. filed on October 10, 2007 and upon
the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
S-45
Forward-looking
statements
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus
contain or incorporate by reference forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Where any forward-looking
statement includes a statement of the assumptions or bases
underlying the forward-looking statement, we caution that, while
we believe these assumptions or bases to be reasonable and made
in good faith, assumed facts or bases almost always vary from
the actual results, and the differences between assumed facts or
bases and actual results can be material, depending upon the
circumstances. Where, in any forward-looking statement, we or
our management express an expectation or belief as to future
results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith
and is believed to have a reasonable basis. We cannot assure
you, however, that the statement of expectation or expressions
may identify forward-looking statements. These statements relate
to analyses and other information which are based on forecasts
of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable.
These statements also relate to our future prospects,
developments and business strategies. These forward-looking
statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such
as anticipate, believe,
could, estimate, expect,
intend, may, plan,
predict, project, will, and
similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions.
These statements are contained in the sections entitled
Genesis Energy, L.P. and Risk
Factors and other sections of this prospectus
supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and in the
documents we have incorporated by reference. These
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that
may cause our actual future activities and results of operations
to be materially different from those suggested or described in
this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus or
the documents we have incorporated by reference. These risks
include the risks that are identified in this prospectus
supplement in the Risk Factors section, as
well as the section entitled Risk Factors
included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006, and the other
documents incorporated by reference. These risks may also be
specifically described in our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q,
Current Reports on
Form 8-K
and 8-K/A
and other documents we have filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to publicly
update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future or otherwise. If one or more
of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if underlying
assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary
materially from those expected, estimated or projected.
Where
you can find more information
We file annual, quarterly and other reports and other
information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we
file at the SECs public reference room at 100 F. Street,
N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at
1-800-732-0330
for further information on their public reference room. Our SEC
filings are also available at the SECs website at
http://www.sec.gov.
You can also obtain information about us at the offices of the
American Stock Exchange, 86 Trinity Place, New York, New York
10006.
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference information we
file with it. This procedure means that we can disclose
important information to you by referring you to documents filed
with the SEC. The information we incorporate by reference is
part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base
prospectus, and later information that we file under
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, and which is deemed to be
filed, with the SEC will automatically update and
supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the
documents listed below:
|
|
Ø
|
Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006;
|
|
Ø
|
Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q
for the quarters ended March 31, 2007, June 30, 2007
and September 30, 2007; and
|
|
Ø
|
Current Reports on
Form 8-K
filed April 26, 2007, June 11, 2007, July 31,
2007, October 10, 2007, October 19, 2007,
November 16, 2007 and November 27, 2007.
|
S-46
You may request a copy of these filings at no cost by making
written or telephone requests for copies to:
Investor Relations
Genesis Energy, L.P.
500 Dallas, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 860-2500
or
(800) 284-3365
We also make available free of charge on our internet website at
http://www.genesiscrudeoil.com
our Annual Reports on
Form 10-K,
Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q
and Current Reports on
Form 8-K,
and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably
practicable after we electronically file such material with, or
furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is
not part of this prospectus.
You should rely only on the information incorporated by
reference or provided in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying base prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else
to provide you with any information. You should not assume that
the information incorporated by reference or provided in this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus is
accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of each
document.
S-47
PROSPECTUS
GENESIS ENERGY, L.P.
$250,000,000 OF EQUITY
SECURITIES
We may offer one or more classes or series of equity securities,
as described in this prospectus, in one or more separate
offerings under this prospectus. This prospectus describes the
general terms of these equity securities and the general manner
in which we will offer the equity securities.
We may offer and sell equity securities using this prospectus
only if it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. We will
include the specific terms of any equity securities we offer in
a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will
also describe the specific manner in which we will offer the
equity securities. You should read this prospectus and the
prospectus supplement carefully.
We may sell these equity securities to underwriters or dealers,
or we may sell them directly to other purchasers. See Plan
of Distribution. The prospectus supplement will list any
underwriters and the compensation they will receive. The
prospectus supplement will also show you the total amount of
money that we will receive from selling these equity securities,
after we pay certain expenses of the offering.
Our common units are listed on the American Stock Exchange under
the symbol GEL.
Investing in our equity securities involves risks. Limited
partnerships are inherently different from corporations. You
should carefully consider the Risk Factors beginning on
page 2 of this Prospectus Before you make an investment in
our equity securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
equity securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful
or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date of this prospectus is August 30, 2005.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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You should rely only on the information contained in this
prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we have
incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone else to
provide you different information. We are not making an offer of
these equity securities in any state where the offer is not
permitted. We will disclose any material changes in our affairs
in an amendment to this prospectus, a prospectus supplement or a
future filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus
supplement. You should not assume that the information in this
prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any
date other than the date on the front of those documents.
i
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on
Form S-3
that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
or the Commission, using a shelf
registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we
may sell one or more series or classes of equity securities,
more particularly described in this prospectus, in one or more
offerings up to an aggregate offering price of $250,000,000.
This prospectus generally describes Genesis Energy, L.P. and
Genesis Crude Oil, L.P. and our equity securities, including our
common units. Each time we sell equity securities with this
prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will
contain specific information about the terms of that offering.
The prospectus supplement may also add to, update or change
information in this prospectus. The information in this
prospectus is accurate as of the date on the cover page. You
should carefully read both this prospectus and any prospectus
supplement, together with additional information described under
the heading Where You Can Find More Information
before you invest in our equity securities.
ABOUT
GENESIS ENERGY, L.P. AND GENESIS CRUDE OIL, L.P.
Genesis Energy, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, was formed
in December 1996. We conduct our operations through our
operating subsidiary, Genesis Crude Oil, L.P. and its
subsidiaries, Genesis Pipeline Texas, L.P., Genesis Pipeline
USA, L.P., Genesis Natural Gas Pipeline, L.P., Genesis
CO2
Pipeline, L.P. and Genesis Syngas Investments, L.P. We are
engaged in three operations crude oil gathering and
marketing; crude oil, natural gas and carbon dioxide
(CO2)
pipeline transportation; and
CO2
operations.
We are an independent gatherer and marketer of crude oil. Our
gathering and marketing operations are concentrated in Texas,
Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. Our gathering and
marketing margins are generated by buying crude oil at
competitive prices, efficiently transporting or exchanging the
crude oil and marketing the crude oil to customers. We utilize
our trucking fleet of 54 leased tractor-trailers and our
gathering lines to transport crude oil. We also transport
purchased crude oil on trucks, barges and pipelines owned and
operated by third parties.
Our pipeline transportation operations primarily relate to the
transportation of crude oil at regulated published tariffs on
our three common carrier pipeline systems. Those systems are the
Texas System, the Jay System extending between Florida and
Alabama, and the Mississippi System. The Jay and Mississippi
pipeline systems have numerous points where the crude oil owned
by the shipper can be injected into the pipeline for delivery to
or transfer to connecting pipelines. The Texas pipeline system
receives all of its volume from connections to other carriers.
We earn a tariff for the transportation services, with the
tariff rate per barrel of crude oil varying with the distance
from injection point to delivery point. We also transport
natural gas and carbon dioxide on various small gathering and
pipeline systems located in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
In November 2003, we entered the
CO2
business. During 2003 and 2004, we acquired volumetric
production payments from Denbury Resources Inc. or Denbury
Resources, to provide us with 200.5 billion cubic feet
(Bcf) of
CO2.
We also acquired from Denbury Resources five of its long-term
industrial supply contracts for
CO2.
We ship the
CO2
from its source to customers on a pipeline owned by Denbury
Resources and sell the
CO2
to the customers. These sales contracts extend through 2015.
Genesis Energy, Inc. serves as our sole general partner. Our
general partner is owned by Denbury Gathering &
Marketing, Inc., a subsidiary of Denbury Resources. Our general
partner was acquired by Denbury Resources from Salomon Smith
Barney Holdings Inc. and Salomon Brothers Holding Company Inc.
in May 2002.
Our executive offices are located at 500 Dallas,
Suite 2500, Houston, Texas 77002 and our telephone number
is
(713) 860-2500.
As used in this prospectus, we, us,
our and Genesis means Genesis
Energy, L.P. and, where the context requires, our operating
company, Genesis Crude Oil, L.P. and its subsidiaries.
1
An investment in our equity securities involves risks. You
should consider carefully the following risk factors, together
with all of the other information included in, or incorporated
by reference into, this prospectus and any prospectus supplement
in evaluating an investment in our equity securities. This
prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. Please read Forward-Looking
Statements. Our actual results could differ materially
from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a
result of certain factors, including the risks described below
and elsewhere in this prospectus. If any of these risks occur,
our business, financial condition or results of operation could
be adversely affected.
Risks
Related to Our Business
We may
not have sufficient cash from operations to pay the current
level of quarterly distribution following the establishment of
cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses, including
payments to
our general partner.
The amount of cash we distribute on our units principally
depends upon margins we generate from our crude oil gathering
and marketing operations, margins from the pipeline
transportation operations and sales of
CO2,
which will fluctuate from quarter to quarter based on, among
other things:
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the prices at which we purchase and sell crude oil;
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the volumes of crude oil we transport;
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the volumes of
CO2
we sell;
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the level of our operating costs;
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the level of our general and administrative costs; and
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prevailing economic conditions.
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In addition, the actual amount of cash we will have available
for distribution will depend on other factors that include:
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the level of capital expenditures we make, including the cost of
acquisitions (if any);
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our debt service requirements;
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fluctuations in our working capital;
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restrictions on distributions contained in our debt instruments;
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our ability to borrow under our working capital facility to pay
distributions; and
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the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner
in its sole discretion in the conduct of our business.
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You should also be aware that our ability to pay quarterly
distributions each quarter depends primarily on our cash flow,
including cash flow from financial reserves and working capital
borrowings, and is not solely a function of profitability, which
will be affected by non-cash items. As a result, we may make
cash distributions during periods when we record losses and we
may not make distributions during periods when we record net
income.
Our
indebtedness could adversely restrict our ability to operate,
affect our financial condition, prevent us from fulfilling our
obligations under our debt instruments and making
distributions.
We have outstanding indebtedness and the ability to incur more
indebtedness. As of December 31, 2004, we had approximately
$15.3 million outstanding of senior secured indebtedness
and approximately $75.4 million outstanding of accounts
payable.
2
We and all of our subsidiaries must comply with various
affirmative and negative covenants contained in our credit
facilities. Among other things, these covenants limit the
ability of us and our subsidiaries to:
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incur additional indebtedness or liens;
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make payments in respect of or redeem or acquire any debt or
equity issued by us;
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sell assets;
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make loans or investments;
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extend credit;
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acquire or be acquired by other companies; and
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amend some of our contracts.
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The restrictions under our indebtedness may prevent us from
engaging in certain transactions which might otherwise be
considered beneficial to us and could have other important
consequences to you. For example, they could:
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increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and
industry conditions;
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limit our ability to make distributions to unitholders; to fund
future working capital, capital expenditures and other general
partnership requirements; to engage in future acquisitions,
construction or development activities; or to otherwise fully
realize the value of our assets and opportunities because of the
need to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from
operations to payments on our indebtedness or to comply with any
restrictive terms of our indebtedness;
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limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes
in our businesses and the industries in which we
operate; and
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place us at a competitive disadvantage as compared to our
competitors that have less debt.
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We may incur additional indebtedness (public or private) in the
future, either under our existing credit facilities, by issuing
debt instruments, under new credit agreements, under joint
venture credit agreements, under capital leases or synthetic
leases, on a project finance or other basis, or a combination of
any of these. If we incur additional indebtedness in the future,
it likely would be under our existing credit facility or under
arrangements which may have terms and conditions at least as
restrictive as those contained in our existing credit
facilities. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of
any existing or future indebtedness would constitute an event of
default. If an event of default occurs, the lenders will have
the right to accelerate the maturity of such indebtedness and
foreclose upon the collateral, if any, securing that
indebtedness. If an event of default occurs under our joint
ventures credit facilities, we may be required to repay
amounts previously distributed to us and our subsidiaries. In
addition, if there is a change of control as described in our
credit facility, that would be an event of default, unless our
creditors agreed otherwise, under our credit facility. Any such
event could limit our ability to fulfill our obligations under
our debt instruments and to make cash distributions to
unitholders which could adversely affect the market price of our
securities.
Our
profitability and cash flow is dependent on our ability to
increase or, at a minimum, maintain our current
commodity oil, natural gas and
CO2
volumes, which often depends on actions and commitments by
parties beyond our control.
Our profitability and cash flow is dependent on our ability to
increase or, at a minimum, maintain our current
commodity oil, natural gas and
CO2
volumes. We access commodity volumes through two sources,
producers and service providers (including gatherers, shippers,
marketers and other aggregators). Depending on the needs of each
customer and the market in which it operates, we can either
provide a service for a fee (as in the case of our pipeline
transportation operations) or we can purchase the commodity from
our customer and resell it to another party (as in the case of
oil marketing and
CO2
operations).
3
Our source of volumes depends on successful exploration and
development of additional oil and natural gas reserves by others
and other matters beyond our control.
The oil, natural gas and other products available to us are
derived from reserves produced from existing wells, which
reserves naturally decline over time. In order to offset this
natural decline, our energy infrastructure assets must access
additional reserves. Additionally, some of the projects we have
planned or recently completed are dependent on reserves that we
expect to be produced from newly discovered properties that
producers are currently developing.
Finding and developing new reserves is very expensive, requiring
large capital expenditures by producers for exploration and
development drilling, installing production facilities and
constructing pipeline extensions to reach the new wells. Many
economic and business factors out of our control can adversely
affect the decision by any producer to explore for and develop
new reserves. These factors include the prevailing market price
of the commodity, the capital budgets of producers, the
depletion rate of existing reservoirs, the success of new wells
drilled, environmental concerns, regulatory initiatives, cost
and availability of equipment, capital budget limitations or the
lack of available capital, and other matters beyond our control.
Additional reserves, if discovered, may not be developed in the
near future or at all. We cannot assure you that production will
rise to sufficient levels to allow us to maintain or increase
the commodity volumes we are experiencing.
We face intense competition to obtain commodity volumes.
Our competitors gatherers, transporters, marketers,
brokers and other aggregators include independents
and major integrated energy companies, as well as their
marketing affiliates, who vary widely in size, financial
resources and experience. Some of these competitors have capital
resources many times greater than ours and control substantially
greater supplies of crude oil.
Even if reserves exist in the areas accessed by our facilities
and are ultimately produced, we may not be chosen by the
producers to gather, transport, store or otherwise handle any of
these reserves. We compete with others for any such volumes on
the basis of many factors, including:
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geographic proximity to the production;
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costs of connection;
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available capacity;
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rates; and
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access to markets.
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Additionally, third-party shippers do not have long-term
contractual commitments to ship crude oil on our pipelines. A
decision by a shipper to substantially reduce or cease to ship
volumes of crude oil on our pipelines could cause a significant
decline in our revenues. In Mississippi, we are dependent on
interconnections with other pipelines to provide shippers with a
market for their crude oil, and in Texas, we are dependent on
interconnections with other pipelines to provide shippers with
transportation to our pipeline. Any reduction of throughput
available to our shippers on these interconnecting pipelines as
a result of testing, pipeline repair, reduced operating
pressures or other causes could result in reduced throughput on
our pipelines that would adversely affect our cash flows and
results of operations.
Fluctuations in demand for crude oil, such as those caused by
refinery downtime or shutdowns, can negatively affect our
operating results. Reduced demand in areas we service with our
pipelines can result in less demand for our transportation
services. In addition, certain of our field and pipeline
operating costs and expenses are fixed and do not vary with the
volumes we gather and transport. These costs and expenses may
not decrease ratably or at all should we experience a reduction
in our volumes gathered by truck or transmitted by our
pipelines. As a result, we may experience declines in our margin
and profitability if our volumes decrease.
4
Fluctuations
in commodity prices could adversely affect our
business.
Oil, natural gas, other petroleum product and
CO2
prices are volatile and could have an adverse effect on a
portion of our profits and cash flow. Our operations are
affected by price reductions. Price reductions can materially
reduce the level of exploration, production and development
operations, as well as pipeline and marketing volumes.
Prices for commodities can fluctuate in response to changes in
supply, market uncertainty and a variety of additional factors
that are beyond our control.
Our
operations are dependent upon demand for crude oil by refiners
in the Midwest and on the Gulf Coast.
Any decrease in this demand for crude oil by the refineries or
connecting carriers to which we deliver could adversely affect
our business. Those refineries need for crude oil also is
dependent on the competition from other refineries, the impact
of future economic conditions, fuel conservation measures,
alternative fuel requirements, government regulation or
technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation
devices, all of which could reduce demand for our services.
We are
exposed to the credit risk of our customers in the ordinary
course of our crude oil gathering and marketing
activities.
When we market crude oil, we must determine the amount, if any,
of the line of credit we will extend to any given customer.
Since typical sales transactions can involve tens of thousands
of barrels of crude oil, the risk of nonpayment and
nonperformance by customers is an important consideration in our
business. In those cases where we provide division order
services for crude oil purchased at the wellhead, we may be
responsible for distribution of proceeds to all parties. In
other cases, we pay all of or a portion of the production
proceeds to an operator who distributes these proceeds to the
various interest owners. These arrangements expose us to
operator credit risk. As a result, we must determine that
operators have sufficient financial resources to make such
payments and distributions and to indemnify and defend us in
case of a protest, action or complaint. Even if our credit
review and analysis mechanisms work properly, there can be no
assurance that we will not experience losses in dealings with
other parties.
Our
operations are subject to federal and state environmental and
safety regulations and laws related to environmental protection
and operational safety.
Our gathering and pipeline operations are subject to the risk of
incurring substantial environmental and safety related costs and
liabilities. These costs and liabilities could rise under
increasingly strict environmental and safety laws, including
regulations and enforcement policies, or claims for damages to
property or persons resulting from our operations. If we are
unable to recover such resulting costs through increased rates
or insurance reimbursements, our cash flows and distributions to
our unitholders could be materially affected.
The transportation and storage of crude oil involves a risk that
crude oil and related hydrocarbons may be suddenly or gradually
released into the environment, which may result in substantial
expenditures for a response action, significant government
penalties, liability to government agencies for natural
resources damages, liability to private parties for personal
injury or property damages, and significant business
interruption.
Our
CO2
operations primarily relate to our volumetric production
payment, which is a finite resource projected to terminate
around 2015.
The cash flow from our
CO2
operations primarily relates to our volumetric production
payment, which is projected to terminate around 2015. Unless we
are able to obtain a replacement supply of
CO2
and enter into sales arrangements that generate substantially
similar economics, our cash flow could decline significantly
around 2015.
5
Our
CO2
operations are exposed to risks related to Denbury
Resources operation of their
CO2
fields, equipment and pipeline.
Because Denbury Resources produces the
CO2
and transports the
CO2
to our customers, any major failure of its operations could have
an impact on our ability to meet our obligations to our
CO2
customers. We have no other supply of
CO2
or method to transport it to our customers.
The
CO2
supplied by Denbury Resources to us for our sale to our
customers could fail to meet the quality standards in the
contracts due to impurities or water vapor content. If the
CO2
were below specifications, we could be contractually obligated
to provide compensation to our customers for the costs incurred
in raising the
CO2
quality to serviceable levels required by our contracts.
Fluctuations
in demand for
CO2
by our industrial customers could materially impact our
profitability.
Our customers are not obligated to purchase volumes in excess of
specified minimum amounts in our contracts. As a result,
fluctuations in our customers demand due to market forces
or operational problems could result in a reduction in our
revenues from our sales of
CO2.
Our
wholesale
CO2
industrial operations are dependent on three
customers.
If one or more of those customers experience financial
difficulties such that they fail to purchase their required
minimum take-or-pay volumes, our cash flows could be adversely
affected. We believe these three customers are credit worthy,
but we cannot assure you that an unanticipated deterioration in
their ability to meet their obligations to us might not occur.
We may
not be able to fully execute our growth strategy if we encounter
tight capital markets or increased competition for qualified
assets.
Our strategy contemplates substantial growth through the
development and acquisition of a wide range of midstream and
other energy infrastructure assets while maintaining a strong
balance sheet. This strategy includes constructing and acquiring
additional assets and businesses to enhance our ability to
compete effectively, diversify our asset portfolio and, thereby,
provide more stable cash flow. We regularly consider and enter
into discussions regarding, and are currently contemplating,
additional potential joint ventures, stand-alone projects and
other transactions that we believe will present opportunities to
realize synergies, expand our role in the energy infrastructure
business, and increase our market position and, ultimately,
increase distributions to unitholders.
We will need new capital to finance the future development and
acquisition of assets and businesses. Limitations on our access
to capital will impair our ability to execute this strategy.
Expensive capital will limit our ability to develop or acquire
accretive assets. Although we intend to continue to expand our
business, this strategy may require substantial capital, and we
may not be able to raise the necessary funds on satisfactory
terms, if at all.
In addition, we are experiencing increased competition for the
assets we purchase or contemplate purchasing. Increased
competition for a limited pool of assets could result in our not
being the successful bidder more often or our acquiring assets
at a higher relative price than that which we have paid
historically. Either occurrence would limit our ability to fully
execute our growth strategy. Our ability to execute our growth
strategy may impact the market price of our securities.
6
Our
growth strategy may adversely affect our results of operations
if we do not successfully integrate the businesses that we
acquire or if we substantially increase our indebtedness and
contingent liabilities to make acquisitions.
We may be unable to integrate successfully businesses we
acquire. We may incur substantial expenses, delays or other
problems in connection with our growth strategy that could
negatively impact our results of operations. Moreover,
acquisitions and business expansions involve numerous risks,
including:
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difficulties in the assimilation of the operations,
technologies, services and products of the acquired companies or
business segments;
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inefficiencies and complexities that can arise because of
unfamiliarity with new assets and the businesses associated with
them, including unfamiliarity with their markets; and
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diversion of the attention of management and other personnel
from
day-to-day
business to the development or acquisition of new businesses and
other business opportunities.
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If consummated, any acquisition or investment also likely would
result in the incurrence of indebtedness and contingent
liabilities and an increase in interest expense and
depreciation, depletion and amortization expenses. A substantial
increase in our indebtedness and contingent liabilities could
have a material adverse effect on our business, as discussed
above.
Our
actual construction, development and acquisition costs could
exceed our forecast, and our cash flow from construction and
development projects may not be immediate.
Our forecast contemplates significant expenditures for the
development, construction or other acquisition of energy
infrastructure assets, including some construction and
development projects with technological challenges. We may not
be able to complete our projects at the costs currently
estimated. If we experience material cost overruns, we will have
to finance these overruns using one or more of the following
methods:
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using cash from operations;
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delaying other planned projects;
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incurring additional indebtedness; or
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issuing additional debt or equity.
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Any or all of these methods may not be available when needed or
may adversely affect our future results of operations.
Fluctuations
in interest rates could adversely affect our
business.
In addition to our exposure to commodity prices, we also have
exposure to movements in interest rates. The interest rates on
our indebtedness outstanding on the date of this prospectus,
like our credit facility, are variable. Our results of
operations and our cash flow, as well as our access to future
capital and our ability to fund our growth strategy, could be
adversely affected by significant increases or decreases in
interest rates.
Our
use of derivative financial instruments could result in
financial losses.
We use financial derivative instruments and other hedging
mechanisms from time to time to limit a portion of the adverse
effects resulting from changes in commodity prices, although
there are times when we do not have any hedging mechanisms in
place. To the extent we hedge our commodity price exposure, we
forego the benefits we would otherwise experience if commodity
prices were to increase. In addition, we could experience losses
resulting from our hedging and other derivative positions. Such
losses could occur under various circumstances, including if our
counterparty does not perform its obligations under the hedge
arrangement, our hedge is imperfect, or our hedging policies and
procedures are not followed.
7
A
natural disaster, catastrophe or other interruption event
involving us could result in severe personal injury, property
damage and environmental damage, which could curtail our
operations and otherwise adversely affect our assets and cash
flow.
Some of our operations involve higher risks of severe personal
injury, property damage and environmental damage, any of which
could curtail our operations and otherwise expose us to
liability and adversely affect our cash flow. Virtually all of
our operations are exposed to the elements, including tornadoes,
storms, floods and earthquakes.
If one or more facilities that are owned by us or that connect
to us is damaged or otherwise affected by severe weather or any
other disaster, accident, catastrophe or event, our operations
could be significantly interrupted. Similar interruptions could
result from damage to production or other facilities that supply
our facilities or other stoppages arising from factors beyond
our control. These interruptions might involve significant
damage to people, property or the environment, and repairs might
take from a week or less for a minor incident to six months or
more for a major interruption. Any event that interrupts the
fees generated by our energy infrastructure assets, or which
causes us to make significant expenditures not covered by
insurance, could reduce our cash available for paying our
interest obligations as well as unitholder distributions and,
accordingly, adversely impact the market price of our
securities. Additionally, the proceeds of any property insurance
maintained by us may not be paid in a timely manner or be in an
amount sufficient to meet our needs if such an event were to
occur, and we may not be able to renew it or obtain other
desirable insurance on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
FERC
regulation and a changing regulatory environment could affect
our cash flow.
The FERC extensively regulates certain of our energy
infrastructure assets. This regulation extends to such matters
as:
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rate structures;
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rates of return on equity;
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recovery of costs;
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the services that our regulated assets are permitted to perform;
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the acquisition, construction and disposition of assets; and
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to an extent, the level of competition in that regulated
industry.
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Given the extent of this regulation, the extensive changes in
FERC policy over the last several years, the evolving nature of
regulation and the possibility for additional changes, the
current regulatory regime may change and affect our financial
position, results of operations or cash flows.
Terrorist
attacks aimed at the partnerships facilities could
adversely affect the business.
On September 11, 2001, the United States was the target of
terrorist attacks of unprecedented scale. Since the September 11
attacks, the U.S. government has issued warnings that
energy assets, specifically the nations pipeline
infrastructure, may be the future targets of terrorist
organizations. These developments have subjected our operations
to increased risks. Any future terrorist attack at our
facilities, those of our customers and, in some cases, those of
other pipelines, could have a material adverse effect on our
business.
Risks
Related to Our Partnership Structure
Denbury
Resources and its affiliates have conflicts of interest with us
and limited fiduciary responsibilities, which may permit them to
favor their own interests to your detriment.
Denbury Resources indirectly owns and controls our general
partner. Conflicts of interest may arise between Denbury
Resources and its affiliates, including our general partner, on
the one hand, and us and our unitholders, on the other hand. As
a result of these conflicts, our general partner may favor its
own
8
interest and the interest of its affiliates or others over the
interest of our unitholders. These conflicts include, among
others, the following situations:
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neither our partnership agreement nor any other agreement
requires Denbury Resources to pursue a business strategy that
favors us or utilizes our assets. Denbury Resources
directors and officers have a fiduciary duty to make these
decisions in the best interest of the stockholders of Denbury
Resources;
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Denbury Resources may compete with us. Denbury Resources owns
the largest reserves of
CO2
used for tertiary oil recovery east of the Mississippi River and
may manage these reserves in a manner that could adversely
affect our
CO2
business;
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our general partner is allowed to take into account the interest
of parties other than us, such as Denbury Resources, in
resolving conflicts of interest;
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our general partner may limit its liability and reduce its
fiduciary duties, while also restricting the remedies available
to our unitholders for actions that, without the limitations,
might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty;
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our general partner determines the amount and timing of asset
purchases and sales, capital expenditures, borrowings, including
for incentive distributions, issuance of additional partnership
securities, reimbursements and enforcement of obligations to the
general partner and its affiliates, retention of counsel,
accountants and service providers, and cash reserves, each of
which can also affect the amount of cash that is distributed to
our unitholders;
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our general partner determines which costs incurred by it and
its affiliates are reimbursable by us and the reimbursement of
these costs and of any services provided by our general partner
could adversely affect our ability to pay cash distributions to
our unitholders;
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our general partner controls the enforcement of obligations owed
to us by our general partner and its affiliates;
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our general partner decides whether to retain separate counsel,
accountants or others to perform services for us; and
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in some instances, our general partner may cause us to borrow
funds in order to permit the payment of distributions even if
the purpose or effect of the borrowing is to make incentive
distributions.
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We expect to continue to enter into substantial transactions and
other activities with Denbury Resources and its subsidiaries
because of the businesses and areas in which we and Denbury
Resources currently operate, as well as those in which we plan
to operate in the future. Some more recent transactions in which
we, on the one hand, and Denbury Resources and its subsidiaries,
on the other hand, had a conflict of interest include:
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transportation services;
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pipeline monitoring services; and
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CO2
volumetric production payment.
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In addition, Denbury Resources beneficial ownership
interest in our outstanding partnership interests could have a
substantial effect on the outcome of some actions requiring
partner approval. Accordingly, subject to legal requirements,
Denbury Resources makes the final determination regarding how
any particular conflict of interest is resolved.
Even
if unitholders are dissatisfied, they cannot easily remove our
general partner.
Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, unitholders
have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our
business and, therefore, limited ability to influence
managements decisions regarding our business.
Unitholders did not elect our general partner or its board of
directors and will have no right to elect our general partner or
its board of directors on an annual or other continuing basis.
The board of directors
9
of our general partner is chosen by the stockholders of our
general partner. In addition, if the unitholders are
dissatisfied with the performance of our general partner, they
will have little ability to remove our general partners. As a
result of these limitations, the price at which the common units
trade could be diminished because of the absence or reduction of
a takeover premium in the trading price.
The vote of the holders of at least a majority of all
outstanding units (excluding any units held by our general
partner and its affiliates) is required to remove the general
partner without cause. For the definition of cause,
please see Description of Our Partnership Agreement
in this prospectus. If our general partner is removed without
cause, (i) Denbury Resources will have the option to
acquire a substantial portion of our Mississippi pipeline system
at 110% of its then fair market value, and (ii) our general
partner will have the option to convert its interest in us
(other than its common units) into common units or to require
our replacement general partner to purchase such interest for
cash at its then fair market value. In addition,
unitholders voting rights are further restricted by our
partnership agreement provision providing that any units held by
a person that owns 20% or more of any class of units then
outstanding, other than the general partner, its affiliates,
their transferees, and persons who acquired such units with the
prior approval of the board of directors of the general partner,
cannot vote on any matter. Our partnership agreement also
contains provisions limiting the ability of unitholders to call
meetings or to acquire information about our operations, as well
as other provisions limiting the unitholders ability to
influence the manner of direction of management.
As a result of these provisions, the price at which our common
units trade may be lower because of the absence or reduction of
a takeover premium.
The
control of our general partner may be transferred to a third
party without unitholder consent, which could effect our
strategic direction and liquidity.
Our general partner may transfer its general partner interest to
a third party in a merger or in a sale of all or substantially
all of its assets without the consent of the unitholders.
Furthermore, there is no restriction in our partnership
agreement on the ability of the owner of our general partner
from transferring its ownership interest in the general partner
to a third party. The new owner of the general partner would
then be in a position to replace the board of directors and
officers of the general partner with its own choices and to
control the decisions taken by the board of directors and
officers.
In addition, unless our creditors agreed otherwise, we would be
required to repay the amounts outstanding under our credit
facilities upon the occurrence of any change of control
described therein. We may not have sufficient funds available or
be permitted by our other debt instruments to fulfill these
obligations upon such occurrence. A change of control could have
other consequences to us depending on the agreements and other
arrangements we have in place from time to time, including
employment compensation arrangements.
Our
general partner and its affiliates may sell units or other
limited partner interests in the trading market, which could
reduce the market price of common units.
As of December 31, 2004, our general partner and its
affiliates own 688,811 (approximately 7%) of our common units.
In the future, they may acquire additional interest or dispose
of some or all of their interest. If they dispose of a
substantial portion of their interest in the trading markets,
the sale could reduce the market price of common units. Our
partnership agreement, and other agreements to which we are
party, allow our general partner and certain of its subsidiaries
to cause us to register for sale the partnership interests held
by such persons, including common units. These registration
rights allow our general partner and its subsidiaries to request
registration of those partnership interests and to include any
of those securities in a registration of other capital
securities by us.
Our
general partner has anti-dilution rights.
Whenever we issue equity securities to any person other than our
general partner and its affiliates, our general partner and its
affiliates have the right to purchase an additional amount of
those equity securities on the same terms as they are issued to
the other purchasers. This allows our general partner and its
affiliates to maintain their percentage partnership interest in
us. No other unitholder has a similar right.
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Therefore, only our general partner may protect itself against
dilution caused by the issuance of additional equity securities.
Due to
our significant relationships with Denbury Resources, adverse
developments concerning Denbury Resources could adversely affect
us, even if we have not suffered any similar
developments.
Through its subsidiaries, Denbury Resources owns
100 percent of our general partner and has historically,
with its affiliates, employed the personnel who operate our
businesses. Denbury Resources is a significant stakeholder in
our limited partner interests, and as with many other energy
companies, is a significant customer of ours.
We may
issue additional common units without your approval, which would
dilute your ownership interests.
We may issue an unlimited number of limited partners interests
of any type without the approval of our unitholders.
The issuance of additional common units or other equity
securities of equal or senior rank will have the following
effects:
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our unitholders proportionate ownership interest in us
will decrease;
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the amount of cash available for distribution on each unit may
decrease;
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the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding unit
may be diminished; and
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the market price of our common units may decline.
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Our
general partner has a limited call right that may require you to
sell your common units at an undesirable time or
price.
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more
than 80% of the common units, our general partner will have the
right, but not the obligation, which it may assign to any of its
affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of
the common units held by unaffiliated persons at a price not
less than their then-current market price. As a result, you may
be required to sell your common units at an undesirable time or
price and may not receive any return on your investment. You may
also incur a tax liability upon a sale of your units.
The
interruption of distributions to us from our subsidiaries and
joint ventures may affect our ability to make payments on
indebtedness or cash distributions to our
unitholders.
We are a holding company. As such, our primary assets are the
equity interests in our subsidiaries and joint ventures.
Consequently, our ability to fund our commitments (including
payments on our indebtedness) and to make cash distributions
depends upon the earnings and cash flow of our subsidiaries and
joint ventures and the distribution of that cash to us.
Distributions from our joint ventures are subject to the
discretion of their respective management committees. Further,
each joint ventures charter documents typically vest in
its management committee sole discretion regarding
distributions. Accordingly, our joint ventures may not continue
to make distributions to us at current levels or at all.
We
cannot cause our joint ventures to take or not to take certain
actions unless some or all of the joint venture participants
agree.
Due to the nature of joint ventures, each participant (including
us) in our joint venture, T & P Syngas Supply Company,
has made substantial investments (including contributions and
other commitments) in that joint venture and, accordingly, has
required that the relevant charter documents contain certain
features designed to provide each participant with the
opportunity to participate in the management of the joint
venture and to protect its investment in that joint venture, as
well as any other assets which may be substantially dependent on
or otherwise affected by the activities of that joint venture.
These participation and protective features include a corporate
governance structure that consists of a management committee
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composed of four members, only two of which are appointed by us.
In addition, Praxair, the other 50% owner, operates the joint
venture facilities. Thus, without the concurrence of the other
joint venture participant, we cannot cause our joint venture to
take or not to take certain actions, even though those actions
may be in the best interest of the joint venture or us. As of
April 1, 2005, our aggregate investment in T & P
Syngas Supply Company totaled $13.5 million.
Our
syngas operations are dependent on one customer.
Our joint venture has dedicated 100% of its syngas processing
capacity to one customer pursuant to a processing contract. The
contract term expires in 2016, unless our customer elects to
extend the contract for two additional five year terms. If our
customer reduces or discontinues its business with us, or if we
are not able to successfully negotiate a replacement contract
with our sole customer after the expiration of such contract, or
if the replacement contract is on less favorable terms, the
effect on us will be adverse. In addition, if our sole customer
for syngas processing were to experience financial difficulties
such that it failed to provide volumes to process, our cash flow
from the syngas joint venture could be adversely affected. We
believe this customer is creditworthy, but we cannot assure you
that unanticipated deterioration of their abilities to meet
their obligations to the syngas joint venture might not occur.
We do
not have the same flexibility as other types of organizations to
accumulate cash and equity to protect against illiquidity in the
future.
Unlike a corporation, our partnership agreement requires us to
make quarterly distributions to our unitholders of all available
cash reduced by any amounts reserved for commitments and
contingencies, including capital and operating costs and debt
service requirements. The value of our units and other limited
partner interests will decrease in direct correlation with
decreases in the amount we distribute per unit. Accordingly, if
we experience a liquidity problem in the future, we may not be
able to issue more equity to recapitalize.
Tax
Risks to Common Unitholders
You should read Material Tax Consequences for a full
discussion of the expected material federal income tax
consequences of owning and disposing of common units.
The
IRS could treat us as a corporation for tax purposes, which
would substantially reduce the cash available for distribution
to you.
The after-tax economic benefit of an investment in the common
units depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for
federal income tax purposes. We have not requested, and do not
plan to request, a ruling from the IRS on this or any other tax
matter affecting us.
If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our income at the
corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%.
Distributions to you may be taxed again as corporate dividends,
and no income, gains, losses or deductions would flow through to
you. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation,
our cash available for distribution to you would be
substantially reduced. If we were treated as a corporation,
there would be a material reduction in the after-tax return to
the unitholders, likely causing a substantial reduction in the
value of our common units.
Current law may change so as to cause us to be treated as a
corporation for federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject
us to entity-level taxation. In addition, because of widespread
state budget deficits, several states are evaluating ways to
subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the
imposition of state income, franchise or other forms of
taxation. If any state were to impose a tax upon us as an
entity, the cash available for distribution to you would be
reduced. The partnership agreement provides that if a law is
enacted or existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner
that subjects us to taxation as a corporation or otherwise
subjects us to entity-level taxation for federal, state or local
income tax purposes, the minimum quarterly distribution amount
and the target distribution amounts will be adjusted to reflect
the impact of that law on us.
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A
successful IRS contest of the federal income tax positions we
take may adversely affect the market for our common units, and
the cost of any IRS contest will be borne by our unitholders and
our general partner.
We have not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our
treatment as a partnership for federal income tax purposes or
any other matter affecting us. The IRS may adopt positions that
differ from the conclusions of our counsel expressed in this
prospectus or from the positions we take. It may be necessary to
resort to administrative or court proceedings to sustain some or
all of our counsels conclusions or the positions we take.
A court may not agree with some or all of our counsels
conclusions or positions we take. Any contest with the IRS may
materially and adversely impact the market for our common units
and the price at which they trade. In addition, our costs of any
contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our unitholders
and our general partner, and these costs will reduce our cash
available for distribution.
You
may be required to pay taxes on income from us even if you do
not receive any cash distributions from us.
You will be required to pay any federal income taxes and, in
some cases, state and local income taxes on your share of our
taxable income even if you receive no cash distributions from
us. You may not receive cash distributions from us equal to your
share of our taxable income or even the tax liability that
results from that income.
Tax
gain or loss on disposition of common units could be different
than expected.
If you sell your common units, you will recognize a gain or loss
equal to the difference between the amount realized and your tax
basis in those common units. Prior distributions to you in
excess of the total net taxable income you were allocated for a
common unit, which decreased your tax basis in that common unit,
will, in effect, become taxable income to you if the common unit
is sold at a price greater than your tax basis in that common
unit, even if the price is less than your original cost. A
substantial portion of the amount realized, whether or not
representing gain, may be ordinary income. In addition, if you
sell your units, you may incur a tax liability in excess of the
amount of cash you receive from the sale.
Tax-exempt
entities, regulated investment companies and foreign persons
face unique tax issues from owning common units that may result
in adverse tax consequences to them.
Investment in common units by tax-exempt entities, such as
individual retirement accounts (known as IRAs), regulated
investment companies (known as mutual funds) and non
U.S. persons raises issues unique to them. For example, a
significant amount of our income allocated to organizations
exempt from federal income tax, including individual retirement
accounts and other retirement plans, may be unrelated business
taxable income and will be taxable to such a unitholder. Recent
legislation treats net income derived from the ownership of
certain publicly traded partnerships (including us) as
qualifying income to a regulated investment company. However,
this legislation is only effective for taxable years beginning
after October 22, 2004, the date of enactment. For taxable
years beginning prior to the date of enactment, very little of
our income will be qualifying income to a regulated investment
company. Distributions to
non-U.S. persons
will be reduced by withholding tax at the highest effective tax
rate applicable to individuals, and non U.S. unitholders
will be required to file federal income tax returns and pay tax
on their share of our taxable income.
We are
registered as a tax shelter. This may increase the risk of an
IRS audit of us or you.
We are registered with the IRS as a tax shelter. Our
tax shelter registration number is 97043000153. The federal
income tax laws require that some types of entities, including
some partnerships, register as tax shelters in response to the
perception that they claim tax benefits that may be unwarranted.
As a result, we may be audited by the IRS and tax adjustments
may be made. Any unitholder owning less than a 1% profit
interest in us has very limited rights to participate in the
income tax audit process. Further, any adjustments in our tax
returns will lead to adjustments in your tax returns and may
lead to audits of your tax returns and
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adjustments of items unrelated to us. You would bear the cost of
any expense incurred in connection with an examination of your
tax return.
We
will treat each purchaser of common units as having the same tax
benefits without regard to the
units purchased. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which
could adversely affect the value of our common
units.
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of common
units, we adopt depreciation and amortization positions that may
not conform with all aspects of applicable Treasury regulations.
A successful IRS challenge to those positions could adversely
affect the amount of tax benefits available to a common
unitholder. It also could affect the timing of these tax
benefits or the amount of gain from a sale of common units and
could have a negative impact on the value of the common units or
result in audit adjustments to the common unitholders tax
returns.
You
will likely be subject to state and local taxes in states where
you do not live as a result of an investment in
units.
In addition to federal income taxes, you will likely be subject
to other taxes, including foreign, state and local taxes,
unincorporated business taxes and estate inheritance or
intangible taxes that are imposed by the various jurisdictions
in which we do business or own property, even if you do not live
in any of those jurisdictions. You will likely be required to
file foreign, state and local income tax returns and pay state
and local income taxes in some or all of these jurisdictions.
Further, you may be subject to penalties for failure to comply
with those requirements. We own assets and do business in Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma.
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma currently
impose a personal income tax. It is your responsibility to file
all United States federal, foreign, state and local tax returns.
Our counsel has not rendered an opinion on the state or local
tax consequences of an investment in the common units.
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Unless otherwise specified in an accompanying prospectus
supplement, we will use the net proceeds we receive from the
sale of the equity securities described in this prospectus for
general partnership purposes, which may include, among other
things, repayment of indebtedness, the acquisition of businesses
and other capital expenditures, payment of distributions and
additions to working capital. The exact amounts to be used and
when the net proceeds will be applied will depend on a number of
factors, including our funding requirements and the availability
of alternative funding sources.
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DESCRIPTION
OF OUR EQUITY SECURITIES
As of the date of this prospectus, we have outstanding only
common units. In the future we may issue additional common units
and one or more series or classes of other equity securities,
including, without limitation, subordinated securities,
preference securities, senior securities, deferred participation
securities or warrant securities, in one or more series or
classes. Those equity securities may have rights to
distributions and allocations junior, equal or superior to our
common units. Our general partner can determine the voting
powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating,
optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations
or restrictions of any series or class and the number
constituting any series or class of equity securities.
Our common units represent limited partner interests in Genesis
Energy, L.P. that entitle the holders to participate in our cash
distributions and to exercise the rights or privileges available
to limited partners under our partnership agreement. For a
description of the relative rights and preferences of holders of
common units and our general partner in and to partnership
distributions, see Cash Distribution Policy in this
prospectus.
Our outstanding common units are listed on the American Stock
Exchange under the symbol GEL.
The transfer agent and registrar for our common units is
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
Status as Limited Partner or Assignee. Except
as described under Limited Liability,
the common units will be fully paid, and the unitholders will
not be required to make additional capital contributions to us.
Transfer of Common Units. Each purchaser of
common units offered by this prospectus must execute a transfer
application. By executing and delivering a transfer application,
the purchaser of common units:
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becomes the record holder of the common units and is an assignee
until admitted into our partnership as a substituted limited
partner;
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automatically requests admission as a substituted limited
partner in our partnership;
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agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of, and executes,
our partnership agreement;
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represents that he has the capacity, power and authority to
enter into the partnership agreement;
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grants powers of attorney to officers of the general partner and
any liquidator of our partnership as specified in the
partnership agreement; and
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makes the consents and waivers contained in the partnership
agreement.
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An assignee will become a substituted limited partner of our
partnership for the transferred common units upon the consent of
our general partner and the recording of the name of the
assignee on our books and records. The general partner may
withhold its consent in its sole discretion.
Transfer applications may be completed, executed and delivered
by a purchasers broker, agent or nominee. We are entitled
to treat the nominee holder of a common unit as the absolute
owner. In that case, the beneficial holders rights are
limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder
as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and
the nominee holder.
Common units are securities and are transferable according to
the laws governing transfer of securities. In addition to other
rights acquired, the purchaser has the right to request
admission as a substituted limited
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partner in our partnership for the purchased common units. A
purchaser of common units who does not execute and deliver a
transfer application obtains only:
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the right to assign the common unit to a purchaser or
transferee; and
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the right to transfer the right to seek admission as a
substituted limited partner in our partnership for the purchased
common units.
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Thus, a purchaser of common units who does not execute and
deliver a transfer application:
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will not receive cash distributions or federal income tax
allocations, unless the common units are held in a nominee or
street name account and the nominee or broker has
executed and delivered a transfer application; and
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may not receive some federal income tax information or reports
furnished to record holders of common units.
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Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and
the transfer agent, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary,
may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner
for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock
exchange regulations.
Limited Liability. Assuming that a limited
partner does not participate in the control of our business
within the meaning of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited
Partnership Act (the Delaware Act) and that he
otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of our
partnership agreement, his liability under the Delaware Act will
be limited, subject to possible exceptions, to the amount of
capital he is obligated to contribute to us for his common units
plus his share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it
were determined, however, that the right or exercise of the
right by the limited partners as a group:
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to remove or replace the general partner;
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to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement; or
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to take other action under our partnership agreement
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constituted participation in the control of our
business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited
partners could be held personally liable for our obligations
under Delaware law, to the same extent as the general partner.
This liability would extend to persons who transact business
with us and who reasonably believe that the limited partner is a
general partner. Neither our partnership agreement nor the
Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against
our general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited
liability through any fault of the general partner. While this
does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal
recourse, we have found no precedent for this type of a claim in
Delaware case law.
Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a
distribution to a partner if after the distribution all
liabilities of the limited partnership, other than liabilities
to partners on account of their partnership interests and
liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to
specific property of our partnership, exceed the fair value of
the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose of
determining the fair value of the assets of a limited
partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of
property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is
limited shall be included in the assets of the limited
partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that
property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act
provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and
knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was
in violation of the Delaware Act shall be liable to the limited
partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years.
Under the Delaware Act, an assignee who becomes a substituted
limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the
obligations of his assignor to make contributions to our
partnership, except the assignee is not obligated for
liabilities unknown to him at the time he became a limited
partner and which could not be ascertained from our partnership
agreement.
Meetings; Voting. Except as described below
regarding a person or group owning 20% or more of any class of
units then outstanding, unitholders or assignees who are record
holders of units on the record date will be entitled to notice
of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act
upon matters for
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which approvals may be solicited. Common units that are owned by
an assignee who is a record holder, but who has not yet been
admitted as a limited partner, will be voted by our general
partner at the written direction of the record holder. Absent
direction of this kind, the common units will not be voted,
except that, in the case of common units held by our general
partner on behalf of non-citizen assignees, our general partner
will distribute the votes on those common units in the same
ratios as the votes of limited partners on other units are cast.
Our general partner does not anticipate that any meeting of
unitholders will be called in the foreseeable future. Any action
that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may
be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a
meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken
are signed by holders of the number of units as would be
necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting.
Meetings of the unitholders may be called by our general partner
or by unitholders owning at least 20% of the outstanding units
of the class for which a meeting is proposed. Unitholders may
vote either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a
majority of the outstanding units of the class or classes for
which a meeting has been called represented in person or by
proxy shall constitute a quorum unless any action by the
unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage
of the units, in which case the quorum shall be the greater
percentage.
Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to his
percentage interest in our partnership, although additional
limited partner interests having special voting rights could be
issued. However, if at any time any person or group, other than
our general partner and its affiliates, or a direct or
subsequently approved transferee of our general partner or its
affiliates or a person or group who acquires the units with the
prior approval of the board of directors, acquires, in the
aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of
units then outstanding, the person or group will lose voting
rights on all of its units and the units may not be voted on any
matter and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending
notices of a meeting of unitholders, calculating required votes,
determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar
purposes. Common units held in nominee or street name account
will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with
the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement
between the beneficial owner and his nominee provides otherwise.
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required
or permitted to be given or made to record holders of common
units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the
record holder by us or by the transfer agent.
Books and Reports. Our general partner is
required to keep appropriate books of our business at our
principal office. The books will be maintained for both tax and
financial reporting purposes on an accrual basis. For tax and
fiscal reporting purposes, our fiscal year is the calendar year.
We will furnish or make available to record holders of common
units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year,
an annual report containing audited financial statements and a
report on those financial statements by our independent public
accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish
or make available unaudited financial information within
90 days after the close of each quarter.
We will furnish each record holder of a unit with information
reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within
90 days after the close of each calendar year. This
information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that
some complex calculations normally required of partners can be
avoided. Our ability to furnish this summary information to
unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders in
supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will
receive information to assist him in determining his federal and
state tax liability and filing his federal and state income tax
returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with information.
Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can,
for a purpose reasonably related to his interest as a limited
partner, upon reasonable demand and at his own expense, have
furnished to him:
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a current list of the name and last known address of each
partner;
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a copy of our tax returns;
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information as to the amount of cash, and a description and
statement of the agreed value of any other property or services,
contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on
which each became a partner;
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copies of our partnership agreement, the certificate of limited
partnership of the partnership, related amendments and powers of
attorney under which they have been executed;
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information regarding the status of our business and financial
condition; and
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any other information regarding our affairs as is just and
reasonable.
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Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from
the limited partners trade secrets or other information the
disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith
is not in our best interests or which we are required by law or
by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.
Summary of Partnership Agreement. For a
summary of the important provisions of our partnership
agreement, many of which apply to holders of common units, see
Description of Our Partnership Agreement in this
prospectus.
Our
Equity Securities Other Than Common Units
Except as set forth below, our partnership agreement authorizes
us to issue an unlimited number of additional equity securities
for the consideration and with the rights, preferences and
privileges established by our general partner in its sole
discretion without the approval of any of our limited partners.
In accordance with Delaware Law and the provisions of that
partnership agreement, we may also issue additional equity
securities that, in the sole discretion of our general partner,
have special voting rights to which our common units are not
entitled. Accordingly, in the future, we may issue one or more
series or classes of equity securities other than common units,
including, without limitation, subordinated securities,
preference securities, senior securities, deferred participation
securities or warrant securities.
Should we offer equity securities other than common units under
this prospectus, a prospectus supplement relating to the
particular equity securities offered will include the specific
terms of those equity securities, including the following:
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the designation, stated value, liquidation preference and number
of the equity securities offered;
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the initial public offering price at which those particular
equity securities will be issued;
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the conversion or exchange provisions of those particular equity
securities;
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any redemption or sinking fund provisions of those particular
equity securities;
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the distribution rights of those particular equity securities,
if any;
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a discussion of material federal income tax considerations, if
any, regarding those particular equity securities; and
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any additional rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and
restrictions of those particular equity securities.
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Distributions
of Available Cash
General. Within approximately 45 days
after the end of each quarter, Genesis Energy, L.P. will
distribute all available cash to unitholders of record on the
applicable record date. However, there is no guarantee that we
will pay a distribution on the common units in any quarter, and
we will be prohibited from making any distributions to
unitholders if it would cause an event of default, or if an
event of default then exists, under our credit facility.
19
Definition of Available Cash. Available cash
generally means, for each fiscal quarter, all cash on hand at
the end of the quarter:
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less the amount of cash reserves that the general partner
determines in its reasonable discretion is necessary or
appropriate to:
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provide for the proper conduct of our business;
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comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments, or
other agreements; or
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provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and to our
general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters;
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plus all cash on hand on the date of determination of available
cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings.
Working capital borrowings are generally borrowings that are
made under our credit facility and in all cases are used solely
for working capital purposes or to pay distributions to partners.
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Operating
Surplus and Capital Surplus
General. All cash distributed to unitholders
will be characterized either as operating surplus or capital
surplus. We distribute available cash from operating surplus
differently than available cash from capital surplus.
Maintenance capital expenditures are capital expenditures made
to maintain, over the long term, the operating capacity of our
assets as they existed at the time of the expenditure. Expansion
capital expenditures are capital expenditures made to increase
over the long term the operating capacity of our assets as they
existed at the time of the expenditure. The general partner has
the discretion to determine how to allocate a capital
expenditure for the acquisition or expansion of our pipeline
systems, storage facilities and related assets between
maintenance capital expenditures and expansion capital
expenditures, and its good faith allocation will be conclusive.
Maintenance capital expenditures reduce operating surplus, from
which we pay the minimum quarterly distribution, but expansion
capital expenditures do not.
Definition of Operating Surplus. For any
period, operating surplus generally means:
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our cash balance on the closing date of our initial public
offering; plus
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$20.0 million (as described below); plus
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all of our cash receipts since the closing of our initial public
offering, excluding cash from borrowings that are not working
capital borrowings, sales of equity and debt securities and
sales or other dispositions of assets outside the ordinary
course of business; plus
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working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but
before the date of determination of operating surplus for that
quarter; less
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all of our operating expenses since the closing of our initial
public offering, including the repayment of working capital
borrowings and the payment of capital expenditures, other than:
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repayments of indebtedness that are required in connection with
the sale or other disposition of assets or that are made in
connection with the refinancing or refunding of indebtedness
with the proceeds from new indebtedness or from the sale of
equity securities;
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expansion capital expenditures;
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transaction expenses relating to borrowings or refinancings of
indebtedness (other than for working capital purposes), sales of
debt or equity securities or sales or other dispositions of
assets other than in the ordinary course of business; less
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the amount of cash reserves that the general partner deems
necessary or advisable to provide funds for future operating
expenditures.
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20
Definition of Capital Surplus. Capital surplus
will generally be generated only by:
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borrowings other than working capital borrowings;
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sales of debt and equity securities; or
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sales or other disposition of assets for cash, other than
inventory, accounts receivable and other current assets sold in
the ordinary course of business or as part of normal retirements
or replacements of assets.
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Characterization of Cash Distributions. We
will treat all available cash distributed as coming from
operating surplus until the sum of all available cash
distributed since we began operations equals the operating
surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available
cash. We will treat any amount distributed in excess of
operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus.
We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from
capital surplus. As reflected above, operating surplus includes
$20.0 million in addition to our cash balance on the
closing date of our initial public offering, cash receipts from
our operations and cash from working capital borrowings. This
amount does not reflect actual cash on hand at closing that is
available for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, it is a
provision that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as
operating surplus up to $20 million of cash we receive in
the future from non-operating sources, such as assets sales,
issuances of securities and long-term borrowings, which would
otherwise be considered distributions of capital surplus. Any
distributions of capital surplus would trigger certain
adjustment provisions in our partnership agreement as described
below. See Distributions From Capital
Surplus and Adjustment to the Minimum
Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels.
Distributions
of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
We will make distributions of available cash from operating
surplus in the following manner:
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First, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner until we distribute for each outstanding unit an amount
equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for that
quarter; and
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Thereafter, in the manner described under
Incentive Distribution Rights below.
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Incentive
Distribution Rights
Incentive distribution rights represent the right to receive an
increasing percentage of quarterly distributions of available
cash from operating surplus after the minimum quarterly
distribution and the target distribution levels have been
achieved. Our general partner holds all of the incentive
distribution rights. There are no restrictions on the ability of
our general partner to transfer the incentive distribution
rights.
If for any quarter we have distributed available cash from
operating surplus to the common unitholders in an amount equal
to the minimum quarterly distribution, then we will distribute
any additional available cash from operating surplus for that
quarter among the unitholders and the general partner in the
following manner:
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First, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of
$0.25 per unit for that quarter (the first target
distribution);
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Second, 84.74% to all unitholders, pro rata, 13.26% to the
holder of the incentive distribution rights and 2% to the
general partner, until each unitholder receives a total of
$0.28 per unit for that quarter (the second target
distribution);
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Third, 74.26% to all unitholders, pro rata, 23.74% to the holder
of the incentive distribution rights and 2% to the general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of
$0.33 per unit for that quarter (the third target
distribution); and
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Thereafter, 49.02% to all unitholders, pro rata, 48.98% to the
holder of the incentive distribution rights and 2% to the
general partner.
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21
Percentage
Allocations of Available Cash from Operating
Surplus
The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of
the additional available cash from operating surplus between the
unitholders and our general partner up to the various target
distribution levels. The amounts set forth under Marginal
Percentage Interest in Distributions are the percentage
interests of our general partner and the unitholders in any
available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and
including the corresponding amount in the column Total
Quarterly Distribution Target Amount, until available cash
from operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target
distribution level, if any. The percentage interests shown for
the unitholders and the general partner for the minimum
quarterly distribution are also applicable to quarterly
distribution amounts that are less than the minimum quarterly
distribution.
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Marginal Percentage
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Interest in Distributions
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Holder of
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Total Quarterly
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Incentive
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Distribution
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General
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Distribution
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Target Amount
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Unitholders
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Partner
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Rights
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Minimum Quarterly Distribution
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up to $0.20
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98%
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2%
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First Target Distribution
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above $0.20 up to $0.25
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98%
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2%
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Second Target Distribution
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above $0.25 up to $0.28
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84.74%
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2%
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13.26%
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Third Target Distribution
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above $0.28 up to $0.33
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74.26%
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2%
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23.74%
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Thereafter
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above $0.33
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49.02%
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2%
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48.98%
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Distributions
from Capital Surplus
We will make distributions of available cash from capital
surplus, if any, in the following manner:
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First, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner, until we distribute for each common unit that was
issued in the initial public offering, an amount of available
cash from capital surplus equal to the initial public offering
price; and
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Thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash
from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.
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Effect of a Distribution from Capital
Surplus. The partnership agreement treats a
distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial
unit price from the initial public offering, which is a return
of capital. The initial public offering price less any
distributions of capital surplus per unit is referred to as the
unrecovered initial unit price. Each time a distribution of
capital surplus is made, the minimum quarterly distribution and
the target distribution levels will be reduced in the same
proportion as the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered
initial unit price. Because distributions of capital surplus
will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution, after any of
these distributions are made, it may be easier for the general
partner to receive incentive distributions.
Once we distribute capital surplus on a unit in an amount equal
to the initial unit price, we will reduce the minimum quarterly
distribution and the target distribution levels to zero and we
will make all future distributions from operating surplus, with
49.02% being paid to the unitholders and 50.98% to the general
partner.
Adjustment
of Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution
Levels
In addition to adjusting the minimum quarterly distribution and
target distribution levels to reflect a distribution of capital
surplus, if we combine our units into fewer units or subdivide
our units into a greater number of units, we will
proportionately adjust:
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the minimum quarterly distribution;
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the target distribution levels; and
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the unrecovered initial unit price.
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22
For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should
occur, the minimum quarterly distribution, the target
distribution levels and the unrecovered initial unit price would
each be reduced to 50% of its initial level. We will not make
any adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional units for
cash or property.
In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is
modified or interpreted in a manner that causes us to become
taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to taxation as an
entity for federal, state or local income tax purposes, we will
reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target
distribution levels by multiplying the same by one minus the sum
of the highest marginal federal corporate income tax rate that
could apply and the effective overall state and local income tax
rates. For example, if we became subject to a maximum marginal
federal, and effective state and local income tax rate of 38%,
then the minimum quarterly distribution and the target
distributions levels would each be reduced to 62% of their
previous levels.
Distributions
of Cash Upon Liquidation
If we dissolve in accordance with our partnership agreement, we
will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called
a liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation
to the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any
remaining proceeds to the unitholders and the general partner,
in accordance with their capital account balances, as adjusted
to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition
of our assets in liquidation.
Manner of Adjustment for Gain. The manner of
the adjustment is set forth in the partnership agreement. Upon
liquidation, we will allocate any gain to the partners in the
following manner:
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First, to our general partner and the holders of units who have
negative balances in their capital accounts to the extent of and
in proportion to those negative balances;
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Second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the
general partner, until the capital account for each common unit
is equal to the sum of:
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(1) the unrecovered initial unit price; plus
(2) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for
the quarter during which our liquidation occurs;
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Third, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner, pro rata, until we allocate under this paragraph an
amount per unit equal to:
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(1) the sum of the excess of the first target distribution
per unit over the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for
each quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the minimum
quarterly distribution per unit that was distributed 98% to the
units, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, pro rata, for
each quarter of our existence;
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Fourth, 84.74% to all unitholders, pro rata, 13.26% to the
holder of the incentive distribution rights and 2% to the
general partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an
amount per unit equal to:
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(1) the sum of the excess of the second target distribution
per unit over the first target distribution per unit for each
quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the first
target distribution per unit that was distributed 84.74% to the
unitholders, pro rata, 13.26% to the holder of the incentive
distribution rights and 2% to the general partner for each
quarter of our existence;
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Fifth, 74.26% to all unitholders, pro rata, 23.74% to the holder
of the incentive distribution rights and 2% to the general
partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per
unit equal to:
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(1) the sum of the excess of the third target distribution
per unit over the second target distribution per unit for each
quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the second
target distribution per unit that was distributed 74.26% to the
unitholders, pro rata, 23.74% to the holder of the incentive
distribution rights and 2% to the general partner for each
quarter of our existence;
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Thereafter, 49.02% to all unitholders, pro rata, 48.98% to the
holder of the incentive distribution rights and 2% to the
general partner.
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Manner of Adjustment for Losses. Upon our
liquidation, we will generally allocate any loss to the general
partner and the unitholders in the following manner:
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First, 98% to the holders of common units in proportion to the
positive balances in their capital accounts and 2% to the
general partner until the capital accounts of the common
unitholders have been reduced to zero; and
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Thereafter, 100% to the general partner.
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Adjustments to Capital Accounts Upon the Issuance of
Additional Units. We will make adjustments to
capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In doing
so, we will allocate any gain or loss resulting from the
adjustments to the unitholders and the general partner in the
same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation. In the
event that we make positive interim adjustments to the capital
accounts, we will allocate any later negative adjustments to the
capital accounts resulting from the issuance of additional units
or distributions of property or upon liquidation in a manner
which results, to the extent possible, in the capital account
balance of the general partner equaling the amount which would
have been in its capital account if no earlier positive
adjustments to the capital accounts had been made.
24
DESCRIPTION
OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
The following is a summary of the material provisions of our
partnership agreement. Our partnership agreement has been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is incorporated
by reference in this prospectus. The following provisions of our
partnership agreement are summarized elsewhere in this
prospectus:
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allocations of taxable income and other tax matters are
described under Material Tax Consequences; and
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rights of holders of common units are described under
Description of Our Common Units.
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Our purpose under our partnership agreement is to engage
directly or indirectly in any business activity that is approved
by our general partner and that may be lawfully conducted by a
limited partnership under the Delaware Act. All of our
operations are conducted through our operating company, Genesis
Crude Oil, L.P., and its subsidiaries.
Each limited partner, and each person who acquires a unit from a
unitholder and executes and delivers a transfer application,
grants to our general partner and, if appointed, a liquidator, a
power of attorney to, among other things, execute and file
documents required for our qualification, continuance or
dissolution. The power of attorney also grants the general
partner the authority to amend, and to make consents and waivers
under, our partnership agreement.
Reimbursements
of Our General Partner
Our general partner does not receive any compensation for its
services as our general partner. It is, however, entitled to be
reimbursed for all of its costs incurred in managing and
operating our business. Our partnership agreement provides that
our general partner will determine the expenses that are
allocable to us in any reasonable manner determined by our
general partner in its sole discretion.
Issuance
of Additional Securities
Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited
number of additional partner securities and rights to buy
partnership securities that are equal in rank with or junior to
our common units on terms and conditions established by our
general partner in its sole discretion without the approval of
the unitholders.
It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the
issuance of additional common units or other equity securities.
Holders of any additional common units we issue will be entitled
to share equally with the then-existing holders of common units
in our distributions of available cash. In addition, the
issuance of additional equity securities may dilute the value of
the interests of the then-existing holders of common units in
our net assets.
In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our
partnership agreement, we may also issue additional equity
securities that, in the sole discretion of our general partner,
may have special voting rights to which common units are not
entitled.
Our general partner has the right, which it may from time to
time assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates, to
purchase common units or other equity securities whenever, and
on the same terms that, we issue those securities to persons
other than our general partner and its affiliates, to the extent
necessary to maintain its percentage interest, including its
interest represented by common units, that existed immediately
prior to the issuance. The holders of common units will not have
preemptive rights to acquire additional common units or other
partnership securities.
25
Amendments
to Our Partnership Agreement
Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by
or with the consent of our general partner. Any amendment that
materially and adversely affects the rights or preferences of
any type or class of limited partner interests in relation to
other types or classes of limited partner interests or our
general partner interest will require the approval of at least a
majority of the type or class of limited partner interests or
general partner interests so affected.
However, in some circumstances, more particularly described in
our partnership agreement, our general partner may make
amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of
our limited partners or assignees.
Withdrawal
or Removal of Our General Partner
Our general partner has agreed not to withdraw voluntarily as
our general partner prior to December 31, 2006 without
obtaining the approval of the holders of a majority of our
outstanding common units and furnishing an opinion of counsel
regarding limited liability and tax matters. On or after
December 31, 2006, our general partner may withdraw as
general partner without first obtaining approval of any
unitholder by giving 90 days written notice, and that
withdrawal will not constitute a violation of our partnership
agreement. In addition, our general partner may withdraw without
unitholder approval upon 90 days notice to our
limited partners if at least 50% of our outstanding common units
are held or controlled by one person and its affiliates other
than our general partner and its affiliates.
Upon the voluntary withdrawal of our general partner, the
holders of a majority of our outstanding common units may elect
a successor to the withdrawing general partner. If a successor
is not elected, or is elected but an opinion of counsel
regarding limited liability and tax matters cannot be obtained,
we will be dissolved, wound up and liquidated, unless within
180 days after that withdrawal, the holders of a majority
of our outstanding common units agree in writing to continue our
business and to appoint a successor general partner.
Our general partner may be removed with or without cause.
Cause means that a court of competent jurisdiction
has entered a final, non-appealable judgment finding our general
partner liable for actual fraud, gross negligence or willful or
wanton misconduct in its capacity as our general partner. If
cause exists, our general partner may not be removed unless that
removal is approved by the vote of the holders of not less than
two-thirds of our outstanding units, including units held by our
general partner and its affiliates. If no cause exists, our
general partner may not be removed unless that removal is
approved by the vote of the holders of not less than a majority
of our outstanding units, excluding units held by our general
partner and its affiliates. Any removal of our general partner
by the unitholders is also subject to the approval of a
successor general partner by the vote of the holders of a
majority of our outstanding common units and the receipt of an
opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters.
If a proposed removal is without cause, and the general partner
to be removed is an affiliate of Denbury Resources, then, if an
affiliate of Denbury Resources is not proposed as a successor
general partner, any such action for removal must also provide
for Denbury Resources to be granted an option immediately upon
the effectiveness of the removal to purchase all of our
ownership interest in our Mississippi pipeline system at 110% of
its fair market value, as determined by independent appraisal in
the manner set forth in our partnership agreement. Denbury
Resources option will be exercisable for a period of
45 days following the determination of such fair market
value. Additionally, upon removal of the general partner without
cause, our general partner will have the option to convert its
interest in us (other than its common units) into common units
or to require our replacement general partner to purchase such
interest for cash at its then fair market value.
While our partnership agreement limits the ability of our
general partner to withdraw, it allows the general partner
interest to be transferred to an affiliate or to a third party
in conjunction with a merger or sale of all or substantially all
of the assets of our general partner. In addition, our
partnership agreement expressly permits the sale, in whole or in
part, of the ownership of our general partner. Our general
partner may also transfer, in whole or in part, the common units
and any other partnership securities it owns, including the
incentive distribution rights.
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Liquidation
and Distribution of Proceeds
Upon our dissolution, unless we are reconstituted and continued
as a new limited partnership, the person authorized to wind up
our affairs (the liquidator) will, acting with all the powers of
our general partner that the liquidator deems necessary or
desirable in its judgment, liquidate our assets. The proceeds of
the liquidation will be applied as follows:
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first, towards the payment of all of our creditors; and
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then, to our unitholders and our general partner in accordance
with the positive balance in their respective capital accounts.
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The liquidator may defer liquidation of our assets for a
reasonable period or distribute assets to our partners in kind
if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause
undue loss to our partners.
Change
of Management Provisions
Our partnership agreement contains the following specific
provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group
from attempting to remove our general partner or otherwise
change management:
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any units held by a person that owns 20% or more of any class of
units then outstanding, other than our general partner and its
affiliates, cannot be voted on any matter; and
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the partnership agreement contains provisions limiting the
ability of unitholders to call meetings or to acquire
information about our operations, as well as other provisions
limiting the unitholders ability to influence the manner
or direction of management.
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If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more
than 80% of the issued and outstanding limited partner interests
of any class, our general partner will have the right to acquire
all, but not less than all, of the outstanding limited partner
interests of that class that are held by non-affiliated persons.
The record date for determining ownership of the limited partner
interests would be selected by our general partner on at least
ten but not more than 60 days notice. The purchase price in
the event of a purchase under these provisions would be the
greater of (1) the current market price (as defined in our
partnership agreement) of the limited partner interests of the
class as of the date three days prior to the date that notice is
mailed to the limited partners as provided in the partnership
agreement and (2) the highest cash price paid by our
general partner or any of its affiliates for any partnership
securities of the class purchased within the 90 days
preceding the date our general partner first mails notice of its
election to purchase those partnership securities.
Under our partnership agreement, in most circumstances, we will
indemnify our general partner, its affiliates and their officers
and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and
against all losses, claims or damages any of them may suffer by
reason of their status as general partner, officer or director,
as long as the person seeking indemnity acted in good faith and
in a manner believed to be in or not opposed to our best
interest. Any indemnification under these provisions will only
be out of our assets. Our general partner and its affiliates
shall not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to
contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable us to
effectuate any indemnification. We are authorized to purchase
insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses
incurred by persons for our activities, regardless of whether we
would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities
under our partnership agreement.
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Under our partnership agreement, we have agreed to register for
resale under the Securities Act and applicable state securities
laws any common units or other partnership securities proposed
to be sold by our general partner or any of its affiliates or
their assignees if an exemption from the registration
requirements is not otherwise available. We are obligated to pay
all expenses incidental to the registration, excluding
underwriting discounts and commissions.
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MATERIAL
TAX CONSEQUENCES
This section is a summary of the material tax consequences that
may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are individual
citizens or residents of the United States and, unless otherwise
noted in the following discussion, expresses the opinion of Akin
Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, counsel to the general
partner and us, insofar as it relates to federal income tax
matters. This section is based upon current provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code, existing and proposed regulations and
current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which
are subject to change. Later changes in these authorities may
cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the
consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise
requires, references in this section to us,
we, our, and ours are
references to Genesis Energy, L.P. and its subsidiaries.
This section does not comment on all federal income tax matters
affecting us or our unitholders. Moreover, the discussion
focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents
of the United States and has only limited application to
corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other
unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as
tax-exempt institutions, foreign persons, individual retirement
accounts (IRAs), real estate investment trusts (REITs) or mutual
funds. Accordingly, we recommend that each prospective
unitholder consult, and depend on, his own tax advisor in
analyzing the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences
particular to him of the ownership or disposition of common
units.
All statements as to matters of law and legal conclusions, but
not as to factual matters, contained in this section, unless
otherwise noted, are the opinion of Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld LLP and are based on the accuracy of the
representations made by us and our general partner. No ruling
has been or will be requested from the IRS regarding any matter
affecting us or prospective unitholders. Instead, we rely on
opinions and advice of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
LLP. Unlike a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that
counsels best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or
the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made here
may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any
contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely
impact the market for the common units and the prices at which
common units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with
the IRS will be borne directly or indirectly by the unitholders
and the general partner. Furthermore, the tax treatment of us,
or of an investment in us, may be significantly modified by
future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions.
Any modifications may or may not be retroactively applied.
For the reasons described below, Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld LLP has not rendered an opinion with
respect to the following specific federal income tax issues:
(1) the treatment of a unitholder whose common units are
loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units
(please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Treatment of Short Sales in this
prospectus);
(2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable
income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations
(please read Disposition of Common
Units Allocations Between Transferors and
Transferees in this prospectus); and
(3) whether our method for depreciating Section 743
adjustments is sustainable (please read Tax
Consequences of Unit Ownership Section 754
Election in this prospectus).
A partnership is not a taxable entity and incurs no federal
income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is
required to take into account his share of items of income,
gain, loss and deduction of the partnership in computing his
federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash
distributions are made to him by the partnership. Distributions
by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable unless
the amount of cash distributed is in excess of the
partners adjusted basis in his partnership interest.
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that
publicly-traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be taxed
as corporations. However, an exception, referred to as the
Qualifying Income Exception,
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exists with respect to publicly-traded partnerships of which 90%
or more of the gross income for every taxable year consists of
qualifying income. Qualifying income includes income
and gains derived from the transportation, storage and
processing of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof and
fertilizer. Other types of qualifying income include interest
(other than from a financial business), dividends, gains from
the sale of real property and gains from the sale or other
disposition of assets held for the production of income that
otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate that less
than 4% of our current income is not qualifying income; however,
this estimate could change from time to time. Based upon and
subject to this estimate, the factual representations made by us
and the general partner and a review of the applicable legal
authorities, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is of
the opinion that at least 90% of our current gross income
constitutes qualifying income.
No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS and the IRS
has made no determination as to our status as a partnership for
federal income tax purposes or whether our operations generate
qualifying income under Section 7704 of the
Code. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld LLP that, based upon the Internal Revenue
Code, its regulations, published revenue rulings and court
decisions and the representations described below, we will be
classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
In rendering its opinion, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer &
Feld LLP has relied on factual representations made by us and
our general partner. The representations made by us and our
general partner upon which counsel has relied are:
(a) Neither we nor the operating company has elected or
will elect to be treated as a corporation; and
(b) For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross
income has been and will be income from sources that Akin Gump
Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has opined or will opine is
qualifying income within the meaning of
Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code.
If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a
failure which is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and
that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery, we will
be treated as if we had transferred all of our assets, subject
to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day
of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income
Exception, in return for stock in that corporation, and then
distributed that stock to the unitholders in liquidation of
their interests in us. This contribution and liquidation should
be tax-free to unitholders and us so long as we, at that time,
do not have liabilities in excess of the tax basis of our
assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for
federal income tax purposes.
If we were taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, either
as a result of a failure to meet the Qualifying Income Exception
or otherwise, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction
would be reflected only on our tax return rather than being
passed through to our unitholders, and our net income would be
taxed to us at corporate rates. In addition, any distribution
made to a unitholder would be treated as either taxable dividend
income, to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and
profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a
nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the
unitholders tax basis in his common units, or taxable
capital gain, after the unitholders tax basis in his
common units is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation as a
corporation would result in a material reduction in a
unitholders cash flow and after-tax return and thus would
likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of the
units.
The remainder of this section is based on Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld LLPs opinion that we will be
classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
Unitholders who have become limited partners of Genesis will be
treated as partners of Genesis for federal income tax purposes.
Also:
(a) assignees who have executed and delivered transfer
applications, and are awaiting admission as limited
partners, and
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(b) unitholders whose common units are held in street name
or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in
the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the
ownership of their common units,
will be treated as partners of Genesis for federal income tax
purposes. As there is no direct authority addressing assignees
of common units who are entitled to execute and deliver transfer
applications and become entitled to direct the exercise of
attendant rights, but who fail to execute and deliver transfer
applications, the opinion of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer &
Feld LLP does not extend to these persons. Furthermore, a
purchaser or other transferee of common units who does not
execute and deliver a transfer application may not receive some
federal income tax information or reports furnished to record
holders of common units unless the common units are held in a
nominee or street name account and the nominee or broker has
executed and delivered a transfer application for those common
units.
A beneficial owner of common units whose units have been
transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would
appear to lose his status as a partner with respect to those
units for federal income tax purposes. Please read
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Treatment of Short Sales in this prospectus.
Income, gain, deductions or losses would not appear to be
reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal
income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a
unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes
would therefore be fully taxable as ordinary income. These
holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect
to their status as partners in Genesis for federal income tax
purposes.
Tax
Consequences of Unit Ownership
Flow-through of Taxable Income. We will not
pay any federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be
required to report on his income tax return his share of our
income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether
corresponding cash distributions are received by him.
Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if he
has not received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be
required to include in income his allocable share of our income,
gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year ending with or
within his taxable year. Our taxable year ends on
December 31.
Treatment of Distributions. Distributions by
us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the
unitholder for federal income tax purposes to the extent of his
tax basis in his common units immediately before the
distribution. Our cash distributions in excess of a
unitholders tax basis generally will be considered to be
gain from the sale or exchange of the common units, taxable in
accordance with the rules described under
Disposition of Common Units below. Any
reduction in a unitholders share of our liabilities for
which no partner, including the general partner, bears the
economic risk of loss, known as nonrecourse
liabilities, will be treated as a distribution of cash to
that unitholder. To the extent our distributions cause a
unitholders at risk amount to be less than
zero at the end of any taxable year, he must recapture any
losses deducted in previous years. Please read
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses.
A decrease in a unitholders percentage interest in us
because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease
his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result
in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. A non-pro rata
distribution of money or property may result in ordinary income
to a unitholder, regardless of his tax basis in his common
units, if the distribution reduces the unitholders share
of our unrealized receivables, including
depreciation recapture, and/or substantially appreciated
inventory items, both as defined in Section 751
of the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively,
Section 751 Assets. To that extent, he will be
treated as having been distributed his proportionate share of
the Section 751 Assets and having exchanged those assets
with us in return for the non-pro rata portion of the actual
distribution made to him. This latter deemed exchange will
generally result in the unitholders realization of
ordinary income. That income will equal the excess of
(1) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over
(2) the unitholders tax basis for the share of
Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.
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Basis of Common Units. A unitholders
initial tax basis for his common units will be the amount he
paid for the common units plus his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. That basis will be increased by his share of our
income and by any increases in his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. That basis will be decreased, but not below zero,
by distributions from us, by the unitholders share of our
losses, by any decreases in his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities and by his share of our expenditures that are not
deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to
be capitalized. A unitholder will have no share of our debt
which is recourse to the general partner, but will have a share,
generally based on his share of profits, of our nonrecourse
liabilities. Please read Disposition of Common
Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses. The
deduction by a unitholder of his share of our losses will be
limited to the tax basis in his units and, in the case of an
individual unitholder or a corporate unitholder, if more than
50% of the value of the corporate unitholders stock is
owned directly or indirectly by five or fewer individuals or
some tax-exempt organizations, to the amount for which the
unitholder is considered to be at risk with respect
to our activities, if that is less than his tax basis. A
unitholder must recapture losses deducted in previous years to
the extent that distributions cause his at risk amount to be
less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed
to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations
will carry forward and will be allowable to the extent that his
tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor,
is subsequently increased. Upon the taxable disposition of a
unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by
losses that were previously suspended by the at risk limitation
but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis
limitation. Any excess loss above that gain previously suspended
by the at risk or basis limitations is no longer utilizable.
In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the
tax basis of his units, excluding any portion of that basis
attributable to his share of our nonrecourse liabilities,
reduced by any amount of money he borrows to acquire or hold his
units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in
us, is related to the unitholder or can look only to the units
for repayment. A unitholders at risk amount will increase
or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholders units
increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or
decreases attributable to increases or decreases in his share of
our nonrecourse liabilities.
The passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals,
estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal
service corporations can deduct losses from passive activities,
which are generally activities in which the taxpayer does not
materially participate, only to the extent of the
taxpayers income from those passive activities. The
passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to
each publicly-traded partnership. Consequently, any losses we
generate will only be available to offset our passive income
generated in the future and will not be available to offset
income from other passive activities or investments, including
our investments or investments in other publicly-traded
partnerships, or salary or active business income. Passive
losses that are not deductible because they exceed a
unitholders share of income we generate may be deducted in
full when such unitholder disposes of his entire investment in
us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The
passive activity loss rules are applied after other applicable
limitations on deductions, including the at risk rules and the
basis limitation.
A unitholders share of our net income may be offset by any
suspended passive losses, but it may not be offset by any other
current or carryover losses from other passive activities,
including those attributable to other publicly-traded
partnerships.
Limitations on Interest Deductions. The
deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayers
investment interest expense is generally limited to
the amount of that taxpayers net investment
income. Investment interest expense includes:
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interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for
investment;
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our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and
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the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an
interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to
portfolio income.
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The computation of a unitholders investment interest
expense will take into account interest on any margin account
borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit.
Net investment income includes gross income from property held
for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the
passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than
interest, directly connected with the production of investment
income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the
disposition of property held for investment. The IRS has
indicated that net passive income from a publicly-traded
partnership constitutes investment income for purposes of the
limitations on the deductibility of investment interest. In
addition, the unitholders share of our portfolio income
will be treated as investment income.
Entity-Level Collections. If we are
required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state
or local income tax on behalf of any unitholder or the general
partner or any former unitholder, we are authorized to pay those
taxes from our funds. That payment, if made, will be treated as
a distribution of cash to the partner on whose behalf the
payment was made. If the payment is made on behalf of a person
whose identity cannot be determined, we are authorized to treat
the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are
authorized to amend the partnership agreement in the manner
necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax
characteristics of units and to adjust later distributions, so
that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority
and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under
the partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is
practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise
to an overpayment of tax on behalf of an individual partner in
which event the partner would be required to file a claim in
order to obtain a credit or refund.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and
Deduction. In general, if we have a net profit,
our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated
among the general partner and the unitholders in accordance with
their percentage interests in us. At any time that incentive
distributions are made to the general partner, gross income will
be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these
distributions. If we have a net loss for the entire year, that
loss will be allocated first to the general partner and the
unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us
to the extent of their positive capital accounts and, second, to
the general partner.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be
allocated to account for the difference between the tax basis
and fair market value of our assets at the time of an offering,
referred to in this discussion as Contributed
Property. The effect of these allocations to a unitholder
purchasing common units in our offering will be essentially the
same as if the tax basis of our assets were equal to their fair
market value at the time of the offering. In addition, items of
recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible to the
partner who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the
treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize
the recognition of ordinary income by some unitholders. Finally,
although we do not expect that our operations will result in the
creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital
accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will
be allocated in an amount and manner to eliminate the negative
balance as quickly as possible.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction,
other than an allocation required by the Internal Revenue Code
to eliminate the difference between a partners
book capital account, credited with the fair market
value of Contributed Property, and tax capital
account, credited with the tax basis of Contributed Property,
referred to in this discussion as the Book-Tax
Disparity, will generally be given effect for federal
income tax purposes in determining a partners share of an
item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation
has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a
partners share of an item will be determined on the basis
of his interest in us, which will be determined by taking into
account all the facts and circumstances, including his relative
contributions to us, the interests of all the partners in
profits and losses, the interest of all the partners in cash
flow and other nonliquidating distributions and rights of all
the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is of the opinion
that, with the exception of the issues described in
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Section 754 Election and
Disposition of Common Units
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees, in this
prospectus allocations under
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our partnership agreement will be given effect for federal
income tax purposes in determining a partners share of an
item of income, gain, loss or deduction.
Treatment of Short Sales. A unitholder whose
units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short
sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those
units. If so, he would no longer be a partner for those units
during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss
from the disposition. As a result, during this period:
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any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those
units would not be reportable by the unitholder;
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any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those
units would be fully taxable; and
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all of these distributions would appear to be ordinary income.
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Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has not rendered an
opinion regarding the treatment of a unitholder where common
units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of
common units; therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their
status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a
loan to a short seller should modify any applicable brokerage
account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing
their units. The IRS has announced that it is actively studying
issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of
partnership interests. Please also read
Disposition of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss.
Alternative Minimum Tax. Each unitholder will
be required to take into account his distributive share of any
items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the
alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for
noncorporate taxpayers is 26% on the first $175,000 of
alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption
amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable
income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their
tax advisors as to the impact of an investment in units on their
liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Tax Rates. In general, the highest effective
United States federal income tax rate for individuals currently
is 35% and the maximum United States federal income tax rate for
net capital gains of an individual currently is 15% if the asset
disposed of was held for more than 12 months at the time of
disposition.
Section 754 Election. We have made the
election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue
Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the
IRS. The election will generally permit us to adjust a common
unit purchasers tax basis in our assets (inside
basis) under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue
Code to reflect his purchase price. This election does not apply
to a person who purchases common units directly from us. The
Section 743(b) adjustment belongs to the purchaser and not
to other partners. For purposes of this discussion, a
partners inside basis in our assets will be considered to
have two components: (1) his share of our tax basis in our
assets (common basis) and (2) his
Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.
Treasury regulations under Section 743 of the Internal
Revenue Code require, if the remedial allocation method is
adopted (which we have adopted), a portion of the
Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to recovery property
to be depreciated over the remaining cost recovery period for
the Section 704(c) built-in gain. Under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-l(a)(6), a
Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property subject
to depreciation under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue
Code rather than cost recovery deductions under Section 168
is generally required to be depreciated using either the
straight-line method or the 150% declining balance method. Under
our partnership agreement, the general partner is authorized to
take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that
position is not consistent with these Treasury regulations.
Please read Tax Treatment of
Operations Uniformity of Units in this
prospectus.
Although Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is unable
to opine as to the validity of this approach because there is no
clear authority on this issue, we intend to depreciate the
portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to
unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to
the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate
of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or
amortization method and useful life applied to the common basis
of the property, or treat that portion as
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non-amortizable to the extent attributable to property the
common basis of which is not amortizable. This method is
consistent with the regulations under Section 743 but is
arguably inconsistent with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not
expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets.
To the extent this Section 743(b) adjustment is
attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the
unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules
described in the Treasury regulations and legislative history.
If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken,
we may take a depreciation or amortization position under which
all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would receive
depreciation or amortization, whether attributable to common
basis or a Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same
applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in
our assets. This kind of aggregate approach may result in lower
annual depreciation or amortization deductions than would
otherwise be allowable to some unitholders. Please read
Tax Treatment of Operations
Uniformity of Units in this prospectus.
A Section 754 election is advantageous if the
transferees tax basis in his units is higher than the
units share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets
immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of
the election, the transferee would have, among other items, a
greater amount of depreciation and depletion deductions and his
share of any gain on a sale of our assets would be less.
Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if
the transferees tax basis in his units is lower than those
units share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets
immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value
of the units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by
the election.
The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are
complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the
value of our assets and other matters. For example, the
allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our
assets must be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue
Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any
Section 743(b) adjustment we allocated to our tangible
assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is
generally amortizable over a longer period of time or under a
less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot
assure you that the determinations we make will not be
successfully challenged by the IRS and that the deductions
resulting from them will not be reduced or disallowed
altogether. Should the IRS require a different basis adjustment
to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of
compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek
permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election.
If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be
allocated more income than he would have been allocated had the
election not been revoked.
Tax
Treatment of Operations
Accounting Method and Taxable Year. We use the
year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual
method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each
unitholder will be required to include in income his share of
our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending
within or with his taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who
has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31
and who disposes of all of his units following the close of our
taxable year but before the close of his taxable year must
include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in
income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be
required to include in income for his taxable year his share of
more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction.
Please read Disposition of Common
Units Allocations Between Transferors and
Transferees in this prospectus.
Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization. The
tax basis of our assets will be used for purposes of computing
depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain
or loss on the disposition of these assets. The federal income
tax burden associated with the difference between the fair
market value of our assets and their tax basis immediately prior
to an offering will be borne by the general partner, its
affiliates and our other unitholders as of that time. Please
read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and
Deduction in this prospectus.
To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation
and cost recovery methods that will result in the largest
deductions being taken in the early years after assets are
placed in service. We were not entitled to any amortization
deductions with respect to any goodwill conveyed to us on
formation. Property
35
we subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using
accelerated methods permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.
If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure, or
otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference
to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature
of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed
as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a
partner who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions
with respect to property we own will likely be required to
recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income
upon a sale of his interest in us. Please read
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction and
Disposition of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss in this prospectus.
The costs incurred in selling our units (called
syndication expenses) must be capitalized and cannot
be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. There
are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as
organization expenses, which we may amortize, and as syndication
expenses, which we may not amortize. The underwriting discounts
and commissions we incur will be treated as syndication expenses.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties. The
federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition
of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative
fair market values, and the tax bases, of our assets. Although
we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers
regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative
fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates of basis
are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or
the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are
later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items
of income, gain, loss or deductions previously reported by
unitholders might change, and unitholders might be required to
adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest
and penalties with respect to those adjustments.
Disposition
of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss. Gain or loss will
be recognized on a sale of units equal to the difference between
the amount realized and the unitholders tax basis for the
units sold. A unitholders amount realized will be measured
by the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other
property he receives plus his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. Because the amount realized includes a
unitholders share of our nonrecourse liabilities, the gain
recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability
in excess of any cash received from the sale.
Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable
income for a common unit that decreased a unitholders tax
basis in that common unit will, in effect, become taxable income
if the common unit is sold at a price greater than the
unitholders tax basis in that common unit, even if the
price received is less than his original cost.
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder,
other than a dealer in units, on the sale or
exchange of a unit held for more than one year will generally be
taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an
individual on the sale of units held more than 12 months
will generally be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. A portion of
this gain or loss, which will likely be substantial, however,
will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss
under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code to the
extent attributable to assets giving rise to depreciation
recapture or other unrealized receivables or to
inventory items we own. The term unrealized
receivables includes potential recapture items, including
depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to
unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation
recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized upon the sale of
a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss
realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize
both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units.
Net capital loss may offset capital gains and no more than
$3,000 of ordinary income, in the case of individuals, and may
only be used to offset capital gain in the case of corporations.
The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a
partnership in separate transactions must combine those
interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those
interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of
those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated
to the interests
36
sold using an equitable apportionment method.
Treasury regulations under Section 1223 of the Internal
Revenue Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify common
units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect
to use the actual holding period of the common units
transferred. Thus, according to the ruling, a common unitholder
will be unable to select high or low basis common units to sell
as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the
regulations, may designate specific common units sold for
purposes of determining the holding period of units transferred.
A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of common
units transferred must consistently use that identification
method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of common units. A
unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a
sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged
to consult his tax advisor as to the possible consequences of
this ruling and application of the Treasury regulations.
Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the
taxation of some financial products and securities, including
partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an
appreciated partnership interest, one in which gain
would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at
its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons
enter(s) into:
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a short sale;
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an offsetting notional principal contract; or
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a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership
interest or substantially identical property.
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Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short
sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or
forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the
taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the
taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership
interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of
Treasury is also authorized to issue regulations that treat a
taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have
substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as
having constructively sold the financial position.
Allocations Between Transferors and
Transferees. In general, our taxable income and
losses will be determined annually, will be prorated on a
monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the
unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each
of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the
first business day of the month (the Allocation
Date). However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other
disposition of our assets other than in the ordinary course of
business will be allocated among the unitholders on the
Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss is
recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring units may be
allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the
date of transfer.
The use of this method may not be permitted under existing
Treasury regulations. Accordingly, Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld LLP is unable to opine on the validity of
this method of allocating income and deductions between
unitholders. If this method is not allowed under the Treasury
regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of
the unitholders interest, our taxable income or losses
might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are authorized to
revise our method of allocation between unitholders to conform
to a method permitted under future Treasury regulations.
A unitholder who owns units at any time during a quarter and who
disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash
distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our
income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to that quarter
but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.
Notification Requirements. A purchaser of
units from another unitholder is required to notify us in
writing of that purchase within 30 days after the purchase.
We are required to notify the IRS of that transaction and to
furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee.
However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by
an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who
effects the sale or exchange through a broker.
Constructive Termination. We will be
considered to have been terminated for tax purposes if there is
a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our
capital and profits within a
12-month
period.
37
A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable
year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting
on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending
December 31, the closing of our taxable year may result in
more than 12 months of our taxable income or loss being
includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. We
would be required to make new tax elections after a termination,
including a new election under Section 754 of the Internal
Revenue Code, and a termination would result in a deferral of
our deductions for depreciation. A termination could also result
in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination
had occurred. Moreover, a termination might either accelerate
the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation
enacted before the termination.
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units, we
must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics
of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of
uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number
of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and
regulatory. A lack of uniformity can result from a literal
application of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6). Any
non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the
units. Please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Section 754 Election in this
prospectus.
We intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b)
adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value
of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized
Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization
derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful
life applied to the common basis of that property, or treat that
portion as nonamortizable, to the extent attributable to
property the common basis of which is not amortizable,
consistent with the regulations under Section 743, even
though that position may be inconsistent with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6) which is not
expected to apply directly to a material portion of our assets.
Please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Section 754 Election in this
prospectus. To the extent that the Section 743(b)
adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of
the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules
described in the Treasury regulations and legislative history.
If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken,
we may adopt a depreciation and amortization position under
which all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would
receive depreciation and amortization deductions, whether
attributable to a common basis or Section 743(b)
adjustment, based upon the same applicable rate as if they had
purchased a direct interest in our property. If this position is
adopted, it may result in lower annual depreciation and
amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to
some unitholders and risk the loss of depreciation and
amortization deductions not taken in the year that these
deductions are otherwise allowable. This position will not be
adopted if we determine that the loss of depreciation and
amortization deductions will have a material adverse effect on
the unitholders. If we choose not to utilize this aggregate
method, we may use any other reasonable depreciation and
amortization method to preserve the uniformity of the intrinsic
tax characteristics of any units that would not have a material
adverse effect on the unitholders. The IRS may challenge any
method of depreciating the Section 743(b) adjustment
described in this paragraph. If this challenge were sustained,
the uniformity of units might be affected, and the gain from the
sale of units might be increased without the benefit of
additional deductions. Please read Disposition
of Common Units Recognition of Gain or Loss in
this prospectus.
Tax-Exempt
Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt
organizations, non-resident aliens, foreign corporations, other
foreign persons and regulated investment companies raises issues
unique to those investors and, as described below, may have
substantially adverse tax consequences to them.
Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from
federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and
other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on
unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income
allocated to a unitholder which is a tax-exempt organization
will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to
them.
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A regulated investment company or mutual fund is
required to derive 90% or more of its gross income from
interest, dividends and gains from the sale of stocks or
securities or foreign currency or specified related sources. It
is not anticipated that any significant amount of our gross
income will include that type of income. Recent legislation also
includes net income derived from the ownership of an interest in
a qualified publicly traded partnership as qualified
income to a regulated investment company. We expect that we will
meet the definition of a qualified publicly traded partnership.
However, this legislation is only effective for taxable years
beginning after October 22, 2004.
Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, trusts or estates
that own units will be considered to be engaged in business in
the United States because of the ownership of units. As a
consequence they will be required to file federal tax returns to
report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and
pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our
net income or gain. Under rules applicable to publicly traded
partnerships, we will withhold tax, at the highest effective
rate applicable to individuals, from cash distributions made
quarterly to foreign unitholders. Each foreign unitholder must
obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit
that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8 BEN or
applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these
withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require us to
change these procedures.
In addition, because a foreign corporation that owns units will
be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that
corporation may be subject to the United States branch profits
tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax,
on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in
the foreign corporations U.S. net equity,
which is effectively connected with the conduct of a United
States trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated
by an income tax treaty between the United States and the
country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a
qualified resident. In addition, this type of
unitholder is subject to special information reporting
requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue
Code.
Under a ruling of the IRS, a foreign unitholder who sells or
otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to federal income
tax on gain realized on the sale or disposition of that unit to
the extent that this gain is effectively connected with a United
States trade or business of the foreign unitholder. Apart from
the ruling, a foreign unitholder will not be taxed or subject to
withholding upon the sale or disposition of a unit if he has
owned less than 5% in value of the units during the five-year
period ending on the date of the disposition and if the units
are regularly traded on an established securities market at the
time of the sale or disposition.
Information Returns and Audit Procedures. We
intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after
the close of each calendar year, specific tax information,
including a Schedule K-1, which describes his share of our
income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year.
In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by
counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting
positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to
determine his share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We
cannot assure you that those positions will yield a result that
conforms to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code,
regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS.
Neither we nor counsel can assure prospective unitholders that
the IRS will not successfully contend in court that those
positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS could
negatively affect the value of the units.
The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns.
Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each
unitholder to adjust a prior years tax liability, and
possibly may result in an audit of his own return. Any audit of
a unitholders return could result in adjustments not
related to our returns as well as those related to our returns.
Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for
purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of
administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement
proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income,
gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership
proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the
partners. The Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be
designated as the
39
Tax Matters Partner for these purposes. The
partnership agreement names our general partner as our Tax
Matters Partner.
The Tax Matters Partner will make some elections on our behalf
and on behalf of unitholders. In addition, the Tax Matters
Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of
tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our returns.
The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a
1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless
that unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not
to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax
Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the
unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative
adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek
judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any unitholder
having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of
unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in
profits. However, only one action for judicial review will go
forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may
participate.
A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the
treatment of any item on his federal income tax return that is
not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return.
Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency
requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.
Nominee Reporting. Persons who hold an
interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to
furnish to us:
(a) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of
the beneficial owner and the nominee;
(b) whether the beneficial owner is
(1) a person that is not a United States person,
(2) a foreign government, an international organization or
any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the
foregoing, or
(3) a tax-exempt entity;
(c) the amount and description of units held, acquired or
transferred for the beneficial owner; and
(d) specific information including the dates of
acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers,
and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net
proceeds from sales.
Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish
additional information, including whether they are United States
persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or
transfer for their own account. A penalty of $50 per
failure, up to a maximum of $100,000 per calendar year, is
imposed by the Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that
information to us. The nominee is required to supply the
beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to
us.
Accuracy-related and Assessable Penalties. An
additional tax equal to 20% of the amount of any portion of an
underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more
specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or
regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and
substantial valuation misstatements, is imposed by the Internal
Revenue Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any
portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a
reasonable cause for that portion and that the taxpayer acted in
good faith regarding that portion.
A substantial understatement of income tax in any taxable year
exists if the amount of the understatement exceeds the greater
of 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the
taxable year or $5,000 ($10,000 for most corporations). The
amount of any understatement subject to penalty generally is
reduced if any portion is attributable to a position adopted on
the return:
(1) for which there is, or was, substantial
authority, or
(2) as to which there is a reasonable basis and the
pertinent facts of that position are disclosed on the return.
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More stringent rules, including additional penalties and
extended statutes of limitations, may apply as a result of our
participation in listed transactions or
reportable transactions with a significant tax avoidance
purpose. While we do not anticipate participating in such
transactions, if any item of income, gain, loss or deduction
included in the distributive shares of unitholders might result
in that kind of an understatement of income relating
to such a transaction, we must disclose the pertinent facts on
our return. In addition, we will make a reasonable effort to
furnish sufficient information for unitholders to make adequate
disclosure on their returns and to take other actions as may be
appropriate to permit unitholders to avoid liability for
penalties.
A substantial valuation misstatement exists if the value of any
property, or the adjusted basis of any property, claimed on a
tax return is 200% or more of the amount determined to be the
correct amount of the valuation or adjusted basis. No penalty is
imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a
substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 for
most corporations). If the valuation claimed on a return is 400%
or more than the correct valuation, the penalty imposed
increases to 40%.
State,
Local and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income taxes, you will be subject to
other taxes, including state and local income taxes,
unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or
intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various
jurisdictions in which we do business or own property or in
which you are a resident. We currently do business or own
property in 8 states, most of which impose income taxes. We
may also own property or do business in other states in the
future. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not
presented here, each prospective unitholder is urged to consider
their potential impact on his investment in us. You may not be
required to file a return and pay taxes in some states because
your income from that state falls below the filing and payment
requirement. You will be required, however, to file state income
tax returns and to pay state income taxes in many of the states
in which we do business or own property, and you may be subject
to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. In
some states, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the
year incurred and also may not be available to offset income in
subsequent taxable years. Some of the states may require us, or
we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to
be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the
state. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less
than a particular unitholders income tax liability to the
state, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from
the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld
may be treated as if distributed to unitholders for purposes of
determining the amounts distributed by us. Please read
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Entity-Level Collections in this prospectus.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH UNITHOLDER TO INVESTIGATE THE
LEGAL AND TAX CONSEQUENCES, UNDER THE LAWS OF PERTINENT STATES
AND LOCALITIES, OF HIS INVESTMENT IN US. ACCORDINGLY, WE
STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT EACH PROSPECTIVE UNITHOLDER CONSULT, AND
DEPEND UPON, HIS OWN TAX COUNSEL OR OTHER ADVISOR WITH REGARD TO
THOSE MATTERS. FURTHER, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH
UNITHOLDER TO FILE ALL STATE AND LOCAL, AS WELL AS UNITED STATES
FEDERAL TAX RETURNS, THAT MAY BE REQUIRED OF HIM. AKIN GUMP
STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP HAS NOT RENDERED AN OPINION
ON THE STATE OR LOCAL TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN US.
INVESTMENT
IN GENESIS BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
An investment in Genesis by an employee benefit plan is subject
to certain additional considerations because persons with
discretionary control of assets of such plans (a
fiduciary) are subject to the fiduciary
responsibility provisions of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), and
transactions are subject to restrictions imposed by
Section 4975 of the Code. As used in this prospectus, the
term employee benefit plan includes, but is not
limited to, qualified pension, profit-sharing and stock bonus
plans, Keogh plans, Simplified Employee Pension Plans, and tax
deferred annuities or Individual Retirement Accounts
(IRAs) established or maintained by an employer or
employee
41
organization. Among other things, consideration should be given
to (1) whether such investment is prudent under
Section 404(a)(1)(B) of ERISA, (2) whether in making
such investment such plan will satisfy the diversification
requirement of Section 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA, and
(3) whether such investment will result in recognition of
unrelated business taxable income by such plan. Please read
Material Tax Consequences Tax-Exempt
Organizations and Other Investors. Fiduciaries should
determine whether an investment in Genesis is authorized by the
appropriate governing instrument and is an appropriate
investment for such plan.
In addition, a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan should
consider whether such plan will, by investing in Genesis, be
deemed to own an undivided interest in the assets of Genesis,
with the result that the general partner would also be a
fiduciary of such plan and Genesis would be subject to the
regulatory restrictions of ERISA, including its prohibited
transaction rules, as well as the prohibited transaction rules
of the Code.
Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code
(which also applies to IRAs that are not considered part of an
employee benefit plan; i.e., IRAs established or maintained by
individuals rather than an employer or employee organization)
prohibit an employee benefit plan from engaging in certain
transactions involving plan assets with parties who
are parties in interest under ERISA or
disqualified persons under the Code with respect to
the plan. Under Department of Labor regulations the assets of an
entity in which employee benefit plans acquire equity interests
would not be deemed plan assets if, among other
things, (1) the equity interests acquired by employee
benefit plans are publicly offered securities i.e.,
the equity interests are widely held by 100 or more investors
independent of the issuer and each other, freely transferable
and registered pursuant to certain provisions of the federal
securities law, (2) the entity is an operating
company i.e., it is primarily engaged in the
production or sale of a product or service other than the
investment of capital, or (3) there is no significant
investment by benefit plan investors, which is defined to mean
that less than 25% of the value of each class of equity interest
is held by the employee benefit plans referred to above, IRAs
and other employee benefit plans not subject to ERISA (such as
government plans). Genesis assets are not expected to be
considered plan assets under these regulations
because it is expected that the investment will satisfy the
requirements in (1) above, and may also satisfy the
requirements in (2) and (3).
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We may sell the equity securities directly, through agents, or
to or through underwriters or dealers. The prospectus supplement
relating to any particular offering will contain the terms of
the equity securities sold in that offering, including:
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the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents (if any);
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the offering price;
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underwriting discounts;
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sales agents commissions;
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other forms of underwriter or agent compensation;
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discounts, concessions or commissions that underwriters may pass
on to other dealers; and
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any exchange on which the equity securities are listed.
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We may change the offering price, underwriting discounts or
concessions, or the price to dealers when necessary. Discounts
or commissions received by underwriters or agents and any
profits on the resale of equity securities by them may
constitute underwriting discounts and commissions under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Unless we state otherwise in a prospectus supplement,
underwriters will need to meet certain requirements before
purchasing equity securities. Agents will act on a best
efforts basis during their appointment. We will also state
the net proceeds from the sale in a prospectus supplement.
Any brokers or dealers that participate in the distribution of
the equity securities may be underwriters within the
meaning of the Securities Act for such sales. Profits,
commissions, discounts or concessions received by such broker or
dealer may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the
Securities Act.
When necessary, we may fix equity securities distribution using
changeable, fixed prices, market prices at the time of sale,
prices related to market prices, or negotiated prices.
We may, through agreements, indemnify underwriters, dealers or
agents that participate in the distribution of the equity
securities against certain liabilities including liabilities
under the Securities Act. We may also provide funds for payments
that the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to
make. Underwriters, dealers and agents, and their affiliates may
transact with us and our affiliates in the ordinary course of
their business.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and other reports and other
information with the Commission. You may read and copy documents
we file at the Commissions public reference room at
450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please
call the Commission at
1-800-SEC-0330
for information on the public reference room. You can also find
our filings at the Commissions website at
http://www.sec.gov and on our website at
http://www.genesiscrudeoil.com. Information contained on our
website is not part of this prospectus. In addition, our reports
and other information concerning us can be inspected at the
American Stock Exchange, 86 Trinity Place, New York, New York
10006.
The Commission allows us to incorporate by reference
the information we have filed with the Commission, which means
that we can disclose important information to you without
actually including the specific information in this prospectus
by referring you to those documents. The information
incorporated by reference is an important part of this
prospectus and later information that we file with the
Commission will automatically update and supersede this
information. Therefore, before you decide to invest in a
particular offering under this shelf registration, you should
always check for reports we may have filed with the Commission
after the date of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference
the documents listed below and any future filings we make with
the Commission under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or
15(d) of the
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Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which is deemed
filed with the Commission until we sell all of the
equity securities offered by this prospectus, other than
information under Item 9 or 12 of any Current Report on
Form 8-K
that is listed below or information furnished under
Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any
Form 8-K
that is listed below or filed in the future, which information
is not deemed filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
and is not incorporated in this prospectus:
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Annual Reports on
Form 10-K
and
Form 10-K/A
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004;
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Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q
for the three month periods ended March 31, 2005 and
June 30, 2005;
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Current Reports on
Form 8-K
filed January 19, 2005, February 7, 2005,
March 9, 2005, April 7, 2005, May 4, 2005,
June 6, 2005, June 15, 2005, July 26, 2005 and
August 4, 2005, and on
Form 8-K/A
filed June 16, 2005; and
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The description of the common units contained in our
Registration Statement on
Form 8-A,
dated January 30, 2001.
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We will provide without charge to each person, including any
beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon
written or oral request, a copy of any document incorporated by
reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to any such
document not specifically described above. Requests for such
documents should be directed to:
Investor Relations
Genesis Energy, L.P.
500 Dallas, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 860-2500 or
(800) 284-3365
We intend to furnish or make available to our unitholders within
90 days (or such shorter period as the Commission may
prescribe) following the close of our fiscal year end annual
reports containing audited financial statements prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
furnish or make available within 45 days (or such shorter
period as the Commission may prescribe) following the close of
each fiscal quarter quarterly reports containing unaudited
interim financial information, including the information
required by
Form 10-Q
for the first three fiscal quarters of each of our fiscal years.
Our annual report will include a description of any transactions
with our general partner or its affiliates, and of fees,
commissions, compensation and other benefits paid, or accrued to
our general partner or its affiliates for the fiscal year
completed, including the amount paid or accrued to each
recipient and the services performed.
INFORMATION
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated in this
prospectus by reference include forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are identified as any statement
that does not relate strictly to historical or current facts.
They use words such as anticipate,
believe, continue, estimate,
expect, forecast, intend,
may, plan, position,
projection, strategy or will
or the negative of those terms or other variations of them or by
comparable terminology. In particular, statements, expressed or
implied, concerning future actions, conditions or events or
future operating results or the ability to generate sales,
income or cash flow are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance.
They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future
actions, conditions or events and future results of operations
may differ materially from those expressed in these
forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that will
determine these results are beyond our ability or the ability of
our affiliates to control or predict. Specific factors that
could cause actual results to differ from those in the
forward-looking statements include:
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demand for, the supply of, changes in forecast data for, and
price trends related to crude oil, liquid petroleum, natural gas
and natural gas liquids or NGLs in the United
States, all of which may
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be affected by economic activity, capital expenditures by energy
producers, weather, alternative energy sources, international
events, conservation and technological advances;
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throughput levels and rates;
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changes in, or challenges to, our tariff rates;
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our ability to successfully identify and consummate strategic
acquisitions, make cost saving changes in operations and
integrate acquired assets or businesses into our existing
operations;
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service interruptions in our liquids transportation systems,
natural gas transportation systems or natural gas gathering and
processing operations;
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shut-downs or cutbacks at refineries, petrochemical plants,
utilities or other businesses for which we transport crude oil,
natural gas or other products or to whom we sell such products;
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changes in laws or regulations to which we are subject;
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our inability to borrow or otherwise access funds needed for
operations, expansions or capital expenditures as a result of
existing debt agreements that contain restrictive financial
covenants;
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loss of key personnel;
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the effects of competition, in particular, by other pipeline
systems;
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hazards and operating risks that may not be covered fully by
insurance;
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the condition of the capital markets in the United States;
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the political and economic stability of the oil producing
nations of the world; and
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general economic conditions, including rates of inflation and
interest rates.
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You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking
statements. When considering forward-looking statements, please
review the risk factors described under Risk Factors
beginning on page 2 of this prospectus.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, as our counsel,
will issue an opinion for us about the legality of the equity
securities and the material federal income tax considerations
regarding the common units. Any underwriter will be advised
about other issues relating to any offering by its own legal
counsel.
The consolidated financial statements and managements
report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the
Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K/A
have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in
their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference, and
have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such
firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
The balance sheet at December 31, 2004 of Genesis Energy,
Inc. incorporated in this prospectus by reference has been
audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent
auditors, as stated in their report appearing in the Current
Report on
Form 8-K
of Genesis Energy, L.P. filed on July 26, 2005, and has
been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm
given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of T&P Syngas Supply Company as of
and for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003,
incorporated in this prospectus by reference have been audited
by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent auditors, as
stated in their report appearing in the Current Report on
Form 8-K/A
of Genesis Energy, L.P. filed on June 16, 2005, and has
been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm
given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
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