S-3
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2018

Registration No. 333-        

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   11-3742489

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

1000 Main Street, Suite 3000

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 783-8000

 

Charles C. Ward
Chief Financial Officer & Secretary

Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC

1000 Main Street, Suite 3000

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 783-8000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including

area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copy to:

Scott L. Olson

Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP

600 Travis, Suite 4200

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 220-4200

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement, as determined in light of market conditions and other factors.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐


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If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer   ☐  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to be Registered

 

Amount

to be

Registered(1)(2)

 

Proposed

Maximum

Offering Price

Per Unit(1)(2)

 

Proposed

Maximum

Aggregate

Offering Price(1)(3)

 

Amount of

Registration Fee(4)

Common Units(1)

               

Partnership Securities

               

Debt Securities

               

Warrants

               

Rights

               

Total

          $500,000,000   $62,250

 

 

(1) An indeterminate aggregate amount or number of securities of each class is being registered hereunder, as may from time to time be offered, at indeterminate prices, with an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $500,000,000. Securities registered hereunder may be sold separately, together or as units with other securities registered hereunder. The indeterminate aggregate amount or number also includes such securities as may, from time to time, be issued upon conversion or exchange of securities registered hereunder, to the extent any such securities are, by their terms, convertible into or exchangeable for other securities.
(2) Information is not specified as to each class of securities to be registered pursuant to General Instruction II.D of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(3) The proposed maximum aggregate price has been estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.
(4) Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, the securities registered pursuant to this registration statement include $431,400,000 of unsold securities previously registered on the registrant’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-202575) filed on March 6, 2015 and declared effective on March 16, 2015 (the “Prior Registration Statement”). The Prior Registration Statement registered securities for a proposed maximum aggregate offering price of $500,000,000, of which $431,400,000 remain unsold. The associated filing fee of $50,128 for the securities remaining under the Prior Registration Statement is hereby used to offset the current registration fee due, resulting in an additional registration fee in the amount of $12,122 due in connection with the filing of this registration statement. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6), the offering of securities registered under the Prior Registration Statement will be deemed terminated as of the date of effectiveness of this registration statement.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment that specifically states that the Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 9, 2018

PROSPECTUS

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP

$500,000,000

COMMON UNITS

PARTNERSHIP SECURITIES

DEBT SECURITIES

WARRANTS

RIGHTS

 

 

By this prospectus, we may from time to time offer and sell in one or more offerings any combination of the following securities:

 

    common units;

 

    other partnership securities;

 

    debt securities, which may be secured or unsecured senior or subordinated debt securities.

 

    warrants to purchase common units, other partnership securities, rights or debt securities; and/or

 

    rights to purchase common units, other partnership securities, warrants or debt securities.

The aggregate initial offering price of all securities sold by us under this prospectus will not exceed $500,000,000.

This prospectus provides a general description of the securities we may offer. Supplements to this prospectus will provide the specific terms of the securities that we actually offer, including the offering prices and the net proceeds that we expect to receive. You should carefully read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any information under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference” before you invest in any of these securities. This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement that describes those securities.

We may sell these securities to or through underwriters or dealers, to other purchasers and/or through agents. Supplements to this prospectus will specify the names of any underwriters or agents.

Our common units are listed and traded on the NYSE American under the symbol “SNMP.” On March 7, 2018, the closing price of our common units on the NYSE American was $10.75 per unit.

 

 

Limited partnerships are inherently different from corporations. Please read “Risk Factors” on page 1 of this prospectus before you make an investment in our securities.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these 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                 , 2018.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

About this Prospectus

     i  

Incorporation by Reference

     ii  

Where You Can Find More Information

     ii  

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

     iii  

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP

     1  

Risk Factors

     1  

Use of Proceeds

     1  

Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges

     1  

Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions on Distributions

     2  

Provisions of the Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions

     5  

Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties

     17  

Description of the Common Units

     24  

The Partnership Agreement

     26  

Description of Partnership Securities

     42  

Description of Debt Securities

     43  

Description of Warrants

     53  

Description of Rights

     54  

Material Tax Considerations

     55  

Investment in Sanchez Midstream Partners LP by Employee Benefit Plans

     73  

Plan of Distribution

     75  

Legal Matters

     76  

Experts

     76  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in connection with one or more offerings from time to time, up to a total dollar amount of $500,000,000.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer to sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering and the securities offered by us in that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information provided in the prospectus supplement. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. The registration statement filed with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more details about the matters discussed in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the related exhibits filed with the SEC and any prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described below under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.”

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any accompanying prospectus supplement. We 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 making an offer of the securities covered by this prospectus in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any other document incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of those documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

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Under no circumstances should the delivery to you of this prospectus create any implication that the information contained in this prospectus is correct as of any time after the date of this prospectus.

This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement that describes those securities.

Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to “Sanchez,” “our partnership,” “we,” “our,” “us” or similar references mean Sanchez Midstream Partners LP and its consolidated subsidiaries. In this prospectus, we sometimes refer to the common units, other partnership securities, debt securities, warrants and rights, collectively as the “securities.”

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information into this document. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below, other than any portions of the respective filings that were furnished (pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of current reports on Form 8-K or other applicable SEC rules) rather than filed:

 

    our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the SEC on March 9, 2018;

 

    our Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on February 9, 2018; and

 

    the description of our common units contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on March 6, 2015, including any amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents that we file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act, after the date of this prospectus and until our offerings hereunder are completed will be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and will be a part of this prospectus from the date of the filing of the document. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement that is modified or superseded will not constitute a part of this prospectus, except as modified or superseded.

We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of these filings, other than an exhibit to these filings, unless we have specifically incorporated that exhibit by reference into the filing, upon written or oral request and at no cost. Requests should be made by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP

1000 Main Street, Suite 3000

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 783-8000

Attn: Investor Relations

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we refer to as the Securities Act, that registers the issuance and sale of the securities offered by this prospectus.

 

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The registration statement, including the attached exhibits, contains additional relevant information about us. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit some information included in the registration statement from this prospectus.

We file annual, quarterly, and other reports and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act. You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the Public Reference Room. Our SEC filings are also available to the public through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

General information about us, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments and exhibits to those reports, are available free of charge through our website at http://www.sanchezmidstream.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC. Information on our website is not incorporated into this prospectus or our other securities filings and is not a part of this prospectus.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains “forward-looking statements” as defined by the SEC that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These statements may include discussions about: our business strategy; our acquisition strategy; our financing strategy; our ability to make, maintain and grow distributions; the ability of our customers to meet their drilling and development plans on a timely basis or at all and perform under gathering, processing and other agreements; our future operating results; the ability of our partners to perform under our joint ventures and partnerships; our future capital expenditures; and our plans, objectives, expectations, forecasts, outlook and intentions.

All of these types of statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “project,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “target,” “continue,” the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology.

The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are largely based on our expectations, which reflect estimates and assumptions made by our management. These estimates and assumptions reflect our best judgment based on currently known market conditions and other factors. Although we believe that such estimates and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond our control. In addition, management’s assumptions about future events may prove to be inaccurate.

Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements include, among others:

 

    our ability to successfully execute our business, acquisition and financing strategies;

 

    our ability to make, maintain and grow distributions;

 

    the ability of our customers to meet their drilling and development plans on a timely basis or at all and perform under gathering, processing and other agreements;

 

    the ability of our partners to perform under our joint ventures and partnerships;

 

    the availability, proximity and capacity of, and costs associated with, gathering, processing, compression and transportation facilities;

 

    our ability to utilize the services, personnel and other assets of the sole member of our general partner, SP Holdings, LLC (“SP Holdings” or “Manager”), pursuant to existing services agreements;

 

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    the credit worthiness and performance of our counterparties, including financial institutions, operating partners and other parties;

 

    the timing and extent of changes in prices for, and demand for, crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids, natural gas and related commodities;

 

    our ability to successfully execute our hedging strategy and the resulting realized prices therefrom;

 

    the accuracy of reserve estimates, which by their nature involve the exercise of professional judgment and may, therefore, be imprecise;

 

    our ability to access the credit and capital markets to obtain financing on terms we deem acceptable, if at all, and to otherwise satisfy our capital expenditure requirements;

 

    competition in the oil and natural gas industry for employees and other personnel, equipment, materials and services and, related thereto, the availability and cost of employees and other personnel, equipment, materials and services;

 

    the extent to which our crude oil and natural gas properties operated by others are operated successfully and economically;

 

    our ability to compete with other companies in the oil and natural gas industry;

 

    the impact of, and changes in, government policies, laws and regulations, including tax laws and regulations, environmental laws and regulations relating to air emissions, waste disposal, hydraulic fracturing and access to and use of water, laws and regulations imposing conditions and restrictions on drilling and completion operations and laws and regulations with respect to derivatives and hedging activities;

 

    the use of competing energy sources and the development of alternative energy sources;

 

    unexpected results of litigation filed against us;

 

    disruptions due to extreme weather conditions, such as extreme rainfall, hurricanes or tornadoes;

 

    the extent to which we incur uninsured losses and liabilities or losses and liabilities in excess of our insurance coverage; and

 

    the other factors described under “Risk Factors” in prospectus and any updates to those factors set forth in our subsequent reports filed with the SEC and incorporated herein by reference.

Management cautions all readers that the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are not guarantees of future performance, and we cannot assure any reader that such statements will be realized or the forward-looking events and circumstances will occur. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements due to factors listed in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this prospectus. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and other than as required by law, we do not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf.

 

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SANCHEZ MIDSTREAM PARTNERS LP

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP, a Delaware limited partnership, was formed in 2005 as a limited liability company until our conversion in 2015 into a limited partnership. We are a growth-oriented publicly-traded limited partnership focused on the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of midstream and other energy related assets in North America. We have ownership stakes in oil and natural gas gathering systems, natural gas pipelines, and a natural gas processing facility, all located in the Western Eagle Ford in South Texas. We currently own a gathering system in the Eagle Ford Shale, a 50% interest in a gathering system that connects to the Western Catarina gathering system, a 50% interest in a cryogenic natural gas processing plant, a natural gas pipeline, reversionary working interests and other production assets in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

Our headquarters are located at 1000 Main Street, Suite 3000 in Houston, Texas. Our phone number is (713) 783-8000, and our website is accessed at www.sanchezmidstream.com. Information on our website is not incorporated into this prospectus or our other securities filings and is not a part of this prospectus.

RISK FACTORS

The securities to be offered by this prospectus may involve a high degree of risk. When considering an investment in any of the securities, you should consider carefully all of the risk factors described in any annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q or other document incorporated by reference into this prospectus or filed by us with the SEC after the date of this prospectus. If applicable, we will include in any prospectus supplement a description of those significant factors that could make the offering described in the prospectus supplement speculative or risky.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise indicated in an accompanying prospectus supplement, the net proceeds received by us from the sale of the securities described in this prospectus will be added to our general funds and will be used for our general business purposes, which may include, among other things, repayment of indebtedness, capital expenditures and business development, future acquisitions and additions to working capital. From time to time, we may engage in additional public or private financings of a character and amount which we may deem appropriate.

RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratios of earnings to fixed charges for the periods shown. You should read these ratios of earnings to fixed charges in connection with our consolidated financial statements, including the notes to those statements, incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
   2017     2016      2015     2014      2013  

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

     (a     4.8x        (a     6.3x        (a

 

(a) Earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges. The coverage deficiency totaled approximately $5.5 million, $137.0 million and $28.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2015 and 2013, respectively.

For these ratios, “earnings” represent the aggregate of (a) pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations before adjustment for income or loss from equity investees, (b) fixed charges, (c) amortization of capitalized interest, (d) distributed income of equity investees and (e) our share of pre-tax losses of equity investees for which charges arising from guarantees are included in fixed charges, net of (a) interest capitalized and (b) the minority interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries that have not incurred fixed charges. “Fixed charges” represent the sum of (a) interest expensed and capitalized; (b) amortized premiums, discounts, and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness; and (c) a reasonable approximation of the interest within rent expense.

 

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CASH DISTRIBUTION POLICY AND RESTRICTIONS ON DISTRIBUTIONS

The following discussion of our cash distribution policy should be read in conjunction with the specific assumptions included in this section. In addition, please read “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this prospectus and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 for information regarding certain risks inherent in our business and regarding statements that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts.

Rationale for Our Cash Distribution Policy

Our partnership agreement requires us to distribute all of our available cash quarterly. Our cash distribution policy reflects a fundamental judgment that our unitholders generally will be better served by our distributing rather than retaining our available cash. Under our current cash distribution policy, we target a minimum quarterly distribution to the holders of our common units of $0.50 per unit, or $2.00 per unit on an annualized basis, to the extent we have sufficient available cash after the establishment of cash reserves and the payment of costs and expenses. However, other than the requirement in our partnership agreement to distribute all of our available cash each quarter, we have no legal obligation to make quarterly cash distributions in any amount, and our general partner has considerable discretion to determine the amount of our available cash each quarter. Our partnership agreement generally defines “available cash” as cash on hand at the end of a quarter after the payment of expenses, less the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to provide for the conduct of our business, to comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements or to provide for future distributions to our unitholders for any one or more of the next four quarters. Our available cash may also include, if our general partner so determines, all or any portion of the cash on hand immediately prior to the date of distribution of available cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings made subsequent to the end of such quarter. Because we are not subject to an entity-level federal income tax, we expect to have more cash to distribute to our unitholders than would be the case if we were subject to entity-level federal income tax. If we do not generate sufficient available cash from our operations, we may, but are under no obligation to, borrow funds to pay distributions to our unitholders.

Limitations on Cash Distributions and Our Ability to Change Our Cash Distribution Policy

There is no guarantee that we will make quarterly cash distributions to our unitholders. We do not have a legal or contractual obligation to pay quarterly distributions or any other distributions except as provided in our partnership agreement. Our cash distribution policy may be changed at any time and is subject to certain restrictions and uncertainties, including the following:

 

    Our cash distribution policy is subject to restrictions on distributions under our credit facility, which contains financial tests that we must meet and covenants that we must satisfy. Should we be unable to meet these financial tests or satisfy these covenants or if we are otherwise in default under our credit facility, we will be prohibited from making cash distributions notwithstanding our cash distribution policy.

 

    Our general partner has the authority to establish cash reserves for the prudent conduct of our business and for future cash distributions to our unitholders, and the establishment of or increase in those reserves could result in a reduction in cash distributions from levels we currently anticipate pursuant to our stated cash distribution policy. Our partnership agreement does not set a limit on the amount of cash reserves that our general partner may establish. Any decision to establish cash reserves made by our general partner in good faith will be binding on our unitholders.

 

    Prior to making any distribution on the common units, and pursuant to a services agreement, or Services Agreement, that we have with SP Holdings, the sole member of our general partner, we will pay SP Holdings an administrative fee and reimburse our general partner and its affiliates, including SP Holdings, for all direct and indirect expenses that they incur on our behalf.

 

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    Neither our partnership agreement nor the Services Agreement limits the amount of expenses for which our general partner and its affiliates may be reimbursed. These expenses may include salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons who perform services for us or on our behalf and expenses allocated to our general partner by its affiliates. Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner will determine in good faith the expenses that are allocable to us. The reimbursement of expenses and payment of fees, if any, to our general partner and its affiliates may impact our ability to pay distributions to our unitholders.

 

    While our partnership agreement requires us to distribute all of our available cash, our partnership agreement, including the provisions requiring us to make cash distributions contained therein, may be amended with the consent of our general partner and the approval of a majority of the outstanding common units (including common units held by Sanchez Energy Corporation, or Sanchez Energy, and its affiliates, if any).

 

    Even if our cash distribution policy is not modified or revoked, the decisions regarding the amount of distributions to pay under our cash distribution policy and whether to pay any distribution are determined by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of our partnership agreement.

 

    Under Section 17-607 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, or the Delaware Act, we may not make a distribution if the distribution would cause our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets.

 

    We may lack sufficient cash to pay distributions to our unitholders due to cash flow shortfalls attributable to a number of operational, commercial or other factors as well as increases in our operating or general and administrative expenses, principal and interest payments on our outstanding debt, tax expenses, working capital requirements or anticipated cash needs.

 

    If we make distributions out of capital surplus, as opposed to operating surplus, any such distributions would constitute a return of capital and would result in a reduction in the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels. Please read “Provisions of Our Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions—Adjustment to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels.” We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from capital surplus.

 

    Our ability to make distributions to our unitholders depends on the performance of our assets and subsidiaries and the ability of our subsidiaries to distribute cash to us. The ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions to us may be restricted by, among other things, the provisions of future indebtedness, applicable state laws and other laws and regulations.

 

    As long as our Class B preferred units remain outstanding, our ability to make distributions to common unitholders is prohibited unless our available cash less working capital borrowings during or subsequent to the quarter is at least 1.65 times the amount of the Class B preferred unit distribution for such quarter.

Our Ability to Grow May be Dependent on Our Ability to Access External Expansion Capital

Our partnership agreement requires us to distribute all of our available cash to our unitholders on a quarterly basis. As a result, we expect that we will rely primarily upon external financing sources, including bank borrowings and issuances of debt and equity interests, to fund future acquisitions and other expansion capital expenditures. To the extent we are unable to finance growth externally, our cash distribution policy will significantly impair our ability to grow. In addition, because we will distribute all of our available cash, our growth may not be as fast as businesses that reinvest most or all of their cash to expand ongoing operations. Moreover, our future growth may be slower than our historical growth. Our credit facility restricts our ability to obtain additional financing, make investments, lease equipment, sell assets and engage in business combinations. Please read “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Financing and Credit Environment” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

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Our Minimum Quarterly Distribution

The payment of the full minimum quarterly distribution on all of our common units outstanding as of March 6, 2018 requires us to have earnings providing amounts available for distribution of approximately $7.5 million per quarter, or $29.9 million per year. Our ability to make cash distributions at the minimum quarterly distribution rate will be subject to the factors described above under “—Limitations on Cash Distributions and Our Ability to Change Our Cash Distribution Policy.”

The table below sets forth the number of common units outstanding as of March 6, 2018 and the earnings needed to pay the aggregate minimum quarterly distribution on all of such units for a single fiscal quarter and a four quarter period:

 

     Number of
Common Units
     Distributions  
        One
Quarter
     Annualized  
            (in thousands)  

Publicly held common units

     10,781      $ 5,391      $ 21,564  

Common units held by Sanchez Energy

     2,273        1,137        4,548  

Common units held by Sanchez Family, SOG and other insiders

     1,911        956        3,824  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     14,965      $ 7,484      $ 29,936  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

SP Holdings is the initial holder of the incentive distribution rights, which entitle the holder thereof to increasing percentages, up to a maximum of 35.5%, of the cash we distribute in excess of $0.575 per unit per quarter.

We pay our distributions on or about the last day of each of February, May, August and November to holders of record on or about the 15th day of each such month. If the distribution date does not fall on a business day, we will make the distribution on the business day immediately preceding the indicated distribution date.

 

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PROVISIONS OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT RELATING TO CASH DISTRIBUTIONS

Set forth below is a summary of the significant provisions of our partnership agreement that relate to cash distributions.

Distributions of Available Cash

General

Our partnership agreement requires that, on or about the last day of each of February, May, August and November, we distribute all of our available cash to unitholders of record on the applicable record date.

Definition of Available Cash

Available cash generally means, for any quarter, all cash on hand at the end of that quarter:

 

    less, the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to:

 

    provide for the proper conduct of our business (including cash reserves for our future capital expenditures and anticipated future debt service requirements subsequent to that quarter);

 

    comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements; or

 

    provide funds for distributions to our unitholders for any one or more of the next four quarters (provided that our general partner may not establish cash reserves for distributions if the effect of the establishment of such reserves will prevent us from distributing the minimum quarterly distribution on all common units);

 

    plus, if our general partner so determines, all or any portion of the cash on hand on the date of determination of available cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings made subsequent to the end of such quarter.

The purpose and effect of the last bullet point above is to allow our general partner, if it so decides, to use cash from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter but on or before the date of determination of available cash for that quarter to pay distributions to unitholders. Under our partnership agreement, working capital borrowings are generally borrowings that are made under a credit facility, commercial paper facility or similar financing arrangement, and in all cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay distributions to unitholders, and with the intent of the borrower to repay such borrowings within twelve months with funds other than from additional working capital borrowings.

Furthermore, our general partner may not establish cash reserves if the effect of such reserves would be that we are unable to distribute the cash portion of any distributions on our Class B preferred units or on our common units for that quarter.

Class A Preferred Units

In March and April 2015, we issued 10,859,375 Class A preferred units to various purchasers. We used the proceeds from the issuance of the Class A preferred units to partially fund our acquisition of wellbore interests in certain oil and natural gas properties in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas and for general working capital purposes. Our Class A preferred units were entitled to receive quarterly distributions at a rate of (i) 11.5% per annum (2.875% per quarter) from April 1, 2016 through and including March 31, 2017 and (ii) 12.5% per annum (3.125% per quarter) from and after April 1, 2017. All of our issued and outstanding Class A preferred units were converted into common units effective March 31, 2016, and, as a result, we have no Class A preferred units. The issuance of any additional Class A preferred units is subject to the prior consent of the holders of Class B preferred units.

 

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Class B Preferred Units

In October 2015, we issued 19,444,445 Class B preferred units to an affiliate of Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners. We used the proceeds from the issuance of the Class B preferred units to pay a portion of the consideration for our purchase of the Western Catarina gathering system, along with the payment to the purchaser of a fee equal to 2.25% of the consideration paid for the Class B preferred units. In December 2016 and January 2017, we issued an additional 11,556,442 Class B Preferred Units in connection with an adjustment mechanism set forth in our partnership agreement.

If paid fully in cash, our Class B preferred units are entitled to receive quarterly distributions at a rate of 10% per annum (2.5% per quarter), and if paid in a combination of cash and Class B Preferred PIK Units (as defined in our partnership agreement), our Class B preferred units are entitled to receive quarterly distributions at a rate of 8% per annum (2.0% per quarter) payable in cash and 4% per annum (1% per quarter) payable in Class B Preferred PIK Units.

General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution Rights

Our general partner owns a non-economic general partner interest. SP Holdings, the sole member of our general partner, holds all of our incentive distribution rights, which entitles it to receive increasing percentages, up to 35.5%, of the cash distributed from operating surplus (as defined below) in excess of $0.575 per common unit per quarter.

Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus

General

Any distributions that we make will be characterized as made from “operating surplus” or “capital surplus.” Distributions from operating surplus are made differently than cash distributions that we would make from capital surplus. Operating surplus distributions will be made to our unitholders and, if we make quarterly distributions above the first target distribution level described below, to the holder of our incentive distribution rights. We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from capital surplus. In such an event, however, any capital surplus distribution would be made pro rata to all common unitholders, until the minimum quarterly distribution is reduced to zero, as described below, and thereafter we will make all distributions from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus, but the holder of the incentive distribution rights would generally not participate in any capital surplus distributions with respect to those rights.

In determining operating surplus and capital surplus, we will only take into account our proportionate share of our consolidated subsidiaries, provided they are not wholly owned, and our proportionate share of entities accounted for under the equity method.

Operating Surplus

We define operating surplus as:

 

    $20.0 million (as described below); plus

 

    all of our cash receipts, excluding cash from interim capital transactions (as defined below), provided that cash receipts from the termination of a commodity hedge or interest rate hedge prior to its specified termination date shall be amortized in operating surplus in equal quarterly installments over the remaining scheduled term of such commodity hedge or interest rate hedge; plus

 

    working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but on or before the date of determination of operating surplus for that quarter; plus

 

   

cash distributions (including incremental distributions on incentive distribution rights) paid in respect of equity issued, other than equity issued in connection with consummating the initial public offering

 

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of our predecessor, to finance all or a portion of expansion capital expenditures in respect of the period from the date that we enter into a binding obligation to commence the replacement, improvement, addition, expansion, acquisition, construction or development of a capital asset and ending on the earlier to occur of the date the capital asset commences commercial service and the date that it is abandoned or disposed of; plus

 

    cash distributions (including incremental distributions on incentive distribution rights) paid in respect of equity issued, other than equity issued in connection with the initial public offering of our predecessor, to pay interest on debt incurred, or to pay distributions on equity issued, to finance the expansion capital expenditures referred to in the prior bullet; less

 

    all of our operating expenditures (as defined below); less

 

    the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to provide funds for future operating expenditures; less

 

    all working capital borrowings not repaid within twelve months after having been incurred, or repaid within such twelve-month period with the proceeds of additional working capital borrowings; less

 

    any cash loss realized on disposition of an investment capital expenditure.

As described above, operating surplus does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our unitholders and is not limited to cash generated by our operations. For example, it includes a provision that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to $20.0 million of cash we receive in the future from non-operating sources such as asset sales, issuances of securities and long-term borrowings that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus. In addition, the effect of including, as described above, certain cash distributions on equity interests in operating surplus will be to increase operating surplus by the amount of any such cash distributions. As a result, we may also distribute as operating surplus up to the amount of any such cash that we receive from non-operating sources.

The proceeds of working capital borrowings increase operating surplus, and repayments of working capital borrowings are generally operating expenditures (as described below) and thus reduce operating surplus when repayments are made. However, if working capital borrowings, which increase operating surplus, are not repaid during the twelve-month period following the borrowing, they will be deemed repaid at the end of such period, thus decreasing operating surplus at such time. When such working capital borrowings are in fact repaid, they will not be treated as a further reduction in operating surplus because operating surplus will have been previously reduced by the deemed repayment.

We define interim capital transactions as (i) borrowings, refinancings or refundings of indebtedness (other than working capital borrowings and items purchased on open account or for a deferred purchase price in the ordinary course of business) and sales of debt securities, (ii) sales of equity interests and (iii) sales or other voluntary or involuntary dispositions of assets, other than sales or other dispositions of inventory, accounts receivable and other assets in the ordinary course of business and sales or other dispositions of assets as part of normal asset retirements or replacements.

We define operating expenditures as all of our cash expenditures (or our proportionate share of expenditures in the case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned), including, but not limited to, taxes, amounts paid under the Services Agreement, reimbursements of expenses of our general partner and its affiliates, director, officer and employee compensation, debt service payments, payments made in the ordinary course of business under interest rate hedge contracts and commodity hedge contracts (provided that payments made in connection with the termination of any interest rate hedge contract or commodity hedge contract prior to the expiration of its settlement or termination date specified therein will be amortized in operating expenditures in equal quarterly installments over the remaining scheduled life of such interest rate hedge contract or commodity hedge contract and amounts paid in connection with the initial purchase of a rate hedge contract or a commodity hedge contract

 

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will be amortized over the life of such rate hedge contract or commodity hedge contract), estimated maintenance capital expenditures (as discussed in further detail below), and repayment of working capital borrowings; provided, however, that operating expenditures will not include:

 

    repayments of working capital borrowings where such borrowings have previously been deemed to have been repaid (as described above);

 

    payments (including prepayments and prepayment penalties) of principal of and premium on indebtedness other than working capital borrowings;

 

    expansion capital expenditures;

 

    actual maintenance capital expenditures;

 

    investment capital expenditures;

 

    payment of transaction expenses (including taxes) relating to interim capital transactions;

 

    distributions to our partners; or

 

    repurchases of partnership interests (excluding repurchases we make to satisfy obligations under employee benefit plans).

Capital Surplus

Capital surplus is defined as any distribution of available cash in excess of our cumulative operating surplus. Although the cash proceeds from interim capital transactions do not increase operating surplus, all distributions of available cash from whatever source are deemed to be from operating surplus until cumulative distributions of available cash exceed cumulative operating surplus. Thereafter, all distributions of available cash are deemed to be from capital surplus to the extent they continue to exceed cumulative operating surplus. Accordingly, except as described above, capital surplus would generally be generated by:

 

    borrowings other than working capital borrowings;

 

    sales of our equity and debt securities; and

 

    sales or other dispositions of assets, other than inventory, accounts receivable and other assets sold in the ordinary course of business or as part of ordinary course retirement or replacement of assets.

Characterization of Cash Distributions

Our partnership agreement requires that we treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since the closing of our initial public offering equals the operating surplus from the closing of our initial public offering through the end of the quarter immediately preceding that distribution. Our partnership agreement requires that we treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus. As described above, operating surplus includes a basket of $20 million, and therefore does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, this provision enables us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to that amount of cash we receive in the future from interim capital transactions that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus. We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from capital surplus.

Capital Expenditures

Expansion capital expenditures are cash expenditures incurred for capital improvements that we expect will increase our operating capacity, operating income or asset base over the long term. Examples of expansion capital expenditures include the construction, development or acquisition of assets associated with our business to the extent such capital expenditures are expected to expand our operating capacity, our operating income or

 

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our asset base. Expansion capital expenditures also include interest payments (and related fees) on debt incurred and distributions in respect of equity issued (including incremental distributions on incentive distribution rights) to finance all or a portion of expansion capital expenditures in respect of the period from the date that we enter into a binding obligation to commence the replacement, improvement, addition, expansion acquisition, construction, development or capital contribution of a capital asset and ending on the earlier to occur of the date that such capital improvement commences commercial service and the date that such capital improvement is abandoned or disposed of.

Maintenance capital expenditures are cash expenditures made to maintain, over the long-term, our operating capacity, operating income or asset base. Examples of maintenance capital expenditures are expenditures to develop and replace our oil and natural gas reserves as well as the repair, refurbishment and replacement of gathering and transportation assets, to maintain equipment reliability, integrity and safety and to address environmental laws and regulations.

Because our maintenance capital expenditures can be very large and irregular, the amount of our actual maintenance capital expenditures may differ substantially from period-to-period, which could cause similar fluctuations in the amounts of operating surplus and cash available for distribution to our unitholders if we subtracted actual maintenance capital expenditures from operating surplus. As a result, to eliminate the effect on operating surplus of these fluctuations, our partnership agreement requires that an estimate of the average quarterly maintenance capital expenditures necessary to maintain our asset base over the long-term be subtracted from operating surplus each quarter as opposed to the actual amounts spent. The amount of estimated maintenance capital expenditures deducted from operating surplus is subject to review and change by the board of directors of our general partner at least once a year. The estimate is made at least annually and whenever an event occurs that is likely to result in a material adjustment to the amount of our future estimated maintenance capital expenditures, such as a major acquisition or the introduction of new governmental regulations that will impact our business. For purposes of calculating operating surplus, any adjustment to this estimate will be prospective only.

The use of estimated maintenance capital expenditures in calculating operating surplus has the following effects:

 

    it reduces the risk that maintenance capital expenditures in any one quarter will be large enough to render operating surplus less than the minimum quarterly distribution to be paid on all the units for that quarter and subsequent quarters;

 

    it increases our ability to distribute as operating surplus cash we receive from non-operating sources;

 

    it is more difficult for us to raise our distribution above the minimum quarterly distribution and pay distributions on our incentive distribution rights; and

 

    it reduces the likelihood that a large maintenance capital expenditure during one quarterly distribution period will prevent the payment of a distribution on the incentive distribution rights in respect of any quarterly distribution period since the effect of an estimate is to spread the expected expense over several periods, thereby mitigating the effect of the actual payment of the expenditure on any single period.

Investment capital expenditures are those capital expenditures that are neither maintenance capital expenditures nor expansion capital expenditures. Investment capital expenditures largely will consist of capital expenditures made for investment purposes. Examples of investment capital expenditures include traditional capital expenditures for investment purposes, such as purchases of securities, as well as other capital expenditures that might be made in lieu of such traditional investment capital expenditures, such as the acquisition of a capital asset for investment purposes or development of facilities that are in excess of the maintenance of our existing operating capacity or operating income, but that are not expected to expand our operating capacity or operating income over the long term.

 

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Capital expenditures that are made in part for maintenance capital purposes, investment capital purposes and/or expansion capital purposes will be allocated as maintenance capital expenditures, investment capital expenditures or expansion capital expenditure by our general partner.

Distributions of Available Cash From Operating Surplus

Our partnership agreement requires that we make distributions of available cash from operating surplus from any quarter in the following manner:

 

    first, 100% to holders of our Class B preferred units, pro rata, until we distribute for each Class B preferred unit an amount equal to the quarterly distribution for such Class B preferred units, as described above under “—Distributions of Available Cash—Class B Preferred Units;”

 

    second, 100% to common unitholders, pro rata, until we distribute for each common unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter; and

 

    thereafter, in the manner described in “—Incentive Distribution Rights” below.

Incentive Distribution Rights

Incentive distribution rights represent the right to receive increasing percentages (13.0%, 23.0% and 35.5%) of quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus after the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels have been achieved. SP Holdings holds the incentive distribution rights, but may transfer these rights, subject to the restrictions set forth in our partnership agreement.

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 make additional distributions from operating surplus for that quarter among the common unitholders and SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights) in the following manner:

 

    first, 100% to all common unitholders, pro rata, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.0575 per unit for that quarter (the “first target distribution”);

 

    second, 87.0% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 13.0% to the holders of our incentive distribution rights, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.0625 per unit for that quarter (the “second target distribution”);

 

    third, 77.0% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 23.0% to the holders of our incentive distribution rights, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.0875 per unit for that quarter (the “third target distribution”); and

 

    thereafter, 64.5% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 35.5% to the holders of our incentive distribution rights.

SP Holdings’ right to receive incentive distributions is reduced by a percentage equal to the number of common units held by Sanchez Energy and its affiliates resulting from the common unit issued made to SN UR Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Sanchez Energy, in November 2016, divided by all common units outstanding as of the time of distribution. (Unless noted otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that there will be no reduction in the incentive distributions made to SP Holdings.)

SP Holdings’ Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels

SP Holdings, as the holder of all of our incentive distribution rights, has the right under our partnership agreement to elect to relinquish the right to receive incentive distribution payments based on the initial target distribution levels and to reset, at higher levels, the minimum quarterly distribution amount and target

 

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distribution levels upon which the incentive distribution payments to SP Holdings would be based. If SP Holdings transfers all or a portion of our incentive distribution rights in the future, then the holder or holders of a majority of our incentive distribution rights will be entitled to exercise this right. The following discussion assumes that SP Holdings holds all of the incentive distribution rights at the time that a reset election is made. The right to reset the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels upon which the incentive distributions are based may be exercised, without approval of our common unitholders or the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner, at any time when we have made cash distributions to the holders of the incentive distribution rights at the highest level of incentive distribution for each of the four most recently completed fiscal quarters. The reset minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels will be higher than the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels prior to the reset such that there will be no incentive distributions paid under the reset target distribution levels until cash distributions per unit following the reset event increase as described below. We anticipate that SP Holdings would exercise this reset right in order to facilitate acquisitions or internal growth projects that would otherwise not be sufficiently accretive to cash distributions per common unit, taking into account the existing levels of incentive distribution payments being made to SP Holdings.

In connection with the resetting of the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels and the corresponding relinquishment by SP Holdings of incentive distribution payments based on the target cash distributions prior to the reset, SP Holdings will be entitled to receive a number of newly issued common units based on a predetermined formula described below that takes into account the “cash parity” value of the cash distributions related to the incentive distribution rights received by SP Holdings for the two quarters prior to the reset event as compared to the average of the cash distributions per common unit during this period.

The number of common units that SP Holdings would be entitled to receive from us in connection with a resetting of the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels then in effect would be equal to the quotient determined by dividing (i) the amount of cash distributions received by SP Holdings in respect of its incentive distribution rights during each of the two full fiscal quarters ended immediately prior to the date of such reset election by (ii) the average of the cash distributed per common unit during each of those two quarters.

Following a reset election, the minimum quarterly distribution amount will be reset to an amount equal to the average of the cash distributions per common unit for the two full fiscal quarters immediately preceding the reset election (which amount we refer to as the “reset minimum quarterly distribution”) and the target distribution levels will be reset to be correspondingly higher such that we would make distributions from operating surplus for each quarter thereafter as follows:

 

    first, 100% to all common unitholders, pro rata, until each such unitholder receives an amount per unit equal to 115.0% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter;

 

    second, 87.0% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 13.0% to SP Holdings, until each such unitholder receives an amount per unit equal to 125.0% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter;

 

    third, 77.0% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 23.0% to SP Holdings, until each such unitholder receives an amount per unit equal to 175.0% of the reset minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter; and

 

    thereafter, 64.5% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 35.5% to SP Holdings.

The following table illustrates the percentage allocation of distributions from operating surplus among our unitholders and SP Holdings (as the holder of our incentive distribution rights) at various distribution levels (1) pursuant to the distribution provisions of our partnership agreement, as well as (2) following a hypothetical

 

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reset of the target distribution levels based on the assumption that the quarterly distribution amount per common unit during the two fiscal quarters immediately preceding the reset election was $0.875.

 

     Quarterly
Distribution
per Common
Unit Prior to
Reset
   Common
Unitholders
    SP Holdings (as
Holder of our
Incentive
Distribution
Rights)
    Quarterly
Distribution
Per Unit
Following
Hypothetical
Reset

Minimum Quarterly Distribution

   up to $0.50      100.0     0.0   up to
$0.875(1)

First Target Distribution

   above $0.50
up to $0.575
     100.0     0.0   above $0.875

up to

$1.006(2)

Second Target Distribution

   above
$0.575

up to $0.625

     87.0     13.0   above $1.006

up to

$1.094(3)

Third Target Distribution

   above

$0.625 up to

$0.875

     77.0     23.0   above $1.094
up to
$1.531(4)

Thereafter

   above
$0.875
     64.5     35.5   above $1.531

 

(1) This amount is equal to the hypothetical reset minimum quarterly distribution.
(2) This amount is 115.0% of the hypothetical reset minimum quarterly distribution.
(3) This amount is 125.0% of the hypothetical reset minimum quarterly distribution.
(4) This amount is 175.0% of the hypothetical reset minimum quarterly distribution.

The following table illustrates the total amount of distributions from operating surplus that would be distributed to our unitholders and SP Holdings (as the holder of our incentive distribution rights), in respect of its incentive distribution rights, based on the amount distributed for the two fiscal quarters immediately prior to the reset. The table assumes that immediately prior to the reset there would be 14,965,134 common units outstanding and the average distribution to each common unit would be $0.875 per quarter for the two fiscal quarters.

 

     Quarterly
Distribution Per

Common Unit
Prior to Reset
     Cash Distributions Prior to Reset  
      Common Units      Incentive
Distribution
Rights
     Total  
            (in thousands)  

Minimum Quarterly Distribution

     up to $0.50      $ 7,483      $ —        $ 7,483  

First Target Distribution

    
above $0.50
up to $0.575
 
 
     1,122        —          1,122  

Second Target Distribution

    
above $0.575
up to $0.625
 
 
     748        112        860  

Third Target Distribution

    
above $0.625
up to $0.875
 
 
     3,741        1,118        4,859  

Thereafter

     above $0.875        —          —          —    
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      $ 13,094      $ 1,229      $ 14,324  
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table illustrates the total amount of available cash from operating surplus that would be distributed to our common unitholders and SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights), in respect of its incentive distribution rights, with respect to the quarter after the reset occurs. The table reflects that, as a result of the reset, there would be 1,404,954 common units outstanding and the distribution to each common unit would be $0.875. The number of common units issued to SP Holdings as a result of the reset

 

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was calculated by dividing (i) $2,458,669, as the average amounts received by SP Holdings in respect of its incentive distribution rights for the two fiscal quarters immediately prior to the reset as shown in the table above, by (ii) the average of the cash distributions made on each common unit for the two fiscal quarters immediately prior to the reset, as shown in the table above, or $1.75.

 

     Quarterly
Distribution Per
Common Unit After
Reset
     Cash Distributions After Reset  
        Common
Units
     Incentive
Distribution
Rights
     Total  
            (in thousands, except per unit
amounts)
 

Minimum Quarterly Distribution

     up to $0.875      $ 14,324      $ —        $ 14,324  

First Target Distribution

    

above
$0.875 up to

$1.006


 

 

     —          —          —    

Second Target Distribution

    

above
$1.006 up to
$1.094

 
 
     —          —          —    

Third Target Distribution

    

above
$1.094 up to

$1.531


 

 

     —          —          —    

Thereafter

    
Above
$1.531

 
     —          —          —    
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      $ 14,324      $ —        $ 14,324  
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

SP Holdings (as the holder of our incentive distribution rights) will be entitled to cause the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the target distribution levels to be reset on more than one occasion, provided that it may not make a reset election except at a time when it has received incentive distributions for the immediately preceding four consecutive fiscal quarters based on the highest level of incentive distributions that it is entitled to receive under our partnership agreement.

Distributions from Capital Surplus

How Distributions from Capital Surplus Will Be Made

Our partnership agreement requires that we make distributions from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner:

 

    first, 100% to holders of our Class B preferred units, pro rata, until we distribute for each Class B preferred unit an amount equal to the quarterly distribution for such Class B preferred units, as described above under “—Distributions of Available Cash—Class B Preferred Units;”

 

    second, 100% to our common unitholders, pro rata, until the minimum quarterly distribution is reduced to zero as described below; and

 

    thereafter, we will make all distributions from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.

Effect of a Distribution From Capital Surplus

Our partnership agreement treats a distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial unit price from our initial public offering, which is a return of capital. 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 that the distribution had to the fair market value of the common units immediately prior to the announcement of the distribution (or the average of the closing prices for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the ex-dividend date). Because distributions of capital surplus will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and target

 

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distribution levels after any of these distributions are made, it may be easier for SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights) to receive incentive distributions. However, any distribution of capital surplus before the minimum quarterly distribution is reduced to zero cannot be applied to the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution.

Once we reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and target distribution levels to zero, all future distributions will be made such that 64.5% is paid to all unitholders, pro rata, and 35.5% is paid to the holder or holders of incentive distribution rights, pro rata.

Adjustment to the 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 common units into fewer common units or subdivide our common units into a greater number of common units, our partnership agreement specifies that the following items will be proportionately adjusted:

 

    the minimum quarterly distribution;

 

    the target distribution levels; and

 

    the initial unit price, as described below under “—Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation.”

For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should occur, the minimum quarterly distribution, the target distribution levels and the initial unit price would each be reduced to 50.0% of its initial level. Our partnership agreement provides that we do not make any adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional units for cash or property.

In addition, if as a result of a change in law or interpretation thereof, we are or any of our subsidiaries is treated as an association taxable as a corporation or are otherwise subject to additional taxation as an entity for U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. income or withholding tax purposes, our general partner may, in its sole discretion, reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels for each quarter by multiplying each distribution level by a fraction, the numerator of which is cash for that quarter (after deducting our general partner’s estimate of our additional aggregate liability for the quarter for such income and withholdings taxes payable by reason of such change in law or interpretation) and the denominator of which is the sum of (1) cash for that quarter, plus (2) our general partner’s estimate of our additional aggregate liability for the quarter for such income and withholding taxes payable by reason of such change in law or interpretation thereof. To the extent that the actual tax liability differs from the estimated tax liability for any quarter, the difference will be accounted for in distributions with respect to subsequent quarters.

Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation

General

If we dissolve in accordance with the partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called 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 holders of the incentive distribution rights, 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.

The allocations of gain and loss upon liquidation are intended, to the extent possible, to entitle the holders of units to a repayment of the initial value contributed by unitholders for their units in our initial public offering, which we refer to as the “initial unit price” for each unit. Any further net gain recognized upon liquidation will be allocated in a manner that takes into account the incentive distribution rights of SP Holdings.

 

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Manner of Adjustments for Gain

The manner of the adjustment for gain is set forth in the partnership agreement. We will generally allocate any gain to the partners in the following manner:

 

    first, to the general partner to the extent of any negative balance in its capital account;

 

    second, to the holders of Class B preferred units, until the cumulative amounts of gain allocated to such holders is equal to the cumulative losses previously allocated to such holders as described below in “—Manner of Adjustments for Losses”;

 

    third, 100% to all unitholders, pro rata (determined without regard to any Class B preferred units, as applicable, then held by them), until the capital account in respect of each common unit then outstanding is equal to the sum of (i) its unrecovered initial unit price; (ii) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter during which our liquidation occurs, reduced by any distribution made from operating surplus in satisfaction of the minimum quarterly distribution with respect to such common unit for such quarter; and (iii) the excess of (a) the first target distribution per unit less the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for each quarter after November 20, 2006 or the date of the most recent reset election, if any; over (b) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of cash or cash equivalents that are deemed to be from operating surplus in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution per unit that we have distributed to the unitholders, pro rata, for each quarter of our existence;

 

    fourth, 87.0% to all unitholders, pro rata (determined without regard to any Class B preferred units, as applicable, then held by them), and 13.0% to SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights), until the capital account in respect of each common unit then outstanding is equal to the sum of: (i) the first liquidation target amount, and (ii) the excess of (a) the second target distribution less the first target distribution per unit for each quarter after November 20, 2006 or the date of the date of the most recent reset election, if any, over (b) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of cash or cash equivalents that are deemed to be from operating surplus in excess of the first target distribution per unit that we distributed 87.0% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 13.0% to SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights) for each quarter of our existence;

 

    fifth, 77.0% to all unitholders, pro rata (determined without regard to any Class B preferred units, as applicable, then held by them), and 23.0% to SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights), until the capital account in respect of each common unit then outstanding is equal to the sum of: (i) the second liquidation target amount, and (ii) the excess of (a) the third target distribution less the second target distribution for each quarter after November 20, 2006 or the date of the date of the most recent reset election, if any, over (b) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of cash or cash equivalents that are deemed to be from operating surplus in excess of the second target distribution per unit that we distributed 77.0% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 23.0% to SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights) for each quarter of our existence; and

 

    finally, 64.5% to all unitholders, pro rata (determined without regard to any or Class B preferred units, as applicable, then held by them), and 35.5% to SP Holdings (in its capacity as the holder of our incentive distribution rights).

Manner of Adjustments for Losses

We will generally allocate any loss to our unitholders in the following manner:

 

    first, to our common unitholders in proportion to the positive balances in their capital accounts, until the capital accounts of the common unitholders have been reduced to zero;

 

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    second, to the holders of our Class B preferred units pro rata in accordance with the number of Class B preferred units held by them, until the capital accounts of the holders of Class B preferred units have been reduced to zero;

 

    thereafter, to our general partner.

Adjustments to Capital Accounts

We will make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units and upon the conversion of the Class B preferred units into common units. In doing so, we generally will allocate any unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and the holders of our incentive distribution rights in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation.

 

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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FIDUCIARY DUTIES

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest exist and may arise in the future as a result of the relationships between our general partner and its affiliates, including Sanchez Energy, SP Holdings and Sanchez Oil and Gas Corporation (“SOG”), on the one hand, and us and our limited partners, on the other hand. The directors and officers of our general partner have fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to SP Holdings. At the same time, our general partner has a duty to manage our partnership in a manner that it believes is not adverse to our interests. Our partnership agreement specifically defines the remedies available to unitholders for actions taken that, without these defined liability standards, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty under applicable Delaware law. The Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (“Delaware Act”) provides that Delaware limited partnerships may, in their partnership agreements, expand, restrict or eliminate the fiduciary duties otherwise owed by the general partner to the limited partners and the partnership.

Whenever a conflict arises between our general partner or its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or our limited partners, on the other hand, the resolution or course of action in respect of such conflict of interest shall be permitted and deemed approved by all of our limited partners and shall not constitute a breach of our partnership agreement, of any agreement contemplated thereby or of any duty, if the resolution or course of action in respect of such conflict of interest is:

 

    approved by the conflicts committee of our general partner, although our general partner is not obligated to seek such approval;

 

    approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding any such units owned by our general partner or any of its affiliates;

 

    determined by the board of directors of our general partner to be on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to, or available from, unrelated third parties; or

 

    determined by the board of directors of our general partner to be fair and reasonable to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us.

Our general partner may, but is not required to, seek the approval of such resolutions or courses of action from the conflicts committee of its board of directors or from the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units as described above. If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee or from holders of common units as described above and the board of directors of our general partner approves the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest, then our partnership agreement provides that it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors of our general partner acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of us or any of our unitholders, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. Unless the resolution of a conflict is specifically provided for in our partnership agreement, the board of directors of our general partner or the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner may consider any factors that it determines in good faith to consider when resolving a conflict. An independent third-party is not required to evaluate the resolution. Under our partnership agreement, a determination, other action or failure to act by our general partner, the board of directors of our general partner or any committee thereof (including the conflicts committee) will be deemed to be “in good faith,” unless our general partner, the board of directors of our general partner or any committee thereof (including the conflicts committee) believed such determination, other action or failure to act was adverse to the interests of the partnership.

Conflicts of interest could arise in the situations described below, among others:

 

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Actions taken by our general partner may affect the amount of cash available to pay distributions to unitholders.

The amount of cash that is available for distribution to unitholders is affected by decisions of our general partner regarding such matters as:

 

    amount and timing of asset purchases and sales;

 

    cash expenditures;

 

    borrowings;

 

    entry into and repayment of current and future indebtedness;

 

    issuance of additional units; and

 

    the creation, reduction or increase of reserves in any quarter.

In addition, borrowings by us and our affiliates do not constitute a breach of any duty owed by our general partner to our unitholders, including borrowings that have the purpose or effect of enabling our general partner or its affiliates to receive distributions on the incentive distribution rights.

In addition, our general partner may use an amount, initially equal to $20.0 million, which would not otherwise constitute operating surplus, in order to permit the payment of distributions on the incentive distribution rights. All of these actions may affect the amount of cash or equity distributed to our unitholders and our general partner. Please read “Provisions of the Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions.”

For example, in the event we have not generated sufficient cash from our operations to pay the minimum quarterly distribution on our common units, our partnership agreement permits us to borrow funds, which would enable us to make such distribution on all outstanding units. Please read “Provisions of the Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions—Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus—Operating Surplus.”

The directors and officers of our general partner have a fiduciary duty to make decisions in the best interests of the owners of our general partner, which may be contrary to our interests.

Because certain officers and/or certain directors of our general partner are also directors, managers and/or officers of affiliates of our general partner, including Sanchez Energy, SP Holdings, SOG and certain of their affiliates, they have fiduciary duties to such entities that may cause them to pursue business strategies that disproportionately benefit them or which otherwise are not in our best interests.

Our general partner is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than us, such as Sanchez Energy, SP Holdings, SOG and their affiliates, in exercising certain rights under our partnership agreement.

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that reduce the standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held by Delaware fiduciary duty law as permitted by the Delaware Act. For example, our partnership agreement permits our general partner to make a number of decisions in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner. This entitles our general partner to consider only the interests and factors that it desires, and it has no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or factors affecting, us, our affiliates or any limited partner. Examples include the exercise of its call right, its voting rights with respect to any units it owns, its registration rights and its determination whether or not to consent to any merger or consolidation.

 

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Our partnership agreement limits the liability of, and replaces the duties owed by, our general partner and also restricts the remedies available to our unitholders for actions that, without the limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

In addition to the provisions described above, our partnership agreement contains provisions that restrict the remedies available to our unitholders for actions that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty. For example, our partnership agreement provides that:

 

    our general partner shall not have any liability to us or our unitholders for decisions made in its capacity as a general partner so long as it acted in good faith, meaning that it believed that the decision was not adverse to the interests of our partnership;

 

    our general partner and its officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us or our limited partners for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that our general partner or those other persons acted in bad faith or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that its conduct was criminal; and

 

    in resolving conflicts of interest, it will be presumed that in making its decision the general partner, the board of directors of the general partner or the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or us, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption.

By taking ownership of a common unit, a common unitholder will agree to become bound by the provisions in our partnership agreement, including the provisions discussed above. Please read “—Fiduciary Duties.”

Common unitholders have no right to enforce obligations of our general partner and its affiliates under agreements with us.

Any agreements between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, will not grant to the unitholders, separate and apart from us, the right to enforce the obligations of our general partner and its affiliates in our favor.

Contracts between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, are not and will not be the result of arm’s-length negotiations.

Neither our partnership agreement nor any of the other agreements, contracts and arrangements between us and our general partner and its affiliates are or will be the result of arm’s-length negotiations. Our general partner will determine, in good faith, the terms of any of such future transactions.

Except in limited circumstances, our general partner has the power and authority to conduct our business without unitholder approval.

Under our partnership agreement, our general partner has full power and authority to do all things, other than those items that require unitholder approval, necessary or appropriate to conduct our business, including, but not limited to, the following actions:

 

    expending, lending or borrowing money, assuming, guaranteeing or otherwise contracting for indebtedness and other liabilities, issuing evidences of indebtedness, including indebtedness that is convertible into our securities, and incurring any other obligations;

 

    preparing and transmitting tax, regulatory and other filings, periodic or other reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over our business or assets;

 

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    acquiring, disposing, mortgaging, pledging, encumbering, hypothecating, granting a security interest in or exchanging our assets or merging or otherwise combining us with or into another person;

 

    negotiating, executing and performing contracts, conveyance or other instruments;

 

    distributing cash;

 

    selecting or dismissing employees and agents, outside attorneys, accountants, consultants and contractors and determining their compensation and other terms of employment or hiring;

 

    maintaining insurance for our benefit;

 

    forming, acquiring an interest in, and contributing property and loaning money to, any further limited partnerships, joint ventures, corporations, limited liability companies or other relationships;

 

    controlling all matters affecting our rights and obligations, including bringing and defending actions at law or in equity or otherwise litigating, arbitrating or mediating, and incurring legal expense and settling claims and litigation;

 

    indemnifying any person against liabilities and contingencies to the extent permitted by law;

 

    purchasing, selling or otherwise acquiring or disposing of our partnership interests, or issuing, purchasing or otherwise acquiring additional options, rights, warrants, appreciation rights, phantom or tracking interests relating to our partnership interests; and

 

    entering into agreements with any of its affiliates to render services to us or to itself in the discharge of its duties as our general partner.

Please read “The Partnership Agreement” for information regarding the voting rights of unitholders.

Common units are subject to our general partner’s call right.

If at any time our general partner and its controlled affiliates own more than 80% of the common units, our general partner will have the right, which it may assign to any of its affiliates or to us, but not the obligation, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the common units held by unaffiliated persons at the market price calculated in accordance with the terms of our partnership agreement. 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. Our general partner is not obligated to obtain a fairness opinion regarding the value of the common units to be repurchased by it upon exercise of the call right. There is no restriction in our partnership agreement that prevents our general partner from issuing additional common units and exercising its call right. Our general partner may use its own discretion, free of fiduciary duty restrictions, in determining whether to exercise this right. As a result, a common unitholder may have his common units purchased from him at an undesirable time or price. Please read “The Partnership Agreement—Limited Call Right.”

We may not choose to retain separate counsel for ourselves or for the holders of common units.

Attorneys, independent accountants and others who perform services for us may be retained by our general partner. Attorneys, independent accountants and others who perform services for us are selected by our general partner or the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner and may perform services for our general partner and its affiliates. We may retain separate counsel for ourselves or the conflict committee in the event of a conflict of interest between our general partner and its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or the holders of common units, on the other, depending on the nature of the conflict, although we may choose not to do so.

Our general partner’s affiliates may compete with us, and neither our general partner nor its affiliates have any obligation to present business opportunities to us.

Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner is restricted from engaging in any business other than those incidental to its ownership of interests in us. However, affiliates of our general partner are not

 

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prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with us, and may acquire, construct or dispose of assets in the future without any obligation to offer us the opportunity to acquire those assets. In addition, under our partnership agreement, the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, will not apply to our general partner and its affiliates. As a result, neither our general partner nor any of its affiliates have any obligation to present business opportunities to us.

The holder or holders of our incentive distribution rights may elect to cause us to issue common units to it in connection with a resetting of incentive distribution levels without the approval of our unitholders. This election may result in lower distributions to our common unitholders in certain situations.

The holder or holders of a majority of our incentive distribution rights (initially SP Holdings) have the right, at any time when they have received incentive distributions at the highest level to which they are entitled (35.5%) for each of the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters, to reset the initial target distribution levels at higher levels based on our cash distribution levels at the time of the exercise of the reset election. Following a reset election, the minimum quarterly distribution will be reset to an amount equal to the average cash distribution per common unit for the two fiscal quarters immediately preceding the reset election (such amount is referred to as the “reset minimum quarterly distribution”), and the target distribution levels will be reset to correspondingly higher levels based on percentage increases above the reset minimum quarterly distribution.

We anticipate that SP Holdings would exercise this reset right in order to facilitate acquisitions or internal growth projects that would not be sufficiently accretive to cash distributions per unit without such conversion. However, SP Holdings may transfer the incentive distribution rights at any time. It is possible that SP Holdings or a transferee could exercise this reset election at a time when we are experiencing declines in our aggregate cash distributions or at a time when the holders of the incentive distribution rights expect that we will experience declines in our aggregate cash distributions in the foreseeable future. In such situations, the holders of the incentive distribution rights may be experiencing, or may expect to experience, declines in the cash distributions that it receives related to the incentive distribution rights and may therefore desire to be issued our common units, which are entitled to specified priorities with respect to our distributions and which therefore may be more advantageous for them to own in lieu of the right to receive incentive distribution payments based on target distribution levels that are less certain to be achieved. As a result, a reset election may cause our common unitholders to experience dilution in the amount of cash distributions that they would have otherwise received had we not issued new common units to the holders of the incentive distribution rights in connection with resetting the target distribution levels. Please read “Provisions of the Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions—Incentive Distribution Rights.”

Fiduciary Duties

Duties owed to unitholders by our general partner are prescribed by law and in our partnership agreement. The Delaware Act provides that Delaware limited partnerships may, in their partnership agreements, expand, restrict or eliminate the fiduciary duties otherwise owed by the general partner to limited partners and the partnership.

Our partnership agreement contains various provisions that eliminate and replace the fiduciary duties that might otherwise be owed by our general partner. We have adopted these provisions to allow our general partner or its affiliates to engage in transactions with us that otherwise might be problematic under otherwise applicable state law fiduciary standards and to take into account the interests of other parties in addition to our interests when resolving conflicts of interest. We believe this is appropriate and necessary because the board of directors of our general partner has a duty to manage our partnership in good faith and a duty to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to its owner. Without these modifications, our general partner’s ability to make decisions involving conflicts of interest would be restricted. Replacing the fiduciary duty standards in this manner benefits our general partner by enabling it to take into consideration all parties (including it and its affiliates) involved in the proposed action. Replacing the fiduciary duty standards also strengthens the ability of

 

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our general partner to attract and retain experienced and capable directors. However, modifying the fiduciary duty standards represents a detriment to our public unitholders because it restricts the recourse otherwise available to our public unitholders for actions that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty, as described below, and permits our general partner to take into account the interests of third parties in addition to our interests when resolving conflicts of interests.

The following is a summary of the material restrictions of the fiduciary duties owed by our general partner to the limited partners:

 

State law fiduciary duty standards

Fiduciary duties are generally considered to include an obligation to act in good faith and with due care and loyalty. The duty of care, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally require a general partner to act for the partnership in the same manner as a prudent person would act on his own behalf. The duty of loyalty, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally require that any action taken or transaction engaged in be entirely fair to the partnership.

 

Partnership agreement modified standards

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that waive or consent to conduct by our general partner and its affiliates that might otherwise raise issues as to compliance with fiduciary duties or applicable law. For example, our partnership agreement provides that when our general partner is acting in its capacity as our general partner, as opposed to in its individual capacity, it must act in “good faith” and will not be subject to any other standard under applicable law. In addition, when our general partner is acting in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner, it may act without any fiduciary obligation to us or the unitholders whatsoever. These standards replace the obligations to which our general partner would otherwise be held.

 

  If our general partner does not obtain approval from the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner or our common unitholders, excluding any such units owned by our general partner or its affiliates, and the board of directors of our general partner approves the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, its board, which may include board members affected by the conflict of interest, acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. These standards replace the obligations to which our general partner would otherwise be held.

 

Rights and remedies of unitholders

The Delaware Act generally provides that a limited partner may institute legal action on behalf of the partnership to recover damages from a third-party where a general partner has refused to institute the action or where an effort to cause a general partner to do so is not likely to succeed. These actions include actions against a general partner for breach of its duties or of our partnership agreement. In

 

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addition, the statutory or case law of some jurisdictions may permit a limited partner to institute legal action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated limited partners to recover damages from a general partner for violations of its duties to the limited partners.

 

  The Delaware Act provides that, unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, a partner or other person shall not be liable to a limited partnership or to another partner or to another person that is a party to or is otherwise bound by a partnership agreement for breach of fiduciary duty for the partner’s or other person’s good faith reliance on the provisions of the partnership agreement. Under our partnership agreement, to the extent that, at law or in equity an indemnitee has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to us or to our partners, our general partner and any other indemnitee acting in connection with our business or affairs shall not be liable to us or to any partner for its good faith reliance on the provisions of our partnership agreement.

By taking ownership of our common units, each common unitholder automatically agrees to be bound by the provisions in our partnership agreement, including the provisions discussed above. This is in accordance with the policy of the Delaware Act favoring the principle of freedom of contract and the enforceability of partnership agreements. The failure of a limited partner to sign a partnership agreement does not render the partnership agreement unenforceable against that person.

Under our partnership agreement, we must indemnify our general partner and its officers, directors, managers and certain other specified persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by our general partner or these other persons. We must provide this indemnification unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that these persons acted in bad faith. We must also provide this indemnification for criminal proceedings unless our general partner or these other persons acted with knowledge that their conduct was criminal. Thus, our general partner could be indemnified for its negligent acts if it meets the requirements set forth above. To the extent these provisions purport to include indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is contrary to public policy and, therefore, unenforceable. Please read “The Partnership Agreement—Indemnification.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON UNITS

The Units

The common units are a separate class of limited partner interests in us. The holders of units are entitled to participate in partnership distributions and 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 in and to partnership distributions, please read this section and “Provisions of Our Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions.” For a description of other rights and privileges of limited partners under our partnership agreement, including voting rights, please read “The Partnership Agreement.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

Duties

Computershare Trust Company, N.A. serves as the registrar and transfer agent for the common units. We will pay all fees charged by the transfer agent for transfers of common units except the following, which must be paid by unitholders:

 

    surety bond premiums to replace lost or stolen certificates, taxes and other governmental charges;

 

    special charges for services requested by a holder of a common unit; and

 

    other similar fees or charges.

There will be no charge to unitholders for disbursements of our cash distributions. We will indemnify the transfer agent, its agents and each of their stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity.

Resignation or Removal

The transfer agent may resign, by notice to us, or be removed by us. The resignation or removal of the transfer agent will become effective upon our appointment of a successor transfer agent and registrar and its acceptance of the appointment. If no successor is appointed or a successor has not accepted its appointment, our general partner may act as the transfer agent and registrar until a successor is appointed.

Transfer of Common Units

Upon the transfer of a common unit in accordance with our partnership agreement, the transferee of the common unit shall be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the common units transferred when such transfer and admission are reflected in our books and records. Each transferee:

 

    represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and authority to become bound by our partnership agreement;

 

    automatically becomes bound by the terms and conditions of our partnership agreement; and

 

    gives the consents, waivers and approvals contained in our partnership agreement.

Our general partner will cause any transfers to be recorded on our books and records no less frequently than quarterly.

We may, at our discretion, treat the nominee holder of a common unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder’s 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.

 

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Common units are securities and any transfers are subject to the laws governing the transfer of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to become a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units.

Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the common unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.

 

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THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

The following is a summary of the material provisions of our partnership agreement. Our partnership agreement is filed with the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

We summarize the following provisions of our partnership agreement elsewhere in this prospectus:

 

    with regard to distributions, please read “Provisions of the Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions”;

 

    with regard to the duties of, and standard of care applicable to, our general partner, please read “Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties”;

 

    with regard to the transfer of common units, please read “Description of the Common Units—Transfer of Common Units”; and

 

    with regard to allocations of taxable income and taxable loss, please read “Material Tax Considerations.”

Organization and Duration

We were formed in 2005 as a limited liability company until our conversion in 2015 into a limited partnership. We will have a perpetual existence unless terminated pursuant to the terms of our partnership agreement.

Purpose

Our purpose, as set forth in our partnership agreement, is limited to any business activity that is approved by our general partner and that lawfully may be conducted by a limited partnership organized under Delaware law; provided that our general partner shall not cause us to take any action that the general partner determines would be reasonably likely to cause us to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Although our general partner has the ability to cause us and our current or future subsidiaries to engage in activities other than our current business, our general partner may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners. Our general partner is generally authorized to perform all acts that it determines to be necessary or appropriate to carry out our purposes and to conduct our business.

Cash Distributions

Our partnership agreement specifies the manner in which we will make cash distributions to holders of our common units and other partnership securities as well as to SP Holdings in respect of its incentive distribution rights. For a description of these cash distribution provisions, please read “Provisions of Our Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions.”

Capital Contributions

Unitholders are not obligated to make additional capital contributions, except as described below under “—Limited Liability.”

Voting Rights

The following is a summary of the unitholder vote required for approval of the matters specified below. Matters that require the approval of a “unit majority” require the approval of a majority of the common units. Holders of Class B preferred units have voting rights identical to the voting rights of the common unitholders and

 

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vote together with the common units as a single class, such that the Class B preferred units (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Class B Preferred PIK Units) will be entitled to one vote for each common unit into which such Class B preferred units are convertible, except that the Class B preferred units are entitled to vote as a separate class on any matter on which unitholders are entitled to vote that adversely affects the rights or preferences of the Class B preferred units in relation to other classes of partnership interests.

In voting their common units, our general partner and its affiliates will have no fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners.

The incentive distribution rights may be entitled to vote in certain circumstances. Please read “—Voting Rights of Incentive Distribution Rights.”

 

Issuance of additional units

No approval right.

 

Amendment of the partnership agreement

Certain amendments may be made by our general partner without the approval of the unitholders. Other amendments generally require the approval of a unit majority. Please read “—Amendment of the Partnership Agreement.” In addition, amendments to the partnership agreement pertaining to the Class B preferred units requires the consent of each holder of a Class B preferred unit, to the extent such amendment would adversely affect such holder.

 

Merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets

Unit majority in certain circumstances. Please read “—Merger, Consolidation, Conversion, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets.”

 

Dissolution of our partnership

Unit majority. Please read “—Dissolution.”

 

Continuation of our business upon dissolution

Unit majority. Please read “—Dissolution.”

 

Withdrawal of our general partner

Under most circumstances, the approval of a majority of the common units and Class B preferred units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required for the withdrawal of our general partner prior to September 30, 2024 in a manner that would cause a dissolution of our partnership. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner.”

 

Removal of our general partner

Not less than 66 2/3% of the outstanding units, voting as a single class, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner.”

 

Transfer of our general partner interest

No approval right. Please read “—Transfer of General Partner Interest.”

 

Transfer of incentive distribution rights

No approval right. Please read “—Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights.”

 

Transfer of ownership interests in our general partner

No approval right. Please read “—Transfer of Ownership Interests in the General Partner.”

 

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If any person or group other than our general partner and its affiliates acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units (other than any class of our preferred units), that person or group loses voting rights on all of its units, unless otherwise required by law or approved by the board of directors of our general partner. This loss of voting rights does not apply to any person or group that acquires the units from our general partner or its affiliates and any transferees of that person or group approved by our general partner or to any person or group who acquires the units with the specific prior approval of our general partner. In addition, if any person or group beneficially owns 20% or more of any class of units solely as a result of actions taken by us, then the 20% threshold is increased, with respect to such person, to a percentage equal to such person’s new beneficial ownership after the taking of such action plus the difference between 20% and such person’s beneficial ownership prior to such action.

Applicable Law; Forum, Venue and Jurisdiction

Our partnership agreement is governed by Delaware law. Our partnership agreement requires that any claims, suits, actions or proceedings:

 

    arising out of or relating in any way to the partnership agreement (including any claims, suits or actions to interpret, apply or enforce the provisions of the partnership agreement or the duties, obligations or liabilities among limited partners or of limited partners to us, or the rights or powers of, or restrictions on, the limited partners or us);

 

    brought in a derivative manner on our behalf;

 

    asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of us or our general partner, or owed by our general partner, to us or the limited partners;

 

    asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware Act; or

 

    asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine

shall be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court located in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction), in each case regardless of whether such claims, suits, actions or proceedings sound in contract, tort, fraud or otherwise, are based on common law, statutory, equitable, legal or other grounds, or are derivative or direct claims. In addition, each party to such claims, suits, actions or proceedings irrevocably waives the right to trial by jury.

If any limited partner, our general partner or any person holding any beneficial interest in us (whether through a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation) brings any of the claims, suits, actions or proceedings described in the bullets above and such person does not obtain a judgment on the merits that substantially achieves, in substance and amount (if the extent of such achievement is disputed, then as determined by the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or such other court with subject matter jurisdiction of such claim, suit, action or proceeding), the full remedy sought, then such limited partner, our general partner or person holding any beneficial interest in us shall be obligated to reimburse us and our affiliates (including our general partner, the directors of our general partner and the owner of our general partner) for all fees, costs and expenses of every kind and description, including but not limited to all reasonable attorney’s fees and other litigation expenses, that the parties may incur in connection with such claim, suit, action or proceeding. We and our “affiliates,” as defined in our partnership agreement (including our general partner, the directors and officers of our general partner, SOG, SP Holdings and Messrs. Sanchez III and Willinger) would be entitled to recover all of their fees, costs and expenses in any such action, and such losing party would be severally liable for all such fees, costs and expenses.

By taking ownership of a common unit, a limited partner is irrevocably consenting to these limitations and provisions regarding claims, suits, actions or proceedings and submitting to the exclusive jurisdiction of the

 

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Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or such other court) in connection with any such claims, suits, actions or proceedings. We intend to apply a broad interpretation to each of the foregoing provisions in our partnership agreement in order to apply the fee-shifting provision broadly.

Limited Liability

Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Act and that he otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of the 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. However, if it were determined that the right, or exercise of the right, by the limited partners as a group:

 

    to remove or replace our general partner;

 

    to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement; or

 

    to take other action under our partnership agreement

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 the laws of Delaware, to the same extent as our general partner. This liability would extend to persons who transact business with us under the reasonable belief 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 our general partner. While this does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal recourse, we know of 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 the partnership, would 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.

Limitations on the liability of members or limited partners for the obligations of a limited liability company or limited partnership have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. If, by virtue of our ownership interest in our subsidiary or any subsidiaries we may have in the future, or otherwise, it were determined that we were conducting business in any jurisdiction without compliance with the applicable limited partnership or limited liability company statute, or that the right or exercise of the right by the limited partners as a group to remove or replace our general partner, to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement, or to take other action under our partnership agreement constituted “participation in the control” of our business for purposes of the statutes of any relevant jurisdiction, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the law of that jurisdiction to the same extent as our general partner under the circumstances. We will operate in a manner that our general partner considers reasonable and necessary or appropriate to preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.

Conversion of Class A Preferred Units

All of our Class A preferred units converted into common units on March 31, 2016.

 

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Conversion of Class B Preferred Units

Each of the holders of Class B preferred units (including a Class B Preferred PIK Unit) has the right, at any time at the option of such older, to convert any number of its Class B preferred units into an aggregate amount exceeding the minimum conversion amount of $17,500,000 (or all of the Class B preferred units held by such holder if such holder’s Class B preferred units do not exceed the minimum conversion amount) at the Class B conversion rate. The “Class B conversion rate” is equal to (i) the aggregate purchase price for such Class B preferred units plus accrued and unpaid distributions thereon, divided by the lesser of the purchase price for the Class B preferred units and the volume weighted average price for which we issue common units (including pursuant to this offering, the concurrent private placement or in connection with our “at-the-market” equity offering program), multiplied by (ii) the number of Class B preferred units to be converted.

Redemption of Class B Preferred Units

We have the right to redeem outstanding Class B preferred units as follows:

 

    from January 1, 2018 through and including December 31, 2018, we have the right to redeem 33.33% of the then outstanding Class B preferred units for cash in an amount equal to the number of Class B preferred units so redeemed multiplied by the greater of (i) the average of the daily closing price per common unit for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the redemption date for such units and (ii) 130% of the aggregate purchase price for such Class B preferred units plus accrued and unpaid distributions thereon;

 

    from January 1, 2019 through and including December 31, 2019, we have the right to redeem 66.67% of the Class B preferred units outstanding as of January 1, 2018, less any Class B preferred units already redeemed pursuant to the first bullet point above, for cash in an amount equal to the number of Class B preferred units so redeemed multiplied by the greater of (i) the average of the daily closing price per common unit for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the redemption date for such unit) and (ii) 120% of the aggregate purchase price for such Class B preferred units plus accrued and unpaid distributions thereon;

 

    from January 1, 2020 through and including December 31, 2020, we have the right to redeem 100% of the then outstanding Class B preferred units for cash in an amount equal to the number of Class B preferred units so redeemed multiplied by the greater of (i) the average of the daily closing price per common unit for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the redemption date for such units) and (ii) 110% of the aggregate purchase price for such Class B preferred units plus accrued and unpaid distributions thereon;

 

    from and after January 1, 2021, we have the right to redeem 100% of the then outstanding Class B preferred units for cash in an amount equal to the number of Class B preferred units so redeemed multiplied by the greater of (i) the average of the daily closing price per common unit for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the redemption date for such units) and (ii) the aggregate purchase price for such Class B preferred units plus accrued and unpaid distributions thereon; and

 

   

if we fail to redeem all outstanding Class B preferred units on or before December 31, 2021, then we will be deemed to have breached our partnership agreement and holders of Class B preferred units will be entitled to pursue any and all rights or remedies that may be available to them at law or in equity in respect of such breach. In addition, if we fail to redeem all outstanding Class B preferred units on or before December 31, 2021, then (A) the distribution payable on the Class B preferred units from and after December 31, 2021 in respect of any Class B preferred units which are not redeemed shall be an amount equal to a rate of 14% per annum (3.0% per quarter) payable in cash on all outstanding Class B preferred units and (B) 100% of our available cash on hand (less any cash reserves established by our general partner) and thereafter received by us shall be distributed to the holders of Class B preferred units, pro rata in accordance with each such holder’s ownership of the outstanding Class B preferred units, within five business days after the end of each month, with the first distribution to occur no later

 

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than the fifth business day of January 2022 and continuing until all outstanding Class B preferred units have otherwise been redeemed. This right of the holders of our Class B preferred units to have their Class B preferred units redeemed is senior in right of payment to all other distributions or redemptions of our interests by us.

Issuance of Additional Interests

Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional partnership interests for the consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our general partner without the approval of the unitholders.

It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional common units or other partnership interests. Holders of any additional common units that we issue will be entitled to share equally with the then-existing common unitholders in our distributions. In addition, the issuance of additional common units or other partnership interests may dilute the value of the interests of the then-existing common unitholders in our net assets.

In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership interests that, as determined by our general partner, may have rights to distributions or special voting rights to which the common units are not entitled. In addition, our partnership agreement does not prohibit our current or future subsidiaries from issuing equity interests, which may effectively rank senior to the common units.

Amendment of the Partnership Agreement

General

Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by our general partner. However, our general partner will have no duty or obligation to propose any amendment and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners. In order to adopt a proposed amendment, other than the amendments discussed below, our general partner is required to seek written approval of the holders of the number of units required to approve the amendment or to call a meeting of the limited partners to consider and vote upon the proposed amendment. Except as described below, an amendment must be approved by a unit majority. In addition, amendments to the partnership agreement pertaining to the Class B preferred units requires the consent of each holder of a Class B preferred unit, to the extent such amendment would adversely affect such holder.

Prohibited Amendments

No amendment may be made that would:

 

    enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without his consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or class of limited partner interests so affected; or

 

    enlarge the obligations of, restrict, change or modify in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable by us to our general partner or any of its affiliates without the consent of our general partner, which consent may be given or withheld in its sole discretion.

The provisions of our partnership agreement preventing the amendments having the effects described in the clauses above can be amended upon the approval of the holders of at least 75% of the outstanding units, voting as a single class (including units owned by our general partner and its affiliates).

 

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No Unitholder Approval

Our general partner may generally make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner to reflect:

 

    a change in our name, the location of our principal place of business, our registered agent or our registered office;

 

    the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners in accordance with our partnership agreement;

 

    a change that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate to qualify or continue our qualification as a limited partnership or other entity in which the limited partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that neither we nor any of our subsidiaries will be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed);

 

    a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and related changes;

 

    an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of our counsel, to prevent us or our general partner or its directors, officers, agents or trustees from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), whether or not substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed;

 

    an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate in connection with the creation, authorization or issuance of additional partnership interests or the right to acquire partnership interests;

 

    any amendment expressly permitted in our partnership agreement to be made by our general partner acting alone;

 

    an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger agreement that has been approved under the terms of our partnership agreement;

 

    any amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the formation by us of, or our investment in, any corporation, partnership or other entity, as otherwise permitted by our partnership agreement;

 

    conversions into, mergers with or conveyances to another limited liability entity that is newly formed and has no assets, liabilities or operations at the time of the conversion, merger or conveyance other than those it receives by way of the conversion, merger or conveyance in certain circumstances; or

 

    any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters described in the clauses above.

In addition, our general partner may make amendments to our partnership agreement, without the approval of any limited partner, if our general partner determines that those amendments:

 

    do not adversely affect the limited partners, considered as a whole, or any particular class of limited partners, in any material respect;

 

    are necessary or appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute;

 

    are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the trading of limited partner interests or to comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any securities exchange on which the limited partner interests are or will be listed for trading;

 

    are necessary or appropriate for any action taken by our general partner relating to splits or combinations of units under the provisions of our partnership agreement;

 

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    are necessary or appropriate in connection with the creation, authorization or issuance of any class or series of partnership securities; or

 

    are required to effect the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or are otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement.

Opinion of Counsel and Unitholder Approval

Any amendment that our general partner determines adversely affects in any material respect one or more particular classes of limited partners will require the approval of at least a majority of the class or classes so affected, but no vote will be required by any class or classes of limited partners that our general partner determines are not adversely affected in any material respect. Any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any type or class of outstanding units in relation to other classes of units will require the approval of at least a majority of the type or class of units so affected. Any amendment that would reduce the voting percentage required to take any action other than to remove the general partner or call a meeting of unitholders is required to be approved by the affirmative vote of limited partners whose aggregate outstanding units constitute not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced. Any amendment that would increase the percentage of units required to remove the general partner or call a meeting of unitholders must be approved by the affirmative vote of limited partners whose aggregate outstanding units constitute not less than the percentage sought to be increased. For amendments of the type not requiring unitholder approval, our general partner will not be required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will neither result in a loss of limited liability to the limited partners nor result in our being treated as a taxable entity for federal income tax purposes in connection with any of the amendments. Any amendment relating to special unitholder meetings, notices of unitholder meetings, quorum and voting requirements, actions without a meeting and the amendment provisions in our partnership agreement require approval of 75% of our outstanding units. No amendments to our partnership agreement, other than those the general partner can adopt without unitholder approval or in connection with a merger or consolidation, will become effective without the approval of holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units, voting as a single class, unless we first obtain an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment will not affect the limited liability under applicable law of any of our limited partners.

Merger, Consolidation, Conversion, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets

A merger, consolidation or conversion of us requires the prior consent of our general partner. However, our general partner will have no duty or obligation to consent to any merger, consolidation or conversion and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interest of us or the limited partners.

In addition, our partnership agreement generally prohibits our general partner, without the prior approval of the holders of a unit majority, from causing us to sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination. Our general partner may, however, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of our assets without such approval. Our general partner may also sell all or substantially all of our assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon those encumbrances without such approval. Finally, our general partner may consummate any merger without the prior approval of our unitholders if we are the surviving entity in the transaction, our general partner has received an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters, the transaction would not result in a material amendment to the partnership agreement (other than an amendment that the general partner could adopt without the consent of other partners), each of our units will be an identical unit of our partnership following the transaction and the partnership securities to be issued do not exceed 20% of our outstanding partnership interests (other than incentive distribution rights) immediately prior to the transaction. If the conditions specified in our partnership agreement are satisfied, our general partner may convert us or any of our subsidiaries into a new limited liability entity or merge us or any of our subsidiaries into, or convey all of our assets to, a newly formed entity, if the sole purpose of that conversion,

 

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merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in our legal form into another limited liability entity, we have received an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters and the governing instruments of the new entity provide the limited partners and our general partner with the same rights and obligations as contained in our partnership agreement. Our unitholders are not entitled to dissenters’ rights of appraisal under our partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of a conversion, merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially all of our assets or any other similar transaction or event.

Dissolution

We will continue as a limited partnership until dissolved and terminated under our partnership agreement and the Delaware Act. We will dissolve upon:

 

    the election of our general partner to dissolve us, if approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority;

 

    there being no limited partners, unless we are continued without dissolution in accordance with applicable Delaware law;

 

    the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of our partnership;

 

    the withdrawal or removal of our general partner or any other event that results in its ceasing to be our general partner other than by reason of a transfer of its general partner interest in accordance with our partnership agreement or its withdrawal or removal following the approval and admission of a successor; or

 

    any other dissolution event as required by applicable Delaware law.

Upon a dissolution under the penultimate clause above, the holders of a unit majority may also elect, within specific time limitations, to continue our business on the same terms and conditions described in our partnership agreement by appointing as a successor general partner an entity approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority, subject to our receipt of an opinion of counsel to the effect that:

 

    the action would not result in the loss of limited liability under Delaware law of any limited partner; and

 

    neither we nor any of our subsidiaries would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue (to the extent not already so treated or taxed).

Liquidation and Distribution of Proceeds

Upon our dissolution, unless our business is continued, the liquidator authorized to wind up our affairs will, acting with all of the powers of our general partner that are necessary or appropriate, liquidate our assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as described in “Provisions of Our Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions—Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation.” The liquidator may defer liquidation or distribution of our assets for a reasonable period of time or distribute assets to partners in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to our partners.

Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner

Except as described below, our general partner has agreed not to withdraw voluntarily as our general partner prior to September 30, 2024 without obtaining the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. On or after September 30, 2024, our general partner may withdraw as general partner without first obtaining approval of any unitholder by giving 90 days’ written notice,

 

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and that withdrawal will not constitute a violation of our partnership agreement. Notwithstanding the information above, our general partner may withdraw without unitholder approval upon 90 days’ notice to the limited partners if at least 50% of the outstanding common units are held or controlled by one person and its affiliates, other than our general partner and its affiliates. In addition, our partnership agreement permits our general partner to sell or otherwise transfer all of its general partner interest in us without the approval of the unitholders. Please read “—Transfer of General Partner Interest.”

Upon withdrawal of our general partner under any circumstances, other than as a result of a transfer by our general partner of all or a part of its general partner interest in us, the holders of a unit majority may appoint a successor to that 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 a specified period after that withdrawal, the holders of a unit majority agree in writing to continue our business and to appoint a successor general partner. Please read “—Dissolution.”

Our general partner may not be removed unless that removal is approved by the vote of the holders of not less than 66 2/3% of the outstanding units, voting together as a single class, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates, and we receive an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. Any removal of our general partner is also subject to the approval of a successor general partner by the vote of a unit majority. Notwithstanding that the holder of our Class B preferred units held approximately 69% of our outstanding units as of June 2, 2017, it has agreed that until the earlier of March 31, 2019 and such time that the current owners of our general partner cease to own more than 50% of the equity interests therein, it will not vote in favor of removing our general partner.

In the event of the removal of our general partner under circumstances where cause exists or withdrawal of our general partner where that withdrawal violates our partnership agreement, a successor general partner will have the option to purchase the general partner interest and incentive distribution rights of the departing general partner and its affiliates for a cash payment equal to the fair market value of those interests. Under all other circumstances where our general partner withdraws or is removed by the limited partners, the departing general partner will have the option to require the successor general partner to purchase the general partner interest and the incentive distribution rights of the departing general partner and its affiliates for fair market value. In each case, this fair market value will be determined by agreement between the departing general partner and the successor general partner. If no agreement is reached, an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected by the departing general partner and the successor general partner will determine the fair market value; if the departing general partner and the successor general partner cannot agree upon an expert, then an expert chosen by agreement of the experts selected by each of them will determine the fair market value.

If the option described above is not exercised by either the departing general partner or the successor general partner, then the departing general partner’s general partner interest and all of its affiliates’ incentive distribution rights will automatically convert into common units equal to the fair market value of those interests as determined by an investment banking firm or other independent expert selected in the manner described in the preceding paragraph.

In addition, we will be required to reimburse the departing general partner for all amounts due to the departing general partner, including, without limitation, all employee-related liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred as a result of the termination of any employees employed for our benefit by the departing general partner or its affiliates.

Transfer of General Partner Interest

At any time, our general partner may transfer all or any of its general partner interest to another person without the approval of our common unitholders. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must, among other things, assume the rights and duties of our general partner, agree to be bound by the provisions of our partnership agreement and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters.

 

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Transfer of Ownership Interests in the General Partner

At any time, the owners of our general partner may sell or transfer all or part of its ownership interests in our general partner to an affiliate or third-party without the approval of our unitholders.

Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights

By transfer of incentive distribution rights in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of incentive distribution rights will be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the incentive distribution rights transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our books and records. Each transferee:

 

    represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and authority to become bound by our partnership agreement;

 

    automatically becomes bound by the terms and conditions of our partnership agreement; and

 

    gives the consents, waivers and approvals contained in our partnership agreement.

Our general partner will cause any transfers to be recorded on our books and records no less frequently than quarterly.

We may, at our discretion, treat the nominee holder of incentive distribution rights as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder’s 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.

Incentive distribution rights are securities and any transfers are subject to the laws governing transfer of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to become a limited partner for the transferred incentive distribution rights.

Until an incentive distribution right has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the unit or right as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.

Change of Management Provisions

Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to remove Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC as our general partner or from otherwise changing our management. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner” for a discussion of certain consequences of the removal of our general partner. If any person or group, other than our general partner and its affiliates, acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units, that person or group loses voting rights on all of its units. This loss of voting rights does not apply in certain circumstances. Please read “—Meetings; Voting.”

Limited Call Right

If at any time our general partner and its controlled affiliates own more than 80% of the then-issued and outstanding limited partner interests of any class, our general partner will have the right, which it may assign and transfer in whole or in part to any of its affiliates or beneficial owners or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the limited partner interests of the class held by unaffiliated persons, as of a record date to be selected by our general partner, on at least 10, but not more than 60, days’ notice. The purchase price in the event of this purchase is the greater of:

 

    the highest price paid by our general partner or any of its affiliates for any limited partner interests of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which our general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those limited partner interests; and

 

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    the average of the daily closing prices of the partnership securities of such class over the 20 consecutive trading days preceding the date that is three days before the date the notice is mailed.

As a result of our general partner’s right to purchase outstanding limited partner interests, a holder of limited partner interests may have his limited partner interests purchased at an undesirable time or at a price that may be lower than market prices at various times prior to such purchase or lower than a unitholder may anticipate the market price to be in the future. The tax consequences to a unitholder of the exercise of this call right are the same as a sale by that unitholder of his common units in the market. Please read “Material Tax Considerations—Disposition of Units.”

Non-Taxpaying Holders; Redemption

To avoid any adverse effect on the maximum applicable rates chargeable to customers by us or any of our future subsidiaries, or in order to reverse an adverse determination that has occurred regarding such maximum rate, our partnership agreement provides our general partner the power to amend the agreement. If our general partner, with the advice of counsel, determines that our not being treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, coupled with the tax status (or lack of proof thereof) of one or more of our limited partners, has, or is reasonably likely to have, a material adverse effect on the maximum applicable rates chargeable to customers by us or our subsidiaries, then our general partner may adopt such amendments to our partnership agreement as it determines necessary or appropriate to:

 

    obtain proof of the U.S. federal income tax status of our limited partners (and their owners, to the extent relevant); and

 

    permit us to redeem the units held by any person whose tax status has or is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the maximum applicable rates or who fails to comply with the procedures instituted by our general partner to obtain proof of the federal income tax status. The redemption price in the case of such a redemption will be the average of the daily closing prices per unit for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the date set for redemption.

Non-Citizen Assignees; Redemption

If our general partner, with the advice of counsel, determines that we are subject to U.S. federal, state or local laws or regulations that create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner, then our general partner may adopt such amendments to our partnership agreement as it determines necessary or advisable to:

 

    obtain proof of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of our limited partners (and their beneficial owners, to the extent relevant); and

 

    permit us to redeem the units held by any person whose nationality, citizenship or other related status creates substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property or who fails to comply with the procedures instituted by the general partner to obtain proof of the nationality, citizenship or other related status. The redemption price in the case of such a redemption will be the average of the daily closing prices per unit for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the date set for redemption.

Meetings; Voting

Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, record holders of units on an applicable record date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited.

 

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Our general partner does not anticipate that any meeting of our 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 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, will 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 will be the greater percentage.

Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to his percentage interest in us, although additional limited partner interests having special voting rights could be issued. Please read “—Issuance of Additional Interests.” 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 and purchasers specifically approved by our general partner, acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding (other than any class of our preferred units), that 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. This loss of voting rights does not apply (i) to any person or group that acquires the units directly from our general partner or its affiliates, (ii) to any transferees of that person or group approved by our general partner, or (iii) to any person or group who acquires the units with the specific prior approval of our general partner. In addition, if any person or group beneficially owns 20% or more of any class of units solely as a result of actions taken by us, then the 20% threshold is increased, with respect to such person, to a percentage equal to such person’s new beneficial ownership after the taking of such action plus the difference between 20% and such person’s beneficial ownership prior to such action. 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 common unitholders under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the record holder by us or by the transfer agent.

Voting Rights of Incentive Distribution Rights

If a majority of the incentive distribution rights are held by our general partner and its affiliates, the holders of the incentive distribution rights will have no right to vote in respect of such rights on any matter, unless otherwise required by law, and the holders of the incentive distribution rights shall be deemed to have approved any matter approved by our general partner.

If less than a majority of the incentive distribution rights are held by our general partner and its affiliates, the incentive distribution rights will be entitled to vote on all matters submitted to a vote of unitholders, other than amendments and other matters that our general partner determines do not adversely affect the holders of the incentive distribution rights in any material respect. On any matter in which the holders of incentive distribution rights are entitled to vote, such holders will vote together with the common units as a single class, and such incentive distribution rights shall be treated in all respects as common units when sending notices of a meeting of our limited partners to vote on any matter (unless otherwise required by law), calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes under our partnership agreement. The relative voting power of the holders of the incentive distribution rights and the common units will be set in the same proportion as cumulative cash distributions, if any, in respect of the incentive distribution rights for the four consecutive quarters prior to the record date for the vote bears to the cumulative cash distributions in respect of such class of units for such four quarters.

 

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Status as Limited Partner

By transfer of common units in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of common units shall be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the common units transferred when such transfer and admission are reflected in our books and records. Except as described under “—Limited Liability,” the common units and the Class B preferred units will be fully paid, and unitholders will not be required to make additional contributions.

Indemnification

Under our partnership agreement, in most circumstances, we will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages or similar events:

 

    our general partner;

 

    any departing general partner;

 

    any person who is or was an affiliate of our general partner or any departing general partner;

 

    any person who is or was a manager, managing member, general partner, director, officer, employee, agent, fiduciary or trustee of our partnership, our subsidiaries, our general partner, any departing general partner or any of their affiliates;

 

    any person who is or was serving at the request of a general partner, any departing general partner or any of their respective affiliates as a manager, managing member, general partner, director, officer, employee, agent, fiduciary or trustee of another person owing a fiduciary duty to us or our subsidiaries;

 

    any person who controls our general partner or any departing general partner; and

 

    any person designated by our general partner.

Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless our general partner otherwise agrees, it will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or lend funds or assets to us to enable us to effectuate, indemnification. We may 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.

Reimbursement of Expenses

Our partnership agreement requires us to reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for all direct and indirect expenses they incur or payments they make on our behalf and all other expenses allocable to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner and its affiliates in connection with operating our business. Our partnership agreement does not set a limit on the amount of expenses for which our general partner and its affiliates may be reimbursed. These expenses may include salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons who perform services for us or on our behalf and expenses allocated to our general partner by its affiliates. Our general partner is entitled to determine in good faith the expenses that are allocable to us.

Books and Reports

Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our business at our principal offices. These 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 our common units, within 105 days after the close of each fiscal year, an annual report containing audited consolidated financial statements and a report on those

 

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consolidated financial statements by our independent registered public accounting firm. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish or make available summary financial information within 50 days after the close of each quarter. We will be deemed to have made any such report available if we file such report with the SEC on EDGAR or make the report available on a publicly available website which we maintain.

We will furnish each record holder with information reasonably required for U.S. federal and state 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 our unitholders will depend on their cooperation in supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will receive information to assist him in determining his U.S. federal and state tax liability and in filing his U.S. federal and state income tax returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with the necessary information.

Right to Inspect Our Books and Records

Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can, for a purpose reasonably related to his interest as a limited partner, upon reasonable written demand stating the purpose of such demand and at his own expense, have furnished to him:

 

    a current list of the name and last known address of each record holder;

 

    information as to the amount of cash, and a description and statement of the agreed value of any other capital contribution, contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on which each became a partner;

 

    copies of our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited partnership, related amendments and powers of attorney under which they have been executed;

 

    information regarding the status of our business and financial condition (provided that obligation shall be satisfied to the extent the limited partner is furnished our most recent annual report and any subsequent quarterly or periodic reports required to be filed (or which would be required to be filed) with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act); and

 

    any other information regarding our affairs that our general partner determines is just and reasonable.

Under our partnership agreement, however, each of our limited partners and other persons who acquire interests in our partnership interests do not have rights to receive information from us or any of the persons we indemnify as described above under “—Indemnification” for the purpose of determining whether to pursue litigation or assist in pending litigation against us or those indemnified persons relating to our affairs, except pursuant to the applicable rules of discovery relating to the litigation commenced by the person seeking information.

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 that we are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.

Registration Rights

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 limited partner interests 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. These registration rights continue for two years following any withdrawal or removal of our general partner. We are obligated to pay all expenses incidental to the registration, excluding underwriting discounts.

 

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On October 14, 2015, we entered into a registration rights agreement with Stonepeak Catarina Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, and agreed to register the common units issuable upon conversion of the Class B preferred units, including the common units issuable with respect to Class B Preferred PIK Units.

On November 22, 2016, we entered into a registration rights agreement with SN UR Holdings, LLC, and agreed to register the common units issued to such person on such date in connection with a private placement of our common units.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PARTNERSHIP SECURITIES

Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional limited partner interests and other equity securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our general partner in its sole discretion without the approval of any limited partners or the conflicts committee.

It is possible that we will fund acquisitions or capital expenditures through the issuance of additional common units or other partnership securities. Holders of any additional common units that 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 common units or other partnership 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 also may issue additional partnership securities that, in the sole discretion of our general partner, have special voting rights to which the common units are not entitled.

The following is a description of the general terms and provisions of our partnership securities. The particular terms of any series of partnership securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement and the amendment to our partnership agreement, if necessary, relating to that series of partnership securities, which will be filed as an exhibit to or incorporated by reference in this prospectus at or before the time of issuance of any such series of partnership securities. If so indicated in a prospectus supplement, the terms of any such series may differ from the terms set forth below.

Our general partner is authorized to approve the issuance of one or more series of partnership securities without further authorization of the limited partners and to fix the number of securities, designations, rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions of any such series.

The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the number of securities, particular designation, relative rights and preferences and the limitations of any series of partnership securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered. The particular terms of any such series will include the following:

 

    the maximum number of securities to constitute the series and the designation and ranking thereof;

 

    the annual distribution rate, if any, on securities of the series, whether such rate is fixed or variable or both, the dates from which distributions will begin to accrue or accumulate, whether distributions will be cumulative and whether such distributions will be paid in cash, securities or otherwise;

 

    whether the securities of the series will be redeemable and, if so, the price and the terms and conditions on which the securities of the series may be redeemed, including the time during which securities of the series may be redeemed and any accumulated distributions thereof that the holders of the securities of the series will be entitled to receive upon the redemption thereof;

 

    the liquidation preference, if any, applicable to securities of the series;

 

    the terms and conditions, if any, on which the securities of the series will be convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities of any other class or classes of partnership securities, including the price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the method, if any, of adjusting the same; and

 

    the voting rights, if any, of the securities of the series.

Partnership securities will be fully paid and non-assessable when issued upon full payment of the purchase price therefor. The prospectus supplement will contain, if applicable, a description of the material United States federal income tax consequences relating to the purchase and ownership of the series of partnership securities offered by the prospectus supplement. The transfer agent, registrar and distributions disbursement agent for the partnership securities will be designated in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

Any debt securities that we offer under a prospectus supplement will be direct, unsecured general obligations. The debt securities will be either senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities. The debt securities will be issued under one or more separate indentures between us and UMB Bank, N.A., as trustee. Senior debt securities will be issued under a senior indenture and subordinated debt securities will be issued under a subordinated indenture. Together, the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are called “indentures.” The indentures will be supplemented by supplemental indentures, the material provisions of which will be described in a prospectus supplement.

As used in this description, the words “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Sanchez Midstream Partners LP, and not to any of our subsidiaries or affiliates.

We have summarized some of the material provisions of the indentures below. This summary does not restate those agreements in their entirety. A form of senior indenture and a form of subordinated indenture have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We urge you to read each of the indentures because each one, and not this description, defines the rights of holders of debt securities.

Capitalized terms defined in the indentures have the same meanings when used in this prospectus.

General

The debt securities issued under the indentures will be our direct, unsecured general obligations. The senior debt securities will rank equally with all of our other senior and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will have a junior position to all of our senior debt.

The following description sets forth the general terms and provisions that could apply to debt securities that we may offer to sell. A prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities being offered will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following, among others:

 

    the title and type of the debt securities;

 

    the total principal amount of the debt securities;

 

    the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities will be issued and any payments due if the maturity of the debt securities is accelerated;

 

    the dates on which the principal of the debt securities will be payable;

 

    the interest rate which the debt securities will bear and the interest payment dates for the debt securities;

 

    any conversion or exchange features;

 

    any optional redemption periods;

 

    any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to repurchase or otherwise redeem some or all of the debt securities;

 

    any provisions granting special rights to holders when a specified event occurs;

 

    any changes to or additional events of default or covenants;

 

    any special tax implications of the debt securities, including provisions for original issue discount securities, if offered; and

 

    any other terms of the debt securities.

 

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Neither of the indentures will limit the amount of debt securities that may be issued. Each indenture will allow debt securities to be issued up to the principal amount that may be authorized by us and may be in any currency or currency unit designated by us.

Debt securities of a series may be issued in registered or global form.

Covenants

Under the indentures, we:

 

    will pay the principal of, and interest and any premium on, the debt securities when due;

 

    will maintain a place of payment;

 

    will deliver a certificate to the trustee each fiscal year reviewing our compliance with our obligations under the indentures;

 

    will preserve our corporate existence; and

 

    will segregate or deposit with any paying agent sufficient funds for the payment of any principal, interest or premium on or before the due date of such payment.

Mergers and Sale of Assets

Each of the indentures will provide that we may not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or sell, convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets (on a consolidated basis) to another Person, unless:

 

    either: (a) we are the surviving Person; or (b) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation, amalgamation or merger or resulting from such conversion (if other than us) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition has been made is a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

    the Person formed by or surviving any such conversion, consolidation, amalgamation or merger (if other than us) or the Person to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition has been made assumes all of our obligations under such indenture and the debt securities governed thereby pursuant to agreements reasonably satisfactory to the trustee, which may include a supplemental indenture;

 

    we or the successor will not immediately be in default under such indenture; and

 

    we deliver an officer’s certificate and opinion of counsel to the trustee stating that such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, conveyance, sale, transfer or lease and any supplemental indenture comply with such indenture and that all conditions precedent set forth in such indenture relating to such transaction have been complied with.

Upon the assumption of our obligations under each indenture by a successor, we will be discharged from all obligations under such indenture.

As used in the indenture and in this description, the word “Person” means any individual, corporation, company, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, other entity, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

 

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Events of Default

“Event of default,” when used in the indentures with respect to debt securities of any series, will mean any of the following:

 

  (1) default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days;

 

  (2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any debt security of that series at its maturity;

 

  (3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant set forth in Article Ten of the applicable indenture (other than a covenant, a default in the performance of which or the breach of which is elsewhere specifically dealt with as an event of default or which has expressly been included in such indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of debt securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to us by the trustee or to us and the trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” thereunder;

 

  (4) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant in the applicable indenture (other than a covenant set forth in Article Ten of such indenture or any other covenant, a default in the performance of which or the breach of which is elsewhere specifically dealt with as an event of default or which has expressly been included in such indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of debt securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 180 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to us by the trustee or to us and the trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” thereunder;

 

  (5) we, pursuant to or within the meaning of any bankruptcy law, (i) commence a voluntary case, (ii) consent to the entry of any order for relief against us in an involuntary case, (iii) consent to the appointment of a custodian of us or for all or substantially all of our property, or (iv) make a general assignment for the benefit of our creditors;

 

  (6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any bankruptcy law that (i) is for relief against us in an involuntary case, (ii) appoints a custodian of us or for all or substantially all of our property, or (iii) orders the liquidation of us, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive days;

 

  (7) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when due; or

 

  (8) any other event of default provided with respect to debt securities of that series in accordance with provisions of the indenture related to the issuance of such debt securities.

An event of default for a particular series of debt securities does not necessarily constitute an event of default for any other series of debt securities issued under an indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any default (except in the payment of principal, interest or any premium) if it considers the withholding of notice to be in the interests of the holders.

If an event of default for any series of debt securities occurs and continues, the trustee or the holders of 25% in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of the series may declare the entire principal of all of the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately. If this happens, subject to certain conditions, the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series can void the declaration.

Other than its duties in case of a default, a trustee is not obligated to exercise any of its rights or powers under any indenture at the request, order or direction of any holders, unless the holders offer the trustee

 

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indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. If they provide this indemnification, and subject to the conditions set forth in the indenture, the holders of a majority in principal amount outstanding of any series of debt securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding or any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any power conferred upon the trustee, for any series of debt securities.

Amendments and Waivers

Subject to certain exceptions, the indentures and the debt securities issued thereunder may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of each series affected by such amendment or supplemental indenture, with each such series voting as a separate class (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, debt securities) and, subject to certain exceptions, any past default or compliance with any provisions may be waived with respect to each series of debt securities with the consent of the holders of a majority in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of such series voting as a separate class (including consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, debt securities).

Without the consent of each holder of the outstanding debt securities affected, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not, among other things:

 

  (1) change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any debt security, reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, reduce the amount of the principal of an original issue discount security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to the applicable indenture, change the coin or currency in which any debt security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the stated maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date therefor);

 

  (2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of any series, the consent of the holders of which is required for any such amendment or supplemental indenture, or the consent of the holders of which is required for any waiver of compliance with certain provisions of the applicable indenture or certain defaults thereunder and their consequences provided for in the applicable indenture;

 

  (3) modify any of the provisions set forth in (i) the provisions of the applicable indenture related to the holder’s unconditional right to receive principal, premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities or (ii) the provisions of the applicable indenture related to the waiver of past defaults under such indenture;

 

  (4) waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security; provided, however, that any purchase or repurchase of debt securities shall not be deemed a redemption of the debt securities;

 

  (5) release any guarantor from any of its obligations under its guarantee or the applicable indenture, except in accordance with the terms of such indenture (as amended or supplemented); or

 

  (6) make any change in the foregoing amendment and waiver provisions, except to increase any percentage provided for therein or to provide that certain other provisions of the applicable indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each then-outstanding debt security affected thereby.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, without the consent of any holder of debt securities, we, the guarantors, if any, and the trustee may amend each of the indentures or the debt securities issued thereunder to:

 

  (1) cure any ambiguity or defect or to correct or supplement any provision therein that may be inconsistent with any other provision therein;

 

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  (2) evidence the succession of another Person to us and the assumption by any such successor of our covenants therein and, to the extent applicable, of the debt securities;

 

  (3) provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities; provided that the uncertificated debt securities are issued in registered form for purposes of Section 163(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or in the manner such that the uncertificated debt securities are described in Section 163(f)(2)(B) of the Code;

 

  (4) add a guarantee and cause any Person to become a guarantor, and/or to evidence the succession of another Person to a guarantor and the assumption by any such successor of the guarantee of such guarantor therein and, to the extent applicable, endorsed upon any debt securities of any series;

 

  (5) secure the debt securities of any series;

 

  (6) add to our covenants such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as we shall consider to be appropriate for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities (and if such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are to be for the benefit of less than all series of debt securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series), to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in the applicable indenture as set forth therein, or to surrender any right or power therein conferred upon us; provided, that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction, condition or provision, such amendment or supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon such an event of default or may limit the remedies available to the trustee upon such an event of default or may limit the right of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of such series to waive such an event of default;

 

  (7) make any change to any provision of the applicable indenture that does not adversely affect the rights or interests of any holder of debt securities issued thereunder;

 

  (8) provide for the issuance of additional debt securities in accordance with the provisions set forth in the applicable indenture;

 

  (9) add any additional defaults or events of default in respect of all or any series of debt securities;

 

  (10) add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of the applicable indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of debt securities in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons;

 

  (11) change or eliminate any of the provisions of the applicable indenture; provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there is no debt security outstanding of any series created prior to the execution of such amendment or supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision;

 

  (12) establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series as permitted thereunder, including to reopen any series of any debt securities as permitted thereunder;

 

  (13) evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment thereunder by a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the applicable indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts thereunder by more than one trustee, pursuant to the requirements of such indenture;

 

  (14) conform the text of the applicable indenture (and/or any supplemental indenture) or any debt securities issued thereunder to any provision of a description of such debt securities appearing in a prospectus or prospectus supplement or an offering memorandum or offering circular to the extent that such provision appears on its face to have been intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of such indenture (and/or any supplemental indenture) or any debt securities issued thereunder; or

 

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  (15) modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of the applicable indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of such indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), or under any similar federal statute subsequently enacted, and to add to such indenture such other provisions as may be expressly required under the Trust Indenture Act.

The consent of the holders is not necessary under either indenture to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment. It is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment. After an amendment under an indenture becomes effective, we are required to mail to the holders of debt securities thereunder a notice briefly describing such amendment. However, the failure to give such notice to all such holders, or any defect therein, will not impair or affect the validity of the amendment.

Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

Each indenture provides that we may, at our option and at any time, elect to have all of our obligations discharged with respect to the debt securities outstanding thereunder and all obligations of any guarantors of such debt securities discharged with respect to their guarantees (“Legal Defeasance”), except for:

 

  (1) the rights of holders of outstanding debt securities to receive payments in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such debt securities when such payments are due from the trust referred to below;

 

  (2) our obligations with respect to the debt securities concerning temporary debt securities, registration of debt securities, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities, the maintenance of an office or agency for payment and money for security payments held in trust;

 

  (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee and our and each guarantor’s obligations in connection therewith; and

 

  (4) the Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance (as defined below) provisions of the applicable indenture.

In addition, we may, at our option and at any time, elect to have our obligations released with respect to certain provisions of each indenture, including certain provisions described in any prospectus supplement (such release and termination being referred to as “Covenant Defeasance”), and thereafter any failure to comply with such obligations or provisions will not constitute a default or event of default. In addition, in the event Covenant Defeasance occurs in accordance with the applicable indenture, any defeasible event of default will no longer constitute an event of default.

In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance:

 

  (1) we must irrevocably deposit with the trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the holders of the debt securities, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable government securities, or a combination of cash in U.S. dollars and non-callable U.S. government securities, in amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm or firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the outstanding debt securities on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and we must specify whether the debt securities are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular redemption date;

 

  (2)

in the case of Legal Defeasance, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the trustee confirming that (a) we have received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (b) since the issue date of the debt securities, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion of counsel will confirm that, the holders of the outstanding debt securities will not recognize income, gain

 

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  or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same time as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;

 

  (3) in the case of Covenant Defeasance, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the trustee confirming that the holders of the outstanding debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;

 

  (4) no default or event of default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a default or event of default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit);

 

  (5) the deposit must not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other instrument to which we or any guarantor is a party or by which we or any guarantor is bound;

 

  (6) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance must not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than the applicable indenture) to which we are, or any of our subsidiaries is, a party or by which we are, or any of our subsidiaries is, bound;

 

  (7) we must deliver to the trustee an officer’s certificate stating that the deposit was not made by us with the intent of preferring the holders of debt securities over our other creditors with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding our creditors or the creditors of others;

 

  (8) we must deliver to the trustee an officer’s certificate stating that all conditions precedent set forth in clauses (1) through (6) of this paragraph have been complied with; and

 

  (9) we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel (which opinion of counsel may be subject to customary assumptions, qualifications, and exclusions) stating that all conditions precedent set forth in clauses (2), (3) and (6) of this paragraph have been complied with.

Satisfaction and Discharge

Each of the indentures will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect (except as to surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities and certain rights of the trustee, as expressly provided for in such indenture) as to all outstanding debt securities and guarantees issued thereunder when:

 

  (1) either (a) all of the debt securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under such indenture (except lost, stolen or destroyed debt securities that have been replaced or paid and debt securities for the payment of which money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by us and thereafter repaid to us or discharged from such trust) have been delivered to the trustee for cancellation or (b) all debt securities not theretofore delivered to the trustee for cancellation have become due and payable, will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year, or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the trustee in the name, and at the expense, of us, and we or the guarantors, if any, have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee funds, in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the debt securities not theretofore delivered to the trustee for cancellation, for principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities to the date of deposit (in the case of debt securities that have become due and payable) or to the stated maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, together with instructions from us irrevocably directing the trustee to apply such funds to the payment thereof at maturity or redemption, as the case may be;

 

  (2) we have paid all other sums then due and payable under such indenture by us; and

 

  (3) we have delivered to the trustee an officer’s certificate and an opinion of counsel, which state that all conditions precedent under such indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of such indenture have been complied with.

 

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No Personal Liability of Directors, Managers, Officers, Employees, Partners, Members and Stockholders

No director, manager, officer, employee, partner, member, unitholder or stockholder of our partnership, our general partner or any guarantor, as such, shall have any liability for any of our or the guarantors’ obligations under the debt securities, the indentures, the guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each holder of debt securities, upon our issuance of the debt securities and execution of the indentures, waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the debt securities. Such waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.

Denominations

Unless stated otherwise in the prospectus supplement for each issuance of debt securities, the debt securities will be issued in denominations of $1,000 each or integral multiples of $1,000.

Paying Agent and Registrar

The trustee will initially act as paying agent and registrar for the debt securities. We may change the paying agent or registrar without prior notice to the holders of the debt securities, and we may act as paying agent or registrar.

Transfer and Exchange

A holder may transfer or exchange debt securities in accordance with the applicable indenture. The registrar and the trustee may require a holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents, and we may require a holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the applicable indenture. We are not required to transfer or exchange any debt security selected for redemption. In addition, we are not required to transfer or exchange any debt security for a period of 15 days before a selection of debt securities to be redeemed.

Subordination

The payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on subordinated debt securities and any of our other payment obligations in respect of subordinated debt securities (including any obligation to repurchase subordinated debt securities) is subordinated in certain circumstances in right of payment, as set forth in the subordinated indenture, to the prior payment in full in cash of all senior debt.

We also may not make any payment, whether by redemption, purchase, retirement, defeasance or otherwise, upon or in respect of subordinated debt securities, except from a trust described under “— Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance,” if

 

    a default in the payment of all or any portion of the obligations on any designated senior debt (“payment default”) occurs that has not been cured or waived, or

 

    any other default occurs and is continuing with respect to designated senior debt pursuant to which the maturity thereof may be accelerated (“non-payment default”) and, solely with respect to this clause, the trustee for the subordinated debt securities receives a notice of the default (a “payment blockage notice”) from the trustee or other representative for the holders of such designated senior debt.

Cash payments on subordinated debt securities will be resumed (a) in the case of a payment default, upon the date on which such default is cured or waived, and (b) in case of a nonpayment default, the earliest of the date on which such nonpayment default is cured or waived, the termination of the payment blockage period by written notice to the trustee for the subordinated debt securities from the trustee or other representative for the holders of

 

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such designated senior debt, the payment in full of such designated senior debt or 179 days after the date on which the applicable payment blockage notice is received. No new payment blockage period may be commenced unless and until 360 days have elapsed since the date of commencement of the payment blockage period resulting from the immediately prior payment blockage notice. No nonpayment default in respect of designated senior debt that existed or was continuing on the date of delivery of any payment blockage notice to the trustee for the subordinated debt securities will be, or be made, the basis for a subsequent payment blockage notice unless such default shall have been cured or waived for a period of no less than 90 consecutive days.

Upon any payment or distribution of our assets or securities (other than with the money, securities or proceeds held under any defeasance trust established in accordance with the subordinated indenture) in connection with any dissolution or winding up or total or partial liquidation or reorganization of us, whether voluntary or involuntary, or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings or other marshalling of assets for the benefit of creditors, all amounts due or to become due upon all senior debt shall first be paid in full, in cash or cash equivalents, before the holders of the subordinated debt securities or the trustee on their behalf shall be entitled to receive any payment by or on behalf of us on account of the subordinated debt securities, or any payment to acquire any of the subordinated debt securities for cash, property or securities, or any distribution with respect to the subordinated debt securities of any cash, property or securities. Before any payment may be made by, or on behalf of, us on any subordinated debt security (other than with the money, securities or proceeds held under any defeasance trust established in accordance with the subordinated indenture) in connection with any such dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization, any payment or distribution of our assets or securities, to which the holders of subordinated debt securities or the trustee on their behalf would be entitled, shall be made by us or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other similar Person making such payment or distribution, or by the holders or the trustee if received by them or it, directly to the holders of senior debt or their representatives or to any trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any such senior debt may have been issued, as their respective interests appear, to the extent necessary to pay all such senior debt in full, in cash or cash equivalents, after giving effect to any concurrent payment, distribution or provision therefor to or for the holders of such senior debt.

As a result of these subordination provisions, in the event of our liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, receivership or similar proceeding or an assignment for the benefit of our creditors or a marshalling of our assets or liabilities, holders of subordinated debt securities may receive ratably less than other creditors.

Payment and Transfer

Principal, interest and any premium on fully registered debt securities will be paid at designated places. Payment will be made by check mailed to the persons in whose names the debt securities are registered on days specified in the indentures or any prospectus supplement. Debt securities payments in other forms will be paid at a place designated by us and specified in a prospectus supplement.

Fully registered debt securities may be transferred or exchanged at the office of the trustee or at any other office or agency maintained by us for such purposes, without the payment of any service charge except for any tax or governmental charge.

Global Securities

The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global certificates that we will deposit with a depositary identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual debt securities that it represents, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole:

 

    by the applicable depositary to a nominee of the depositary;

 

    by any nominee to the depositary itself or another nominee; or

 

    by the depositary or any nominee to a successor depositary or any nominee of the successor.

 

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We will describe the specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement. We anticipate that the following provisions will generally apply to depositary arrangements.

When we issue a global security in registered form, the depositary for the global security or its nominee will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of the individual debt securities represented by that global security to the accounts of persons that have accounts with the depositary (“participants”). Those accounts will be designated by the dealers, underwriters or agents with respect to the underlying debt securities or by us if those debt securities are offered and sold directly by us. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to participants or persons that may hold interests through participants. For interests of participants, ownership of beneficial interests in the global security will be shown on records maintained by the applicable depositary or its nominee. For interests of persons other than participants, that ownership information will be shown on the records of participants. Transfer of that ownership will be effected only through those records. The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. These limits and laws may impair our ability to transfer beneficial interests in a global security.

As long as the depositary for a global security, or its nominee, is the registered owner of that global security, the depositary or nominee will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in a global security:

 

    will not be entitled to have any of the underlying debt securities registered in their names;

 

    will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any of the underlying debt securities in definitive form; and

 

    will not be considered the owners or holders under the indenture relating to those debt securities.

Payments of the principal of, any premium on and any interest on individual debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee as the registered owner of the global security representing such debt securities. Neither we, the trustee for the debt securities, any paying agent nor the registrar for the debt securities will be responsible for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made by the depositary or any participants on account of beneficial interests in the global security.

We expect that the depositary or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment of principal, any premium or interest relating to a global security representing any series of debt securities, immediately will credit participants’ accounts with the payments. Those payments will be credited in amounts proportional to the respective beneficial interests of the participants in the principal amount of the global security as shown on the records of the depositary or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the global security held through those participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices. This is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the sole responsibility of those participants.

If the depositary for a series of debt securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depositary and we do not appoint a successor depositary within 90 days, we will issue individual debt securities of that series in exchange for the global security or securities representing that series. In addition, we may at any time in our sole discretion determine not to have any debt securities of a series represented by one or more global securities. In that event, we will issue individual debt securities of that series in exchange for the global security or securities. The foregoing is subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement. In any such instance, the owner of the beneficial interest will be entitled to physical delivery of individual debt securities equal in principal amount to the beneficial interest and to have the debt securities registered in its name. Those individual debt securities will be issued in any authorized denominations.

 

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Governing Law

Each indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

Information Concerning the Trustee

UMB Bank, N.A. will be the trustee under the indentures. A successor trustee may be appointed in accordance with the terms of the indentures.

The indentures and the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act incorporated by reference therein will contain certain limitations on the rights of the trustee, should it become a creditor of us, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases, or to realize on certain property received in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee will be permitted to engage in other transactions; however, if it acquires any conflicting interest (within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act), it must eliminate such conflicting interest or resign.

A single banking or financial institution may act as trustee with respect to both the subordinated indenture and the senior indenture. If this occurs, and should a default occur with respect to either the subordinated debt securities or the senior debt securities, such banking or financial institution would be required to resign as trustee under one of the indentures within 90 days of such default, pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act, unless such default were cured, duly waived or otherwise eliminated.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase common units, other partnership securities, debt securities or rights. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities that may be attached to or separate from the warrants. If we issue warrants, we may do so under one or more warrant agreements between us and a warrant agent that we will name in the prospectus supplement.

The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants being offered will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:

 

    the title of the warrants;

 

    the securities purchasable upon the exercise of such warrants;

 

    the exercise price;

 

    the aggregate number of warrants to be issued;

 

    the principal amount of securities purchasable upon exercise of each warrant;

 

    the price or prices at which each warrant will be issued;

 

    the procedures for exercising the warrants;

 

    the date upon which the exercise of warrants will commence;

 

    the expiration date, and any other material terms of the warrants; and

 

    any other terms of such warrants, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such warrants.

The warrants do not confer upon the holders thereof any voting or other rights of unitholders.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS

We may issue rights to purchase our common units, other partnership securities, debt securities or warrants. The rights may be issued independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the persons purchasing or receiving the rights in such offering. In connection with any offering of such rights, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which such underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering.

Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agreement that we will enter into with one or more banks, trust companies or other financial institutions, as rights agent, all of which will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the certificates relating to the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.

The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any rights that we offer will include specific terms of any offering of rights for which this prospectus is being delivered, including the following:

 

    the price, if any, per right;

 

    the exercise price payable for each common unit, partnership security, debt security or warrant upon the exercise of the rights;

 

    the number of rights issued or to be issued to each unitholder;

 

    the number and terms of the common units, partnership securities, debt securities or warrants that may be purchased per each right;

 

    the extent to which the rights are transferable;

 

    any other terms of the rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the rights;

 

    the respective dates on which the holder’s ability to exercise the rights will commence and will expire;

 

    the extent to which the rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; and

 

    if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement entered into by us in connection with the offering of such rights.

The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any rights that we may offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable rights certificate, which will be filed with the SEC.

 

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MATERIAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS

This section summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective holders of our common units (“unitholders”) who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and, unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the opinion of Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP (“Andrews Kurth”) insofar as it relates to legal conclusions with respect to matters of U.S. federal income tax law. This section is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), existing and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Treasury Regulations”) and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Changes in these authorities may cause the federal income tax consequences to a prospective unitholder to vary substantially from the consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “us” or “we” are references to Sanchez Midstream Partners LP and our operating subsidiaries.

The following discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax matters that affect us or our unitholders and does not describe the application of the alternative minimum tax that may be applicable to certain unitholders. To the extent that this section relates to taxation by a state, local or other jurisdiction within the U.S., such discussion is intended to provide only general information. Moreover, the discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the U.S. 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), employee benefit plans or mutual funds. Accordingly, we encourage each prospective unitholder to consult the unitholder’s own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences particular to that unitholder of the ownership or disposition of the common units and potential changes in applicable tax laws.

No ruling has been requested from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regarding any matter affecting us or the consequences of owning our common units. Instead, we are relying on the opinions and advice of Andrews Kurth with respect to the matters described herein. An opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made in this discussion 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 the common units trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution. Furthermore, the tax consequences of an investment in us may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions, which may be retroactively applied.

Andrews Kurth has not rendered an opinion on the state, local or foreign tax consequences of an investment in us, and, for the reasons described below, has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following U.S. federal income tax issues: (i) the treatment of a unitholder whose common units are the subject of a securities loan (e.g., a loan to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units) (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales”); (ii) whether percentage depletion will be available to a unitholder or the extent of the percentage depletion deduction available to any unitholder (please read “—Tax Treatment of Operations—Depletion Deductions”), (iii) 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”); and (iv) whether our method for taking into account Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” and “—Uniformity of Common Units”).

Partnership Status

We expect to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, subject to the discussion below under “—Administrative Matters—Information Returns and Audit Procedures,” generally are not liable for entity-level federal income taxes. Instead, as described below, each unitholder is required to take

 

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into account that unitholder’ share of our items of income, gain, loss and deduction in computing the unitholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability even if we make no cash distributions to the unitholder. Distributions we make to a unitholder are generally not taxable to the unitholder unless the amount of cash distributed exceeds the unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in the common units.

Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code generally provides that a publicly traded partnership will be taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, if 90% or more of a partnership’s gross income for every taxable year it is publicly-traded consists of “qualifying income,” the partnership may continue to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes (the “Qualifying Income Exception”). Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from the exploration, development, transportation, storage, processing and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof. 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 capital assets held for the production of income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate that less than 3% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time.

No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS with respect to our classification as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or as to the classification of our operating subsidiaries. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of Andrews Kurth that, based upon the Internal Revenue Code, the Treasury Regulations, published revenue rulings and court decisions and the representations described below, we will be treated as a partnership and each of our operating subsidiaries will be treated as a partnership or disregarded as an entity separate from us for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In rendering its opinion, Andrews Kurth has relied on factual representations made by us and our general partner, including, without limitation:

 

    Neither we nor our operating subsidiaries have elected or will elect to be treated as a corporation; and

 

    For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income that Andrews Kurth has opined or will opine is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code.

We believe that these representations have been true in the past and expect that these representations will continue to be true in the future.

If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as transferring all of our assets, subject to all of our 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 as distributing that stock to our unitholders in liquidation of their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation should not result in the recognition of taxable income by our unitholders or us so long as at that time, the aggregate amount of our liabilities do not exceed the adjusted tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our common units may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, from time to time members of the U.S. Congress have proposed and considered substantive changes to the existing federal income tax laws that would affect certain publicly traded partnerships, including the elimination of partnership tax treatment for publicly traded partnerships. Further, Treasury regulations under Section 7704 of the Code, that apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 19, 2017, interpret the scope of the qualifying income requirements for publicly traded partnerships by providing industry specific guidance. We believe the income we treat as qualifying satisfies the requirements under these regulations.

It is possible that a change in law could affect us and may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our common units. If for any reason we are taxable as a

 

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corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes in any taxable year, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be taken into account by us in determining the amount of our liability for federal income tax, rather than being passed through to our unitholders.

Our taxation as a corporation would result in a material reduction in a unitholder’s cash flow and after-tax return and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction in the value of the common units. Any distribution made to a unitholder at a time when we are treated as a corporation would be treated as taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in the partner’s common units, or taxable capital gain, after the unitholder’s tax basis in the partner’s common units is reduced to zero.

The remainder of this discussion is based on Andrews Kurth’s opinion that we will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership

Limited Partner Status

Unitholders who are admitted as limited partners of Sanchez Midstream Partners LP will be treated as partners of Sanchez Midstream Partners LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Also, 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 Sanchez Midstream Partners LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

A beneficial owner of common units whose units have been transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would appear to lose the unitholder’s status as a partner with respect to those units for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Please read “—Treatment of Short Sales.”

Items of our income, gain, loss or deduction would not appear to be reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a unitholder who is not a partner for U.S. federal income tax purposes would therefore appear to be fully taxable as ordinary income. These holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to their tax consequences of holding common units in Sanchez Midstream Partners LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The references to “unitholders” in the discussion that follows are to persons who are treated as partners in Sanchez Midstream Partners LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Flow-Through of Taxable Income

Subject to the discussion below under “—Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes” and “—Administrative Matters—Information Returns and Audit Procedures”, we do not pay any U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be required to report on the unitholder’s income tax return the unitholder’s share of our income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether we make cash distributions to the unitholder. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if that unitholder has not received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in income the unitholder’s allocable share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year or years ending with or within the unitholder’s taxable year. Our taxable year ends on December 31.

Treatment of Distributions

Distributions made by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except to the extent the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds the unitholder’s tax basis in the unitholder’s common units immediately before the distribution, in which case the unitholder generally will recognize gain taxable in the manner described below under “—Disposition of Common Units.”

 

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Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our “nonrecourse liabilities” for which no partner bears the economic risk of loss, will be treated as a distribution by us of cash to that unitholder. To the extent our distributions cause a unitholder’s “at risk” amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, the unitholder must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please read “—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses.”

A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease the unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. This deemed distribution may constitute a non-pro rata distribution. A non-pro rata distribution of money or property, including a deemed distribution as a result of the reallocation of our nonrecourse liabilities described above, may result in ordinary income to a unitholder, regardless of the unitholder’s tax basis in the unitholder’s common units, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation, depletion, and intangible drilling and development cost recapture, and/or substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively, “Section 751 Assets.” To the extent of such reduction, the unitholder would be deemed to receive its proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and then deemed to exchange those assets with us in return for a portion of the non-pro rata distribution. This deemed exchange will generally result in the unitholder’s realization of ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over the unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) in the Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.

Basis of Common Units

A unitholder’s tax basis in its common units will initially be the amount paid for those common units increased by the unitholder’s initial allocable share of our liabilities. That basis generally will be (i) increased by the unitholder’s share of our income and by any increases in the unitholder’s share of our liabilities, and (ii) decreased, but not below zero, by the amount of all distributions to the unitholder, by the unitholder’s share of our losses, by any decreases in the unitholder’s share of our liabilities and by the amount of any excess business interest allocated to the unitholder. 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 of those interests.

Limitations on Deductibility of Losses

The deduction by a unitholder of that unitholder’s share of our losses will be limited to the tax basis the unitholder has in the unitholder’s common units and, in the case of an individual, estate, trust or certain types of closely-held corporations, to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities, if that amount is less than the unitholder’s tax basis. A unitholder subject to these limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions cause the unitholder’s 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 as a deduction in a later year to the extent that the unitholder’s tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased, provided such losses are otherwise allowable. 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 loss previously suspended by the at risk limitation in excess of that gain would no longer be utilizable.

In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the tax basis of the unitholder’s common units, excluding any portion of that basis attributable to the unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, reduced by (i) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or other similar arrangement and (ii) any amount of money he borrows to acquire or hold the unitholder’s common units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to another

 

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unitholder or can look only to the common units for repayment. A unitholder’s at risk amount will increase or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholder’s units increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or decreases attributable to increases or decreases in the unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities.

The at risk limitation applies on an activity-by-activity basis, and in the case of oil and natural gas properties, each property is treated as a separate activity. Thus, a taxpayer’s interest in each oil or gas property is generally required to be treated separately so that a loss from any one property would be limited to the at risk amount for that property and not the at risk amount for all the taxpayer’s oil and natural gas properties. It is uncertain how this rule is implemented in the case of multiple oil and natural gas properties owned by a single entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, for taxable years ending on or before the date on which further guidance is published, the IRS will permit aggregation of oil or gas properties we own in computing a unitholder’s at risk limitation with respect to us. If a unitholder must compute the unitholder’s at risk amount separately with respect to each oil or gas property we own, a unitholder may not be allowed to utilize the unitholder’s share of losses or deductions attributable to a particular property even though the unitholder has a positive at risk amount with respect to the unitholder’s common units as a whole.

In addition to the basis and at risk limitations on the deductibility of losses, the passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals, estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations are permitted to deduct losses from passive activities, which are generally trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of the taxpayer’s income from those passive activities. The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly traded partnership. Consequently, any passive 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 a unitholder’s investments in other publicly traded partnerships, or a unitholder’s salary or active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we generate may be deducted in full when the unitholder disposes of the unitholder’s entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss limitations are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk rules and the basis limitation.

A unitholder’s share of our net income may be offset by any of our 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.

For taxpayers other than corporations in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026, an “excess business loss” limitation further limits the deductibility of losses by such taxpayers. An excess business loss is the excess (if any) of a taxpayer’s aggregate deductions for the taxable year that are attributable to the trades or businesses of such taxpayer (determined without regard to the excess business loss limitation) over the aggregate gross income or gain of such taxpayer for the taxable year that is attributable to such trades or businesses plus a threshold amount. The threshold amount is equal to $250,000 or $500,000 for taxpayers filing a joint return. Disallowed excess business losses are treated as a net operating loss carryover to the following tax year. Any losses we generate that are allocated to a unitholder and not otherwise limited by the basis, at risk or passive loss limitations will be included in the determination of such unitholder’s aggregate trade or business deductions. Consequently, any losses we generate that are not otherwise limited will only be available to offset a unitholder’s other trade or business income plus an amount of non-trade or business income equal to the applicable threshold amount. Thus, except to the extent of the threshold amount, our losses that are not otherwise limited may not offset a unitholder’s non-trade or business income (such as salaries, fees, interest, dividends and capital gains). This excess business loss limitation will be applied after the passive activity loss limitation.

Limitations on Interest Deductions

In general, we are entitled to a deduction for interest paid or accrued on indebtedness properly allocable to our trade or business during our taxable year. However, our deduction for this “business interest” is limited to the

 

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sum of our business interest income and 30% of our “adjusted taxable income.” For the purposes of this limitation, our adjusted taxable income is computed without regard to any business interest or business interest income, and in the case of taxable years beginning before January 1, 2022, any deduction allowable for depreciation, amortization, or depletion. This limitation is first applied at the partnership level and any deduction for business interest is taken into account in determining our non-separately stated taxable income or loss. Then, in applying this business interest limitation at the partner level, the adjusted taxable income of each of our unitholders is determined without regard to such unitholder’s distributive share of any of our items of income, gain, deduction, or loss and is increased by such unitholder’s distributive share of our excess taxable income, which is generally equal to the excess of 30% of our adjusted taxable income over the amount of our deduction for business interest for a taxable year.

To the extent our deduction for business interest is not limited, we will allocate the full amount of our deduction for business interest among our unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. To the extent our deduction for business interest is limited, the amount of any disallowed deduction for business interest will also be allocated to each unitholder in accordance with their percentage interest in us, but such amount of “excess business interest” will not be currently deductible. Subject to certain limitations and adjustments to a unitholder’s basis in its units, this excess business interest may be carried forward and deducted by a unitholder in a future taxable year.

The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer’s “investment interest expense” is generally limited to the amount of that taxpayer’s “net investment income.” Investment interest expense includes:

 

    interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for investment;

 

    our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and

 

    the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to portfolio income.

The computation of a unitholder’s 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 or qualified dividend income (if applicable). A unitholder’s share of a publicly traded partnership’s portfolio income and, according to the IRS, net passive income will be treated as investment income for purposes of the investment interest expense limitation.

Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes

If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. income tax on behalf of any current or former unitholder, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution of cash to the relevant unitholder. Where the tax is payable on behalf of all unitholders or we cannot determine the specific unitholder on whose behalf the tax is payable, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of common units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our 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 unitholder in which event the unitholder would be required to file a claim in order to obtain a credit or refund.

Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction

In general, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that we make distributions to the holders of Class B

 

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preferred units or we make incentive distributions, gross income will be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these distributions.

Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction generally will be allocated under Section 704(c) of the Code (or the principles of Section 704(c) of the Code) to account for any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time such assets are contributed to us and at the time of any subsequent offering of our common units (a “Book-Tax Disparity”). As a result, the federal income tax burden associated with any Book-Tax Disparity immediately prior to an offering generally will be borne by the partners holding interests in us prior to such offering. In addition, items of recapture income will be specially allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder 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 other 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 such amount and manner as is needed 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 a Book-Tax Disparity, will generally be given effect for U.S. federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a partner’s share of an item will be determined on the basis of the unitholder’s interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances including (i) the partner’s relative contributions to us, (ii) the interests of all the partners in profits and losses, (iii) the interest of all the partners in cash flow and (iv) the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation. Andrews Kurth is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “—Section 754 Election” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations under our partnership agreement will be given effect for U.S. federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.

Treatment of Short Sales

A unitholder whose common units are the subject of a securities loan (for example, a loan to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of common units) may be treated having disposed of those units. If so, such unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those common units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period:

 

    any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those common units would not be reportable by the unitholder;

 

    any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those common units would be fully taxable; and

 

    all of these distributions may be subject to tax as ordinary income.

Andrews Kurth has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder whose 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 are urged to consult a tax advisor to discuss whether it is advisable to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and loaning their common units. The IRS has previously announced that it is 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.”

Tax Rates

Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rates for individuals applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains (generally, gains from the sale or exchange of certain investment assets held for more than one year) are 37% and 20%, respectively.

 

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For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and ending on or before December 31, 2025, an individual unitholder is entitled to a deduction equal to 20% of the unitholder’s allocable share of our “qualified business income.” For purposes of this deduction, our “qualified business income” is equal to the sum of:

 

    the net amount of our U.S. items of income, gain, deduction, and loss to the extent such items are included or allowed in the determination of taxable income for the year, excluding, however, certain specified types of passive investment income (such as capital gains and dividends, which are taxed at a rate of 20%) and certain payments made to the unitholder for services rendered to us; and

 

    any gain recognized upon a disposition of our units to the extent such gain is attributable to Section 751 Assets and is thus treated as ordinary income under Section 751 of the Code.

These rates, and the deduction, are subject to change by new legislation at any time.

Furthermore, a 3.8% net investment tax, or NIIT, applies to certain net investment income earned by individuals, estates and trusts. For these purposes, net investment income generally includes a unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gain realized by a unitholder from a sale of common units. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) the unitholder’s net investment income or (ii) the amount by which the unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds specified threshold levels depending on a unitholder’s federal income tax filing status. In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income, or (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors as to the impact of the NIIT on an investment in our common units.

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 purchaser’s tax basis in our assets (“inside basis”) under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to reflect the unitholder’s purchase price. The Section 743(b) adjustment separately applies to any transferee of a unitholder who purchases outstanding common units from the unitholder based upon the values and tax bases of our assets at the time of the transfer to the transferee. The Section 743(b) adjustment does not apply to a person who purchases common units directly from us, and belongs only to the purchaser and not to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a unitholder’s basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (i) the unitholder’s share of our tax basis in our assets (“common basis”) and (ii) the unitholder’s Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.

Under our partnership agreement, we are authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with applicable Treasury Regulations. A literal application of Treasury Regulations governing a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to properties depreciable under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue Code may give rise to differences in the taxation of unitholders purchasing units from us and unitholders purchasing from other unitholders. If we have any such properties, we intend to adopt methods employed by other publicly traded partnerships to preserve the uniformity of units, even if inconsistent with existing Treasury Regulations, and Andrews Kurth has not opined on the validity of this approach. Please read “—Uniformity of Common Units.”

The IRS may challenge the positions we adopt with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of units due to lack of controlling authority. Because a unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in its units is reduced by the unitholder’s share of our items of deduction or loss, any position we take that understates deductions will overstate a unitholder’s basis in its units and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.” If a challenge to such treatment were sustained, the gain from the sale of units may be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.

 

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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, an intangible asset, is generally nonamortizable or 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 the unitholder’s share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year or years ending within or with the unitholder’s 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 the unitholder’s common units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of the unitholder’s taxable year must include the unitholder’s share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for the unitholder’s taxable year, with the result that he will be required to include in income for the unitholder’s taxable year the unitholder’s share of more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”

Depletion Deductions

Subject to the limitations on deductibility of losses discussed above, unitholders are entitled to deductions for the greater of either cost depletion or (if otherwise allowable) percentage depletion with respect to our oil and natural gas interests. Although the Internal Revenue Code requires each unitholder to compute his own depletion allowance and maintain records of the unitholder’s share of the adjusted tax basis of the underlying property for depletion and other purposes, we intend to furnish each of our common unitholders with information relating to this computation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder, however, remains responsible for calculating his own depletion allowance and maintaining records of his share of the adjusted tax basis of the underlying property for depletion and other purposes.

Percentage depletion is generally available with respect to unitholders who qualify under the independent producer exemption contained in Section 613A(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. For this purpose, an independent producer is a person not directly or indirectly involved in the retail sale of oil, natural gas, or derivative products or the operation of a major refinery. Percentage depletion is calculated as an amount generally equal to 15% (and, in the case of marginal production, potentially a higher percentage) of the common unitholder’s gross income from the depletable property for the taxable year. The percentage depletion deduction with respect to any property is limited to 100% of the taxable income of the unitholder from the property for each taxable year, computed without the depletion allowance. A unitholder that qualifies as an independent producer may deduct percentage depletion only to the extent the unitholder’s average net daily production of domestic crude oil, or the natural gas equivalent, does not exceed 1,000 barrels. This depletable amount may be allocated between oil and natural gas production, with 6,000 cubic feet of domestic natural gas production regarded as equivalent to one barrel of crude oil. The 1,000 barrel limitation must be allocated among the independent producer and controlled or related persons and family members in proportion to the respective production by such persons during the period in question.

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allowance, net operating loss carrybacks, or capital loss carrybacks. Any percentage depletion deduction disallowed because of the 65% limitation may be deducted in the following taxable year if the percentage depletion deduction for such year plus the deduction carryover does not exceed 65% of the common unitholder’s total taxable income for that year. The carryover period resulting from the 65% net income limitation is unlimited.

Unitholders that do not qualify under the independent producer exemption are generally restricted to depletion deductions based on cost depletion. Cost depletion deductions are calculated by (i) dividing the common unitholder’s share of the adjusted tax basis in the underlying mineral property by the number of mineral units (barrels of oil and thousand cubic feet, or Mcf, of natural gas) remaining as of the beginning of the taxable year and (ii) multiplying the result by the number of mineral units sold within the taxable year. The total amount of deductions based on cost depletion cannot exceed the unitholder’s share of the total adjusted tax basis in the property.

All or a portion of any gain recognized by a unitholder as a result of either the disposition by us of some or all of our oil and natural gas interests or the disposition by the unitholder of some or all of his common units may be taxed as ordinary income to the extent of recapture of depletion deductions, except for percentage depletion deductions in excess of the basis of the property. The amount of the recapture is generally limited to the amount of gain recognized on the disposition.

The foregoing discussion of depletion deductions does not purport to be a complete analysis of the complex legislation and Treasury Regulations relating to the availability and calculation of depletion deductions by the unitholders. Further, because depletion is required to be computed separately by each common unitholder and not by us, no assurance can be given, and Andrews Kurth is unable to express any opinion, with respect to the availability or extent of percentage depletion deductions to the unitholders for any taxable year. We encourage each prospective unitholder to consult his tax advisor to determine whether percentage depletion would be available to the unitholder.

Deductions for Intangible Drilling and Development Costs

We elect to currently deduct intangible drilling and development costs (“IDCs”). IDCs generally include our expenses for wages, fuel, repairs, hauling, supplies and other items that are incidental to, and necessary for, the drilling and preparation of wells for the production of oil, natural gas or geothermal energy. The option to currently deduct IDCs applies only to those items that do not have a salvage value.

Although we elect to currently deduct IDCs, each unitholder will have the option of either currently deducting IDCs or capitalizing all or part of the IDCs and amortizing them on a straight-line basis over a 60-month period, beginning with the taxable month in which the expenditure is made. If a unitholder makes the election to amortize the IDCs over a 60-month period, no IDC preference amount in respect of those IDCs will result for alternative minimum tax purposes.

Integrated oil companies must capitalize 30% of all their IDCs (other than IDCs paid or incurred with respect to oil and natural gas wells located outside of the United States) and amortize these IDCs over 60 months beginning in the month in which those costs are paid or incurred. If the taxpayer ceases to be an integrated oil company, it must continue to amortize those costs as long as it continues to own the property to which the IDCs relate. An “integrated oil company” is a taxpayer that has economic interests in oil and natural gas properties and also carries on substantial retailing or refining operations. An oil or gas producer is deemed to be a substantial retailer or refiner if it is subject to the rules disqualifying retailers and refiners from taking percentage depletion. In order to qualify as an “independent producer” that is not subject to these IDC deduction limits, a unitholder, either directly or indirectly through certain related parties, may not be involved in the refining of more than 75,000 barrels of oil (or the equivalent amount of natural gas) on average for any day during the taxable year or in the retail marketing of oil and natural gas products exceeding $5 million per year in the aggregate.

 

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IDCs previously deducted that are allocable to property (directly or through ownership of an interest in a partnership) and that would have been included in the adjusted basis of the property had the IDC deduction not been taken are recaptured to the extent of any gain realized upon the disposition of the property or upon the disposition by a unitholder of interests in us. Recapture is generally determined at the unitholder level. Where only a portion of the recapture property is sold, any IDCs related to the entire property are recaptured to the extent of the gain realized on the portion of the property sold. In the case of a disposition of an undivided interest in a property, a proportionate amount of the IDCs with respect to the property is treated as allocable to the transferred undivided interest to the extent of any gain recognized. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Lease Acquisition Costs

The cost of acquiring oil and natural gas leaseholder or similar property interests is a capital expenditure that must be recovered through depletion deductions if the lease is productive. If a lease is proved worthless and abandoned, the cost of acquisition less any depletion claimed may be deducted as an ordinary loss in the year the lease becomes worthless. Please read “—Depletion Deductions.”

Geophysical Costs

Geophysical costs paid or incurred in connection with the exploration for, or development of, oil or gas within the United States are allowed as a deduction ratably over the 24-month period beginning on the date that such expense was paid or incurred.

Operating and Administrative Costs

Amounts paid for operating a producing well are deductible as ordinary business expenses, as are administrative costs to the extent they constitute ordinary and necessary business expenses which are reasonable in amount.

Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization

The tax basis of each of our assets is 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 the time we issue common units in an offering will be borne by our partners holding interests in us prior to such offering. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”

To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation and cost recovery methods, including bonus depreciation to the extent applicable, that will result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets subject to these allowances are placed in service. Property 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 unitholder 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 the unitholder’s 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.”

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regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us, the underwriting discount 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 common 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 and determinations of tax 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 deduction previously reported by unitholders could change, and unitholders could 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

A unitholder will be required to recognize gain or loss on a sale of common units equal to the difference between the unitholder’s amount realized and the unitholder’s tax basis for the common units sold. A unitholder’s amount realized will equal the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property the unitholder receives plus the unitholder’s share of our liabilities attributable to the common units sold. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder’s share of our liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of common units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.

Prior distributions from us that in the aggregate were in excess of the cumulative net taxable income for a common unit and, therefore, decreased a unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the common unit is sold at a price greater than the unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit, even if the price received is less than the unitholder’s 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 common unit will generally be taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an individual on the sale of units held for more than one year will generally be taxed at the U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains. However, a portion of this gain or loss, which will likely be substantial, will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent attributable to “unrealized receivables” or “inventory items” that we own. The term “unrealized receivables” includes potential recapture items, including depreciation, depletion and IDC recapture. Ordinary income attributable to unrealized receivables (including recapture items) and inventory items may exceed net taxable gain realized on the sale of a common 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. Capital losses may offset capital gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income each year, in the case of individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gains in the case of corporations. Both ordinary income and capital gain recognized by a unitholder on the sale or exchange of a common unit may be subject to the NIIT in certain circumstances. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Tax Rates.”

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 sold using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in the unitholder’s entire interest in

 

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the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership. 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 discussed above, 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 Treasury Regulations, may designate specific common units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of common 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 common units or a sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult the unitholder’s 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:

 

    a short sale;

 

    an offsetting notional principal contract; or

 

    a futures or forward contract;

in each case, with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property.

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 the 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 or loss 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 common units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month, which we refer to in this discussion as 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 common units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.

Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Internal Revenue Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, existing Treasury Regulations do not specifically authorize all aspects of the proration method we have adopted. Accordingly, Andrews Kurth is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor unitholders. If the IRS determines that this method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations our taxable income or losses could be reallocated among our unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor unitholders, as well as among unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under the Treasury Regulations.

A unitholder who owns common 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 deduction attributable to the month of disposition but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.

 

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Notification Requirements

A unitholder who sells any of the unitholder’s common units is generally required to notify us in writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the sale). A purchaser of common units who purchases common units from another unitholder is also generally required to notify us in writing of that purchase within 30 days after the purchase. Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of that transaction and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a transfer of common units may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the U.S. and who effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.

Uniformity of Common Units

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of common units and for other reasons, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the common units to a purchaser of these units. As a result of the need to preserve uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements. Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of our units. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”

Our partnership agreement permits our general partner to take positions in filing our tax returns that preserve the uniformity of our units. These positions may include reducing the depreciation, amortization or loss deductions to which a unitholder would otherwise be entitled or reporting a slower amortization of Section 743(b) adjustments for some unitholders than that to which they would otherwise be entitled. Andrews Kurth is unable to opine as to the validity of such filing positions.

A unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in units is reduced by its share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual income tax return) so that any position that we take that understates deductions will overstate the unitholder’s basis in its units, and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss” and “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” above. The IRS may challenge one or more of any positions we take to preserve the uniformity of our units. If such a challenge were sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and, under some circumstances, the gain from any sale of our units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.

Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors

Ownership of common units by employee benefit plans and other tax-exempt organizations, as well as by non-resident aliens, non-U.S. corporations and other non-U.S. persons (collectively “non-U.S. unitholders”) raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below to a limited extent, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them. Tax-exempt entities and non-U.S. unitholders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors before investing in our common units.

Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, are subject to U.S. federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to it.

Non-U.S. unitholders are generally taxed by the United States on income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business (“effectively connected income”) and on certain types of U.S.-source non-effectively connected income (such as dividends), unless exempted or further limited by an income tax treaty. Each non-U.S. unitholder will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of its ownership of our units. Furthermore, it is probable that non-U.S. unitholders will be deemed to conduct such activities through a

 

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permanent establishment in the United States within the meaning of an applicable tax treaty. Consequently, each non-U.S. unitholder will be required to file federal tax returns to report its share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax on its share of our net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly-traded partnerships, distributions to non-U.S. unitholders are subject to withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each non-U.S. unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor 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 non-U.S. corporation that owns common units will be treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the U.S. branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular U.S. federal income tax, on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in the non-U.S. corporation’s “U.S. net equity,” which is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the U.S. and the country in which the non-U.S. 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.

A non-U.S. unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a common unit will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. unitholder. Gain realized by a non-U.S. unitholder from the sale of its interest in a partnership that is engaged in a trade or business in the United States will be considered to be “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business to the extent that the gain that would be recognized upon a sale by the partnership of all of its assets would be “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business. Thus, all of a non-U.S. unitholder’s gain from the sale or other disposition of our common units would be treated as effectively connected with a unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business constituted by its investment in us and would be subject to U.S. federal income tax. As a result of the effectively connected income rules described above, the exclusion from U.S. taxation under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act for gain from the sale of partnership units regularly traded on an established securities market will not prevent a non-U.S. unitholder from being subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of its units.

Recently enacted legislation generally requires the transferee of an interest in a partnership that is engaged in a U.S. trade or business to withhold 10% of the amount realized by the transferor unless the transferor certifies that it is not a foreign person, and we are required to deduct and withhold from the transferee amounts that should have been withheld by the transferees but were not withheld. Because the “amount realized” includes a unitholder’s share of our liabilities, 10% of the amount realized could exceed the total cash purchase price for the common units. For this and other reasons, the IRS has temporarily suspended the application of this withholding rule to open market transfers of interests in publicly traded partnerships pending the issuance of regulations or other guidance.

Administrative Matters

Information Returns and Audit Procedures

We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each taxable year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes the unitholder’s 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 each unitholder’s 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, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS.

The IRS may audit our U.S. federal income tax information returns. Neither we nor Andrews Kurth can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully challenge the positions we adopt, and such a

 

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challenge could adversely affect the value of our units. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability, and may result in an audit of the unitholder’s own return. Any audit of a unitholder’’ return could result in adjustments unrelated to our returns.

Partnerships are generally treated as entities separate from their owners for purposes of federal income 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 for each of the partners. For taxable years beginning prior to January 1, 2018, the Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes, and our partnership agreement designates our general partner as our Tax Matters Partner.

The Tax Matters Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our tax 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 may go forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate in that action.

A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on its 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.

Legislation applicable to partnership tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, alters the procedures for auditing large partnerships and for assessing and collecting taxes due (including any applicable penalties and interest) as a result of a partnership-level federal income tax audit. Under these rules, if the IRS makes audit adjustments to our partnership tax returns, it may assess and collect any taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustment directly from us, unless we elect to have our unitholders and former unitholders take any audit adjustment into account in accordance with their interests in us during the taxable year under audit. Similarly, for such taxable years, if the IRS makes audit adjustments to income tax returns filed by an entity in which we are a member or partner, it may assess and collect any taxes (including penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustment directly from such entity.

Although our general partner may elect to have our unitholders and former unitholders take any audit adjustment into account in accordance with their interests in us during the taxable year under audit, there can be no assurance that such election will be practical, permissible or effective in all circumstances. If we are unable to have our unitholders and former unitholders take such audit adjustment into account in accordance with their interests in us during the taxable year under audit, our then current unitholders may bear some or all of the tax liability resulting from such audit adjustment, even if such unitholders did not own our units during the taxable year under audit. If, as a result of any such audit adjustment, we are required to make payments of taxes, penalties or interest, our cash available for distribution to our unitholders might be substantially reduced. These rules are not applicable for taxable years beginning on or prior to December 31, 2017. Accordingly, the manner in which these rules may apply to us in the future is uncertain.

Additionally, the Internal Revenue Code will no longer require that we designate a Tax Matters Partner. Instead, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, we will be required to designate a partner, or other person, with a substantial presence in the United States as the partnership representative (“Partnership Representative”). The Partnership Representative will have the sole authority to act on our behalf for purposes of, among other things, federal income tax audits and judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS. If we do not make such a designation, the IRS can select any person as the Partnership Representative. We currently

 

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anticipate that we will designate our general partner as the Partnership Representative. Further, any actions taken by us or by the Partnership Representative on our behalf with respect to, among other things, federal income tax audits and judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS, will be binding on us and all of our unitholders.

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) a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:

(1) a person that is not a U.S. person;

(2) a non-U.S. 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 common 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 U.S. persons and specific information on common units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $100 per failure, up to a maximum of $1.5 million 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 common units with the information furnished to us.

Accuracy-Related Penalties

Certain penalties may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code as a result 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. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for the underpayment of that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding the underpayment of that portion. We do not anticipate that any accuracy-related penalties will be assessed against us.

State, Local and Other Tax Considerations

In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, unitholders may be subject to other taxes, such as 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 own property or conduct business in various states, most of which impose personal income taxes on individuals. Most of these states also impose an income tax on corporations and other entities. Moreover, we may also own property or do business in other jurisdictions in the future that impose income or similar taxes on nonresident individuals. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on the unitholder’s investment in us.

A unitholder may be required to file state income tax returns and to pay state income taxes in many of these states in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those

 

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requirements. In some states, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable years. We determine our depreciation and cost recovery allowances using U.S. federal income tax methods and may use methods that result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets are placed in service. Some of the jurisdictions in which we do business or own property may not conform to these federal depreciation methods. A successful challenge to these methods could adversely affect the amount of taxable income or loss being allocated to our unitholders for state tax purposes. It also could affect the amount of gain from a unitholder’s sale of common units and could have a negative impact on the value of the common units or result in audit adjustments to the unitholder’s state tax returns.

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 unitholder’s income tax liability to the state, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld will 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.” Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, our general partner anticipates that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.

It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of the unitholder’s investment in us. Accordingly, each prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend on, the unitholder’s own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. Further, it is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all state, local and non-U.S., as well as U.S. federal tax returns, that may be required of it. Andrews Kurth has not rendered an opinion on the state, local, alternative minimum tax or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in us.

Tax Consequences of Ownership of Debt Securities or Other Securities

A description of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of debt securities or other securities we may offer will be set forth on the prospectus supplement relating to such offering.

 

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INVESTMENT IN SANCHEZ MIDSTREAM PARTNERS LP

BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

An investment in us by an employee benefit plan is subject to additional considerations because the investments of these plans are subject to the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, and restrictions imposed by Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code. For these purposes, 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 IRAs established or maintained by an employer or employee organization. Among other things, consideration should be given to:

 

    whether the investment is prudent under Section 404(a)(1)(B) of ERISA;

 

    whether in making the investment, that plan will satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 404(a)(l)(C) of ERISA; and

 

    whether the investment will result in recognition of unrelated business taxable income by the plan and, if so, the potential after-tax investment return.

The person with investment discretion with respect to the assets of an employee benefit plan, often called a fiduciary, should determine whether an investment in us is authorized by the appropriate governing instrument and is a proper investment for the plan.

Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code prohibits employee benefit plans, and IRAs that are not considered part of an employee benefit plan, from engaging in specified transactions involving “plan assets” with parties that are “parties in interest” under ERISA or “disqualified persons” under the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the plan.

In addition to considering whether the purchase of common units is a prohibited transaction, a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan should consider whether the plan will, by investing in us, be deemed to own an undivided interest in our assets, with the result that our general partner also would be fiduciaries of the plan and our operations would be subject to the regulatory restrictions of ERISA, including its prohibited transaction rules, as well as the prohibited transaction rules of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Department of Labor regulations provide guidance with respect to whether the assets of an entity in which employee benefit plans acquire equity interests would be deemed “plan assets” under some circumstances. Under these regulations, an entity’s assets would not be considered to be “plan assets” if, among other things:

 

    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 under some provisions of the federal securities laws;

 

    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 either directly or through a majority owned subsidiary or subsidiaries; or

 

    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, disregarding some interests held by our general partner, its affiliates, and some other persons, is held by the employee benefit plans referred to above, IRAs, and any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of a plan’s investment in such entity (employee benefit plans not subject to ERISA, including governmental plans are not counted as “benefit plan investors”).

Our assets should not be considered “plan assets” under these regulations because it is expected that the investment will satisfy the requirements in the first bullet point above.

 

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Plan fiduciaries contemplating a purchase of common units should consult with their own counsel regarding the consequences under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code in light of the serious penalties imposed on persons who engage in prohibited transactions or other violations.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities covered by this prospectus through agents, underwriters or dealers, or directly to one or more purchasers without using underwriters or agents.

We may designate agents to solicit offers to purchase our securities. We will name any agent involved in offering or selling securities, and any commissions that will be paid to the agent, in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus supplement, agents will act on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment.

Agents could make sales in privately negotiated transactions and/or any other method permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes sales made directly on or through the NYSE American, the existing trading market for our common units, or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange.

If underwriters are used in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities in one or more transactions (including block transactions), at negotiated prices, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. We will include the names of the managing underwriter(s), as well as any other underwriters, and the terms of the transaction, including the compensation the underwriters and dealers will receive, in a prospectus supplement. If we use an underwriter, we will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriter(s) at the time that an agreement is reached for the sale of securities. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions contained in the underwriting agreement. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities of the series offered if any of the securities are purchased. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. The underwriters will use a prospectus supplement to sell securities.

If we use a dealer, we will act as principal and will sell securities to the dealer. The dealer will then sell securities to the public at varying prices that the dealer will determine at the time it sells securities. We will include the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions with the dealer in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, and we may directly sell securities to institutional or other investors. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We will describe the terms of our direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. In connection with the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus, underwriters may receive compensation from us or from the purchasers of the securities, for whom they may act as agents, in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Any underwriters, dealers or agents will be identified and their compensation described in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may have agreements with the underwriters, dealers and agents to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make. Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of their business.

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, all securities offered by us under this prospectus will be a new issue of securities with no established trading market, other than the common units, which are currently listed and traded on the NYSE American. We may elect to list any other class or series of securities on a national securities exchange or a foreign securities exchange but are not obligated to do so. Any

 

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common units sold by this prospectus will be listed for trading on the NYSE American, or such other exchanges as our common units may be listed for trading at the time of issuance, subject to official notice of issuance. We cannot give you any assurance as to the liquidity of the trading markets for any of the securities.

Any underwriter to whom securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may engage in over-allotment transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Over-allotment transactions involve sales by the underwriters of the securities in excess of the offering size, which creates a syndicate short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. These activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. The underwriters will not be obligated to engage in any of the aforementioned transactions and may discontinue such transactions at any time without notice.

In compliance with guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, the maximum consideration or discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker dealer may not exceed 8% of the aggregate amount of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the securities offered in this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP, Houston, Texas. Any underwriter will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by its own legal counsel. If such counsel to underwriters passes on legal matters in connection with an offering of securities made by this prospectus, and a related prospectus supplement, that counsel will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement related to that offering.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Sanchez Midstream Partners LP as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2017, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

Certain information incorporated by reference in this prospectus regarding our estimated quantities of natural gas reserves was prepared by Ryder Scott Company, LP

 

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Sanchez Midstream Partners LP

$500,000,000

COMMON UNITS

PARTNERSHIP SECURITIES

DEBT SECURITIES

WARRANTS

RIGHTS

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than selling or underwriting discounts and commissions, to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby. Except for the SEC registration fee, all amounts are estimates.

 

SEC registration fee

   $ 62,250  

Printing and engraving expenses

     150,000  

Legal fees and expenses

     250,000  

Trustee fees and expenses

     30,000  

Accounting fees and expenses

     100,000  

Miscellaneous

     10,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 602,250  
  

 

 

 

 

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP

Subject to any terms, conditions or restrictions set forth in our agreement of limited partnership, Section 17-108 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act empowers a Delaware limited partnership to indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever. The section of the prospectus included in the Registration Statement entitled “The Partnership Agreement—Indemnification” discloses that we will generally indemnify officers, directors and affiliates of our general partner to the fullest extent permitted by the law against all losses, claims, damages or similar events and is incorporated herein by reference.

Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC

Subject to any terms, conditions or restrictions set forth in the limited liability company agreement of Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC, our general partner, Section 18-108 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act empowers a Delaware limited liability company to indemnify and hold harmless any member or manager or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever.

Under the limited liability agreement of our general partner, in most circumstances, our general partner will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, expenses (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements and other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative:

 

    any person who is or was an affiliate of our general partner;

 

    any person who is or was a member, director, officer, fiduciary or trustee of our general partner;

 

    any person who is or was an officer, member, partner, director, employee, agent or trustee of our general partner or any affiliate of our general partner, or any affiliate of any such person;

 

    any person who is or was serving at the request of our general partner or any affiliate of our general partner as a director, officer, employee, member, partner, agent, fiduciary or trustee of another person (provided, that such person is not providing, on a fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services); and

 

    any person designated by our general partner.

 

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Our general partner will purchase insurance covering its officers and directors against liabilities asserted and expenses incurred in connection with their activities as officers and directors of our general partner or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Item 16. Exhibits.

(a) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.

  

Exhibit

  **1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement for each of the securities registered hereby
***4.1    Certificate of Limited Partnership of Sanchez Midstream Partners LP (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Sanchez Midstream Partner LP’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form S-4 (SEC File No. 333-198440), filed on March 6, 2015)
***4.2    Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Limited Partnership (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Midstream Partners LP on June 2, 2017, File No. 001-33147).
***4.3    Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sanchez Production Partners LP (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Production Partners LP on October 14, 2015, File No. 001-33147)
***4.4    Amendment No. 1 to Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sanchez Production Partners LP, effective as of January 25, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Production Partners LP on January 27, 2017, File No. 001-33147)
***4.5    Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sanchez Midstream Partners LP (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Midstream Partners LP on August 15, 2017, File No. 001-33147)
***4.6    Certificate of Formation of Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to Sanchez Midstream Partner LP’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form S-4 (SEC File No. 333-198440), filed on March 6, 2015)
***4.7    Limited Liability Company Agreement of Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Sanchez Midstream Partner LP’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form S-4 (SEC File No. 333-198440), filed on March 6, 2015)
***4.8    Amendment No. 1 to Limited Liability Company Agreement of Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A filed by Sanchez Production Partners LP on September 3, 2015, File No. 001-33147)
***4.9    Amendment No. 2 to Limited Liability Company Agreement of Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Production Partners LP on October 14, 2015, File No. 001-33147)
***4.10    Form of common unit certificate (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to Exhibit 4.3 above)
    *4.11    Form of Senior Indenture (including form of senior debt security)

 

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    *4.12    Form of Subordinated Indenture (including form of subordinated debt security)
  **4.13    Form of Warrant Agreement (including form of warrant certificate)
  **4.14    Form of Rights Agreement (including form of right certificate)
***4.15    Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of October  14, 2015, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and the purchaser named therein (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Production Partners LP on October 14, 2015, File No. 001-33147)
***4.16    Amendment No. 1 to Registration Rights Agreement, effective January  25, 2017, by and between Stonepeak Catarina Holdings LLC and Sanchez Production Partners LP (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Production Partners LP on January  27, 2017, File No. 001-33147)
***4.17    Registration Rights Agreement, dated November  22, 2016, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and SN UR Holdings, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Sanchez Production Partners LP on November 22, 2016, File No. 001-33147)
    *5.1    Opinion of Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP regarding legality of securities to be registered
    *8.1    Opinion of Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP regarding tax matters
  *12.1    Statement Regarding Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
  *23.1    Consent of Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
  *23.2    Consent of KPMG LLP
  *23.3    Consent of Ryder Scott Company, LP
  *24.1    Power of Attorney (included on signature pages).
  *25.1    Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of Trustee under Trust Indenture Act of 1939 regarding the senior debt securities
  *25.2    Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of Trustee under Trust Indenture Act of 1939 regarding the subordinated debt securities

 

* Filed herewith.
** To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to Current Report on Form 8-K filed at a later date in connection with a specific offering.
*** Incorporated by reference.

Item 17. Undertakings.

A. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of

 

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prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;

provided, however, that Paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

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(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

B. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

C. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions described under Item 15 above, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

D. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)( 1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

E. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of subsection 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under section 305(b)(2) of such Act.

F. The registrant undertakes to send to each limited partner at least on an annual basis a detailed statement of any transactions with Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC or its affiliates, and of fees, commissions, compensation and other benefits paid, or accrued to Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC or its affiliates for the fiscal year completed, showing the amount paid or accrued to each recipient and the services performed.

G. The registrant undertakes to provide to the limited partners the financial statements required by Form 10-K for the first full fiscal year of operations of the partnership.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Houston, Texas on March 9, 2018.

 

Sanchez Midstream Partners LP
By:  

Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC,

its general partner

By:   /s/ Gerald F. Willinger
 

Gerald F. Willinger

Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned officers and directors of Sanchez Midstream Partners GP LLC hereby constitutes and appoints Gerald F. Willinger and Charles C. Ward, and each of them individually, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution, for him or her and on his or her behalf and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign, execute and file any or all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and any and all registration statements pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, with any and all exhibits thereto, and all other documents required to be filed therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority, granting unto each such attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises in order to effectuate the same, as fully to all intents and purposes as he himself or herself might or could do, if personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or either of them, or their or his or her substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Antonio R. Sanchez, III

Antonio R. Sanchez, III

   Director; Chairman of the Board   March 9, 2018

/s/ Gerald F. Willinger

Gerald F. Willinger

  

Director; Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

/s/ Charles C. Ward

Charles C. Ward

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

  March 9, 2018

/s/ Patricio D. Sanchez

Patricio D. Sanchez

  

Director; President &

Chief Operating Officer

(Principal Operating Officer)

  March 9, 2018

/s/ Kirsten A. Hink

Kirsten A. Hink

  

Chief Accounting Officer

(Principal Accounting Officer)

  March 9, 2018


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Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Alan S. Bigman

Alan S. Bigman

   Director   March 9, 2018

/s/ Jack Howell

Jack Howell

   Director   March 9, 2018

/s/ Richard S. Langdon

Richard S. Langdon

   Director   March 9, 2018

/s/ G. M. Byrd Larberg

G. M. Byrd Larberg

   Director   March 9, 2018

/s/ Eduardo A. Sanchez

Eduardo A. Sanchez

   Director   March 9, 2018

/s/ Luke R. Taylor

Luke R. Taylor

   Director   March 9, 2018