e424b3
The
information in this prospectus supplement is not complete and
may be changed. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the
prospectus are part of an effective registration statement filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not offers to
sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an offer to buy
these securities, in any state where the offer or sale is not
permitted.
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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333-145657
Subject to completion. Dated
December 7, 2009.
Prospectus Supplement to Prospectus dated November 9, 2007
3,000,000 Common
Units
Calumet
Specialty Products Partners, L.P.
Representing Limited Partner
Interests
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. is offering 3,000,000
common units representing limited partner interests.
The common units are traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under
the symbol CLMT. The last reported sale price of the
common units on December 4, 2009 was $19.39 per common unit.
See Risk Factors on
page S-11
of this prospectus supplement and page 4 of the
accompanying prospectus to read about factors you should
consider before buying the common units.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Per Common Unit
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Total
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Initial price to public
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$
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$
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Underwriting discount
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$
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$
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Proceeds, before expenses, to Calumet Specialty Products
Partners, L.P.
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$
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$
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To the extent that the underwriters sell more than 3,000,000
common units, the underwriters have the option to purchase up to
an additional 450,000 common units from Calumet Specialty
Products Partners, L.P. at the initial price to the public less
the underwriting discount.
The underwriters expect to deliver the common units against
payment in New York, New York on December ,
2009.
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Goldman,
Sachs & Co. |
Barclays Capital |
Deutsche Bank
Securities
Prospectus Supplement dated December , 2009.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Prospectus
Supplement
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S-1
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S-11
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S-12
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S-13
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S-14
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S-15
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S-17
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S-20
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S-20
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S-20
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S-20
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S-22
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Prospectus
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This document is in two parts. The first part is the prospectus
supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering
of common units. The second part is the accompanying prospectus,
which gives more general information, some of which may not
apply to the common units. If the information relating to the
offering varies between the prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus, you should rely on the information in
this prospectus supplement.
You should rely only on the information contained in or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared
by us. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized
anyone to provide you with additional or different information.
If anyone provides you with additional, different or
inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not,
and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these
securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or sale is not
permitted. You should not assume that the information contained
in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is
accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of
those documents or that any information we have incorporated by
reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the
document incorporated by reference. Our business, financial
condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed
since such dates.
S-i
SUMMARY
This summary provides a brief overview of information
contained elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus. Because it is abbreviated, this summary
does not contain all of the information that you should consider
before investing in the common units. You should read the entire
prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the
documents incorporated by reference and the other documents to
which we refer for a more complete understanding of this
offering. Unless we indicate otherwise, the information
presented in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters
option to purchase additional common units is not exercised. You
should read Risk Factors beginning on
page S-11
of this prospectus supplement and page 4 of the
accompanying prospectus for more information about important
risks that you should consider carefully before buying our
common units. References in this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus to Calumet, the
Partnership, we, our,
us or like terms when used in the present tense,
prospectively or for historical periods since January 31,
2006, refer to Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. and its
subsidiaries. References in this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus to our general partner refer
to Calumet GP, LLC.
Calumet Specialty
Products Partners, L.P.
We are a leading independent producer of high-quality, specialty
hydrocarbon products in North America. We own plants located in
Princeton, Louisiana; Cotton Valley, Louisiana; Shreveport,
Louisiana; Karns City, Pennsylvania and Dickinson, Texas and a
terminal located in Burnham, Illinois. Our business is organized
into two segments: specialty products and fuel products. In our
specialty products segment, we process crude oil and other
feedstocks into a wide variety of customized lubricating oils,
white mineral oils, solvents, petrolatums and waxes. Our
specialty products are sold to domestic and international
customers who purchase them primarily as raw material components
for basic industrial, consumer and automotive goods. In our fuel
products segment, we process crude oil into a variety of fuel
and fuel-related products including gasoline, diesel and jet
fuel. In connection with our production of specialty products
and fuel products, we also produce asphalt and a limited number
of other by-products. The asphalt and other by-products produced
in connection with the production of specialty products at our
Princeton, Cotton Valley and Shreveport refineries are included
in our specialty products segment. The by-products produced in
connection with the production of fuel products at our
Shreveport refinery are included in our fuel products segment.
The fuels produced in connection with the production of
specialty products at our Princeton and Cotton Valley refineries
and our Karns City facility are included in our specialty
products segment. For the year ended December 31, 2008 and
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, approximately
73.9% and 82.4%, respectively, of our gross profit was generated
from our specialty products segment and approximately 26.1% and
17.6%, respectively, of our gross profit was generated from our
fuel products segment.
Our operating assets consist of our:
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Princeton Refinery. Our Princeton
refinery, located in northwest Louisiana and acquired in 1990,
produces specialty lubricating oils, including process oils,
base oils, transformer oils and refrigeration oils that are used
in a variety of industrial and automotive applications. The
Princeton refinery has aggregate crude oil throughput capacity
of approximately 10,000 barrels per day (bpd)
and had average daily crude oil throughput of approximately
6,000 bpd for the first nine months of 2009.
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Cotton Valley Refinery. Our Cotton
Valley refinery, located in northwest Louisiana and acquired in
1995, produces specialty solvents that are used principally in
the manufacture of paints, cleaners and automotive products. The
Cotton Valley refinery has aggregate crude oil throughput
capacity of approximately 13,500 bpd and had average daily
crude oil throughput of approximately 5,500 bpd for the
first nine months of 2009.
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Shreveport Refinery. Our Shreveport
refinery, located in northwest Louisiana and acquired in 2001,
produces specialty lubricating oils and waxes, as well as fuel
products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel. The
Shreveport refinery currently has aggregate crude oil throughput
capacity of approximately 60,000 bpd subsequent to the
completion of a major expansion project in May 2008 and had an
average daily crude oil throughput of 44,500 bpd for the
first nine months of 2009.
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Karns City Facility. Our Karns City
facility, located in western Pennsylvania and acquired in 2008,
produces white mineral oils, petrolatums, solvents, gelled
hydrocarbons, cable fillers and natural petroleum sulfonates.
The Karns City facility currently has aggregate feedstock
throughput capacity of approximately 5,500 bpd for the
first nine months of 2009.
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Dickinson Facility. Our Dickinson
facility, located in southeastern Texas and acquired in 2008,
produces white mineral oils, compressor lubricants and natural
petroleum sulfonates. The Dickinson facility currently has
aggregate feedstock throughput capacity of approximately
1,300 bpd for the first nine months of 2009.
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Distribution and Logistics Assets. We
own and operate a terminal in Burnham, Illinois with a storage
capacity of approximately 150,000 barrels that facilitates
the distribution of our products in the Upper Midwest and East
Coast regions of the United States and in Canada. In addition,
we lease approximately 1,700 rail cars to receive crude oil or
distribute our products throughout the United States and Canada.
We also have approximately 6.0 million barrels of aggregate
storage capacity at our facilities and leased storage locations.
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Business
Strategies
Our management team is dedicated to improving our operations by
executing the following strategies:
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Concentrate on Stable Cash Flows. We
intend to continue to focus on businesses and assets that
generate stable cash flows. Approximately 73.9% and 82.4% of our
gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2008 and for
the first nine months of 2009 was generated by the sale of
specialty products, a segment of our business which is
characterized by stable customer relationships due to their
requirements for highly specialized products. We manage our
exposure to crude oil price fluctuations in this segment by
passing on incremental feedstock costs to our specialty products
customers and by maintaining a short-term crude oil hedging
program. Dramatic changes in crude oil prices, both increases
and decreases, during 2008 and the first nine months of 2009 did
impact the stability of cash flows throughout that period.
During the period where crude oil prices rose dramatically, our
gross profit was negatively impacted as adjustments to specialty
product selling prices did not keep pace with the increases in
crude oil prices. During the period where crude oil prices fell
dramatically, our gross profit was enhanced as reductions in
crude oil prices exceeded downward adjustments to specialty
products selling prices. The impact of this volatility can be
seen in our specialty products segment gross profit on a
quarterly basis as it fluctuated from $22.3 million,
$21.5 million, $66.1 million, $77.7 million,
$59.8 million, $20.7 million and $33.5 million,
respectively, for the seven quarters ended September 30,
2009. Also, in our fuel products segment, which accounted for
17.6% of our gross profit in the first nine months of 2009, we
seek to mitigate our exposure to fuel products margin volatility
by maintaining a long-term hedging program. In summary, we
believe the diversity of our products, our broad customer base
and our hedging activities help contribute to the stability of
our cash flows.
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Develop and Expand Our Customer
Relationships. Due to the specialized nature
of, and the long lead-time associated with, the development and
production of many of our specialty products, our customers have
an incentive to continue their relationships with us. We believe
that our larger competitors do not work with customers as we do
from product design to delivery for smaller volume specialty
products like ours. We intend to continue to assist our
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existing customers in expanding their product offerings as well
as marketing specialty product formulations to new customers. By
striving to maintain our long-term relationships with our
existing customers and by adding new customers, we seek to limit
our dependence on a small number of customers. Our Penreco
acquisition provided us with an increase of approximately 1,400
customers and has enhanced our ability to expand our product
offering and to meet our customers needs.
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Enhance Profitability of Our Existing
Assets. We continue to evaluate opportunities
to improve our existing asset base to increase our throughput,
profitability and cash flows. Following each of our asset
acquisitions, we have undertaken projects designed to maximize
the profitability of our acquired assets. We intend to further
increase the profitability of our existing asset base through
various measures which may include changing the product mix of
our processing units, debottlenecking and expanding units as
necessary to increase throughput, restarting idle assets and
reducing costs by improving operations. For example, in late
2004 at the Shreveport refinery we recommissioned certain of its
previously idled fuels production units, refurbished existing
fuels production units, converted existing units to improve
gasoline blending profitability and expanded capacity to
approximately 42,000 bpd to increase lubricating oil and
fuels production. Also, in December 2006, we commenced
construction of an expansion project at our Shreveport refinery
that was completed and operational in May 2008, to increase its
aggregate crude oil throughput capacity from 42,000 bpd to
approximately 60,000 bpd.
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Pursue Strategic and Complementary
Acquisitions. Our management team has
demonstrated the ability to identify opportunities to acquire
refineries whose operations we can enhance and whose
profitability we can improve. In the future, we intend to
continue to make strategic acquisitions of refineries that offer
the opportunity for operational efficiencies and the potential
for increased utilization and expansion. In addition, we may
pursue selected acquisitions in new geographic or product areas
to the extent we perceive similar opportunities. For example, on
January 3, 2008, we acquired Penreco from ConocoPhillips
Company and M.E. Zukerman Specialty Oil Corporation for a
purchase price of approximately $269.1 million.
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Competitive
Strengths
We believe that we are well positioned to execute our business
strategies successfully based on the following competitive
strengths:
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We Offer Our Customers a Diverse Range of Specialty
Products. We offer a wide range of over 750
specialty products. We believe that our ability to provide our
customers with a more diverse selection of products than our
competitors generally gives us an advantage in competing for new
business. We believe that we are the only specialty products
manufacturer that produces all four of naphthenic lubricating
oils, paraffinic lubricating oils, waxes and solvents. A
contributing factor to our ability to produce numerous specialty
products is our ability to ship products between our facilities
for product upgrading in order to meet customer specifications.
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We Have Strong Relationships with a Broad Customer
Base. We have long-term relationships with
many of our customers, and we believe that we will continue to
benefit from these relationships. Our customer base includes
over 2,400 companies and we are continually seeking new
customers. No single specialty products customer accounts for
more that 10% of our consolidated sales.
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Our Facilities Have Advanced
Technology. Our facilities are equipped with
advanced, flexible technology that allows us to produce
high-grade specialty products and to produce fuel products that
comply with low sulfur fuel regulations. For example, our
Shreveport and Cotton Valley refineries have the capability to
make their low sulfur diesel into ultra low sulfur diesel and
the Shreveport refinerys gasoline production meets low
sulfur standards set by the
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Also, unlike larger refineries, which lack some of the equipment
necessary to achieve the narrow distillation ranges associated
with the production of specialty products, our operations are
capable of producing a wide range of products tailored to our
customers needs. We have also upgraded the operations of
many of our assets through our investment in advanced,
computerized refinery process controls.
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We Have an Experienced Management
Team. Our management has a proven track
record of enhancing value through the acquisition, exploitation
and integration of refining assets and the development and
marketing of specialty products. Our senior management team, the
majority of whom have been working together since 1990, has an
average of over 25 years of industry experience. Our
teams extensive experience and contacts within the
refining industry provide a strong foundation and focus for
managing and enhancing our operations, accessing strategic
acquisition opportunities and constructing and enhancing the
profitability of new assets.
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Recent
Developments
LyondellBasell
Agreements
On September 29, 2009, we entered into multiyear agreements
with Houston Refining LP (the LyondellBasell
Agreements), a wholly-owned subsidiary of LyondellBasell
(Houston Refining), to form a long-term exclusive
specialty products affiliation. Under the terms of the
LyondellBasell Agreements, (i) we will be the exclusive
purchaser of Houston Refinings naphthenic lubricating oil
production and are required to purchase a minimum of
approximately 3,000 bpd from Houston Refinings
Houston, Texas refinery, and (ii) Houston Refining will
process a minimum of approximately 800 bpd of white mineral
oil for us, which will supplement the existing white mineral oil
production at our Karns City, Pennsylvania and Dickinson, Texas
facilities. We also received the exclusive right to use certain
LyondellBasell registered trademarks and tradenames including
Tufflo, Duoprime, Duotreat, Crystex, Ideal and Aquamarine. The
LyondellBasell Agreements were deemed effective as of
November 4, 2009 upon the approval of the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The LyondellBasell Agreements are
estimated to increase our specialty products segment production
by approximately 3,800 bpd or 13.1%, based on our specialty
products production for the nine months ended September 30,
2009.
While no fixed assets will be purchased under the LyondellBasell
Agreements, we expect these agreements to increase our working
capital requirements by approximately $30 million at
current market prices.
Recent Financial
Results
On November 6, 2009 we reported our results of operations
for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009.
Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 was
$53.6 million compared to $25.9 million for the same
period in 2008. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA were
$125.4 million and $119.3 million, respectively, for
the nine months ended September 30, 2009 as compared to
$91.3 million and $114.4 million, respectively, for
the comparable period in 2008.
Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2009
was $4.0 million compared to a net loss of $12.5 million
for the same period in 2008. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA were
$27.7 million and $42.5 million, respectively, for the
three months ended September 30, 2009 as compared to
$13.6 million and $51.6 million, respectively, for the
comparable period in 2008. For a reconciliation of EBITDA and
Adjusted EBITDA to net income, our most directly comparable
financial performance measure calculated in accordance with
GAAP, please read Non-GAAP Financial Measures.
Third Quarter
Distribution
On October 20, 2009, we declared a cash distribution of
$0.45 per unit on all outstanding units for the third quarter of
2009. The distribution of $0.45 per unit, or $1.80 per unit on
an annualized basis. The distribution was paid on
November 13, 2009 to unitholders of record as of the close
of business on November 3, 2009.
S-4
The
Offering
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Common units offered |
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3,000,000 common units. |
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3,450,000 common units, if the underwriters exercise their
option to purchase additional units in full. |
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Units outstanding after this offering |
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22,166,000 common units, representing a 61.7% limited partner
interest in us, and 13,066,000 subordinated units, representing
a 36.3% limited partner interest in us. |
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22,616,000 common units, representing a 62.1% limited partner
interest, and 13,066,000 subordinated units, representing a
35.9% limited partner interest in us, if the underwriters
exercise their option to purchase additional units in full. |
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Use of proceeds |
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We expect to use the estimated net proceeds, including our
general partners proportionate capital contribution, of
approximately $56.3 million from this offering (assuming an
offering price of $19.39 per unit, the last reported sales price
of our common units on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on
December 4, 2009), after deducting underwriting discounts,
commissions and fees and estimated offering expenses of
approximately $0.6 million, to repay approximately
$56.3 million of borrowings estimated to be outstanding at
the closing of this offering under our revolving credit
facility, of which approximately $30.0 million was
borrowed, or is expected to be borrowed shortly after the
closing of the offering, to finance our incremental working
capital requirements under the LyondellBasell Agreements. |
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If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional
units, we will use the additional net proceeds either to pay
down additional borrowings outstanding under our revolving
credit facility or for general partnership purposes. |
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Cash distributions |
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We paid a quarterly cash distribution of $0.45 per unit for the
third quarter of 2009, or $1.80 per unit on an annualized basis,
on November 13, 2009 to unitholders of record as of
November 3, 2009. Purchasers of common units offered by
this prospectus supplement are eligible for their first cash
distribution on or about February 15, 2010. |
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Within 45 days after the end of each quarter, we distribute
our available cash to unitholders of record on the applicable
record date. |
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In general, we will pay any cash distributions we make each
quarter in the following manner: |
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first, 98% to the holders of common units, pro rata,
and 2% to our general partner, until each common unit has
received a minimum quarterly distribution of $0.45 plus any
arrearages from prior quarters;
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second, 98% to the holders of subordinated units,
pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, until each subordinated
unit has received a minimum quarterly distribution of $0.45; and
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third, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to
our general partner, until each unit has received a distribution
of $0.495.
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If cash distributions to our unitholders exceed $0.495 per
common unit in any quarter, our general partner will receive
increasing percentages, up to 50%, of the cash we distribute in
excess of that amount. We refer to the amount of these
distributions in excess of the 2% general partner interest as
incentive distributions. |
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We must distribute all of our cash on hand at the end of each
quarter, less reserves established by our general partner. We
refer to this cash as available cash, and we define
its meaning in our partnership agreement. The amount of
available cash may be greater than or less than the minimum
quarterly distribution to be distributed on all units. Please
read Our Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions on
Distributions in the accompanying prospectus. |
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Subordination period |
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During the subordination period, the common units will have the
right to receive distributions of available cash from operating
surplus in an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution
of $0.45 per quarter, plus any arrearages from prior quarters,
before any distributions may be made on the subordinated units.
The subordination period will extend until the first day of any
quarter beginning after December 31, 2010 that each of the
following tests are met: |
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(1) distributions of available cash from operating surplus
on each of the outstanding common units, subordinated units and
general partner units equaled or exceeded the minimum quarterly
distributions on all such units for each of the three
consecutive, non-overlapping four-quarter periods immediately
preceding that date;
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(2) the adjusted operating surplus generated during each of
the three consecutive, non-overlapping four-quarter periods
immediately preceding that date equaled or exceeded the sum of
the minimum quarterly distributions on all of the outstanding
common units, subordinated units and general partner units
during those periods on a fully diluted basis; and
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(3) there are no arrearages in payment of minimum quarterly
distributions on the common units.
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When the subordination period ends, all subordinated units will
convert into common units on a
one-for-one
basis, and the common units will no longer be entitled to
arrearages. |
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Issuance of additional units |
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In general, during the subordination period, we may issue up to
6,533,000 additional common units without obtaining |
S-6
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unitholder approval, which additional units we refer to as the
basket. We can also issue an unlimited number of
common units in connection with accretive acquisitions and
capital improvements that increase cash flow from operations per
unit on an estimated pro forma basis. We can also issue
additional common units if the proceeds are used to repay
indebtedness, the cost of which to service is greater than the
distribution obligations associated with the units issued in
connection with the debt repayment. |
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Before giving effect to this offering, we had the ability to
issue 6,533,000 common units under the basket. In this offering,
the estimated net proceeds from the 3,000,000 units that we
will issue will be used to repay approximately
$56.3 million of borrowings estimated to be outstanding at
the closing of this offering under our revolving credit
facility, of which approximately $30.0 million was borrowed or
is expected to be borrowed shortly after the closing of the
offering, to finance our incremental working capital
requirements under the LyondellBasell Agreements. Therefore,
after this offering, there will be 3,533,000 units
available under the basket, or 3,083,000 units if the
underwriters exercise their overallotment option in full. |
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Please read Description of the Common Units
Issuance of Additional Securities in the accompanying
prospectus. |
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Limited voting rights |
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Our general partner manages and operates us. Unlike the holders
of common stock in a corporation, you will have only limited
voting rights on matters affecting our business. You will have
no right to elect our general partner or its directors on an
annual or other continuing basis. Our general partner may not be
removed except by a vote of the holders of at least
662/3%
of the outstanding units, including any units owned by our
general partner and its affiliates, voting together as a single
class. Upon consummation of this offering, the owners of our
general partner and certain of their affiliates will own an
aggregate of 54.3% of our common and subordinated units. This
will give our general partner the practical ability to prevent
its involuntary removal. Please read Description of the
Common Units Withdrawal or Removal of the General
Partner in the accompanying prospectus. |
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Limited call right |
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If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more
than 80% of the outstanding common units, our general partner
has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase all of the
remaining common units at a price not less than the then-current
market price of the common units. |
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Estimated ratio of taxable income to distributions |
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We estimate that if you own the common units you purchase in
this offering through the record date for distributions for the
period ending December 31, 2011, you will be allocated, on
a cumulative basis, a net amount of federal taxable income for
that period that will be approximately 25% of the cash |
S-7
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distributed to you with respect to that period. For example, if
you receive an annual distribution of $1.80 per unit, we
estimate that your average allocable federal taxable income per
year will be approximately $0.45 per unit. Please read Tax
Consequences in this prospectus supplement. |
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Material tax consequences |
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For a discussion of other material federal income tax
consequences that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who
are individual citizens or residents of the United States,
please read Tax Consequences in this prospectus
supplement and Material Tax Consequences in the
accompanying prospectus. |
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Trading |
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Our common units are traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under
the symbol CLMT. |
S-8
Non-GAAP Financial
Measures
We include in this prospectus supplement the non-GAAP financial
measures EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, and provide reconciliations
of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
and EBITDA to net cash provided by operating activities, our
most directly comparable financial performance and liquidity
measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are used as supplemental financial
measures by our management and by external users of our
financial statements such as investors, commercial banks,
research analysts and others, to assess:
|
|
|
|
|
the financial performance of our assets without regard to
financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis;
|
|
|
|
the ability of our assets to generate cash sufficient to pay
interest costs, support our indebtedness, and meet minimum
quarterly distributions;
|
|
|
|
our operating performance and return on capital as compared to
those of other companies in our industry, without regard to
financing or capital structure; and
|
|
|
|
the viability of acquisitions and capital expenditure projects
and the overall rates of return on alternative investment
opportunities.
|
We define EBITDA as net income plus interest expense (including
debt issuance and extinguishment costs), taxes and depreciation
and amortization. We define Adjusted EBITDA to be Consolidated
EBITDA as defined in our credit facilities. Consistent with that
definition, Adjusted EBITDA means, for any period: (1) net
income plus (2)(a) interest expense; (b) taxes;
(c) depreciation and amortization; (d) unrealized
losses from mark to market accounting for hedging activities;
(e) unrealized items decreasing net income (including the
non-cash impact of restructuring, decommissioning and asset
impairments in the periods presented); and (f) other
non-recurring expenses reducing net income which do not
represent a cash item for such period; minus (3)(a) tax credits;
(b) unrealized items increasing net income (including the
non-cash impact of restructuring, decommissioning and asset
impairments in the periods presented); (c) unrealized gains
from mark to market accounting for hedging activities; and
(d) other non-recurring expenses and unrealized items that
reduced net income for a prior period, but represent a cash item
in the current period. We are required to report Adjusted EBITDA
to our lenders under our credit facilities and it is used to
determine our compliance with the consolidated leverage and
consolidated interest coverage tests thereunder. We are required
to maintain a consolidated leverage ratio of consolidated debt
to Adjusted EBITDA, after giving effect to any proposed
distributions, of no greater than 3.75 to 1 in order to make
distributions to our unitholders.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered alternatives
to net income, operating income, net cash provided by (used in)
operating activities or any other measure of financial
performance presented in accordance with GAAP. Our EBITDA and
Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled
measures of another company because all companies may not
calculate EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA in the same manner. The
following table presents a reconciliation of both net income to
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA to net
cash
S-9
provided by (used in) operating activities, our most directly
comparable GAAP financial performance and liquidity measures,
for each of the periods indicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
|
|
Nine Months Ended
|
|
|
|
September 30,
|
|
|
September 30,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
(In millions)
|
|
|
(In millions)
|
|
|
Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to EBITDA and Adjusted
EBITDA:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
$
|
4.0
|
|
|
$
|
(12.5
|
)
|
|
$
|
53.6
|
|
|
$
|
25.9
|
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense and debt extinguishment costs
|
|
|
8.2
|
|
|
|
10.7
|
|
|
|
25.3
|
|
|
|
25.3
|
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
15.6
|
|
|
|
15.3
|
|
|
|
46.4
|
|
|
|
39.8
|
|
Income tax (benefit) expense
|
|
|
(0.1
|
)
|
|
|
0.1
|
|
|
|
0.1
|
|
|
|
0.3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EBITDA
|
|
$
|
27.7
|
|
|
$
|
13.6
|
|
|
$
|
125.4
|
|
|
$
|
91.3
|
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unrealized (gain) loss from mark to market accounting for
hedging activities
|
|
$
|
11.4
|
|
|
$
|
33.4
|
|
|
$
|
(10.4
|
)
|
|
$
|
15.2
|
|
Prepaid non-recurring expenses and accrued non-recurring
expenses, net of cash outlays
|
|
|
3.4
|
|
|
|
4.6
|
|
|
|
4.3
|
|
|
|
7.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA
|
|
$
|
42.5
|
|
|
$
|
51.6
|
|
|
$
|
119.3
|
|
|
$
|
114.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine Months Ended
|
|
|
|
September 30,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
(In millions)
|
|
|
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA to net cash
provided by operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA
|
|
$
|
119.3
|
|
|
$
|
114.4
|
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unrealized gain (loss) from mark to market accounting for
hedging activities
|
|
|
10.4
|
|
|
|
(15.2
|
)
|
Prepaid non-recurring expenses and accrued non-recurring
expenses, net of cash outlays
|
|
|
(4.3
|
)
|
|
|
(7.9
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EBITDA
|
|
$
|
125.4
|
|
|
$
|
91.3
|
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense and debt extinguishment costs, net
|
|
|
(22.6
|
)
|
|
|
(22.7
|
)
|
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative instruments
|
|
|
(17.6
|
)
|
|
|
13.9
|
|
Income taxes
|
|
|
(0.1
|
)
|
|
|
(0.3
|
)
|
Provision for doubtful accounts
|
|
|
(0.8
|
)
|
|
|
1.3
|
|
Debt extinguishment costs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.9
|
|
Changes in assets and liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts receivable
|
|
|
(17.9
|
)
|
|
|
(64.4
|
)
|
Inventory
|
|
|
(13.2
|
)
|
|
|
84.6
|
|
Other current assets
|
|
|
3.0
|
|
|
|
4.6
|
|
Derivative activity
|
|
|
6.7
|
|
|
|
7.5
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
38.3
|
|
|
|
(39.5
|
)
|
Other current liabilities
|
|
|
2.8
|
|
|
|
4.2
|
|
Other, including changes in noncurrent assets and liabilities
|
|
|
6.6
|
|
|
|
(5.7
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities
|
|
$
|
110.6
|
|
|
$
|
75.7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S-10
RISK
FACTORS
An investment in our common units involves risk. Limited
partner interests are inherently different from capital stock of
a corporation, although many of the business risks to which we
are subject are similar to those that would be faced by a
corporation engaged in a similar business. You should carefully
read the risk factors included under the caption Risk
Factors beginning on page 4 of the accompanying
prospectus and the risk factors described under Risk
Factors in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2008, and our Quarterly
Reports on
Form 10-Q
for the quarters ended March 31, 2009 and June 30,
2009, together with all of the other information included or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. If any
of these risks were to occur, our business, financial condition,
results of operations or prospects could be materially adversely
affected. In such case, the trading price of our units could
decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
If Houston
Refining is unable to perform its obligations under the
LyondellBasell Agreements, our results of operations could be
adversely affected.
Under the LyondellBasell Agreements, we will be the exclusive
purchaser of Houston Refinings naphthenic lubricating oil
production and are required to purchase a minimum of
approximately 3,000 bpd from its Houston, Texas refinery.
In addition, Houston Refining is required to process a minimum
of approximately 800 bpd of white mineral oil for us. Houston
Refinings parent, LyondellBasell, is currently in
bankruptcy reorganization proceedings under Chapter 11 of the
U.S. Bankruptcy Code and there is no guarantee that
LyondellBasell will successfully emerge from bankruptcy. If
LyondellBasell is unable to complete the bankruptcy proceedings
in a timely manner or if it abandons the proceedings, it may be
required to liquidate its operations, which could materially
adversely impact Houston Refinings ability to perform its
obligations under the LyondellBasell Agreements and, in turn,
could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, in order to meet our obligations under the
LyondellBasell Agreements, we anticipate our working capital
requirements will increase by approximately $30.0 million
based on current market prices. If we do not have availability
under our revolving credit facility to fund these working
capital requirements, then we would be required to raise capital
through the credit or capital markets, which could increase our
leverage, reduce our unit price or materially impact our cash
flows, and such markets may not be available to us.
The adoption of
federal climate change regulations imposing obligations or
restrictions on the emission of greenhouse gases
could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for
the crude oil we refine.
In anticipation of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agencys (EPA) finalization of its April 2009 notice of
proposed findings and determination that emissions of carbon
dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases present
an endangerment to human health and the environment because such
emissions are, according to the EPA, contributing to warming of
the earths surface and other climatic changes, the agency
proposed in late September 2009 a suite of regulations that
would restrict such emissions. These rules would require a
reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases from motor vehicles,
the effect of which could reduce demand for motor fuels refined
from crude oil, and could trigger permit review for greenhouse
gas emissions from certain stationary sources, including
refineries. In addition, on September 22, 2009, the EPA
issued a final rule requiring the reporting of greenhouse gas
emissions from specified large greenhouse gas emission sources
in the United States, including refineries, beginning in 2011
for emissions occurring in 2010. The adopting and implementation
of any regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or
limiting emissions of greenhouse gases from our equipment and
operations could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions
of greenhouse gases associated with our operations or could
adversely affect demand for the crude oil we refine.
S-11
USE OF
PROCEEDS
We expect to receive estimated net proceeds, including our
general partners proportionate capital contribution, of
approximately $56.3 million (based on an assumed offering
price of $19.39 per unit, the last reported sales price of our
common units on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on
December 4, 2009) from this offering, after deducting
underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering
expenses of approximately $0.6 million. We will use the net
proceeds from this offering to repay approximately
$56.3 million of borrowings estimated to be outstanding at
the closing of this offering under our revolving credit
facility, of which approximately $30.0 million was borrowed or
is expected to be borrowed shortly after the closing of the
offering to finance our incremental working capital requirements
under the LyondellBasell Agreements.
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional
units, we will use the additional net proceeds either to pay
down additional borrowings outstanding under our revolving
credit facility or for general partnership purposes.
As of December 4, 2009, debt incurred under our revolving
credit facility was approximately $104.4 million, of which
approximately $13.6 million was borrowed to finance our
incremental working capital requirements under the
LyondellBasell Agreements and the balance of which was used
primarily to fund growth capital expenditures and for working
capital requirements. As of December 4, 2009, borrowings
under our revolving credit facility had an interest rate of
approximately 3.75% for all outstanding borrowings. Our
revolving credit facility matures in January 2013.
S-12
CAPITALIZATION
The following table shows:
|
|
|
|
|
our historical cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as
of September 30, 2009; and
|
|
|
|
our historical cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as
adjusted to reflect the sale of 3,000,000 common units in this
offering, the application of estimated net proceeds to repay
borrowings under our revolving credit facility and our general
partners proportionate capital contribution.
|
We derived this table from, and it should be read in conjunction
with and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the
historical and the accompanying notes in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2008, our Quarterly Reports
on
Form 10-Q
for the quarters ended March 31, 2009, June 30, 2009
and September 30, 2009 and our Current Report on
Form 8-K
filed on December 3, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of
|
|
|
|
September 30, 2009
|
|
|
|
Historical
|
|
|
As Adjusted
|
|
|
|
(In thousands)
|
|
|
(In thousands)
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
2,567
|
|
|
$
|
2,567
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long term debt, including current portion:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revolving credit loan
|
|
|
69,104
|
|
|
|
12,807
|
|
Term loan (less unamortized discount)
|
|
|
358,631
|
|
|
|
358,631
|
|
Capital lease obligation
|
|
|
1,900
|
|
|
|
1,900
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total debt
|
|
|
429,635
|
|
|
|
373,338
|
|
Partners capital:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common unitholders
|
|
|
369,376
|
|
|
|
424,486
|
|
Subordinated unitholders
|
|
|
39,404
|
|
|
|
39,404
|
|
General partners interest
|
|
|
18,115
|
|
|
|
19,302
|
|
Accumulated other comprehensive income
|
|
|
22,721
|
|
|
|
22,721
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total partners capital
|
|
|
449,616
|
|
|
|
505,913
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total capitalization
|
|
$
|
879,251
|
|
|
$
|
879,251
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S-13
PRICE RANGE OF
COMMON UNITS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Our common units are quoted and traded on the NASDAQ Global
Market under the symbol CLMT. As of December 7,
2009, we had 19,166,000 common units outstanding, and there were
approximately 23 holders of record of our common units.
The following table shows the low and high sales prices per
common unit, as reported by the NASDAQ Global Market, for the
periods indicated. Distributions are shown in the quarter for
which they were paid. For all periods, an identical cash
distribution was paid on all outstanding common and subordinated
units with the minimum quarterly distribution being met for all
periods. The last reported sales price of the common units on
the NASDAQ Global Market on December 4, 2009, was $19.39.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Price Ranges
|
|
Cash Distribution
|
|
|
Low
|
|
High
|
|
Per Unit
|
|
2009:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First quarter
|
|
$
|
8.11
|
|
|
$
|
13.44
|
|
|
$
|
0.45
|
|
Second quarter
|
|
|
9.45
|
|
|
|
16.84
|
|
|
|
0.45
|
|
Third quarter (1)
|
|
|
13.20
|
|
|
|
18.53
|
|
|
|
0.45
|
|
Fourth quarter (2)
|
|
|
14.75
|
|
|
|
19.87
|
|
|
|
N/A
|
|
2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First quarter
|
|
$
|
22.60
|
|
|
$
|
37.88
|
|
|
$
|
0.45
|
|
Second quarter
|
|
|
11.19
|
|
|
|
23.50
|
|
|
|
0.45
|
|
Third quarter
|
|
|
11.46
|
|
|
|
15.40
|
|
|
|
0.45
|
|
Fourth quarter
|
|
|
5.77
|
|
|
|
15.35
|
|
|
|
0.45
|
|
2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First quarter
|
|
$
|
39.64
|
|
|
$
|
48.50
|
|
|
$
|
0.60
|
|
Second quarter
|
|
|
46.36
|
|
|
|
55.26
|
|
|
|
0.60
|
|
Third quarter
|
|
|
42.27
|
|
|
|
52.90
|
|
|
|
0.63
|
|
Fourth quarter
|
|
|
32.87
|
|
|
|
50.99
|
|
|
|
0.63
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The first distribution payable on the units offered by this
prospectus supplement is expected to be declared in January 2010
and payable in February 2010 with respect to the fourth quarter
of 2009. |
|
(2) |
|
Through December 4, 2009. |
S-14
TAX
CONSEQUENCES
The tax consequences to you of an investment in our common units
will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. Although this
section updates information related to certain tax
considerations, it should be read in conjunction with
Material Tax Consequences in the accompanying
prospectus discussing the principal federal income tax
considerations associated with our operations and the purchase,
ownership and disposition of our common units and Tax
Risks to Common Unitholders in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2008. You are urged to
consult with your own tax advisor about the federal, state,
local and foreign tax consequences peculiar to your
circumstances.
Partnership
Tax Treatment
The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in
common units depends largely on our being treated as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes. We have not
requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our partnership
status. We have, however, received a favorable ruling from the
IRS with respect to treating certain types of income generated
by the Penreco assets and business operations as qualifying
income for the purposes of Section 7704 of the Internal
Revenue Code. For a discussion regarding the importance of
qualifying income and our treatment as a partnership for federal
income tax purposes, please read Material Tax
Consequences Partnership Status in the
accompanying prospectus.
Ratio of
Taxable Income to Distributions
We estimate that if you purchase common units in this offering
and own them through the record date for the distribution for
the period ending December 31, 2011, then you will be
allocated, on a cumulative basis, a net amount of federal
taxable income for that period that will be approximately
25% of the cash distributed to you with respect to that
period. These estimates are based upon the assumption that our
available cash for distribution will be sufficient for us to
make quarterly distributions of $0.45 per unit to the holders of
our common units, and other assumptions with respect to capital
expenditures, cash flow and anticipated cash distributions.
These estimates and assumptions are subject to, among other
things, numerous business, economic, regulatory, competitive and
political uncertainties beyond our control. Further, the
estimates are based on current tax law and certain tax reporting
positions that we have adopted with which the Internal Revenue
Service could disagree. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that
the estimates will be correct. The actual ratio of taxable
income to distributions could be higher or lower, and any
differences could be material and could materially affect the
value of the common units. For example, the ratio of taxable
income to distributions to a purchaser of common units in this
offering will be higher, and perhaps substantially higher, than
our estimate with respect to the period described above if:
|
|
|
|
|
gross income from operations exceeds the amount required to make
minimum quarterly distributions on all units, yet we only
distribute the minimum quarterly distributions on all
units; or
|
|
|
|
we make a future offering of common units and use the proceeds
of the offering in a manner that does not produce substantial
additional deductions during the period described above, such as
to repay indebtedness outstanding at the time of this offering
or to acquire property that is not eligible for deprecation or
amortization for federal income tax purposes or that is
depreciable or amortizable at a rate significantly slower than
the rate applicable to our assets at the time of this offering.
|
See Material Tax Consequences Tax Consequences
of Unit Ownership in the accompanying prospectus.
S-15
Tax
Rates
Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income
tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is 35% and
the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate
applicable to long-term capital gains (generally, capital gains
on certain assets held for more than one year) of individuals is
15%. However, absent new legislation extending the current
rates, beginning January 1, 2011, the highest marginal
U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income
and long-term capital gains of individuals will increase to
39.6% and 20%, respectively. Moreover, these rates are subject
to change by new legislation at any time.
Accuracy-Related
Penalties
The final paragraph in the section Accuracy-Related
Penalties on page 66 of the accompanying prospectus
is deleted and restated in its entirety as follows:
A substantial valuation misstatement exists if the value
of any property, or the adjusted basis of any property, claimed
on a tax return is 150% or more of the amount determined to be
the correct amount of the valuation or adjusted basis. No
penalty is imposed unless the portion of the underpayment
attributable to a substantial valuation misstatement exceeds
$5,000 ($10,000 for most corporations). If the valuation claimed
on a return is 200% or more than the correct valuation, the
penalty imposed increases to 40%. We do not anticipate making
any valuation misstatements.
Tax-Exempt
Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of common units by tax-exempt entities, regulated
investment companies and
non-U.S. investors
raises issues unique to such persons. Please read Material
Tax Consequences Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other
Investors in the accompanying prospectus.
S-16
UNDERWRITING
We and the underwriters named below have entered into an
underwriting agreement with respect to the common units being
offered. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter has
severally agreed to purchase the number of common units
indicated in the following table. Goldman, Sachs & Co.
and Barclays Capital Inc. are the representatives of the
underwriters and joint book-running managers of this offering.
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Number of
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Underwriters
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Common Units
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Goldman, Sachs & Co.
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Barclays Capital Inc.
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Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
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Total
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3,000,000
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The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the
common units being offered, if any are taken, other than the
common units covered by the option described below unless and
until this option is exercised.
If the underwriters sell more common units than the total number
set forth in the table above, the underwriters have an option to
buy up to an additional 450,000 common units from us. They may
exercise that option for 30 days. If any common units are
purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters will
severally purchase common units in approximately the same
proportion as set forth in the table above.
The following table shows the per common unit and total
underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid to the
underwriters by us. Such amounts are shown assuming both no
exercise and full exercise of the underwriters option to
purchase 450,000 additional common units.
Paid by the
Partnership
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No Exercise
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Full Exercise
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Per Common Unit
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$
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$
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Total
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$
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$
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Common units sold by the underwriters to the public will
initially be offered at the initial offering price set forth on
the cover of this prospectus. Any common units sold by the
underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of
up to $ per common unit from the
initial offering price. If all the common units are not sold at
the initial offering price, the representatives may change the
offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the
common units by the underwriters is subject to receipt and
acceptance and subject to the underwriters right to reject
any order in whole or in part.
We, Fred M. Fehsenfeld, Jr. and certain related trusts, F.
William Grube and certain related trusts, The Heritage Group,
our general partner and the directors and executive officers of
our general partner, have agreed with the underwriters, subject
to certain exceptions, not to offer, sell, hedge, contract to
sell, pledge, grant an option to purchase, make any short sale
or otherwise dispose of any of their common units or securities
convertible into or exchangeable for common units during the
period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the
date 90 days after the date of this prospectus, except with
the prior written consent of the representatives, and except
with respect to common units and other equity-based awards
issued or issuable pursuant to our long-term incentive plan.
This agreement does not apply to any existing employee benefit
plans.
Our common units are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under
the symbol CLMT.
S-17
In connection with the offering, the underwriters may engage in
passive market making transactions in the common units on the
NASDAQ Global Select Market in accordance with Rule 103 of
Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the period before the commencement of offers or sales of common
units and extending through the completion of distribution. A
passive market maker must display its bids at a price not in
excess of the highest independent bid of the security. However,
if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market
makers bid that bid must be lowered when specified
purchase limits are exceeded.
In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase
and sell common units in the open market. These transactions may
include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to
cover positions created by short sales. Shorts sales involve the
sale by the underwriters of a greater number of common units
than they are required to purchase in the offering.
Covered short sales are sales made in an amount not
greater than the underwriters option to purchase
additional common units from us in the offering. The
underwriters may close out any covered short position by either
exercising their option to purchase additional common units or
purchasing common units in the open market. In determining the
source of common units to close out the covered short position,
the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of
common units available for purchase in the open market as
compared to the price at which they may purchase additional
common units pursuant to the option granted to them.
Naked short sales are any sales in excess of such
option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position
by purchasing common units in the open market. A naked short
position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are
concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of
the common units in the open market after pricing that could
adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.
Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or
purchases of common units made by the underwriters in the open
market prior to the completion of the offering.
The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when
a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of
the underwriting discount received by it because the
underwriters have repurchased common units sold by or for the
account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering
transactions.
Purchases to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions
may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the
market price of the common units, and, together with the
imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilize, maintain or
otherwise affect the market price of the common units. As a
result, the price of the common units may be higher than the
price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If these
activities are commenced, they may be discontinued at any time.
These transactions may be effected on the NASDAQ Global Market,
in the
over-the-counter
market or otherwise.
Prior to purchasing the common units being offered pursuant to
this prospectus supplement,
between
and ,
one of the underwriters purchased, on behalf of the
syndicate, common
units at an average price of $ per
unit in stabilizing transactions.
Because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority views the
common units offered under this prospectus as interests in a
direct participation program, the offering is being made in
compliance with Rule 2310 of FINRA Rules. Investor
suitability with respect to the common units should be judged
similarly to the suitability with respect to other securities
that are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market or another national
securities exchange.
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the
website maintained by the representative and may also be made
available on websites maintained by other underwriters. The
representative may agree to allocate a number of common units to
underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders.
Internet distributions will be allocated by the representative
to underwriters that may make Internet distributions on the same
basis as other allocations.
S-18
We estimate that the total expenses of the offering, excluding
underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately
$0.6 million.
In no event will the maximum amount of compensation to be paid
to FINRA members in connection with this offering exceed 10%
plus 0.5% for bona fide due diligence.
We and our general partner have agreed to indemnify the several
underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities
under the Securities Act.
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full
service financial institutions engaged in various activities,
which may include securities trading, commercial and investment
banking, financial advisory, investment management, principal
investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. Certain
of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have, from
time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various
financial advisory and investment banking services for us, for
which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
We have entered, in the ordinary course of business, into
certain platinum and palladium leases with Barclays Capital Inc.
and into various derivative financial instrument transactions
related to our crude oil and natural gas purchases and sales of
finished fuel products, including diesel and gasoline crack
spread hedges, with J. Aron & Company, an affiliate of
Goldman, Sachs & Co. We may enter into similar
arrangements with Barclays Capital Inc. and J. Aron &
Company in the future.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the
underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a
broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity
securities (or related derivative securities) and financial
instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for
the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long
and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such
investment and securities activities may involve our securities
and instruments.
S-19
VALIDITY OF THE
COMMON UNITS
The validity of the common units will be passed upon for us by
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas. Certain legal
matters in connection with the common units offered hereby will
be passed upon for the underwriters by Baker Botts L.L.P.,
Houston, Texas.
EXPERTS
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public
accounting firm, has audited the consolidated financial
statements of Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. included
in our Current Report on
Form 8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
December 3, 2009 as set forth in their report, which is
incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in
the registration statement. Our financial statements are
incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young
LLPs report, given on their authority as experts in
accounting and auditing.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public
accounting firm, has audited the consolidated balance sheet of
Calumet GP, LLC included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2008 as set forth in their
report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus
and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial
statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on
Ernst & Young LLPs report, given on their
authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN
FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other
information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we
file with the SEC at the principal offices of the SEC located at
Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E.,
Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such
materials can be obtained by mail at prescribed rates from the
Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E.,
Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call
1-800-SEC-0330
for further information about the operation of the Public
Reference Room. Materials also may be obtained from the
SECs web site
(http://www.sec.gov),
which contains reports, proxy and information statements and
other information regarding companies that file electronically
with the SEC.
INCORPORATION OF
DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
We incorporate by reference information into this
prospectus supplement, which means that we disclose important
information to you by referring you to another document filed
separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by
reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement,
except for any information superseded by information contained
expressly in this prospectus supplement, and the information we
file later with the SEC will automatically supersede this
information. You should not assume that the information in this
prospectus supplement is current as of any date other than the
date on the front page of this prospectus supplement.
Any information that we file under Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and that is
deemed filed with the SEC will automatically update
and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the
documents listed below:
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Our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2008;
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Our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q
for the quarters ended March 31, 2009, June 30, 2009
and September 30, 2009;
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Our Current Reports on
Form 8-K
filed on January 28, 2009, January 30, 2009,
April 22, 2009, May 11, 2009, September 4, 2009,
November 6, 2009, and December 3, 2009; and
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The description of our common units contained in our
registration statement on
Form 8-A
filed on January 18, 2006 and any subsequent amendment
thereto filed for the purpose of updating such description.
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S-20
You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by making
written or telephone requests for such copies to:
Investor Relations
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.
2780 Waterfront Pkwy E. Drive
Suite 200
Indianapolis, Indiana 46214
(317) 328-5660
You should rely only on the information incorporated by
reference or provided in this prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared
by us. If information in incorporated documents conflicts with
information in this prospectus supplement you should rely on the
most recent information. If information in an incorporated
document conflicts with information in another incorporated
document, you should rely on the most recent incorporated
document. You should not assume that the information in this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus or any free
writing prospectus prepared by us or any document incorporated
by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of
those documents. We have not authorized anyone else to provide
you with any information.
S-21
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Some of the information in this prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus and the documents that we have
incorporated by reference (altogether, the Offering
Documents) may contain certain forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. These statements can be identified by the
use of forward-looking terminology including may,
believe, expect, anticipate,
estimate, continue, or other similar
words. The statements regarding (i) expected settlements
with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
(LDEQ) or other environmental and regulatory
liabilities, (ii) our anticipated levels of use of
derivatives to mitigate our exposure to crude oil price changes
and fuel products price changes, (iii) future compliance
with our debt covenants, and (iv) future activities
associated with our contractual arrangements with Houston
Refining LP, as well as other matters discussed in the Offering
Documents that are not purely historical data, are
forward-looking statements. These statements discuss future
expectations or state other forward-looking
information and involve risks and uncertainties. When
considering these forward-looking statements, unitholders should
keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements
included in the Offering Documents. The risk factors in the
Offering Documents and other factors noted throughout the
Offering Documents could cause our actual results to differ
materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. These factors include, but are not limited to:
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the overall demand for specialty hydrocarbon products, fuels and
other refined products;
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our ability to produce specialty products and fuels that meet
our customers unique and precise specifications;
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the impact of fluctuations and rapid increases or decreases in
crude oil and crack spread prices, including the impact on our
liquidity;
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the results of our hedging and other risk management activities;
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our ability to comply with financial covenants contained in our
credit agreements;
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the availability of, and our ability to consummate, acquisition
or combination opportunities;
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labor relations;
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our access to capital to fund expansions, acquisitions and our
working capital needs and our ability to obtain debt or equity
financing on satisfactory terms;
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successful integration and future performance of acquired
assets, businesses or other related agreements;
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environmental liabilities or events that are not covered by an
indemnity, insurance or existing reserves;
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maintenance of our credit ratings and ability to receive open
credit lines from our suppliers;
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demand for various grades of crude oil and resulting changes in
pricing conditions;
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fluctuations in refinery capacity;
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the effects of competition;
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continued creditworthiness of, and performance by,
counterparties;
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the impact of current and future laws, rulings and governmental
regulations;
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shortages or cost increases of power supplies, natural gas,
materials or labor;
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hurricane or other weather interference with business operations;
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fluctuations in the debt and equity markets;
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S-22
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accidents or other unscheduled shutdowns; and
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general economic, market or business conditions.
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Other factors described herein, or factors that are unknown or
unpredictable, could also have a material adverse effect on
future results. Our forward looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future
performance may differ materially from those suggested in any
forward looking statement. We will not update these statements
unless securities laws require us to do so.
All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements
attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are
expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing. We
undertake no obligation to publicly release the results of any
revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be
made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this
report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
S-23
PROSPECTUS
CALUMET SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
PARTNERS, L.P.
CALUMET FINANCE CORP.
Common Units
Debt Securities
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more series:
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common units representing limited partnership interests in
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.; and
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debt securities, which may be either senior debt securities or
subordinated debt securities.
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Calumet Finance Corp. may act as co-issuer of the debt
securities, and all other direct or indirect subsidiaries of
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P., other than
minor subsidiaries as such item is interpreted in
securities regulations governing financial reporting for
guarantors, may guarantee the debt securities.
The securities we may offer:
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will have a maximum aggregate offering price of $750,000,000.00;
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will be offered at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or
more accompanying prospectus supplements; and
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may be offered separately or together, or in separate series.
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Our common units are traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under
the symbol CLMT. We will provide information in the
prospectus supplement for the trading market, if any, for any
debt securities we may offer.
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 those securities and the terms of
that offering. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or
change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus
may be used to offer and sell securities only if accompanied by
a prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus and any
prospectus supplement carefully before you invest. You should
also read the documents we refer to in the Where You Can
Find More Information section of this prospectus for
information on us and our financial statements.
Limited partnerships are inherently different than
corporations. You should carefully consider each of the factors
described under Risk Factors beginning on
page 4 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 November 9, 2007
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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You should rely only on the information contained or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not
authorized any other person to provide you with different
information. You should not assume that the information
incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus is
accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this
prospectus.
ii
GUIDE
TO READING THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on
Form S-3
that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or
SEC, utilizing a shelf registration process or
continuous offering process. Under this shelf registration
process, we may, from time to time, sell up to $750,000,000.00
of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more
offerings. Each time we offer securities, we will provide you
with this prospectus and a prospectus supplement that will
describe, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of
the securities being offered and the terms of the offering,
including, in the case of debt securities, the specific terms of
the securities.
That prospectus supplement may include additional risk factors
or other special considerations applicable to those securities
and may also add, update, or change information in this
prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the
information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement,
you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement.
Throughout this prospectus, when we use the terms
we, us, or Calumet, we are
referring either to Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.,
the registrant itself, or to Calumet Specialty Products
Partners, L.P. and its operating subsidiaries collectively, as
the context requires.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We incorporate by reference information into this
prospectus, which means that we disclose important information
to you by referring you to another document filed separately
with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is
deemed to be part of this prospectus, except for any information
superseded by information contained expressly in this
prospectus, and the information we file later with the SEC will
automatically supersede this information. You should not assume
that the information in this prospectus is current as of any
date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus.
Any information filed by us under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
Exchange Act) after the date of this prospectus, and
that is deemed filed, with the SEC will be
incorporated by reference and automatically update and supersede
this information. We incorporate by reference the documents
listed below:
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Our Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006;
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Our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q
for the periods ended March 31, 2007 and June 30, 2007;
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Our current reports on Form 8-K filed on September 5,
2007, October 22, 2007 and November 6, 2007; and
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The description of our common units contained in our
registration statement on
Form 8-A
filed on January 18, 2006 and any subsequent amendment
thereto filed for the purpose of updating such description.
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In addition, all documents filed by us pursuant to the Exchange
Act after the date of the initial registration statement and
prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, and
that is deemed filed with the SEC, shall be deemed
to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference
in this prospectus and any exhibit specifically incorporated by
reference in those documents, at no cost, by writing or
telephoning us at the following address or phone number:
Jennifer
Straumins
2780 Waterfront Pkwy E. Drive
Suite 200
Indianapolis, Indiana 46214
(317) 328-5660
Additionally, you may read and copy any documents filed by us at
the SECs 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
1
on the public reference room. Our filings with the SEC are also
available to the public from commercial document retrieval
services and at the SECs web site at
http://www.sec.gov.
We also make available free of charge on our internet website at
http://www.calumetspecialty.com
our annual reports on
Form 10-K
and our quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q,
and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably
practicable after we electronically file such material with the
SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by
reference into this prospectus and you should not consider
information contained on our website as part of this prospectus.
INFORMATION
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the information in this prospectus may contain
forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements
of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These
statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology including may, believe,
will, expect, anticipate,
estimate, continue or other similar
words. These statements discuss plans, strategies, events or
developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in
the future. Although we believe our forward-looking statements
are based on reasonable assumptions, statements made regarding
future results are subject to numerous assumptions,
uncertainties and risks that may cause future results to be
materially different from the results stated or implied in this
document.
Specific factors could cause our actual results to differ
materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. These factors include, but are not limited to:
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the overall demand for specialty hydrocarbon products, fuels and
other refined products;
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our ability to produce specialty products and fuels that meet
our customers unique and precise specifications;
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the results of our hedging activities;
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the availability of, and our ability to consummate, acquisition
or combination opportunities;
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our access to capital to fund expansions or acquisitions and our
ability to obtain debt or equity financing on satisfactory terms;
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successful integration and future performance of acquired assets
or businesses;
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environmental liabilities or events that are not covered by an
indemnity, insurance or existing reserves;
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maintenance of our credit rating and ability to receive open
credit from our suppliers;
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demand for various grades of crude oil and resulting changes in
pricing conditions;
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fluctuations in refinery capacity;
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the effects of competition;
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continued creditworthiness of, and performance by,
counterparties;
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the impact of crude oil price fluctuations;
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the impact of current and future laws, rulings and governmental
regulations;
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shortages or cost increases of power supplies, natural gas,
materials or labor;
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weather interference with business operations or project
construction;
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fluctuations in the debt and equity markets; and
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general economic, market or business conditions.
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These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Our future
results will depend upon various other risks and uncertainties,
including those described elsewhere in Risk Factors.
Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material
adverse effects on our future results. You should not put undue
reliance on any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking
statements attributable to us are qualified in their entirety by
this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update our
forward-looking statements.
2
CALUMET
SPECIALTY PRODUCTS PARTNERS, L.P.
We are a leading independent producer of high-quality, specialty
hydrocarbon products in North America. Our business is organized
into two segments: specialty products and fuel products. In our
specialty products segment, we process crude oil into a wide
variety of customized lubricating oils, solvents and waxes. Our
specialty products are sold to domestic and international
customers who purchase them primarily as raw material components
for basic industrial, consumer and automotive goods. In our fuel
products segment, we process crude oil into a variety of fuel
and fuel-related products including unleaded gasoline, diesel
and jet fuel. In connection with our production of specialty
products and fuel products, we also produce asphalt and a
limited number of other by-products.
Our operating assets consist of our:
Princeton Refinery. Our Princeton refinery,
located in northwest Louisiana and acquired in 1990, produces
specialty lubricating oils, including process oils, base oils,
transformer oils and refrigeration oils that are used in a
variety of industrial and automotive applications. The Princeton
refinery has aggregate crude oil throughput capacity of
approximately 10,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Cotton Valley Refinery. Our Cotton Valley
refinery, located in northwest Louisiana and acquired in 1995,
produces specialty solvents that are used principally in the
manufacture of paints, cleaners and automotive products. The
Cotton Valley refinery has aggregate crude oil throughput
capacity of approximately 13,500 bpd.
Shreveport Refinery. Our Shreveport refinery,
located in northwest Louisiana and acquired in 2001, produces
specialty lubricating oils and waxes, as well as fuel products
such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The Shreveport refinery
currently has aggregate crude oil throughput capacity of
approximately 42,000 bpd. We have commenced a major
expansion project at our Shreveport refinery to increase its
throughput capacity and its production of specialty products.
The expansion project involves several of the refinerys
operating units and is estimated to result in a crude oil
throughput capacity increase of approximately 15,000 bpd,
bringing total crude oil throughput capacity of the refinery to
approximately 57,000 bpd. The expansion is expected to be
completed and fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Distribution and Logistics Assets. We own and
operate a terminal in Burnham, Illinois with a storage capacity
of approximately 150,000 barrels that facilitates the
distribution of product in the Upper Midwest and East Coast
regions of the United States and in Canada. In addition, we
lease approximately 1,200 rail cars to receive crude oil or
distribute our products throughout the United States and Canada.
We also have approximately 4.5 million barrels of aggregate
finished product storage capacity at our refineries.
Partnership
Structure and Management
Calumet GP, LLC is our general partner and has sole
responsibility for conducting our business and managing our
operations. Calumet Finance Corp., our wholly-owned subsidiary,
has no material assets or any liabilities other than as a
co-issuer of our debt securities. Its activities will be limited
to co-issuing our debt securities and engaging in other
activities incidental thereto.
Our principal executive office is located at 2780 Waterfront
Pkwy E. Drive, Suite 200, Indianapolis, Indiana 46214. Our
telephone number is
(317) 328-5660.
Our common units are traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under
the symbol CLMT.
3
Limited partner interests are inherently different from
capital stock of a corporation, although many of the business
risks to which we are subject are similar to those that would be
faced by a corporation engaged in a similar business. The
following risks could materially and adversely affect our
business, financial condition or results of operations. In that
case, the amount of the distributions on our common units could
be materially and adversely affected, the trading price of our
common units could decline.
Risks
Related to Our Business
We may
not have sufficient cash from operations to enable us to pay the
minimum quarterly distribution following the establishment of
cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses, including
payments to our general partner.
We may not have sufficient available cash from operations each
quarter to enable us to pay the minimum quarterly distribution.
Under the terms of our partnership agreement, we must pay
expenses, including payments to our general partner, and set
aside any cash reserve amounts before making a distribution to
our unitholders. The amount of cash we can distribute on our
units principally depends upon the amount of cash we generate
from our operations, which is primarily dependent upon our
producing and selling quantities of fuel and specialty products,
or refined products, at margins that are high enough to cover
our fixed and variable expenses. Crude oil costs, fuel and
specialty products prices and, accordingly, the cash we generate
from operations, will fluctuate from quarter to quarter based
on, among other things:
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overall demand for specialty hydrocarbon products, fuel and
other refined products;
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the level of foreign and domestic production of crude oil and
refined products;
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our ability to produce fuel and specialty products that meet our
customers unique and precise specifications;
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the marketing of alternative and competing products;
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the extent of government regulation;
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results of our hedging activities; and
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overall economic and local market conditions.
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In addition, the actual amount of cash we will have available
for distribution will depend on other factors, some of which are
beyond our control, including:
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the level of capital expenditures we make, including those for
acquisitions, if any;
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our debt service requirements;
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fluctuations in our working capital needs;
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our ability to borrow funds and access capital markets;
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restrictions on distributions and on our ability to make working
capital borrowings for distributions contained in our credit
facilities; and
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the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner
for the proper conduct of our business.
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The
amount of cash we have available for distribution to unitholders
depends primarily on our cash flow and not solely on
profitability.
Unitholders should be aware that the amount of cash we have
available for distribution depends primarily upon our cash flow,
including cash flow from financial reserves and working capital
borrowings, and not solely on profitability, which will be
affected by non-cash items. As a result, we may make cash
distributions during periods when we record losses and may not
make cash distributions during periods when we record net income.
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Refining
margins are volatile, and a reduction in our refining margins
will adversely affect the amount of cash we will have available
for distribution to our unitholders.
Our financial results are primarily affected by the
relationship, or margin, between our specialty products and fuel
prices and the prices for crude oil and other feedstocks. The
cost to acquire our feedstocks and the price at which we can
ultimately sell our refined products depend upon numerous
factors beyond our control. Historically, refining margins have
been volatile, and they are likely to continue to be volatile in
the future. A widely used benchmark in the fuel products
industry to measure market values and margins is the
3/2/1
crack spread, which represents the approximate gross
margin resulting from processing one barrel of crude oil,
assuming that three barrels of a benchmark crude oil are
converted, or cracked, into two barrels of gasoline and one
barrel of heating oil. The
3/2/1 crack
spread averaged $3.04 per barrel between 1990 and 1999, $4.61
per barrel between 2000 and 2004, $10.63 per barrel in 2005,
$8.68 per barrel in the first quarter of 2006, $15.75 per barrel
in the second quarter of 2006, $10.92 per barrel in the third
quarter of 2006 and $7.43 per barrel in the fourth quarter of
2006, $10.70 for the year ended December 31, 2006, $12.47
for the first quarter of 2007 and $24.30 for the second quarter
of 2007. Our actual refinery margins vary from the Gulf Coast
3/2/1 crack
spread due to the actual crude oil used and products produced,
transportation costs, regional differences, and the timing of
the purchase of the feedstock and sale of the refined products,
but we use the Gulf Coast
3/2/1 crack
spread as an indicator of the volatility and general levels of
refining margins. Because refining margins are volatile,
unitholders should not assume that our current margins will be
sustained. If our refining margins fall, it will adversely
affect the amount of cash we will have available for
distribution to our unitholders.
The price at which we sell specialty products, fuel and other
refined products is strongly influenced by the commodity price
of crude oil. If crude oil prices increase, our operating
margins will fall unless we are able to pass along these price
increases to our customers. Increases in selling prices
typically lag the rising cost of crude oil for specialty
products. It is possible we may not be able to pass on all or
any portion of the increased crude oil costs to our customers.
In addition, we will not be able to completely eliminate our
commodity risk through our hedging activities.
Because
of the volatility of crude oil and refined products prices, our
method of valuing our inventory may result in decreases in net
income.
The nature of our business requires us to maintain substantial
quantities of crude oil and refined product inventories. Because
crude oil and refined products are essentially commodities, we
have no control over the changing market value of these
inventories. Because our inventory is valued at the lower of
cost or market value, if the market value of our inventory were
to decline to an amount less than our cost, we would record a
write-down of inventory and a non-cash charge to cost of sales.
In a period of decreasing crude oil or refined product prices,
our inventory valuation methodology may result in decreases in
net income.
The
price volatility of fuel and utility services may result in
decreases in our earnings, profitability and cash
flows.
The volatility in costs of fuel, principally natural gas, and
other utility services, principally electricity, used by our
refinery and other operations affect our net income and cash
flows. Fuel and utility prices are affected by factors outside
of our control, such as supply and demand for fuel and utility
services in both local and regional markets. Natural gas prices
have historically been volatile.
For example, daily prices as reported on the New York Mercantile
Exchange (NYMEX) ranged between $6.16 and $8.19 per
million British thermal units, or MMBtu, in the first six months
of 2007, $4.20 and $10.62 per MMBtu in 2006 and between $5.79
and $15.39 per MMBtu in 2005. Typically, electricity prices
fluctuate with natural gas prices. Future increases in fuel and
utility prices may have a material adverse effect on our results
of operations. Fuel and utility costs constituted approximately
43.9%, 42.3% and 45.6% of our total operating expenses included
in cost of sales for the period ended June 30, 2007 and for
the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
5
Our
hedging activities may reduce our earnings, profitability and
cash flows.
We are exposed to fluctuations in the price of crude oil, fuel
products, natural gas and interest rates. We utilize derivative
financial instruments related to the future price of crude oil,
natural gas and fuel products with the intent of reducing
volatility in our cash flows due to fluctuations in commodity
prices. We are not able to enter into derivative financial
instruments to reduce the volatility of the prices of the
specialty hydrocarbon products we sell as there is no
established derivative market for such products.
Prior to 2006, we had not designated all of our derivative
instruments as hedges in accordance with the provisions of
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 133,
Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging
Activities. According to SFAS 133, changes in the fair
value of derivatives which have not been designated as hedges
are to be recorded each period in earnings and reflected in
unrealized gain (loss) on derivative instruments in the
consolidated statements of operations. For the period ended
June 30, 2007 and for the years ended December 31,
2006, 2005 and 2004, these unrealized gains (losses) were
$(1.5) million, $12.3 million, $(27.6) million,
and $(7.8) million, respectively. On April 1, 2006, we
designated certain derivative contracts that hedge the purchase
of crude oil and sale of fuel products as cash flow hedges to
the extent they qualify for hedge accounting. Subsequent to
April 1, 2006, we designated certain derivatives related to
crude oil and natural gas purchases and fuel product sales, and
interest payments as cash flow hedges at the time of their
execution. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the
change in fair value of these derivatives is reflected in
accumulated other comprehensive income in the consolidated
balance sheets. A total fair value of $(36.9) million and
$52.3 million of these derivatives is reflected in
accumulated other comprehensive income on the consolidated
balance sheets as of June 30, 2007 and December 31,
2006, respectively.
The extent of our commodity price exposure is related largely to
the effectiveness and scope of our hedging activities. For
example, the derivative instruments we utilize are based on
posted market prices, which may differ significantly from the
actual crude oil prices, natural gas prices or fuel products
prices that we incur in our operations. Furthermore, we have a
policy to enter into derivative transactions related to only a
portion of the volume of our expected purchase and sales
requirements and, as a result, we will continue to have direct
commodity price exposure to the unhedged portion. Our actual
future purchase and sales requirements may be significantly
higher or lower than we estimate at the time we enter into
derivative transactions for such period. If the actual amount is
higher than we estimate, we will have greater commodity price
exposure than we intended. If the actual amount is lower than
the amount that is subject to our derivative financial
instruments, we might be forced to satisfy all or a portion of
our derivative transactions without the benefit of the cash flow
from our sale or purchase of the underlying physical commodity,
resulting in a substantial diminution of our liquidity. As a
result, our hedging activities may not be as effective as we
intend in reducing the volatility of our cash flows. In
addition, our hedging activities are subject to the risks that a
counterparty may not perform its obligation under the applicable
derivative instrument, the terms of the derivative instruments
are imperfect, and our hedging policies and procedures are not
properly followed. It is possible that the steps we take to
monitor our derivative financial instruments may not detect and
prevent violations of our risk management policies and
procedures, particularly if deception or other intentional
misconduct is involved.
Our
asset reconfiguration and enhancement initiatives, including the
current expansion project at our Shreveport refinery, may not
result in revenue or cash flow increases, may be subject to
significant cost overruns and are subject to regulatory,
environmental, political, legal and economic risks, which could
adversely affect our business, operating results, cash flows and
financial condition.
We plan to grow our business in part through the reconfiguration
and enhancement of our refinery assets. As a specific current
example, we have commenced construction of an expansion project
at our Shreveport refinery to increase throughput capacity and
crude oil processing flexibility. This construction project and
the construction of other additions or modifications to our
existing refineries involve numerous regulatory, environmental,
political, legal and economic uncertainties beyond our control,
which could cause delays in construction or require the
expenditure of significant amounts of capital, which we may
finance with additional indebtedness or by issuing additional
equity securities. As a result, these projects may not be
completed at the budgeted cost, on schedule, or at all.
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We currently anticipate that our expansion project at the
Shreveport refinery will cost approximately $200.0 million.
We may suffer significant delays to the expected completion date
or significant additional cost overruns as a result of increases
in construction costs, shortages of workers or materials,
transportation constraints, adverse weather, regulatory and
permitting challenges, unforeseen difficulties or labor issues.
Thus, construction to expand our Shreveport refinery or
construction of other additions or modifications to our existing
refineries may occur over an extended period of time and we may
not receive any material increases in revenues and cash flows
until the project is completed, if at all. Until the Shreveport
expansion project is put into commercial service and increases
our cash flow from operations on a per unit basis, we will be
able to issue only 3,233,000 additional common units without
obtaining unitholder approval, thereby limiting our ability to
raise additional capital through the sale of common units.
If our
general financial condition deteriorates, we may be limited in
our ability to issue letters of credit which may affect our
ability to enter into hedging arrangements or to purchase crude
oil.
We rely on our ability to issue letters of credit to enter into
hedging arrangements in an effort to reduce our exposure to
adverse fluctuations in the prices of crude oil, natural gas and
crack spreads. We also rely on our ability to issue letters of
credit to purchase crude oil for our refineries and enter into
cash flow hedges of crude oil and natural gas purchases and fuel
products sales. If, due to our financial condition or other
reasons, we are limited in our ability to issue letters of
credit or we are unable to issue letters of credit at all, we
may be required to post substantial amounts of cash collateral
to our hedging counterparties or crude oil suppliers in order to
continue these activities, which would adversely affect our
liquidity and our ability to distribute cash to our unitholders.
We
depend on certain key crude oil gatherers for a significant
portion of our supply of crude oil, and the loss of any of these
key suppliers or a material decrease in the supply of crude oil
generally available to our refineries could materially reduce
our ability to make distributions to unitholders.
We purchase crude oil from major oil companies as well as from
various gatherers and marketers in Texas and North Louisiana.
For the six months ended June 30, 2007, subsidiaries of
Plains and Shell Trading Company supplied us with approximately
59% and 11%, respectively, of our total crude oil supplies. Each
of our refineries is dependent on one or both of these suppliers
and the loss of these suppliers would adversely affect our
financial results to the extent we were unable to find another
supplier of this substantial amount of crude oil. We do not
maintain long-term contracts with most of our suppliers.
To the extent that our suppliers reduce the volumes of crude oil
that they supply us as a result of declining production or
competition or otherwise, our revenues, net income and cash
available for distribution would decline unless we were able to
acquire comparable supplies of crude oil on comparable terms
from other suppliers, which may not be possible in areas where
the supplier that reduces its volumes is the primary supplier in
the area. A material decrease in crude oil production from the
fields that supply our refineries, as a result of depressed
commodity prices, lack of drilling activity, natural production
declines or otherwise, could result in a decline in the volume
of crude oil we refine. Fluctuations in crude oil prices can
greatly affect production rates and investments by third parties
in the development of new oil reserves. Drilling activity
generally decreases as crude oil prices decrease. We have no
control over the level of drilling activity in the fields that
supply our refineries, the amount of reserves underlying the
wells in these fields, the rate at which production from a well
will decline or the production decisions of producers, which are
affected by, among other things, prevailing and projected energy
prices, demand for hydrocarbons, geological considerations,
governmental regulation and the availability and cost of capital.
We are
dependent on certain third-party pipelines for transportation of
crude oil and refined products, and if these pipelines become
unavailable to us, our revenues and cash available for
distribution could decline.
Our Shreveport refinery is interconnected to pipelines that
supply most of its crude oil and ship most of its refined fuel
products to customers, such as pipelines operated by
subsidiaries of TEPPCO Partners, L.P. and Exxon Mobil. Since we
do not own or operate any of these pipelines, their continuing
operation is not within
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our control. If any of these third-party pipelines become
unavailable to transport crude oil feedstock or our refined fuel
products because of accidents, government regulation, terrorism
or other events, our revenues, net income and cash available for
distribution could decline.
Distributions
to unitholders could be adversely affected by a decrease in the
demand for our specialty products.
Changes in our customers products or processes may enable
our customers to reduce consumption of the specialty products
that we produce or make our specialty products unnecessary.
Should a customer decide to use a different product due to
price, performance or other considerations, we may not be able
to supply a product that meets the customers new
requirements. In addition, the demand for our customers
end products could decrease, which would reduce their demand for
our specialty products. Our specialty products customers are
primarily in the industrial goods, consumer goods and automotive
goods industries and we are therefore susceptible to changing
demand patterns and products in those industries. Consequently,
it is important that we develop and manufacture new products to
replace the sales of products that mature and decline in use. If
we are unable to manage successfully the maturation of our
existing specialty products and the introduction of new
specialty products our revenues, net income and cash available
for distribution to unitholders could be reduced.
Distributions
to unitholders could be adversely affected by a decrease in
demand for fuel products in the markets we serve.
Any sustained decrease in demand for fuel products in the
markets we serve could result in a significant reduction in our
cash flows, reducing our ability to make distributions to
unitholders. Factors that could lead to a decrease in market
demand include:
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a recession or other adverse economic condition that results in
lower spending by consumers on gasoline, diesel, and travel;
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higher fuel taxes or other governmental or regulatory actions
that increase, directly or indirectly, the cost of fuel products;
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an increase in fuel economy or the increased use of alternative
fuel sources;
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an increase in the market price of crude oil that lead to higher
refined product prices, which may reduce demand for fuel
products;
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competitor actions; and
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availability of raw materials.
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We
could be subject to damages based on claims brought against us
by our customers or lose customers as a result of the failure of
our products to meet certain quality
specifications.
Our specialty products provide precise performance attributes
for our customers products. If a product fails to perform
in a manner consistent with the detailed quality specifications
required by the customer, the customer could seek replacement of
the product or damages for costs incurred as a result of the
product failing to perform as guaranteed. A successful claim or
series of claims against us could result in a loss of one or
more customers and reduce our ability to make distributions to
unitholders.
We are
subject to compliance with stringent environmental laws and
regulations that may expose us to substantial costs and
liabilities.
Our crude oil and specialty hydrocarbon refining and terminal
operations are subject to stringent and complex federal, state
and local environmental laws and regulations governing the
discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise
relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations
impose numerous obligations that are applicable to our
operations, including the acquisition of permits to conduct
regulated activities, the incurrence of significant capital
expenditures to limit or prevent releases of materials
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from our refineries, terminal, and related facilities, and the
incurrence of substantial costs and liabilities for pollution
resulting both from our operations and from those of prior
owners. Numerous governmental authorities, such as the EPA and
state agencies, such as the LDEQ, have the power to enforce
compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits
issued under them, often requiring difficult and costly actions.
Failure to comply with environmental laws, regulations, permits
and orders may result in the assessment of administrative,
civil, and criminal penalties, the imposition of remedial
obligations, and the issuance of injunctions limiting or
preventing some or all of our operations.
We recently have entered into discussions on a voluntary basis
with the LDEQ regarding our participation in that agencys
Small Refinery and Single Site Refinery Initiative.
We are only in the beginning stages of discussion with the LDEQ
and, consequently, while no specific compliance and enforcement
expenditures have been requested as a result of our discussions,
we anticipate that we will ultimately be required to make
emissions reductions requiring capital investments between an
aggregate of $1.0 million and $3.0 million over a
three to five year period at the Companys three Louisiana
refineries.
Our
business subjects us to the inherent risk of incurring
significant environmental liabilities in the operation of our
refineries and related facilities.
There is inherent risk of incurring significant environmental
costs and liabilities in the operation of our refineries,
terminal, and related facilities due to our handling of
petroleum hydrocarbons and wastes, air emissions and water
discharges related to our operations, and historical operations
and waste disposal practices by prior owners. We currently own
or operate properties that for many years have been used for
industrial activities, including refining or terminal storage
operations. Petroleum hydrocarbons or wastes have been released
on or under the properties owned or operated by us. Joint and
several strict liability may be incurred in connection with such
releases of petroleum hydrocarbons and wastes on, under or from
our properties and facilities. Private parties, including the
owners of properties adjacent to our operations and facilities
where our petroleum hydrocarbons or wastes are taken for
reclamation or disposal, may also have the right to pursue legal
actions to enforce compliance as well as to seek damages for
non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations or for
personal injury or property damage. We may not be able to
recover some or any of these costs from insurance or other
sources of indemnity.
Increasingly stringent environmental laws and regulations,
unanticipated remediation obligations or emissions control
expenditures and claims for penalties or damages could result in
substantial costs and liabilities, and our ability to make
distributions to our unitholders could suffer as a result.
Neither the owners of our general partner nor their affiliates
have indemnified us for any environmental liabilities, including
those arising from non-compliance or pollution, that may be
discovered at, or arise from operations on, the assets they
contributed to us in connection with the closing of our initial
public offering. As such, we can expect no economic assistance
from any of them in the event that we are required to make
expenditures to investigate or remediate any petroleum
hydrocarbons, wastes or other materials.
We are
exposed to trade credit risk in the ordinary course of our
business activities.
We are exposed to risks of loss in the event of nonperformance
by our customers and by counterparties of our forward contracts,
options and swap agreements. Some of our customers and
counterparties may be highly leveraged and subject to their own
operating and regulatory risks. Even if our credit review and
analysis mechanisms work properly, we may experience financial
losses in our dealings with other parties. Any increase in the
nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers
and/or
counterparties could reduce our ability to make distributions to
our unitholders.
If we
do not make acquisitions on economically acceptable terms, our
future growth will be limited.
Our ability to grow depends on our ability to make acquisitions
that result in an increase in the cash generated from operations
per unit. If we are unable to make these accretive acquisitions
either because we are: (1) unable to identify attractive
acquisition candidates or negotiate acceptable purchase
contracts with them, (2) unable to obtain financing for
these acquisitions on economically acceptable terms, or
(3) outbid by
9
competitors, then our future growth and ability to increase
distributions will be limited. Furthermore, any acquisition
involves potential risks, including, among other things:
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performance from the acquired assets and businesses that is
below the forecasts we used in evaluating the acquisition;
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a significant increase in our indebtedness and working capital
requirements;
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an inability to timely and effectively integrate the operations
of recently acquired businesses or assets, particularly those in
new geographic areas or in new lines of business;
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the incurrence of substantial unforeseen environmental and other
liabilities arising out of the acquired businesses or assets;
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the diversion of managements attention from other business
concerns; and
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customer or key employee losses at the acquired businesses.
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If we consummate any future acquisitions, our capitalization and
results of operations may change significantly, and our
unitholders will not have the opportunity to evaluate the
economic, financial and other relevant information that we will
consider in determining the application of our funds and other
resources.
Our
refineries and terminal operations face operating hazards, and
the potential limits on insurance coverage could expose us to
potentially significant liability costs.
Our activities are conducted at three refineries in northwest
Louisiana and a terminal in Illinois. These facilities are our
principal operating assets. Our operations are subject to
significant interruption, and our cash from operations could
decline if any of our facilities experiences a major accident or
fire, is damaged by severe weather or other natural disaster, or
otherwise is forced to curtail its operations or shut down.
These hazards could result in substantial losses due to personal
injury
and/or loss
of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and
equipment and pollution or other environmental damage and may
result in curtailment or suspension of our related operations.
We are not fully insured against all risks incident to our
business. Furthermore, we may be unable to maintain or obtain
insurance of the type and amount we desire at reasonable rates.
As a result of market conditions, premiums and deductibles for
certain of our insurance policies have increased and could
escalate further. In some instances, certain insurance could
become unavailable or available only for reduced amounts of
coverage. Our business interruption insurance will not apply
unless a business interruption exceeds 90 days. We are not
insured for environmental accidents. If we were to incur a
significant liability for which we were not fully insured, it
could diminish our ability to make distributions to unitholders.
Downtime
for maintenance at our refineries will reduce our revenues and
cash available for distribution.
Our refineries consist of many processing units, a number of
which have been in operation for a long time. One or more of the
units may require additional unscheduled downtime for
unanticipated maintenance or repairs that are more frequent than
our scheduled turnaround for each unit every one to five years.
Scheduled and unscheduled maintenance reduce our revenues during
the period of time that our units are not operating and could
reduce our ability to make distributions to our unitholders.
We are
subject to strict regulations at many of our facilities
regarding employee safety, and failure to comply with these
regulations could reduce our ability to make distributions to
our unitholders.
The workplaces associated with the refineries we operate are
subject to the requirements of the federal OSHA and comparable
state statutes that regulate the protection of the health and
safety of workers. In addition, the OSHA hazard communication
standard requires that we maintain information about hazardous
materials used or produced in our operations and that we provide
this information to employees, state and local government
authorities, and local residents. Failure to comply with OSHA
requirements, including general industry standards, record
keeping requirements and monitoring of occupational exposure to
regulated
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substances could reduce our ability to make distributions to our
unitholders if we are subjected to fines or significant
compliance costs.
We
face substantial competition from other refining
companies.
The refining industry is highly competitive. Our competitors
include large, integrated, major or independent oil companies
that, because of their more diverse operations, larger
refineries and stronger capitalization, may be better positioned
than we are to withstand volatile industry conditions, including
shortages or excesses of crude oil or refined products or
intense price competition at the wholesale level. If we are
unable to compete effectively, we may lose existing customers or
fail to acquire new customers. For example, if a competitor
attempts to increase market share by reducing prices, our
operating results and cash available for distribution to our
unitholders could be reduced.
Our
debt levels may limit our flexibility in obtaining additional
financing and in pursuing other business
opportunities.
We had total outstanding debt of $52.8 million as of
June 30, 2007. We continue to have the ability to incur
additional debt, including the ability to borrow up to
$225.0 million under our senior secured revolving credit
facility, subject to borrowing base limitations in the credit
agreement. Our level of indebtedness could have important
consequences to us, including the following:
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our ability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, for
working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other
purposes may be impaired or such financing may not be available
on favorable terms;
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covenants contained in our existing and future credit and debt
arrangements will require us to meet financial tests that may
affect our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes
in our business, including possible acquisition opportunities;
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we will need a substantial portion of our cash flow to make
principal and interest payments on our indebtedness, reducing
the funds that would otherwise be available for operations,
future business opportunities and distributions to
unitholders; and
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our debt level will make us more vulnerable than our competitors
with less debt to competitive pressures or a downturn in our
business or the economy generally.
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Our ability to service our indebtedness will depend upon, among
other things, our future financial and operating performance,
which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and
financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which
are beyond our control. If our operating results are not
sufficient to service our current or future indebtedness, we
will be forced to take actions such as reducing distributions,
reducing or delaying our business activities, acquisitions,
investments
and/or
capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or
refinancing our indebtedness, or seeking additional equity
capital or bankruptcy protection. We may not be able to effect
any of these remedies on satisfactory terms, or at all.
Our
credit agreements contain operating and financial restrictions
that may restrict our business and financing
activities.
The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our
credit agreements and any future financing agreements could
restrict our ability to finance future operations or capital
needs or to engage, expand or pursue our business activities.
For example, our credit agreements restrict our ability to:
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incur indebtedness;
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grant liens;
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make certain acquisitions and investments;
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make capital expenditures above specified amounts;
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redeem or prepay other debt or make other restricted payments;
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enter into transactions with affiliates;
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enter into a merger, consolidation or sale of assets; and
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cease our crack spread hedging program.
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Our ability to comply with the covenants and restrictions
contained in our credit agreements may be affected by events
beyond our control. If market or other economic conditions
deteriorate, our ability to comply with these covenants may be
impaired. If we violate any of the restrictions, covenants,
ratios or tests in our credit agreements, a significant portion
of our indebtedness may become immediately due and payable, our
ability to make distributions may be inhibited and our
lenders commitment to make further loans to us may
terminate. We might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient
funds to make these accelerated payments. In addition, our
obligations under our credit agreements are secured by
substantially all of our assets, and if we are unable to repay
our indebtedness under our credit agreements, the lenders could
seek to foreclose on our assets.
An
increase in interest rates will cause our debt service
obligations to increase.
Borrowings under our revolving credit facility bear interest at
a floating rate (8.25% as of June 30, 2007). Borrowings
under our term loan facility bear interest at a floating rate
(8.86% as of June 30, 2007). The rates are subject to
adjustment based on fluctuations in the London Interbank Offered
Rate (LIBOR) or prime rate. An increase in the
interest rates associated with our floating-rate debt would
increase our debt service costs and affect our results of
operations and cash flow available for distribution to our
unitholders. In addition, an increase in our interest rates
could adversely affect our future ability to obtain financing or
materially increase the cost of any additional financing.
Our
business and operations could be adversely affected by terrorist
attacks.
Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the
U.S. government has issued public warnings that indicate
that energy assets might be specific targets of terrorist
organizations. The continued threat of terrorism and the impact
of military and other actions will likely lead to increased
volatility in prices for natural gas and oil and could affect
the markets for our products. These developments have subjected
our operations to increased risk and, depending on their
ultimate magnitude, could have a material adverse affect on our
business. We do not carry any terrorism risk insurance.
Due to
our lack of asset and geographic diversification, adverse
developments in our operating areas would reduce our ability to
make distributions to our unitholders.
We rely exclusively on sales generated from products processed
from the refineries we own. Furthermore, almost all of our
assets and operations are located in northwest Louisiana. Due to
our lack of diversification in asset type and location, an
adverse development in these businesses or areas, including
adverse developments due to catastrophic events or weather,
decreased supply of crude oil feedstocks
and/or
decreased demand for refined petroleum products, would have a
significantly greater impact on our financial condition and
results of operations than if we maintained more diverse assets
and in diverse locations.
We
depend on key personnel for the success of our business and the
loss of those persons could adversely affect our business and
our ability to make distributions to our
unitholders.
The loss of the services of any member of senior management or
key employee could have an adverse effect on our business and
reduce our ability to make distributions to our unitholders. We
may not be able to locate or employ on acceptable terms
qualified replacements for senior management or other key
employees if their services were no longer available. Except
with respect to Mr. Grube, neither we, our general partner
nor any affiliate thereof has entered into an employment
agreement with any member of our senior management team or other
key personnel. Furthermore, we do not maintain any key-man life
insurance.
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We
depend on unionized labor for the operation of our refineries.
Any work stoppages or labor disturbances at these facilities
could disrupt our business.
Substantially all of our operating personnel at our Princeton,
Cotton Valley and Shreveport refineries are employed under
collective bargaining agreements that expire in October 2008,
March 2010 and April 2010, respectively. Our inability to
renegotiate these agreements as they expire, any work stoppages
or other labor disturbances at these facilities could have an
adverse effect on our business and reduce our ability to make
distributions to our unitholders. In addition, employees who are
not currently represented by labor unions may seek union
representation in the future, and any renegotiation of current
collective bargaining agreements may result in terms that are
less favorable to us.
The
operating results for our fuels segment and the asphalt we
produce and sell are seasonal and generally lower in the first
and fourth quarters of the year.
The operating results for the fuel products segment and the
selling prices of asphalt products we produce can be seasonal.
Asphalt demand is generally lower in the first and fourth
quarters of the year as compared to the second and third
quarters due to the seasonality of road construction. Demand for
gasoline is generally higher during the summer months than
during the winter months due to seasonal increases in highway
traffic. In addition, our natural gas costs can be higher during
the winter months. Our operating results for the first and
fourth calendar quarters may be lower than those for the second
and third calendar quarters of each year as a result of this
seasonality.
If we
fail to develop or maintain an effective system of internal
controls, we may not be able to report our financial results
accurately, or prevent fraud which could have an adverse effect
on our business and would likely have a negative effect on the
trading price of our common units.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide
reliable financial reports to prevent fraud and to operate
successfully as a publicly traded partnership. Our efforts to
develop and maintain our internal controls may not be
successful, and we may be unable to maintain adequate controls
over our financial processes and reporting in the future,
including compliance with the obligations under Section 404
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which we refer to as
Section 404. For example, Section 404 will require us,
among other things, annually to review and report on, and our
independent registered public accounting firm annually to attest
to, our internal control over financial reporting. Any failure
to develop or maintain effective controls, or difficulties
encountered in their implementation or other effective
improvement of our internal controls could harm our operating
results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations.
Ineffective internal controls subject us to regulatory scrutiny
and a loss of confidence in our reported financial information,
which could have an adverse effect on our business and would
likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common
units.
Risks
Inherent in an Investment in Us
The
families of our chairman and chief executive officer and
president, The Heritage Group and certain of their affiliates
owned a 62.7% limited partner interest in us as of June 30,
2007 and own and control our general partner, which has sole
responsibility for conducting our business and managing our
operations. Our general partner and its affiliates have
conflicts of interest and limited fiduciary duties, which may
permit them to favor their own interests to other
unitholders detriment.
The families of our chairman and chief executive officer and
president, the Heritage Group, and certain of their affiliates
owned a 62.7% limited partner interest in us as of June 30,
2007. In addition, The Heritage Group and the families of our
chairman and chief executive officer and president own our
general partner. Conflicts of interest may arise between our
general partner and its affiliates, on the one hand, and us and
our unitholders, on the other hand. As a result of these
conflicts, the general partner may favor its own interests
13
and the interests of its affiliates over the interests of our
unitholders. These conflicts include, among others, the
following situations:
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our general partner is allowed to take into account the
interests of parties other than us, such as its affiliates, in
resolving conflicts of interest, which has the effect of
limiting its fiduciary duty to our unitholders;
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our general partner has limited its liability and reduced its
fiduciary duties under our partnership agreement and has also
restricted the remedies available to our unitholders for actions
that, without the limitations, might constitute breaches of
fiduciary duty. As a result of purchasing common units,
unitholders consent to some actions and conflicts of interest
that might otherwise constitute a breach of fiduciary or other
duties under applicable state law;
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our general partner determines the amount and timing of asset
purchases and sales, borrowings, issuance of additional
partnership securities, and reserves, each of which can affect
the amount of cash that is distributed to unitholders;
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our general partner determines which costs incurred by it and
its affiliates are reimbursable by us;
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our general partner determines the amount and timing of any
capital expenditures and whether a capital expenditure is a
maintenance capital expenditure, which reduces operating
surplus, or a capital expenditure for acquisitions or capital
improvements, which does not. This determination can affect the
amount of cash that is distributed to our unitholders and the
ability of the subordinated units to convert to common units;
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our general partner has the flexibility to cause us to enter
into a broad variety of derivative transactions covering
different time periods, the net cash receipts from which will
increase operating surplus and adjusted operating surplus, with
the result that our general partner may be able to shift the
recognition of operating surplus and adjusted operating surplus
between periods to increase the distributions it and its
affiliates receive on their subordinated units and incentive
distribution rights or to accelerate the expiration of the
subordination period; and
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in some instances, our general partner may cause us to borrow
funds in order to permit the payment of cash distributions, even
if the purpose or effect of the borrowing is to make a
distribution on the subordinated units, to make incentive
distributions or to accelerate the expiration of the
subordination period.
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The
Heritage Group and certain of its affiliates may engage in
limited competition with us.
Pursuant to the omnibus agreement we entered into in connection
with our initial public offering, The Heritage Group and its
controlled affiliates have agreed not to engage in, whether by
acquisition or otherwise, the business of refining or marketing
specialty lubricating oils, solvents and wax products as well as
gasoline, diesel and jet fuel products in the continental United
States (restricted business) for so long as it
controls us. This restriction does not apply to certain assets
and businesses, which are:
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any business owned or operated by The Heritage Group or any of
its affliliates at the closing of our initial public offering;
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the refining and marketing of asphalt and asphalt-related
products and related product development activities;
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the refining and marketing of other products that do not produce
qualifying income as defined in the Internal Revenue
Code;
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the purchase and ownership of up to 9.9% of any class of
securities of any entity engaged in any restricted business;
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any restricted business acquired or constructed that The
Heritage Group or any of its affiliates acquires or constructs
that has a fair market value or construction cost, as
applicable, of less than $5.0 million;
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any restricted business acquired or constructed that has a fair
market value or construction cost, as applicable, of
$5.0 million or more if we have been offered the
opportunity to purchase it for fair market value or construction
cost and we decline to do so with the concurrence of the
conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general
partner; and
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any business conducted by The Heritage Group with the approval
of the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our
general partner.
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Although Mr. Grube is prohibited from competing with us
pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement, the owners of
our general partner, other than The Heritage Group, are not
prohibited from competing with us.
Our
partnership agreement limits our general partners
fiduciary duties to our unitholders and restricts the remedies
available to unitholders for actions taken by our general
partner that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary
duty.
Our partnership agreement contains provisions that reduce the
standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held
by state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership
agreement:
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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 limited call right, its
voting rights with respect to the units it owns, its
registration rights and its determination whether or not to
consent to any merger or consolidation of our partnership or
amendment to our partnership agreement;
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Provides that our general partner will 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 it
believed the decision was in the best interests of our
partnership;
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Generally provides that affiliated transactions and resolutions
of conflicts of interest not approved by the conflicts committee
of the board of directors of our general partner and not
involving a vote of unitholders must be on terms no less
favorable to us than those generally being provided to or
available from unrelated third parties or be fair and
reasonable to us. In determining whether a transaction or
resolution is fair and reasonable, our general
partner may consider the totality of the relationships between
the parties involved, including other transactions that may be
particularly advantageous or beneficial to us; and
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Provides that 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 the general partner or those other
persons acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful
misconduct or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with
knowledge that such persons conduct was criminal.
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In order to become a limited partner of our partnership, a
common unitholder is required to agree to be bound by the
provisions in the partnership agreement, including the
provisions discussed above.
Unitholders
have limited voting rights and are not entitled to elect our
general partner or its directors.
Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, unitholders
have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our
business and, therefore, limited ability to influence
managements decisions regarding our business. Unitholders
did not elect our general partner or its board of directors, and
will have no right to elect our general partner or its board of
directors on an annual or other continuing basis. The board of
directors of our general partner is chosen by the members of our
general partner. Furthermore, if the unitholders were
dissatisfied with the performance of our general partner, they
will have little ability to
15
remove our general partner. As a result of these limitations,
the price at which the common units trade could be diminished
because of the absence or reduction of a takeover premium in the
trading price.
Even
if unitholders are dissatisfied, they cannot remove our general
partner without its consent.
The unitholders are unable initially to remove the general
partner without its consent because the general partner and its
affiliates will own sufficient units upon completion of the
offering to be able to prevent its removal. The vote of the
holders of at least
662/3%
of all outstanding units voting together as a single class is
required to remove the general partner. The owners of our
general partner and certain of their affiliates own 64.0% of our
common and subordinated units. Also, if our general partner is
removed without cause during the subordination period and units
held by our general partner and its affiliates are not voted in
favor of that removal, all remaining subordinated units will
automatically convert into common units and any existing
arrearages on the common units will be extinguished. A removal
of the general partner under these circumstances would adversely
affect the common units by prematurely eliminating their
distribution and liquidation preference over the subordinated
units, which would otherwise have continued until we had met
certain distribution and performance tests.
Cause is narrowly defined in our partnership agreement to mean
that a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final,
non-appealable judgment finding our general partner liable for
actual fraud or willful misconduct in its capacity as our
general partner. Cause does not include most cases of charges of
poor management of the business, so the removal of our general
partner during the subordination period because of the
unitholders dissatisfaction with our general
partners performance in managing our partnership will most
likely result in the termination of the subordination period.
Our
partnership agreement restricts the voting rights of those
unitholders owning 20% or more of our common
units.
Unitholders voting rights are further restricted by the
partnership agreement provision providing that any units held by
a person that owns 20% or more of any class of units then
outstanding, other than our general partner, its affiliates,
their transferees, and persons who acquired such units with the
prior approval of the board of directors of our general partner,
cannot vote on any matter. Our partnership agreement also
contains provisions limiting the ability of unitholders to call
meetings or to acquire information about our operations, as well
as other provisions limiting the unitholders ability to
influence the manner or direction of management.
Control
of our general partner may be transferred to a third party
without unitholder consent.
Our general partner may transfer its general partner interest to
a third party in a merger or in a sale of all or substantially
all of its assets without the consent of the unitholders.
Furthermore, our partnership agreement does not restrict the
ability of the members of our general partner from transferring
their respective membership interests in our general partner to
a third party. The new members of our general partner would then
be in a position to replace the board of directors and officers
of our general partner with their own choices and thereby
control the decisions taken by the board of directors.
We do
not have our own officers and employees and rely solely on the
officers and employees of our general partner and its affiliates
to manage our business and affairs.
We do not have our own officers and employees and rely solely on
the officers and employees of our general partner and its
affiliates to manage our business and affairs. We can provide no
assurance that our general partner will continue to provide us
the officers and employees that are necessary for the conduct of
our business nor that such provision will be on terms that are
acceptable to us. If our general partner fails to provide us
with adequate personnel, our operations could be adversely
impacted and our cash available for distribution to unitholders
could be reduced.
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We may
issue additional common units without unitholder approval, which
would dilute our current unitholders existing ownership
interests.
During the subordination period, our general partner, without
the approval of our unitholders, may cause us to issue up to
3,233,000 additional common units until the completion of the
Shreveport refinery expansion project. If, upon completion, this
project increases cash flow from operations per unit, our
general partner may cause us to issue up to 6,533,000 of
additional common units. Our general partner may also cause us
to issue an unlimited number of additional common units or other
equity securities of equal rank with the common units, without
unitholder approval, in a number of circumstances described in
our partnership agreement.
The issuance of additional common units or other equity
securities of equal or senior rank to the common units will have
the following effects:
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our unitholders proportionate ownership interest in us may
decrease;
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the amount of cash available for distribution on each unit may
decrease;
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because a lower percentage of total outstanding units will be
subordinated units, the risk that a shortfall in the payment of
the minimum quarterly distribution will be borne by our common
unitholders will increase;
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the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding unit
may be diminished;
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the market price of the common units may decline; and
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the ratio of taxable income to distributions may increase.
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After the end of the subordination period, we may issue an
unlimited number of limited partner interests of any type
without the approval of our unitholders. Our partnership
agreement does not give our unitholders the right to approve our
issuance of equity securities ranking junior to the common units
at any time. In addition, our partnership agreement does not
prohibit the issuance by our subsidiaries of equity securities,
which may effectively rank senior to the common units.
Our
general partners determination of the level of cash
reserves may reduce the amount of available cash for
distribution to unitholders.
Our partnership agreement requires our general partner to deduct
from operating surplus cash reserves that it establishes are
necessary to fund our future operating expenditures. In
addition, our partnership agreement also permits our general
partner to reduce available cash by establishing cash reserves
for the proper conduct of our business, to comply with
applicable law or agreements to which we are a party, or to
provide funds for future distributions to partners. These
reserves will affect the amount of cash available for
distribution to unitholders.
Cost
reimbursements due to our general partner and its affiliates
will reduce cash available for distribution to
unitholders.
Prior to making any distribution on the common units, we will
reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for all
expenses they incur on our behalf. Any such reimbursement will
be determined by our general partner and will reduce the cash
available for distribution to unitholders. These expenses will
include all costs incurred by our general partner and its
affiliates in managing and operating us.
Our
general partner has a limited call right that may require
unitholders to sell their units at an undesirable time or
price.
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more
than 80% of the issued and outstanding common units, our general
partner will have the right, but not the obligation, which right
it may assign to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all,
but not less than all, of the common units held by unaffiliated
persons at a price not less than their then-current market
price. As a result, unitholders may be required to sell their
common units to our general partner, its affiliates or us at an
undesirable time or price and may not receive
17
any return on their investment. Unitholders may also incur a tax
liability upon a sale of their common units. Our general partner
and its affiliates owned approximately 35.2% of the common units
as of June 30, 2007. At the end of the subordination
period, assuming no additional issuances of common units, our
general partner and its affiliates will own approximately 64.0%
of the common units.
Unitholder
liability may not be limited if a court finds that unitholder
action constitutes control of our business.
A general partner of a partnership generally has unlimited
liability for the obligations of the partnership, except for
those contractual obligations of the partnership that are
expressly made without recourse to the general partner. Our
partnership is organized under Delaware law and we conduct
business in a number of other states. The limitations on the
liability of holders of limited partner interests for the
obligations of a limited partnership have not been clearly
established in some of the other states in which we do business.
Unitholders could be liable for any and all of our obligations
as if they were a general partner if:
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a court or government agency determined that we were conducting
business in a state but had not complied with that particular
states partnership statute; or
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unitholders right to act with other unitholders to remove
or replace the general partner, to approve some amendments to
our partnership agreement or to take other actions under our
partnership agreement constitute control of our
business.
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Unitholders
may have liability to repay distributions that were wrongfully
distributed to them.
Under certain circumstances, unitholders may have to repay
amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to them. Under
Section 17-607
of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, which
we call the Delaware Act, we may not make a distribution to our
unitholders if the distribution would cause our liabilities to
exceed the fair value of our assets. Delaware law provides that
for a period of three years from the date of the impermissible
distribution, limited partners who received the distribution and
who knew at the time of the distribution that it violated
Delaware law will be liable to the limited partnership for the
distribution amount. Purchasers of units who become limited
partners are liable for the obligations of the transferring
limited partner to make contributions to the partnership that
are known to the purchaser of the units at the time it became a
limited partner and for unknown obligations if the liabilities
could be determined from the partnership agreement. Liabilities
to partners on account of their partnership interest and
liabilities that are non-recourse to the partnership are not
counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is
permitted.
Our
common units have a limited trading history compared to other
units representing limited partner interests.
Our common units are traded publicly on the NASDAQ Global Market
under the symbol CLMT. However, our common units
have a limited trading history compared to many other units
representing limited partner interests quoted on the NASDAQ. The
price of our common units may continue to be volatile.
The market price of our common units may also be influenced by
many factors, some of which are beyond our control, including:
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our quarterly distributions;
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our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in
our industry;
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changes in commodity prices or refining margins;
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loss of a large customer;
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announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts
or acquisitions;
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changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance,
interpretations or principles;
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general economic conditions;
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the failure of securities analysts to cover our common units
after this offering or changes in financial estimates by
analysts;
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future sales of our common units; and
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the other factors described in these Risk Factors.
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Risks
Related to Debt Securities
We
have a holding company structure in which our subsidiaries own
substantially all of our operating assets.
We are a holding company, and our subsidiaries own substantially
all of our operating assets. We have no significant assets other
than the membership interests and the other equity interests in
our subsidiaries. As a result, our ability to make required
payments on our debt securities depends on the performance of
our subsidiaries and their ability to distribute funds to us.
The ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions to us may
be restricted by, among other things, our existing credit
facility and applicable state limited liability company
partnership and corporation laws and other laws and regulations.
If we are unable to obtain the funds necessary to pay the
principal amount at the maturity of our debt securities, or to
repurchase our debt securities upon an occurrence of a change in
control, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives,
such as a refinancing of our debt securities. We cannot assure
you that we would be able to refinance our debt securities.
We do
not have the same flexibility as other types of organizations to
accumulate cash which may limit cash available to service our
debt securities or to repay them at maturity.
Subject to the limitations on restricted payments contained in
the indenture governing our debt securities and in our credit
facility and other indebtedness, we distribute all of our
available cash each quarter to our limited partners
and our general partner. Available cash is defined
in our partnership agreement, and it generally means, for each
fiscal quarter:
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all cash on hand at the end of the quarter;
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less the amount of cash that our general partner determines in
its reasonable discretion is necessary or appropriate to:
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provide for the proper conduct of our business;
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comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments, or
other agreements; or
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provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and to our
general partner for any one or more of the next four
quarters; and
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plus all cash on hand on the date of determination of available
cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings
made after the end of the quarter. Working capital borrowings
are generally borrowings made under our credit facility and in
all cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay
distributions to partners.
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As a result, we do not accumulate significant amounts of cash
and thus do not have the same flexibility as corporations or
other entities that do not pay dividends or have complete
flexibility regarding the amounts they will distribute to their
equity holders. The timing and amount of our distributions could
significantly reduce the cash available to pay the principal,
premium (if any) and interest on our debt securities. The board
of directors of our general partner will determine the amount
and timing of such distributions and has broad discretion to
establish and make additions to our reserves or the reserves of
our operating subsidiaries as it determines are necessary or
appropriate.
Although our payment obligations to our unitholders will be
subordinate to our payment obligations to holders of our debt
securities, the value of our units will decrease in correlation
with decreases in the amount
19
we distribute per unit. Accordingly, if we experience a
liquidity problem in the future, we may not be able to issue
equity to recapitalize.
The
subsidiary guarantees could be deemed fraudulent conveyances
under certain circumstances, and a court may try to subordinate
or void the subsidiary guarantees.
Under U.S. bankruptcy law and comparable provisions of
state fraudulent transfer laws, a guarantee can be voided, or
claims under a guarantee may be subordinated to all other debts
of that guarantor if, among other things, the guarantor, at the
time it incurred the indebtedness evidenced by its guarantee:
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intended to hinder, delay or defraud any present or future
creditor or received less than reasonably equivalent value or
fair consideration for the incurrence of the guarantee;
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was insolvent or rendered insolvent by reason of such incurrence;
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was engaged in a business or transaction for which the
guarantors remaining assets constituted unreasonably small
capital; or
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intended to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond
its ability to pay those debts as they mature.
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In addition, any payment by that guarantor under a guarantee
could be voided and required to be returned to the guarantor or
to a fund for the benefit of the creditors of the guarantor. The
measures of insolvency for purposes of these fraudulent transfer
laws will vary depending upon the law applied in any proceeding
to determine whether a fraudulent transfer has occurred.
Generally, however, a subsidiary guarantor would be considered
insolvent if:
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the sum of its debts, including contingent liabilities, was
greater than the fair saleable value of all of its assets;
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the present saleable value of its assets was less than the
amount that would be required to pay its probable liability,
including contingent liabilities, on existing debts as they
become absolute and mature; or
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it could not pay its debts as they became due.
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TAX
RISKS TO COMMON UNITHOLDERS
In addition to reading the following risk factors, you should
read Material Tax Consequences for a more complete
discussion of the expected material federal income tax
consequences of owning and disposing of common units.
Our
tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for federal
income tax purposes, as well as our not being subject to a
material amount of entity-level taxation by individual states.
If the IRS were to treat us as a corporation for federal income
tax purposes or we were to become subject to additional amounts
of entity-level taxation for state tax purposes, then our cash
available for distribution to you could be substantially
reduced.
The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in
our common units depends largely on our being treated as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes. We have not
requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS on
this or any other tax matter affecting us.
Despite the fact that we are a limited partnership under
Delaware law, it is possible in certain circumstances for a
partnership such as ours to be treated as a corporation for
federal income tax purposes. Although we do not believe based
upon our current operations that we are so treated, a change in
our business (or a change in current law) could cause us to be
treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes or
otherwise subject us to taxation personally as an entity.
20
If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our taxable income
at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%,
and would likely pay state income tax at varying rates.
Distributions to you would generally be taxed again as corporate
distributions, and no income, gains, losses or deductions would
flow through to you. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a
corporation, our cash available for distribution to you would be
substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a
corporation would result in a material reduction in the
anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to the unitholders,
likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our
common units.
Current law may change so as to cause us to be treated as a
corporation for federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject
us to entity-level taxation. For example, in response to certain
recent developments, members of Congress are considering
substantive changes to the definition of qualifying income under
Internal Revenue Code section 7704(d) for the first time in
twenty years. It is possible that these efforts could result in
changes to the existing U.S. tax laws that affect publicly
traded partnerships, including us. We are unable to predict
whether any of these changes, or other proposals will ultimately
be enacted. Any such changes could negatively impact the value
of an investment in our common units. In addition, because of
widespread state budget deficits and other reasons, several
states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships to
entity-level taxation through the imposition of state income,
franchise and other forms of taxation. For example, beginning in
2008, we will be required to pay Texas franchise tax at a
maximum effective rate of 0.7% of our gross income apportioned
to Texas in the prior year. Imposition of such a tax on us by
Texas and, if applicable, by any other state will reduce the
cash available for distribution to you.
Our partnership agreement provides that if a law is enacted or
existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner that
subjects us to taxation as a corporation or otherwise subjects
us to entity-level taxation for federal, state or local income
tax purposes, the minimum quarterly distribution amount and the
target distribution levels will be adjusted to reflect the
impact of that law on us.
We
prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between
transferors and transferees of our units each month based upon
the ownership of our units on the first day of each month,
instead of on the basis of the date a particular unit is
transferred. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could
change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and
deduction among our unitholders.
We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between
transferors and transferees of our units each month based upon
the ownership of our units on the first day of each month,
instead of on the basis of the date a particular unit is
transferred. The use of this proration method may not be
permitted under existing Treasury regulations, and, accordingly,
our counsel is unable to opine as to the validity of this
method. If the IRS were to challenge this method or new Treasury
regulations were issued, we may be required to change the
allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among
our unitholders. Please read Material Tax
Consequences Disposition of Common Units
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.
If the
IRS contests the federal income tax positions we take, the
market for our common units may be adversely impacted and the
cost of any IRS contest will reduce our cash available for
distribution to you.
We have not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our
treatment as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. The
IRS may adopt positions that differ from the conclusions of our
counsel expressed in this prospectus or from the positions we
take. It may be necessary to resort to administrative or court
proceedings to sustain some or all of our counsels
conclusions or the positions we take. A court may not agree with
some or all of our counsels conclusions or positions we
take. Any contest with the IRS may materially and adversely
impact the market for our common units and the price at which
they trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS
will be borne indirectly by our unitholders and our general
partner because the costs will reduce our cash available for
distribution.
21
You
may be required to pay taxes on your share of our income even if
you do not receive any cash distributions from us.
Because our unitholders will be treated as partners to whom we
will allocate taxable income which could be different in amount
than the cash we distribute, you will be required to pay any
federal income taxes and, in some cases, state and local income
taxes on your share of our taxable income even if you receive no
cash distributions from us. You may not receive cash
distributions from us equal to your share of our taxable income
or even equal to the actual tax liability that results from that
income.
Tax
gain or loss on the disposition of our common units could be
more or less than expected.
If you sell your common units, you will recognize a gain or loss
equal to the difference between the amount realized and your tax
basis in those common units. Because distributions in excess of
your allocable share of our net taxable income decrease your tax
basis in your common units, the amount, if any, of such prior
excess distributions with respect to the units you sell will, in
effect, become taxable income to you if you sell such units at a
price greater than your tax basis in those units, even if the
price you receive is less than your original cost. Furthermore,
a substantial portion of the amount realized, whether or not
representing gain, may be taxed as ordinary income due to
potential recapture items, including depreciation recapture. In
addition, because the amount realized includes a
unitholders share of our nonrecourse liabilities, if you
sell your units, you may incur a tax liability in excess of the
amount of cash you receive from the sale. Please read
Material Tax Consequences Disposition of
Common Units Recognition of Gain or Loss for a
further discussion of the foregoing.
Tax-exempt
entities and foreign persons face unique tax issues from owning
our common units that may result in adverse tax consequences to
them.
Investment in common units by tax-exempt entities, such as
employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts (known
as IRAs), and
non-U.S. persons
raises issues unique to them. For example, virtually all of our
income allocated to organizations that are exempt from federal
income tax, including IRAs and other retirement plans, will be
unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.
Distributions to
non-U.S. persons
will be reduced by withholding taxes at the highest applicable
effective tax rate, and
non-U.S. persons
will be required to file United States federal tax returns and
pay tax on their share of our taxable income. If you are a tax
exempt entity or a
non-U.S. person,
you should consult your tax advisor before investing in our
common units.
We
will treat each purchaser of common units as having the same tax
benefits without regard to the actual common units purchased.
The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely
affect the value of the common units.
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of common
units and because of other reasons, we take depreciation and
amortization positions that may not conform to all aspects of
existing Treasury Regulations. A successful IRS challenge to
those positions could adversely affect the amount of tax
benefits available to you. It also could affect the timing of
these tax benefits or the amount of gain from your sale of
common units and could have a negative impact on the value of
our common units or result in audit adjustments to your tax
returns. Please read Material Tax Consequences
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership Section 754
Election for a further discussion of the effect of the
depreciation and amortization positions we adopted.
We
have adopted certain valuation methodologies that may result in
a shift of income, gain, loss and deduction between the general
partner and the unitholders. The IRS may challenge this
treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the common
units.
When we issue additional units or engage in certain other
transactions, we will determine the fair market value of our
assets and allocate any unrealized gain or loss attributable to
our assets to the capital accounts of our unitholders and our
general partner. Our methodology may be viewed as understating
the value of our
22
assets. In that case, there may be a shift of income, gain, loss
and deduction between certain unitholders and the general
partner, which may be unfavorable to such unitholders. Moreover,
under our valuation methods, subsequent purchasers of common
units may have a greater portion of their Internal Revenue Code
Section 743(b) adjustment allocated to our tangible assets
and a lesser portion allocated to our intangible assets. The IRS
may challenge our valuation methods, or our allocation of the
Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to our tangible and
intangible assets, and allocations of income, gain, loss and
deduction between the general partner and certain of our
unitholders.
A successful IRS challenge to these methods or allocations could
adversely affect the amount of taxable income or loss being
allocated to our unitholders. It also could affect the amount of
gain from our unitholders sale of common units and could
have a negative impact on the value of the common units or
result in audit adjustments to our unitholders tax returns
without the benefit of additional deductions.
We
have a subsidiary that is treated as a corporation for federal
income tax purposes and subject to corporate-level income
taxes.
We conduct all or a portion of our operations in which we market
finished petroleum products to certain end-users through a
subsidiary that is organized as a corporation. We may elect to
conduct additional operations through this corporate subsidiary
in the future. This corporate subsidiary is subject to
corporate-level tax, which will reduce the cash available for
distribution to us and, in turn, to our unitholders. If the IRS
were to successfully assert that this corporation has more tax
liability than we anticipate or legislation was enacted that
increased the corporate tax rate, our cash available for
distribution to our unitholders would be further reduced.
The
sale or exchange of 50% or more of our capital and profits
interests during any twelve-month period will result in the
termination of our partnership for federal income tax
purposes.
We will be considered to have terminated for federal income tax
purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the
total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month
period. Our termination would, among other things, result in the
closing of our taxable year for all unitholders and could result
in a deferral of depreciation deductions allowable in computing
our taxable income. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a
taxable year other than a fiscal year ending December 31,
the closing of our taxable year may also result in more than
twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in
his taxable income for the year of termination. Our termination
currently would not affect our classification as a partnership
for federal income tax purposes, but instead, we would be
treated as a new partnership for tax purposes. If treated as a
new partnership, we must make new tax elections and could be
subject to penalties if we are unable to determine that a
termination occurred. Please read Material Tax
Consequences Disposition of Common Units
Constructive Termination for a discussion of the
consequences of our termination for federal income tax purposes.
You
will likely be subject to state and local taxes and return
filing requirements in states where you do not live as a result
of investing in our common units.
In addition to federal income taxes, our common unitholders will
likely be subject to other taxes, including foreign, state and
local taxes, unincorporated business taxes and estate,
inheritance or intangible taxes that are imposed by the various
jurisdictions in which we do business or own property, even if
unitholders do not live in any of those jurisdictions. Our
common unitholders will likely be required to file foreign,
state and local income tax returns and pay state and local
income taxes in some or all of these jurisdictions. Further,
unitholders may be subject to penalties for failure to comply
with those requirements. We own assets
and/or do
business in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia,
Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts,
Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South
Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Virginia. Each of these
states, other than Texas and Florida, currently imposes a
personal income tax, and all of these states impose an income
tax on corporations and other entities. As we make acquisitions
or expand our business, we may own assets or do business in
additional states that impose a
23
personal income tax. It is the responsibility of our common
unitholders to file all United States federal, foreign, state
and local tax returns.
Unless otherwise indicated to the contrary in an accompanying
prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the
sale of the securities covered by this prospectus for general
partnership purposes, which may include debt repayment, future
acquisitions, capital expenditures and additions to working
capital.
RATIO
OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The table below sets forth the Ratios of Earnings to Fixed
Charges for us for the periods indicated. On January 31,
2006, we completed our initial public offering whereby we became
successor to the business of Calumet Lubricant Co., Limited
Partnership. As such, the years ended December 31, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 reflect the financial results of
Calumet Lubricants Co., Limited Partnership, our predecessor.
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Predecessor
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Calumet Specialty Products
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Calumet Lubricants Co., Limited Partnership
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Partners, L.P.
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Year Ended December 31,
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Six Months Ended June 30,
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2002
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2003
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2004
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2005
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2006(1)
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2007
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(Unaudited)
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Earnings
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Income (loss) from continuing operations
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$
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5,470
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$
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(4,939
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$
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8,281
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$
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12,926
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$
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95,768
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$
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65,932
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Fixed charges less capitalized interest
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12,148
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14,205
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14,473
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28,419
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14,822
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5,305
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Earnings from continuing operations before fixed charges
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$
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17,618
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$
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9,266
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$
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22,754
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$
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41,345
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$
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110,590
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$
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71,237
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Fixed charges
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Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
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$
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7,435
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$
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9,493
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$
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9,869
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$
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22,961
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$
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9,030
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$
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2,128
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Capitalized interest, net of amortization
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302
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178
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1,938
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2,201
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Estimated interest within rental expense
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4,713
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4,712
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4,604
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5,458
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5,792
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3,177
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Total fixed charges
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$
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12,148
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$
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14,205
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$
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14,775
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$
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28,597
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$
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16,760
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$
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7,506
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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
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1.45
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0.65
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1.54
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1.45
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6.60
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9.49
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The information presented for the year ended December 31,
2006 contains results of the Predecessor for the period of
January 1, 2006 through January 31, 2006. |
For purposes of determining the ratio of earnings to fixed
charges, earnings are defined as pre-tax income from continuing
operations plus the following (a) fixed charges,
(b) amortization of capitalized interest,
(c) distributed income of equity investees, and
(d) our share of pre-tax losses of equity investees for
which charges arising from guarantees are included in fixed
charges, less (a) interest capitalized, (b) preference
security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries, and
(c) the minority interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries
that have not incurred fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of
interest expensed and capitalized plus (a) amortized
premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to
indebtedness, (b) an estimate of the interest within rental
expense, and (c) preference security dividend requirements
of consolidated subsidiaries.
The earnings in 2003 were inadequate to cover fixed charges by
$4.9 million.
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DESCRIPTION
OF THE COMMON UNITS
The common units and the subordinated units represent 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 and subordinated
units in and to partnership distributions, please read this
section and Our Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions
on Distributions.
Our outstanding common units are listed on the Nasdaq Global
Market under the symbol CLMT. Any additional common
units we issue will also be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market.
As of June 30, 2007, we had outstanding 16,366,000 common
units and 13,066,000 subordinated units. There is currently no
established public trading market for our subordinated units.
Our subordinated units are a separate class of limited partner
interests in our partnership, and the rights of holders of
subordinated units to participate in distributions to partners
differ from, and are subordinated to, the rights of the holders
of our common units. During the subordination period, our
subordinated units will not be entitled to receive any
distributions until our common units have received the minimum
quarterly distribution plus any arrearages from prior quarters.
The term of the subordination period is described under
Our Cash Distribution Policy and Restrictions on
Distributions Subordination Period.
The following is a summary of the unitholder vote required for
the matters specified below. Various matters requiring the
approval of a unit majority require:
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during the subordination period, the approval of a majority of
the common units, excluding those common units held by our
general partner and its affiliates, and a majority of the
subordinated units, voting as separate classes; and
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after the subordination period, the approval of a majority of
the common units.
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In voting their common and subordinated 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 and
our limited partners. For any action that is to be approved at a
meeting of unitholders, 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.
Please read Meetings; Voting.
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Issuance of additional units of equal rank with the common units
during the subordination period |
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Unit majority, with exceptions described under
Issuance of Additional Securities. |
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Issuance of units senior to the common units during the
subordination period |
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Unit majority. |
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Issuance of units junior to the common units during the
subordination period |
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No approval right. |
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Issuance of additional units after the subordination period |
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No approval right. |
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Amendment of our partnership agreement |
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Certain amendments may be made by the 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. |
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Merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially
all of our assets |
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Unit majority in certain circumstances. Please read
Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of
Assets. |
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Dissolution of our partnership |
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Unit majority. Please read Termination and
Dissolution. |
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Continuation of the business of our partnership upon dissolution |
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Unit majority. Please read Termination and
Dissolution. |
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Withdrawal of our general partner |
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Under most circumstances, the approval of a majority of the
common units, excluding common units held by our general partner
and its affiliates, is required for the withdrawal of our
general partner prior to December 31, 2015 in a manner that
would cause a dissolution of our partnership. Please read
Withdrawal or Removal of the General
Partner. |
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Removal of our general partner |
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Not less than
662/3%
of the outstanding units, including units held by our general
partner and its affiliates. Please read
Withdrawal or Removal of the General
Partner. |
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Transfer of the general partner interest |
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Our general partner may transfer all, but not less than all, of
its general partner interest in us without a vote of our
unitholders to an affiliate or another person in connection with
its merger or consolidation with or into, or sale of all or
substantially all of its assets to, such person. The approval of
a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by
our general partner and its affiliates, is required in other
circumstances for a transfer of the general partner interest to
a third party prior to December 31, 2015. Please read
Transfer of General Partner Interest. |
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Transfer of incentive distribution rights |
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Except for transfers to an affiliate or another person as part
of our general partners merger or consolidation, sale of
all or substantially all of its assets or the sale of all of the
ownership interests in such holder, the approval of a majority
of the common units, excluding common units held by the general
partner and its affiliates, is required in most circumstances
for a transfer of the incentive distribution rights to a third
party prior to December 31, 2015. Please read
Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights. |
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Transfer of ownership interests in our general partner |
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No approval required at any time. Please read
Transfer of Ownership Interests in Our General Partner. |
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
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is obligated to contribute to us for his common units plus his
share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it were
determined, however, that the right, or exercise of the right,
by the limited partners as a group:
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to remove or replace our general partner;
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to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement; or
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to take other action under our partnership agreement;
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constituted participation in the control of our
business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited
partners could be held personally liable for our obligations
under the laws of Delaware, to the same extent as our general
partner. This liability would extend to persons who transact
business with us who reasonably believe that the limited partner
is a general partner. Neither our partnership agreement nor the
Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against
the general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited
liability through any fault of the general partner. While this
does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal
recourse, we 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.
Under the Delaware Act, a substituted limited partner of a
limited partnership is liable for the obligations of his
assignor to make contributions to the partnership, except that
such person is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at
the time he became a limited partner and that could not be
ascertained from the partnership agreement.
Our subsidiaries conduct business in 20 states. Maintenance
of our limited liability as a member of our operating company
may require compliance with legal requirements in the
jurisdictions in which our operating company conducts business,
including qualifying our subsidiaries to do business there.
Limitations on the liability of limited partners for the
obligations of a limited partner have not been clearly
established in many jurisdictions. If, by virtue of our
membership interest in our operating company or otherwise, it
were determined that we were conducting business in any state
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 the general partner, to approve some amendments to our
partnership agreement, or to take other action under the
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.
Issuance
of Additional Securities
Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited
number of additional partnership securities for the
consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our
general partner without the approval of the unitholders. During
the subordination period, however, except as we discuss in the
following paragraph, we may not issue equity securities ranking
senior to the common units or an aggregate of more than
6,533,000 additional common units or units on a parity with the
common units, in each case, without the approval of the holders
of a unit majority.
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During the subordination period or thereafter, we may issue an
unlimited number of common units without the approval of the
unitholders as follows:
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upon exercise of the underwriters option to purchase
additional units;
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upon conversion of the subordinated units;
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under employee benefits plans;
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upon conversion of the general partner interest and incentive
distribution rights as a result of a withdrawal or removal of
our general partner;
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upon conversion of units of equal rank with the common units
into common units or other parity units under certain
circumstances;
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in the event of a combination or subdivision of common units;
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in connection with an acquisition or an expansion capital
improvement that increases cash flow from operations per unit on
an estimated pro forma basis;
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if the proceeds of the issuance are used to repay indebtedness,
the cost of which to service is greater than the distribution
obligations associated with the units issued in connection with
its retirement; or
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in connection with the redemption of common units or other
equity interests of equal rank with the common units from the
net proceeds of an issuance of common units or parity units, but
only if the redemption price equals the net proceeds per unit,
before expenses, to us.
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Until the time that our Shreveport refinery expansion project is
put into commercial service, 3,300,000 of our common units will
be deemed to constitute a portion of the up to 6,533,000 common
units we are permitted to issue during the subordination period
without obtaining unitholder approval and will reduce the number
of additional common units we may issue in the future without
obtaining unitholder approval accordingly. However, we
anticipate that our Shreveport refinery expansion project will
increase cash flow from operations per unit upon its completion.
If this occurs, 3,300,000 of our common units we previously
issued and that are used to pay for such expansion project will
be added back to the number of additional common units we may
issue in the future without unitholder approval.
It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the
issuance of additional common units, subordinated units or other
partnership securities. Holders of any additional common units
we issue will be entitled to share equally with the
then-existing holders of common units in our distributions of
available cash. In addition, the issuance of additional 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 may also issue additional partnership
securities that, as determined by our general partner, may have
special voting rights to which the common units are not
entitled. In addition, our partnership agreement does not
prohibit the issuance by our subsidiaries of equity securities,
which may effectively rank senior to the common units.
Upon issuance of additional partnership securities, our general
partner will be entitled, but not required, to make additional
capital contributions to the extent necessary to maintain its 2%
general partner interest in us. The general partners 2%
interest in us will be reduced if we issue additional units in
the future and our general partner does not contribute a
proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its 2% general
partner interest. Moreover, our general partner will have the
right, which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part
to any of its affiliates, to purchase common units, subordinated
units or other partnership securities whenever, and on the same
terms that, we issue those securities to persons other than our
general partner and its affiliates, to the extent necessary to
maintain the percentage interest of the general partner and its
affiliates, including such interest represented by common units
and subordinated units, that existed immediately prior to each
issuance. Otherwise, under our partnership agreement, the
holders of common units will not have preemptive rights to
acquire additional common units or other partnership securities.
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Amendment
of the Partnership Agreement
General. Amendments to our partnership
agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of 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 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.
Prohibited Amendments. No amendment may be
made that would:
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enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its
consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or
class of limited partner interests so affected; or
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enlarge the obligations of, restrict 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 at its option.
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The provision of our partnership agreement preventing the
amendments having the effects described in any of the clauses
above can be amended upon the approval of the holders of at
least 90% of the outstanding units voting together as a single
class (including units owned by our general partner and its
affiliates). Currently, our general partner and its affiliates
own approximately 64.0% of the outstanding units.
No Unitholder Approval. Our general partner
may generally make amendments to our partnership agreement
without the approval of any limited partner or assignee to
reflect:
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a change in our name, the location of our principal place of our
business, our registered agent or our registered office;
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the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners
in accordance with our partnership agreement;
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a change that our general partner determines to be necessary or
appropriate to qualify or continue our qualification as a
limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited
partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or
to ensure that neither we nor the operating company nor any of
its subsidiaries will be treated as an association taxable as a
corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income
tax purposes;
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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
Advisors Act of 1940, or plan asset regulations
adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, or ERISA, whether or not substantially similar to plan
asset regulations currently applied or proposed;
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an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary
or appropriate for the authorization of additional partnership
securities or rights to acquire partnership securities;
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any amendment expressly permitted in our partnership agreement
to be made by our general partner acting alone;
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an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger
agreement that has been approved under the terms of our
partnership agreement;
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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;
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a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and related changes;
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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 merger or conveyance other than
those it receives by way of the merger or conveyance; or
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any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters
described in the bullet points above.
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In addition, our general partner may make amendments to our
partnership agreement without the approval of any limited
partner or assignee in connection with a merger or consolidation
approved in connection with our partnership agreement, or if our
general partner determines that those amendments:
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do not adversely affect the limited partners (or any particular
class of limited partners) in any material respect;
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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;
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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;
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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; or
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are required to effect the intent expressed in this prospectus
or the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or
are otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement.
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Opinion of Counsel and Unitholder
Approval. Our general partner will not be
required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will
not result in a loss of limited liability to the limited
partners or result in our being treated as an entity for federal
income tax purposes in connection with any of the amendments
described under No Unitholder Approval.
No other amendments to our partnership agreement 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.
In addition to the above restrictions, 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 reduces the voting percentage required to take
any action 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.
Merger,
Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
A merger or consolidation 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 or consolidation 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, among other things, 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, or approving on our behalf the sale, exchange or
other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of
our subsidiaries. Our general partner may, however, mortgage,
pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or
substantially all of our assets without that approval. Our
general partner may also sell all or substantially all of our
assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon those
encumbrances without that approval. Finally, our general partner
may consummate any
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merger without the prior approval of our unitholders if we are
the surviving entity in the transaction, the transaction would
not result in a material amendment to our partnership agreement,
each of our units will be an identical unit of our partnership
following the transaction, and the units to be issued do not
exceed 20% of our outstanding units 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 merger or
conveyance is to effect a mere change in our legal form into
another limited liability entity. The 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 transaction or event.
Termination
and Dissolution
We will continue as a limited partnership until terminated under
our partnership agreement. We will dissolve upon:
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the election of our general partner to dissolve us, if approved
by the holders of units representing a unit majority;
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there being no limited partners, unless we are continued without
dissolution in accordance with applicable Delaware law;
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the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of our
partnership; or
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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
withdrawal or removal following approval and admission of a
successor.
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Upon a dissolution under the last 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:
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the action would not result in the loss of limited liability of
any limited partner; and
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neither our partnership, our operating company nor any of our
other subsidiaries would be treated as an association taxable as
a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal
income tax purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue.
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Liquidation
and Distribution of Proceeds
Upon our dissolution, unless our business is continued as
described above, the liquidator authorized to wind up our
affairs will, acting with all of the powers of our general
partner that are necessary or appropriate to liquidate our
assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as provided in
How We Make Cash Distributions 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 the General Partner
Except as described below, our general partner has agreed not to
withdraw voluntarily as our general partner prior to
December 31, 2015 without obtaining the approval of the
holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units,
excluding common units held by the general partner and its
affiliates, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding
limited liability and tax matters. On or after December 31,
2015, our general partner may withdraw as general partner
without first obtaining approval of any unitholder by giving
90 days written notice, and that withdrawal will not
constitute a violation of our partnership agreement.
Notwithstanding the information above, our general partner may
withdraw without unitholder approval upon
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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 the general partner and
its affiliates. In addition, the partnership agreement permits
our general partner in some instances 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 and Transfer
of Incentive Distribution Rights.
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, voting as separate classes, may select 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 Termination
and Dissolution.
Our general partner may not be removed unless that removal is
approved by the vote of the holders of not less than
662/3%
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 the holders of a majority of the outstanding common
units and subordinated units, voting as separate classes. The
ownership of more than
331/3%
of the outstanding units by our general partner and its
affiliates would give them the practical ability to prevent our
general partners removal. Currently, our general partner
and its affiliates own an aggregate of 64.0% of the outstanding
units.
Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general
partner is removed as our general partner under circumstances
where cause does not exist and units held by the general partner
and its affiliates are not voted in favor of that removal:
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the subordination period will end, and all outstanding
subordinated units will immediately convert into common units on
a one-for-one basis;
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any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units will be extinguished; and
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our general partner will have the right to convert its general
partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into
common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests
based on the fair market value of those interests at that time.
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In the event of removal of a general partner under circumstances
where cause exists or withdrawal of a 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 for a cash payment equal to the fair
market value of those interests. Under all other circumstances
where a 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 of the departing general partner and its
incentive distribution rights 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. Or, 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, the
departing general partners general partner interest and
its 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.
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In addition, we will be required to reimburse the departing
general partner for all amounts due the departing general
partner, including, without limitation, all employee-related
liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred for the
termination of any employees employed by the departing general
partner or its affiliates for our benefit.
Transfer
of General Partner Interest
Except for transfer by our general partner of all, but not less
than all, of its general partner interest in our partnership to:
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an affiliate of our general partner (other than an
individual); or
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another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of our
general partner with or into another entity or the transfer by
our general partner of all or substantially all of its assets to
another entity,
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our general partner may not transfer all or any part of its
general partner interest in our partnership to another person
prior to December 31, 2015 without 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. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must
assume, among other things, 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. On or after December 31, 2015,
our general partner interest will be freely transferable.
Our general partner and its affiliates may, at any time,
transfer units to one or more persons, without unitholder
approval, except that they may not transfer subordinated units
to us.
Transfer
of Ownership Interests in Our General Partner
At any time, the members of our general partner may sell or
transfer all or part of their membership interests in our
general partner to an affiliate or third party without the
approval of our unitholders.
Transfer
of Incentive Distribution Rights
Our general partner or its affiliates or a subsequent holder may
transfer its incentive distribution rights to an affiliate of
the holder (other than an individual) or another entity as part
of the merger or consolidation of such holder with or into
another entity, the sale of all of the ownership interest of the
holder or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets to,
that entity without the prior approval of the unitholders. Prior
to December 31, 2015, other transfers of incentive
distribution rights will require the affirmative vote of holders
of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common
units held by our general partner and its affiliates. On or
after December 31, 2015, the incentive distribution rights
will be freely transferable.
Change
of Management Provisions
Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are
intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to
remove Calumet GP, LLC as our general partner or otherwise
change our management. 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 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 prior
approval of the board of directors of our general partner.
Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general
partner is removed under circumstances where cause does not
exist and units held by our general partner and its affiliates
are not voted in favor of that removal:
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the subordination period will end and all outstanding
subordinated units will immediately convert into common units on
a one-for-one basis;
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any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units will be extinguished; and
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our general partner will have the right to convert its general
partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into
common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests.
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If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more
than 80% of the then-issued and outstanding limited partner
interests of any class, our general partner will have the right,
but not the obligation, which right may be assigned in whole or
in part to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but
not less than all, of the remaining partnership securities 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:
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the highest cash price paid by either of our general partner or
any of its affiliates for any partnership securities 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 partnership securities; and
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the current market price as of the date three days before the
date the notice is mailed.
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As a result of our general partners right to purchase
outstanding partnership securities, a holder of partnership
securities may have his partnership securities purchased at an
undesirable time or price. 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 Consequences Disposition of
Common Units.
Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20%
or more of any class of units then outstanding, unitholders who
are record holders of units on the record date will be entitled
to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners
and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited.
Our general partner does not anticipate that any meeting of
unitholders will be called in the foreseeable future. Any action
that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may
be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a
meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken
are signed by holders of the number of units 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 Securities.
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,
acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more
of any class of units then outstanding, 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. 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. Except as our partnership agreement
otherwise provides, subordinated units will vote together with
common units as a single class.
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Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required
or permitted to be given or made to record holders of common
units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the
record holder by us or by the transfer agent.
Status
as Limited Partner
Except as described under Limited
Liability, the common units will be fully paid, and
unitholders will not be required to make additional
contributions. 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 is reflected
in our books and records.
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or
regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general
partner, 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, we may redeem the units held by the limited partner at
their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation
or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited
partner to furnish information about his nationality,
citizenship or related status. If a limited partner fails to
furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or other
related status within 30 days after a request for the
information or our general partner determines after receipt of
the information that the limited partner is not an eligible
citizen, the limited partner may be treated as a non-citizen
transferee. A non-citizen transferee, is entitled to an interest
equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share
in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating
distributions. A non-citizen transferee does not have the right
to vote his units and may not receive distributions in kind upon
our liquidation.
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:
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our general partner;
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any departing general partner;
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any person who is or was an affiliate of a general partner or
any departing general partner;
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any person who is or was a director, officer, member, partner,
fiduciary or trustee of any entity set forth in the preceding
three bullet points;
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any person who is or was serving as director, officer, member,
partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person at the request
of our general partner or any departing general partner or any
of their affiliates (other than persons acting on a
fee-for-services basis); and
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any person designated by our general partner.
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Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of
our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, our general partner will
not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to
contribute or loan 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 for all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or
payments it makes on our behalf and all other expenses allocable
to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner in connection
with operating our business. These expenses include salary,
bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons
who perform services for us or on our behalf and expenses
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allocated to our general partner by its affiliates. The general
partner is entitled to determine in good faith the expenses that
are allocable to us.
Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our
business at our principal offices. The books will be maintained
for both tax and financial reporting purposes on an accrual
basis. For tax and fiscal reporting purposes, our fiscal year is
the calendar year.
We will furnish or make available to record holders of common
units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year,
an annual report containing our audited financial statements and
a report on those financial statements by our independent public
accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish
or make available summary financial information within
90 days after the close of each quarter.
We will furnish each record holder of a unit with information
reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within
90 days after the close of each calendar year. This
information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that
some complex calculations normally required of partners can be
avoided. Our ability to furnish this summary information to
unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders in
supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will
receive information to assist him in determining his federal and
state tax liability and filing his federal and state income tax
returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with information.
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 demand stating the purpose of such
demand and at his own expense, have furnished to him:
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a current list of the name and last known address of each
partner;
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a copy of our tax returns;
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information as to the amount of cash, and a description and
statement of the agreed value of any other property or services,
contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on
which each partner became a partner;
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copies of our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited
partnership, related amendments and powers of attorney under
which they have been executed;
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information regarding the status of our business and financial
condition; and
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any other information regarding our affairs as is just and
reasonable.
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Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from
the limited partners trade secrets or other information the
disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith
is not in our best interests or that we are required by law or
by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.
Under our partnership agreement, we have agreed to register for
resale under the Securities Act and applicable state securities
laws any common units, subordinated units or other partnership
securities proposed to be sold by our general partner or any of
its affiliates or their transferees if an exemption from the
registration requirements is not available. We have also agreed
to include on any registration statement we file any partnership
securities proposed to be sold by our general partner or its
affiliates or their transferees. These registration rights
continue for two years following any withdrawal or removal of
Calumet GP, LLC as our general partner. In connection with any
registration of this kind, we will indemnify each unitholder
participating in the registration and its officers, directors
and controlling persons from and against any liabilities under
the Securities Act or any state securities laws arising from the
registration statement or
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prospectus. We are obligated to pay all expenses incidental to
the registration, excluding underwriting discounts and
commissions.
Transfer
Agent and Registrar
Duties. Mellon Investor Services, LLC serves
as registrar and transfer agent for the common units. We pay all
fees charged by the transfer agent for transfers of common units
except the following that must be paid by unitholders:
OUR
CASH DISTRIBUTION POLICY AND RESTRICTIONS ON
DISTRIBUTIONS
Rationale for Our Cash Distribution
Policy. Our cash distribution policy reflects a
basic judgment that our unitholders will be better served by our
distributing our available cash rather than retaining it.
Because we are not subject to a partnership-level federal income
tax, we have more cash to distribute to you than would be the
case were we subject to partnership level federal income tax.
Our cash distribution policy is consistent with the terms of our
partnership agreement, which requires that we distribute
available cash to our unitholders quarterly. Our determination
of available cash takes into account the need to maintain
certain cash reserves to preserve our distribution levels across
seasonal and cyclical fluctuations in our business. During the
subordination period, the common units have a priority over the
subordinated units for the minimum quarterly distribution and,
during the subordination period, the common units carry
arrearage rights, which are similar to cumulative rights on
preferred stock. If the minimum quarterly distribution is not
paid, we must pay all arrearages in addition to the current
minimum quarterly distribution before distributions are made on
the subordinated units or the incentive distribution rights. We
are a newly formed limited partnership and have not historically
paid any cash distributions.
Limitations on Cash Distributions and Our Ability to Change
Our Cash Distribution Policy. There is no
guarantee that unitholders will receive quarterly distributions
from us. Our distribution policy is subject to certain
restrictions and may be changed at any time, including:
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Our distribution policy will be subject to restrictions on
distributions under our new credit facilities. Specifically, our
new credit facilities contain consolidated leverage and
available liquidity tests that we must satisfy in order to make
distributions to unitholders. Should we be unable to satisfy
these restrictions under our new credit facilities, we would be
prohibited from making cash distributions to you notwithstanding
our stated cash distribution policy.
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Our board of directors will have the authority to establish
reserves for the prudent conduct of our business or for future
distributions to unitholders, and the establishment of those
reserves could result in a reduction in cash distributions to
you from levels we currently anticipate pursuant to our stated
distribution policy.
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Even if our cash distribution policy is not modified or revoked,
the amount of distributions we pay under our cash distribution
policy and the decision to make any distribution is determined
by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of
our partnership agreement.
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Under
Section 17-607
of the Delaware Act, we may not make a distribution to you if
the distribution would cause our liabilities to exceed the fair
value of our assets.
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We may lack sufficient cash to pay distributions to our
unitholders due to a number of factors, including increases in
our general and administrative expense, principal and interest
payments on our outstanding debt, tax expenses, working capital
requirements, anticipated cash needs and seasonality. Please
read Risk Factors for a discussion of these factors.
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While our partnership agreement requires us to distribute our
available cash, our partnership agreement may be amended. During
the subordination period, with certain exceptions, our
partnership agreement may not be amended without approval of the
nonaffiliated common unitholders, but our partnership
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agreement can be amended with the approval of a majority of our
outstanding common units after the subordination period has
ended.
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Our Cash Distribution Policy May Limit Our Ability to
Grow. Because we intend to distribute the
majority of the cash generated from our business to our
unitholders, our growth may not be as fast as businesses that
reinvest their available cash to expand ongoing operations.
Our Ability to Grow is Dependent on Our Ability to Access
External Expansion Capital. We will distribute
our available cash from operations to our unitholders. As a
result, we expect that we will rely primarily upon external
financing sources, including commercial bank borrowings and the
issuance of debt and equity securities, to fund our acquisitions
and major expansion capital expenditures. As a result, to the
extent we are unable to finance growth externally, our cash
distribution policy will significantly impair our ability to
grow. In addition, to the extent we issue additional units in
connection with any acquisitions or expansion capital
expenditures, the payments of distributions on those additional
units may increase the risk that we will be unable to maintain
or increase our per unit distribution level, which in turn may
reduce the available cash that we have to distribute on each
unit. We are able to issue additional units without the approval
of our unitholders in a number of circumstances. Please read
The Partnership Agreement Issuance of
Additional Securities. The incurrence of additional
commercial borrowings or other debt to finance our growth
strategy would result in increased interest expense, which in
turn may reduce the available cash that we have to distribute to
our unitholders.
Distributions
of Available Cash
General. Within 45 days after the end of
each quarter, we will distribute 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
the quarter:
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less the amount of cash reserves established by our general
partner to:
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provide for the proper conduct of our business;
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comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other
agreements; or
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provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and to our
general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters.
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plus all cash on hand on the date of determination of available
cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings
made after the end of the quarter for which the determination is
being made. Working capital borrowings are generally borrowings
that will be made under our revolving credit facility and in all
cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay
distributions to partners.
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Intent to Distribute the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution. We will distribute to the holders
of common units and subordinated units on a quarterly basis at
least the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.45 per unit, or
$1.80 per year, to the extent we have sufficient cash from our
operations after establishment of cash reserves and payment of
fees and expenses, including payments to our general partner.
However, there is no guarantee that we will pay the minimum
quarterly distribution on the units in any quarter. Even if our
cash distribution policy is not modified or revoked, the amount
of distributions paid under our policy and the decision to make
any distribution is determined by our general partner, taking
into consideration the terms of our partnership agreement. We
are prohibited from making any distributions to unitholders if
it would cause an event of default, or an event of default is
existing, under our credit agreements.
General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution
Rights. As of the date of this offering, our
general partner is entitled to 2% of all quarterly distributions
since inception that we make prior to our liquidation. This
general partner interest is represented by 600,653 general
partner units. Our general partner has the right, but not the
obligation, to contribute a proportionate amount of capital to
us to maintain its current general
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partner interest. The general partners initial 2% interest
in these distributions may be reduced if we issue additional
units in the future and our general partner does not contribute
a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its 2%
general partner interest. Our general partner also currently
holds incentive distribution rights that entitle it to receive
increasing percentages, up to a maximum of 50%, of the cash we
distribute from operating surplus (as defined below) in excess
of $0.45 per unit. The maximum distribution of 50% includes
distributions paid to our general partner on its 2% general
partner interest, and assumes that our general partner maintains
its general partner interest at 2%. The maximum distribution of
50% does not include any distributions that our general partner
may receive on units that it owns. Please read
Incentive Distribution Rights for
additional information.
Operating
Surplus and Capital Surplus
General. All cash distributed to unitholders
is characterized as either operating surplus or
capital surplus. Our partnership agreement requires
that we distribute available cash from operating surplus
differently than available cash from capital surplus.
Operating Surplus. Operating surplus generally
consists of:
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our cash balance on the closing date of this offering; plus
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$10.0 million (as described below); plus
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as of our cash receipts after the closing of this offering,
excluding cash from (1) borrowings that are not working
capital borrowings, (2) sales of equity and debt securities
and (3) sales or other dispositions of assets outside the
ordinary course of business; plus
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working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but
before the date of determination of operating surplus for the
quarter; less
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all of our operating expenditures after the closing of this
offering (including the repayment of working capital borrowings,
but not the repayment of other borrowings) and maintenance
capital expenditures; less
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the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner
for future operating expenditures.
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Please read Managements Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of
Operations Liquidity and Capital
Resources.
Maintenance capital expenditures represent capital expenditures
made to replace partially or fully depreciated assets, to
maintain the existing operating capacity of our assets and to
extend their useful lives, or other capital expenditures that
are incurred in maintaining existing system volumes and related
cash flows. Expansion capital expenditures represent capital
expenditures made to expand the existing operating capacity of
our assets or to expand the operating capacity or revenues of
existing or new assets, whether through construction or
acquisition. Costs for repairs and minor renewals to maintain
facilities in operating condition and that do not extend the
useful life of existing assets are treated as operations and
maintenance expenses as we incur them. Our partnership agreement
provides that our general partner determines how to allocate a
capital expenditure for the acquisition or expansion of our
assets between maintenance capital expenditures and expansion
capital expenditures.
Capital Surplus. Capital surplus consists of:
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borrowings other than working capital borrowings;
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sales of our equity and debt securities; and
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sales or other dispositions of assets for cash, other than
inventory, accounts receivable and other current assets sold in
the ordinary course of business or as part of normal retirement
or replacement of assets.
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Characterization of Cash Distributions. We
treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating
surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since we
began operations equals the operating surplus
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as of the most recent date of determination of available cash.
We treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus,
regardless of its source, as capital surplus. As reflected
above, operating surplus includes $10.0 million. This
amount does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available
for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, it is a provision
that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating
surplus up to this amount of cash we receive in the future from
non-operating sources, such as asset sales, issuances of
securities and borrowings, that would otherwise be distributed
as capital surplus. We do not anticipate that we will make any
distributions from capital surplus.
General. Our partnership agreement provides
that, during the subordination period (which we define below and
in Appendix A), the common units have the right to receive
distributions of available cash from operating surplus in an
amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.45 per
quarter, plus any arrearages in the payment of the minimum
quarterly distribution on the common units from prior quarters,
before any distributions of available cash from operating
surplus may be made on the subordinated units. These units are
deemed subordinated because for a period of time,
referred to as the subordination period, the subordinated units
will not be entitled to receive any distributions until the
common units have received the minimum quarterly distribution
plus any arrearages from prior quarters. Furthermore, no
arrearages will be paid on the subordinated units. The practical
effect of the existence of the subordinated units is to increase
the likelihood that during the subordination period there will
be available cash to be distributed on the common units. All of
the outstanding subordinated units are owned by affiliates of
our general partner. Please read Security Ownership of
Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.
Subordination Period. The subordination period
will extend until the first day of any quarter beginning after
December 31, 2010 that each of the following tests are met:
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distributions of available cash from operating surplus on each
of the outstanding common units, subordinated units and general
partner units equaled or exceeded the minimum quarterly
distributions on such common units, subordinated units and
general partner units for each of the three consecutive,
non-overlapping four-quarter periods immediately preceding that
date;
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the adjusted operating surplus (as defined below)
generated during each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping
four-quarter periods immediately preceding that date equaled or
exceeded the sum of the minimum quarterly distributions on all
of the outstanding common units, subordinated units and general
partner units during those periods on a fully diluted
basis; and
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there are no arrearages in payment of minimum quarterly
distributions on the common units.
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Expiration of the Subordination Period. When
the subordination period expires, each outstanding subordinated
unit will convert into one common unit and will then participate
pro rata with the other common units in distributions of
available cash. In addition, if the unitholders remove our
general partner other than for cause and units held by the
general partner and its affiliates are not voted in favor of
such removal:
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the subordination period will end and each subordinated unit
will immediately convert into one common unit;
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any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units will be extinguished; and
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the general partner will have the right to convert its general
partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into
common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests.
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Adjusted Operating Surplus. Adjusted operating
surplus is intended to reflect the cash generated from
operations during a particular period and therefore excludes net
increases in working capital borrowings and net drawdowns of
reserves of cash generated in prior periods. Adjusted operating
surplus consists of:
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operating surplus generated with respect to that period; less
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any net increase in working capital borrowings with respect to
that period; less
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any net decrease in cash reserves for operating expenditures
with respect to that period not relating to an operating
expenditure made with respect to that period; plus
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any net decrease in working capital borrowings with respect to
that period; plus
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any net increase in cash reserves for operating expenditures
with respect to that period required by any debt instrument for
the repayment of principal, interest or premium.
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Distributions
of Available Cash from Operating Surplus During the
Subordination Period
We will make distributions of available cash from operating
surplus for any quarter during the subordination period in the
following manner:
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first, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the
general partner, until we distribute for each outstanding common
unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for
that quarter;
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second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the
general partner, until we distribute for each outstanding common
unit an amount equal to any arrearages in payment of the minimum
quarterly distribution on the common units for any prior
quarters during the subordination period;
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third, 98% to the subordinated unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to
the general partner, until we distribute for each subordinated
unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for
that quarter; and
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thereafter, in the manner described in
Incentive Distribution Rights below.
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The preceding discussion is based on the assumptions that our
general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and
that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.
Distributions
of Available Cash from Operating Surplus After the Subordination
Period
We will make distributions of available cash from operating
surplus for any quarter after the subordination period in the
following manner:
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first, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner, until we distribute for each outstanding unit an amount
equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for that
quarter; and
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thereafter, in the manner described in
Incentive Distribution Rights below.
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The preceding discussion is based on the assumptions that our
general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and
that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.
Incentive
Distribution Rights
Incentive distribution rights represent the right to receive an
increasing percentage of quarterly distributions of available
cash from operating surplus after the minimum quarterly
distribution and the target distribution levels have been
achieved. Our general partner currently holds the incentive
distribution rights, but may transfer these rights separately
from its general partner interest, subject to restrictions in
the partnership agreement.
If for any quarter:
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we have distributed available cash from operating surplus to the
common and subordinated unitholders in an amount equal to the
minimum quarterly distribution; and
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we have distributed available cash from operating surplus on
outstanding common units in an amount necessary to eliminate any
cumulative arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution;
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then, we will distribute any additional available cash from
operating surplus for that quarter among the unitholders and the
general partner in the following manner:
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first, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.495 per
unit for that quarter (the first target
distribution);
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second, 85% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to the general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.563 per
unit for that quarter (the second target
distribution);
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third, 75% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to the general
partner, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.675 per
unit for that quarter (the third target
distribution); and
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thereafter, 50% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to the
general partner.
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In each case, the amount of the target distribution set forth
above is exclusive of any distributions to common unitholders to
eliminate any cumulative arrearages in payment of the minimum
quarterly distribution. The preceding discussion is based on the
assumptions that our general partner maintains its 2% general
partner interest and that we do not issue additional classes of
equity securities.
Percentage
Allocations of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of
the additional available cash from operating surplus between the
unitholders and our general partner up to the various target
distribution levels. The amounts set forth under Marginal
Percentage Interest in Distributions are the percentage
interests of our general partner and the unitholders in any
available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and
including the corresponding amount in the column Total
Quarterly Distribution, until available cash from
operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target
distribution level, if any. The percentage interests shown for
the unitholders and the general partner for the minimum
quarterly distribution are also applicable to quarterly
distribution amounts that are less than the minimum quarterly
distribution. The percentage interests set forth below for our
general partner include its 2% general partner interest and
assume our general partner has contributed any additional
capital to maintain its 2% general partner interest and has not
transferred its incentive distribution rights.
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Marginal Percentage
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Interest in
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Total Quarterly
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Distributions
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Distribution
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General
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Target Amount
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Unitholders
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Partner
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Minimum Quarterly Distribution
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$0.45
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98
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%
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2
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%
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First Target Distribution
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up to $0.495
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98
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%
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2
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%
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Second Target Distribution
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above $0.495 up to $0.563
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85
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%
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15
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%
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Third Target Distribution
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above $0.563 up to $0.675
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75
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%
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25
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%
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Thereafter
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above $0.675
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50
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%
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50
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%
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Distributions
from Capital Surplus
How Distributions from Capital Surplus Will Be
Made. We will make distributions of available
cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner:
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first, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner, until we distribute for each common unit that was
issued in this offering, an amount of available cash from
capital surplus equal to the initial public offering price;
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second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the
general partner, until we distribute for each common unit, an
amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to any
unpaid arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly
distribution on the common units; and
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thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash
from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.
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Effect of a Distribution from Capital
Surplus. Our partnership agreement treats a
distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial
unit price from the initial public offering, which is a return
of capital. The initial public offering price less any
distributions of capital surplus per unit is referred to as the
unrecovered initial unit price. Each time a
distribution of capital surplus is made, the minimum quarterly
42
distribution and the target distribution levels will be reduced
in the same proportion as the corresponding reduction in the
unrecovered initial unit price. Because distributions of capital
surplus will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution, after
any of these distributions are made, it may be easier for the
general partner to receive incentive distributions and for the
subordinated units to convert into common units. However, any
distribution of capital surplus before the unrecovered initial
unit price is reduced to zero cannot be applied to the payment
of the minimum quarterly distribution or any arrearages.
Once we distribute capital surplus on a unit issued in this
offering in an amount equal to the initial unit price, our
partnership agreement specifies that the minimum quarterly
distribution and the target distribution levels will be reduced
to zero. Our partnership agreement specifies that we then make
all future distributions from operating surplus, with 50% being
paid to the holders of units and 50% to the general partner. The
percentage interests shown for our general partner include its
2% general partner interest and assume the general partner has
not transferred the incentive distribution rights.
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 units into fewer units or subdivide
our units into a greater number of units, our partnership
agreement specifies that the following items will be
proportionately adjusted:
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the minimum quarterly distribution;
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target distribution levels;
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the unrecovered initial unit price;
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the number of common units issuable during the subordination
period without a unitholder vote; and
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the number of common units into which a subordinated unit is
convertible.
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For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should
occur, the minimum quarterly distribution, the target
distribution levels and the unrecovered initial unit price would
each be reduced to 50% of its initial level, the number of
common units issuable during the subordination period without
unitholder vote would double and each subordinated unit would be
convertible into two common units. Our partnership agreement
provides that we not make any adjustment by reason of the
issuance of additional units for cash or property.
In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is
modified or interpreted by a governmental taxing authority, so
that we become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to
taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax
purposes, our partnership agreement specifies that the minimum
quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels for
each quarter will be reduced by multiplying each distribution
level by a fraction, the numerator of which is available cash
for that quarter and the denominator of which is the sum of
available cash for that quarter plus the general partners
estimate of our aggregate liability for the quarter for such
income taxes payable by reason of such legislation or
interpretation. To the extent that the actual tax liability
differs from the estimated tax liability for any quarter, the
difference will be accounted for in 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
general partner, in accordance with their capital account
balances, as adjusted to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale
or other disposition of our assets in liquidation.
The allocations of gain and loss upon liquidation are intended,
to the extent possible, to entitle the holders of outstanding
common units to a preference over the holders of outstanding
subordinated units upon our liquidation, to the extent required
to permit common unitholders to receive their unrecovered
initial unit price plus the minimum quarterly distribution for
the quarter during which liquidation occurs plus any unpaid
43
arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly distribution on
the common units. However, there may not be sufficient gain upon
our liquidation to enable the holders of common units to fully
recover all of these amounts, even though there may be cash
available for distribution to the holders of subordinated units.
Any further net gain recognized upon liquidation will be
allocated in a manner that takes into account the incentive
distribution rights of the general partner.
Manner of Adjustments for Gain. The manner of
the adjustment for gain is set forth in the partnership
agreement. If our liquidation occurs before the end of the
subordination period, we will allocate any gain to the partners
in the following manner:
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first, to the general partner and the holders of units who have
negative balances in their capital accounts to the extent of and
in proportion to those negative balances;
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second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the
general partner, until the capital account for each common unit
is equal to the sum of: (1) the unrecovered initial unit
price; (2) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution
for the quarter during which our liquidation occurs; and
(3) any unpaid arrearages in payment of the minimum
quarterly distribution;
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third, 98% to the subordinated unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to
the general partner until the capital account for each
subordinated unit is equal to the sum of: (1) the
unrecovered initial unit price; and (2) the amount of the
minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter during which our
liquidation occurs;
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fourth, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general
partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per
unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the first
target distribution per unit over the minimum quarterly
distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the minimum
quarterly distribution per unit that we distributed 98% to the
unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, for each
quarter of our existence;
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fifth, 85% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to the general
partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per
unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the second
target distribution per unit over the first target
distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less
(2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of
available cash from operating surplus in excess of the first
target distribution per unit that we distributed 85% to the
unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to the general partner for each
quarter of our existence;
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sixth, 75% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to the general
partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per
unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the third
target distribution per unit over the second target distribution
per unit for each quarter of our existence; less (2) the
cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available
cash from operating surplus in excess of the second target
distribution per unit that we distributed 75% to the
unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to the general partner for each
quarter of our existence; and
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thereafter, 50% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to the
general partner.
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The percentage interests set forth above for our general partner
include its 2% general partner interest and assume the general
partner has not transferred the incentive distribution rights.
If the liquidation occurs after the end of the subordination
period, the distinction between common units and subordinated
units will disappear, so that clause (3) of the second
bullet point above and all of the third bullet point above will
no longer be applicable.
Manner of Adjustments for Losses. If our
liquidation occurs before the end of the subordination period,
we will generally allocate any loss to the general partner and
the unitholders in the following manner:
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first, 98% to holders of subordinated units in proportion to the
positive balances in their capital accounts and 2% to the
general partner, until the capital accounts of the subordinated
unitholders have been reduced to zero;
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second, 98% to the holders of common units in proportion to the
positive balances in their capital accounts and 2% to the
general partner, until the capital accounts of the common
unitholders have been reduced to zero; and
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thereafter, 100% to the general partner.
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If the liquidation occurs after the end of the subordination
period, the distinction between common units and subordinated
units will disappear, so that all of the first bullet point
above will no longer be applicable.
Adjustments to Capital Accounts. Our
partnership agreement requires that we make adjustments to
capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In this
regard, our partnership agreement specifies that we allocate any
unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss
resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and the
general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss
upon liquidation. In the event that we make positive adjustments
to the capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units,
our partnership agreement requires that we allocate any later
negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting from the
issuance of additional units or upon our liquidation in a manner
which results, to the extent possible, in the general
partners capital account balances equaling the amount
which they would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to
the capital accounts had been made.
DESCRIPTION
OF DEBT SECURITIES
The debt securities will be:
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our direct general obligations;
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either senior debt securities or subordinated debt
securities; and
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issued under separate indentures among us and a trustee.
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Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. may issue debt
securities in one or more series, and Calumet Finance Corp. may
be a co-issuer of one or more series of debt securities. Calumet
Finance Corp. was incorporated under the laws of the State of
Delaware in August 2007, is wholly-owned by Calumet Specialty
Products Partners, L.P., and has no material assets or any
liabilities other than as a co-issuer of debt securities. Its
activities will be limited to co-issuing debt securities and
engaging in other activities incidental thereto. When used in
this section Description of Debt Securities, the
terms we, us, our and
issuers refer jointly to Calumet Specialty Products
Partners, L.P. and Calumet Finance Corp., and the terms
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. and
Calumet Finance refer strictly to Calumet Specialty
Products Partners, L.P. and Calumet Finance Corp., respectively.
If we offer senior debt securities, we will issue them under a
senior indenture. If we issue subordinated debt securities, we
will issue them under a subordinated indenture. The trustee
under each indenture (the Trustee) will be named in
the applicable prospectus supplement. A form of each indenture
is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which
this prospectus is a part. We have not restated either indenture
in its entirety in this description. You should read the
relevant indenture because it, and not this description,
controls your rights as holders of the debt securities.
Capitalized terms used in the summary have the meanings
specified in the indentures.
Specific
Terms of Each Series of Debt Securities in the Prospectus
Supplement
A prospectus supplement and a supplemental indenture or
authorizing resolutions 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:
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whether Calumet Finance will be a co-issuer of the debt
securities;
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the guarantors of the debt securities, if any;
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45
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whether the debt securities are senior or subordinated debt
securities;
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the title of the debt securities;
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the total principal amount of the debt securities;
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the assets, if any, that are pledged as security for the payment
of the debt securities;
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whether we will issue the debt securities in individual
certificates to each holder in registered form, or in the form
of temporary or permanent global securities held by a depository
on behalf of holders;
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the prices at which we will issue the debt securities;
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the portion of the principal amount that will be payable if the
maturity of the debt securities is accelerated;
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the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities will
be payable, if not U.S. dollars;
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the dates on which the principal of the debt securities will be
payable;
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the interest rate that the debt securities will bear and the
interest payment dates for the debt securities;
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any conversion or exchange provisions;
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any optional redemption provisions;
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any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to
repurchase or otherwise redeem the debt securities;
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any changes to or additional events of default or covenants; and
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any other terms of the debt securities.
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We may offer and sell debt securities, including original issue
discount debt securities, at a substantial discount below their
principal amount. The prospectus supplement will describe
special U.S. federal income tax and any other
considerations applicable to those securities. In addition, the
prospectus supplement may describe certain special
U.S. federal income tax or other considerations applicable
to any debt securities that are denominated in a currency other
than U.S. dollars.
If specified in the prospectus supplement respecting a series of
debt securities, the subsidiaries of Calumet Specialty Products
Partners, L.P. specified in the prospectus supplement will
unconditionally guarantee to each holder and the Trustee, on a
joint and several basis, the full and prompt payment of
principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the debt
securities of that series when and as the same become due and
payable, whether at fixed maturity, upon redemption or
repurchase, by declaration of acceleration or otherwise. If a
series of debt securities is guaranteed, such series will be
guaranteed by all subsidiaries other than minor
subsidiaries as such term is interpreted in securities
regulations governing financial reporting for guarantors. The
prospectus supplement will describe any limitation on the
maximum amount of any particular guarantee and the conditions
under which guarantees may be released.
The guarantees will be general obligations of the guarantors.
Guarantees of subordinated debt securities will be subordinated
to the Senior Indebtedness of the guarantors on the same basis
as the subordinated debt securities are subordinated to the
Senior Indebtedness of Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.
Consolidation,
Merger or Asset Sale
Each indenture will, in general, allow us to consolidate or
merge with or into another domestic entity. It will also allow
each issuer to sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of all
or substantially all of its assets to another domestic entity.
If this happens, the remaining or acquiring entity must assume
all of the issuers responsibilities and liabilities under
the indenture including the payment of all amounts due on the
debt securities and performance of the issuers covenants
in the indenture.
46
However, each indenture will impose certain requirements with
respect to any consolidation or merger with or into an entity,
or any sale, lease, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of an issuers assets, including:
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the remaining or acquiring entity must be organized under the
laws of the United States, any state or the District of
Columbia; provided that Calumet Finance may not merge,
amalgamate or consolidate with or into another entity other than
a corporation satisfying such requirement for so long as Calumet
Specialty Products Partners, L.P. is not a corporation;
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the remaining or acquiring entity must assume the issuers
obligations under the indenture; and
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immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default
or Event of Default (as defined under Events
of Default and Remedies below) may exist.
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The remaining or acquiring entity will be substituted for the
issuer in the indenture with the same effect as if it had been
an original party to the indenture, and, except in the case of a
lease of all or substantially all of its assets, the issuer will
be relieved from any further obligations under the indenture.
No
Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the
debt securities will not contain any provisions that protect the
holders of the debt securities in the event of a change of
control of us or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction,
whether or not such transaction results in a change of control
of us.
Modification
of Indentures
We may supplement or amend an indenture if the holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt
securities of all series issued under the indenture affected by
the supplement or amendment consent to it. Further, the holders
of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of any series may waive past defaults under the
indenture and compliance by us with our covenants with respect
to the debt securities of that series only. Those holders may
not, however, waive any default in any payment on any debt
security of that series or compliance with a provision that
cannot be supplemented or amended without the consent of each
holder affected. Without the consent of each outstanding debt
security affected, no modification of the indenture or waiver
may:
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reduce the principal amount of debt securities whose holders
must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
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reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any debt
security;
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reduce or waive the premium payable upon redemption or alter or
waive the provisions with respect to the redemption of the debt
securities (except as may be permitted in the case of a
particular series of debt securities);
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reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest on
any debt security;
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waive a Default or an Event of Default in the payment of
principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the debt
securities (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt
securities by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the debt securities and a waiver of the
payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
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except as otherwise permitted under the indenture, release any
security that may have been granted with respect to the debt
securities;
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make any debt security payable in currency other than that
stated in the debt securities;
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in the case of any subordinated debt security, make any change
in the subordination provisions that adversely affects the
rights of any holder under those provisions;
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make any change in the provisions of the indenture relating to
waivers of past Defaults or the rights of holders of debt
securities to receive payments of principal of or premium, if
any, or interest on the debt securities;
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waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security
(except as may be permitted in the case of a particular series
of debt securities);
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except as otherwise permitted in the indenture, release any
guarantor from its obligations under its guarantee or the
indenture or change any guarantee in any manner that would
adversely affect the rights of holders; or
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make any change in the preceding amendment, supplement and
waiver provisions (except to increase any percentage set forth
therein).
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We may supplement or amend an indenture without the consent of
any holders of the debt securities in certain circumstances,
including:
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to establish the form of terms of any series of debt securities;
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to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
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to provide for uncertificated notes in addition to or in place
of certified notes;
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to provide for the assumption of an issuers or
guarantors obligations to holders of debt securities in
the case of a merger or consolidation or disposition of all or
substantially all of such issuers or guarantors
assets;
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in the case of any subordinated debt security, to make any
change in the subordination provisions that limits or terminates
the benefits applicable to any holder of Senior Indebtedness of
Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.;
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to add or release guarantors pursuant to the terms of the
indenture;
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to make any changes that would provide any additional rights or
benefits to the holders of debt securities or that do not, taken
as a whole, adversely affect the rights under the indenture of
any holder of debt securities;
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to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or
maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the
Trust Indenture Act;
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to evidence or provide for the acceptance of appointment under
the indenture of a successor Trustee;
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to add any additional Events of Default; or
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to secure the debt securities
and/or the
guarantees.
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Events
of Default and Remedies
Event of Default, when used in an indenture,
will mean any of the following with respect to the debt
securities of any series:
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failure to pay when due the principal of or any premium on any
debt security of that series;
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failure to pay, within 30 days of the due date, interest on
any debt security of that series;
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failure to pay when due any sinking fund payment with respect to
any debt securities of that series;
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failure on the part of the issuers to comply with the covenant
described under Consolidation, Merger or
Asset Sale;
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failure to perform any other covenant in the indenture that
continues for 60 days after written notice is given to the
issuers;
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certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of an
issuer; or
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any other Event of Default provided under the terms of the debt
securities of that series.
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48
An Event of Default for a particular series of debt securities
will 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, premium, if
any, or interest) if it considers such withholding of notice to
be in the best interests of the holders.
If an Event of Default described in the sixth bullet point above
occurs, the entire principal of, premium, if any, and accrued
interest on, all debt securities then outstanding will be due
and payable immediately, without any declaration or other act on
the part of the Trustee or any holders. If any other Event of
Default for any series of debt securities occurs and continues,
the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate
principal amount of the debt securities of the series may
declare the entire principal of, and accrued interest on, all
the debt securities of that series to be due and payable
immediately. If this happens, subject to certain conditions, the
holders of a majority in the aggregate principal amount of the
debt securities of that series can rescind 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 either
indenture at the request, order or direction of any holders,
unless the holders offer the Trustee reasonable security or
indemnity. If they provide this reasonable security or
indemnification, the holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount 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 that series of debt securities.
No
Limit on Amount of Debt Securities
Neither indenture will limit the amount of debt securities that
we may issue, unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus
supplement. Each indenture will allow us to issue debt
securities of any series up to the aggregate principal amount
that we authorize.
We will issue debt securities of a series only in registered
form, without coupons, unless otherwise indicated in the
prospectus supplement.
Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, the debt
securities will be issued only in principal amounts of $1,000
each or integral multiples of $1,000.
None of the past, present or future partners, incorporators,
managers, members, directors, officers, employees, unitholders
or stockholders of either issuer, the general partner of Calumet
Specialty Products Partners, L.P. or any guarantor will have any
liability for the obligations of the issuers or any guarantors
under either indenture or the debt securities or for any claim
based on such obligations or their creation. Each holder of debt
securities by accepting a debt security waives and releases all
such liability. The waiver and release are part of the
consideration for the issuance of the debt securities. The
waiver may not be effective under federal securities laws,
however, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is
against public policy.
The Trustee will initially act as paying agent and registrar
under each indenture. The issuers may change the paying agent or
registrar without prior notice to the holders of debt
securities, and the issuers or any of their subsidiaries may act
as paying agent or registrar.
If a holder of debt securities has given wire transfer
instructions to the issuers, the issuers will make all payments
on the debt securities in accordance with those instructions.
All other payments on the debt
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securities will be made at the corporate trust office of the
Trustee, unless the issuers elect to make interest payments by
check mailed to the holders at their addresses set forth in the
debt security register.
The Trustee and any paying agent will repay to us upon request
any funds held by them for payments on the debt securities that
remain unclaimed for two years after the date upon which that
payment has become due. After payment to us, holders entitled to
the money must look to us for payment as general creditors.
Exchange,
Registration and Transfer
Debt securities of any series will be exchangeable for other
debt securities of the same series, the same total principal
amount and the same terms but in different authorized
denominations in accordance with the indenture. Holders may
present debt securities for exchange or registration of transfer
at the office of the registrar. The registrar will effect the
transfer or exchange when it is satisfied with the documents of
title and identity of the person making the request. We will not
charge a service charge for any registration of transfer or
exchange of the debt securities. We may, however, require the
payment of any tax or other governmental charge payable for that
registration.
We will not be required:
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to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange debt securities
of a series either during a period beginning 15 business days
prior to the selection of debt securities of that series for
redemption and ending on the close of business on the day of
mailing of the relevant notice of redemption or repurchase, or
between a record date and the next succeeding interest payment
date; or
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to register the transfer of or exchange any debt security called
for redemption or repurchase, except the unredeemed portion of
any debt security we are redeeming or repurchasing in part.
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Provisions
Relating only to the Senior Debt Securities
The senior debt securities will rank equally in right of payment
with all of our other unsubordinated debt. The senior debt
securities will be effectively subordinated, however, to all of
our secured debt to the extent of the value of the collateral
for that debt. We will disclose the amount of our secured debt
in the prospectus supplement.
Provisions
Relating only to the Subordinated Debt Securities
Subordinated
Debt Securities Subordinated to Senior
Indebtedness
The subordinated debt securities will rank junior in right of
payment to all of the Senior Indebtedness of Calumet Specialty
Products Partners, L.P.. Senior Indebtedness will be
defined in a supplemental indenture or authorizing resolutions
respecting any issuance of a series of subordinated debt
securities, and the definition will be set forth in the
prospectus supplement.
Payment
Blockages
The subordinated indenture will provide that no payment of
principal, interest and any premium on the subordinated debt
securities may be made in the event:
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we or our property is involved in any voluntary or involuntary
liquidation or bankruptcy;
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we fail to pay the principal, interest, any premium or any other
amounts on any Senior Indebtedness of Calumet Specialty Products
Partners, L.P. within any applicable grace period or the
maturity of such Senior Indebtedness is accelerated following
any other default, subject to certain limited exceptions set
forth in the subordinated indenture; or
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any other default on any Senior Indebtedness of Calumet
Specialty Products Partners, L.P. occurs that permits immediate
acceleration of its maturity, in which case a payment blockage
on the subordinated debt securities will be imposed for a
maximum of 179 days at any one time.
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No
Limitation on Amount of Senior Debt
The subordinated indenture will not limit the amount of Senior
Indebtedness that Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. may
incur, unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement.
Book
Entry, Delivery and Form
The debt securities of a particular series may be issued in
whole or in part in the form of one or more global certificates
that will be deposited with the Trustee as custodian for The
Depository Trust Company, New York, New York
(DTC) This means that we will not issue certificates
to each holder. Instead, one or more global debt securities will
be issued to DTC, who will keep a computerized record of its
participants (for example, your broker) whose clients have
purchased the debt securities. The participant will then keep a
record of its clients who purchased the debt securities. Unless
it is exchanged in whole or in part for a certificated debt
security, a global debt security may not be transferred, except
that DTC, its nominees and their successors may transfer a
global debt security as a whole to one another.
Beneficial interests in global debt securities will be shown on,
and transfers of global debt securities will be made only
through, records maintained by DTC and its participants.
DTC has provided us the following information: DTC is a limited-
purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law,
a banking organization within the meaning of the New
York Banking Law, a member of the United States Federal Reserve
System, a clearing corporation within the meaning of
the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a clearing
agency registered under the provisions of Section 17A
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. DTC holds securities
that its participants (Direct Participants) deposit
with DTC. DTC also records the settlement among Direct
Participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and
pledges, in deposited securities through computerized records
for Direct Participants accounts. This eliminates the need
to exchange certificates. Direct Participants include securities
brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing
corporations and certain other organizations.
DTCs book- entry system is also used by other
organizations such as securities brokers and dealers, banks and
trust companies that work through a Direct Participant. The
rules that apply to DTC and its participants are on file with
the SEC.
DTC is owned by a number of its Direct Participants and by the
New York Stock Exchange, Inc., The American Stock Exchange, Inc.
and the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
We will wire all payments on the global debt securities to
DTCs nominee. We and the Trustee will treat DTCs
nominee as the owner of the global debt securities for all
purposes. Accordingly, we, the Trustee and any paying agent will
have no direct responsibility or liability to pay amounts due on
the global debt securities to owners of beneficial interests in
the global debt securities.
It is DTCs current practice, upon receipt of any payment
on the global debt securities, to credit Direct
Participants accounts on the payment date according to
their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the global
debt securities as shown on DTCs records. In addition, it
is DTCs current practice to assign any consenting or
voting rights to Direct Participants whose accounts are credited
with debt securities on a record date, by using an omnibus
proxy. Payments by participants to owners of beneficial
interests in the global debt securities, and voting by
participants, will be governed by the customary practices
between the participants and owners of beneficial interests, as
is the case with debt securities held for the account of
customers registered in street name. However,
payments will be the responsibility of the participants and not
of DTC, the Trustee or us.
Debt securities represented by a global debt security will be
exchangeable for certificated debt securities with the same
terms in authorized denominations only if:
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DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as
depositary or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered
under applicable law and in either event a successor depositary
is not appointed by us within 90 days; or
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an Event of Default occurs and DTC notifies the Trustee of its
decision to exchange the global debt security for certificated
debt securities.
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Satisfaction
and Discharge; Defeasance
Each indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of
further effect as to all outstanding debt securities of any
series issued thereunder, when:
(a) either:
(1) all outstanding debt securities of that series that
have been authenticated (except lost, stolen or destroyed debt
securities that have been replaced or paid and debt securities
for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust
and thereafter repaid to us) have been delivered to the Trustee
for cancellation; or
(2) all outstanding debt securities of that series that
have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have
become due and payable by reason of the giving of a notice of
redemption or otherwise or 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 and in any case we have irrevocably deposited or
caused to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as trust
funds in trust cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable
U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof, in
such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any
reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the entire
indebtedness of such debt securities not delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation, for principal, premium, if any, and
accrued interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of
debt securities that have been due and payable) or the stated
maturity or redemption date;
(b) we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums
payable by us under the indenture; and
(c) we have delivered an officers certificate and an
opinion of counsel to the Trustee stating that all conditions
precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied.
The debt securities of a particular series will be subject to
legal or covenant defeasance to the extent, and upon the terms
and conditions, set forth in the prospectus supplement.
Each indenture and all of the debt securities will be governed
by the laws of the State of New York.
We will enter into the indentures with a Trustee that is
qualified to act under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended, and with any other trustees chosen by us and appointed
in a supplemental indenture for a particular series of debt
securities. We may maintain a banking relationship in the
ordinary course of business with our trustee and one or more of
its affiliates.
Resignation
or Removal of Trustee
If the Trustee has or acquires a conflicting interest within the
meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee must either
eliminate its conflicting interest or resign, to the extent and
in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the
Trust Indenture Act and the applicable indenture. Any
resignation will require the appointment of a successor trustee
under the applicable indenture in accordance with the terms and
conditions of such indenture.
The Trustee may resign or be removed by us with respect to one
or more series of debt securities and a successor Trustee may be
appointed to act with respect to any such series. The holders of
a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities
of any series may remove the Trustee with respect to the debt
securities of such series.
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Limitations
on Trustee if it is Our Creditor
Each indenture will contain certain limitations on the right of
the Trustee, in the event that it becomes a creditor of an
issuer or a guarantor, 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.
Annual
Trustee Report to Holders of Debt Securities
The Trustee is required to submit an annual report to the
holders of the debt securities regarding, among other things,
the Trustees eligibility to serve as such, the priority of
the Trustees claims regarding certain advances made by it,
and any action taken by the Trustee materially affecting the
debt securities.
Certificates
and Opinions to be Furnished to Trustee
Each indenture will provide that, in addition to other
certificates or opinions that may be specifically required by
other provisions of the indenture, every application by us for
action by the Trustee shall be accompanied by a certificate of
certain of our officers and an opinion of counsel (who may be
our counsel) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all
conditions precedent to such action have been complied with by
us.
MATERIAL
TAX CONSEQUENCES
This section is a summary of the material tax considerations
that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are
individual citizens or residents of the United States and,
unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the
opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel to our
general partner and us, insofar as it relates to legal
conclusions with respect to matters of United States federal
income tax law. This section is based upon current provisions of
the Internal Revenue Code, existing and proposed regulations and
current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which
are subject to change. Later changes in these authorities may
cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the
consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise
requires, references in this section to us or
we are references to Calumet and our operating
company.
The following discussion does not comment on all federal income
tax matters affecting us or our unitholders. Moreover, the
discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or
residents of the United States and has only limited application
to corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other
unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as
tax-exempt institutions, foreign persons, individual retirement
accounts (IRAs), real estate investment trusts (REITs) or mutual
funds. Accordingly, we encourage each prospective unitholder to
consult, and depend on, his own tax advisor in analyzing the
federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to
him of the ownership or disposition of common units.
All statements as to matters of law and legal conclusions, but
not as to factual matters, contained in this section, unless
otherwise noted, are the opinion of Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. and are based on the accuracy of the representations made
by us.
No ruling has been or will be requested from the IRS regarding
any matter affecting us or prospective unitholders. Instead, we
will rely on opinions of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. Unlike
a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that
counsels best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or
the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein
may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any
contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely
impact the market for the common units and the prices at which
common units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with
the IRS, principally legal, accounting and related fees, will
result in a reduction in cash available for distribution to our
unitholders and our general partner and thus will be borne
indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner.
Furthermore, the tax treatment of us, or of an investment in us,
may be significantly modified by future legislative or
administrative changes or court decisions. Any modifications may
or may not be retroactively applied.
For the reasons described below, Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following
specific federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a
unitholder whose common units are loaned
53
to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units (please
read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Treatment of Short Sales);
(2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable
income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations
(please read Disposition of Common
Units Allocations Between Transferors and
Transferees); and (3) whether our method for
depreciating Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in
certain cases (please read Tax Consequences of
Unit Ownership Section 754 Election).
A partnership is not a taxable entity and incurs no federal
income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is
required to take into account his share of items of income,
gain, loss and deduction of the partnership in computing his
federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash
distributions are made to him by the partnership. Distributions
by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable unless
the amount of cash distributed is in excess of the
partners adjusted basis in his partnership interest.
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that
publicly traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be taxed
as corporations. However, an exception, referred to as the
Qualifying Income Exception, exists with respect to
publicly traded partnerships of which 90% or more of the gross
income for every taxable year consists of qualifying
income. Qualifying income includes income and gains
derived from the refining, 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 4% of
our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this
estimate could change from time to time. Based upon and subject
to this estimate, the factual representations made by us and our
general partner and a review of the applicable legal
authorities, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion
that at least 90% of our current gross income constitutes
qualifying income.
No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS and the IRS
has made no determination as to our status or the status of the
operating company for federal income tax purposes or whether our
operations generate qualifying income under
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. Instead, we will
rely on the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. on such
matters. It is the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
that, based upon the Internal Revenue Code, its regulations,
published revenue rulings and court decisions and the
representations described below, we will be classified as a
partnership and our operating company will be disregarded as an
entity separate from us for federal income tax purposes.
In rendering its opinion, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has
relied on factual representations made by us and our general
partner. The representations made by us and our general partner
upon which Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied are:
(a) Neither we nor the operating company has elected or
will elect to be treated as a corporation;
(b) For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross
income has been and will be income that Vinson &
Elkins L.L.P. has opined or will opine is qualifying
income within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the
Internal Revenue Code; and
(c) Each hedging transaction that we treat as resulting in
qualifying income has been and will be appropriately identified
as a hedging transaction pursuant to applicable Treasury
Regulations, and has been and will be associated with crude oil,
natural gas, or products thereof that are held or to be held by
us in activities that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has
opined or will opine result in qualifying income.
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 if
we had transferred all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to
a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in
which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return
for stock in that corporation, and
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then distributed that stock to the unitholders in liquidation of
their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation
should be tax-free to unitholders and us so long as we, at that
time, do not have liabilities in excess of the tax basis of our
assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for
federal income tax purposes.
If we were treated as an association taxable as a corporation in
any taxable year, either as a result of a failure to meet the
Qualifying Income Exception or otherwise, our items of income,
gain, loss and deduction would be reflected only on our tax
return rather than being passed through to our unitholders, and
our net income would be taxed to us at corporate rates. In
addition, any distribution made to a unitholder would be treated
as either taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current
or accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of
earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the
extent of the unitholders tax basis in his common units,
or taxable capital gain, after the unitholders tax basis
in his common units is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation as
a corporation would result in a material reduction in a
unitholders cash flow and after-tax return and thus would
likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of the
units.
The discussion below is based on Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P.s opinion that we will be classified as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes.
Unitholders who have become limited partners of Calumet will be
treated as partners of Calumet for 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 Calumet for
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 his status as a partner with respect to those
units for federal income tax purposes. Please read
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Treatment of Short Sales.
Income, gain, deductions or losses would not appear to be
reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal
income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a
unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes
would therefore 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
Calumet.
The references to unitholders in the discussion that
follows are to persons who are treated as partners in Calumet
for federal income tax purposes.
Tax
Consequences of Unit Ownership
Flow-Through of Taxable Income. We will not
pay any federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be
required to report on his income tax return his share of our
income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether
we make cash distributions to him. Consequently, we may allocate
income to a unitholder even if he has not received a cash
distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in
income his allocable share of our income, gains, losses and
deductions for our taxable year ending with or within his
taxable year. Our taxable year ends on December 31.
Treatment of Distributions. Distributions by
us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the
unitholder for federal income tax purposes, except to the extent
the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds his tax basis
in his common units immediately before the distribution. Our
cash distributions in excess of a unitholders tax basis
generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or
exchange of the common units, taxable in accordance with the
rules described under Disposition of Common
Units below. Any reduction in a unitholders share of
our liabilities for which no partner, including the general
partner, bears the economic risk of loss, known as
nonrecourse liabilities, will be treated as a
distribution of cash to that unitholder. To the extent our
distributions cause a unitholders at risk
amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, he
must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please
read Limitations on Deductibility of
Losses.
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A decrease in a unitholders percentage interest in us
because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease
his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result
in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. A non-pro rata
distribution of money or property may result in ordinary income
to a unitholder, regardless of his tax basis in his common
units, if the distribution reduces the unitholders share
of our unrealized receivables, including
depreciation recapture,
and/or
substantially appreciated inventory items, both as
defined in the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively,
Section 751 Assets. To that extent, he will be
treated as having been distributed his proportionate share of
the Section 751 Assets and then having exchanged those
assets with us in return for the non-pro rata portion of the
actual distribution made to him. This latter deemed exchange
will generally result in the unitholders realization of
ordinary income, which will equal the excess of (1) the
non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the
unitholders tax basis (generally zero) for the share of
Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.
Basis of Common Units. A unitholders
initial tax basis for his common units will be the amount he
paid for the common units plus his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. That basis will be increased by his share of our
income and by any increases in his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. That basis will be decreased, but not below zero,
by distributions from us, by the unitholders share of our
losses, by any decreases in his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities and by his share of our expenditures that are not
deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to
be capitalized. A unitholder will have no share of our debt that
is recourse to our general partner, but will have a share,
generally based on his share of profits, of our nonrecourse
liabilities. Please read Disposition of Common
Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses. The
deduction by a unitholder of his share of our losses will be
limited to the tax basis in his units and, in the case of an
individual unitholder, estate, trust, or corporate unitholder
(if more than 50% of the value of the corporate
unitholders stock is owned directly or indirectly by or
for five or fewer individuals) or some tax-exempt organizations,
to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be
at risk with respect to our activities, if that is
less than his tax basis. A common unitholder subject to these
limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to
the extent that distributions cause his at risk amount to be
less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed
to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations
will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction to the
extent that his tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the
limiting factor, is subsequently increased. Upon the taxable
disposition of a unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can
be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at
risk limitation but may not be offset by losses suspended by the
basis limitation. Any 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 his units, excluding any portion of that basis
attributable to his 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 his
units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in
us, is related to the unitholder or can look only to the units
for repayment. A unitholders at risk amount will increase
or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholders units
increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or
decreases attributable to increases or decreases in his share of
our nonrecourse liabilities.
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 can 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 taxpayers 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
investments in other publicly traded partnerships, or salary or
active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible
because they exceed a unitholders share of income we
generate may be deducted in full when he disposes of his entire
investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an
unrelated party.
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The passive loss limitations are applied after other applicable
limitations on deductions, including the at risk rules and the
basis limitation.
A unitholders share of our net income may be offset by any
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.
Limitations on Interest Deductions. The
deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayers
investment interest expense is generally limited to
the amount of that taxpayers net investment
income. Investment interest expense includes:
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interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for
investment;
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our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and
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the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an
interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to
portfolio income.
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The computation of a unitholders investment interest
expense will take into account interest on any margin account
borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit.
Net investment income includes gross income from property held
for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the
passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than
interest, directly connected with the production of investment
income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the
disposition of property held for investment. The IRS has
indicated that the net passive income earned by a publicly
traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its
unitholders. In addition, the unitholders share of our
portfolio income will be treated as investment income.
Entity-Level Collections. If we are
required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal,
state, local or foreign income tax on behalf of any unitholder
or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are
authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if
made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the
unitholder on whose behalf the payment was made. If the payment
is made on behalf of a person whose identity cannot be
determined, we are authorized to treat the payment as a
distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to
amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to
maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of units
and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect
to these distributions, the priority and characterization of
distributions otherwise applicable under 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, if we have a net profit,
our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated
among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with
their percentage interests in us. At any time that distributions
are made to the common units in excess of distributions to the
subordinated units, or incentive distributions are made to our
general partner, gross income will be allocated to the
recipients to the extent of these distributions. If we have a
net loss, that loss will be allocated first to our general
partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage
interests in us to the extent of their positive capital accounts
and, second, to our general partner.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be
allocated to account for the difference between the tax basis
and fair market value of our assets at the time of an offering,
referred to in this discussion as Contributed
Property. The effect of these allocations, referred to as
Section 704(c) Allocations, to a unitholder purchasing
common units from us in an offering will be essentially the same
as if the tax basis of our assets were equal to their fair
market value at the time of such offering. In the event we issue
additional common units or engage in certain other transactions
in the future reverse Section 704(c)
Allocations, similar to the Section 704(c)
Allocations described above, will be made to all holders of
partnership interests, including purchasers of common units in
this offering, to account for the difference between the
book basis for purposes of maintaining capital
accounts and the fair market value of all property held by us at
the time of the future transaction. In addition, items of
recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible to the
57
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 some unitholders. Finally,
although we do not expect that our operations will result in the
creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital
accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will
be allocated in an amount and manner to eliminate the negative
balance as quickly as possible.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction,
other than an allocation required by the Internal Revenue Code
to eliminate the difference between a partners
book capital account, credited with the fair market
value of Contributed Property, and tax capital
account, credited with the tax basis of Contributed Property,
referred to in this discussion as the Book-Tax
Disparity, will generally be given effect for federal
income tax purposes in determining a partners share of an
item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation
has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a
partners share of an item will be determined on the basis
of his interest in us, which will be determined by taking into
account all the facts and circumstances, including:
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his relative contributions to us;
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the interests of all the partners in profits and losses;
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the interest of all the partners in cash flow; and
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the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon
liquidation.
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Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. 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 federal income tax purposes in determining a partners
share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.
Treatment of Short Sales. A unitholder whose
units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short
sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those
units. If so, he would no longer be treated for tax purposes as
a partner with respect to those units during the period of the
loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a
result, during this period:
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any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those
units would not be reportable by the unitholder;
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any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those
units would be fully taxable; and
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all of these distributions would appear to be ordinary income.
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Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion
regarding the treatment of a unitholder where common units are
loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units;
therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as
partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a
short seller are urged to modify any applicable brokerage
account agreements to prohibit their brokers from loaning their
units. The IRS has announced that it is actively studying issues
relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership
interests. Please also read Disposition of
Common Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
Alternative Minimum Tax. Each unitholder will
be required to take into account his distributive share of any
items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the
alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for
noncorporate taxpayers is 26% on the first $175,000 of
alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption
amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable
income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their
tax advisors as to the impact of an investment in units on their
liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Tax Rates. In general, the highest effective
United States federal income tax rate for individuals is
currently 35.0% and if the asset disposed of was held for more
than twelve months at the time of disposition, the maximum
United States federal income tax rate for net capital gains of
an individual is scheduled to remain at 15.0% for years
2008-2010
and then increase to 20% beginning January 1, 2011.
58
Section 754 Election. We have made the
election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue
Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the
IRS. The election will generally permit us to adjust a common
unit purchasers tax basis in our assets (inside
basis) under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue
Code to reflect his purchase price. This election does not apply
to a person who purchases common units directly from us. The
Section 743(b) adjustment belongs to the purchaser and not
to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a
unitholders inside basis in our assets will be considered
to have two components: (1) his share of our tax basis in
our assets (common basis) and (2) his
Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.
Where the remedial allocation method is adopted (which we
generally adopt as to property other than certain goodwill
properties), the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of
the Internal Revenue Code require a portion of the
Section 743(b) adjustment that is attributable to recovery
property under Section 168 of the Internal Revenue Code
whose book basis is in excess of its tax basis to be depreciated
over the remaining cost recovery period for the propertys
unamortized book-tax disparity. If we elect a method other than
the remedial method with respect to a goodwill property,
Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3)
generally requires that the Section 743(b) adjustment
attributable to an amortizable Section 197 intangible,
which includes goodwill properties, should be treated as a
newly-acquired asset placed in service in the month when the
purchaser acquires the common unit. Under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6),
a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property
subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Internal
Revenue Code, rather than cost recovery deductions under
Section 168, is generally required to be depreciated using
either the straight-line method or the 150% declining balance
method. If we elect a method other than the remedial method, the
depreciation and amortization methods and useful lives
associated with the Section 743(b) adjustment, therefore,
may differ from the methods and useful lives generally used to
depreciate the inside basis in such properties. Under our
partnership agreement, our general partner is authorized to take
a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that
position is not consistent with these and any other Treasury
Regulations. If we elect a method other than the remedial method
with respect to a goodwill property, the common basis of such
property is not amortizable. Please read
Uniformity of Units.
Although Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine as
to the validity of this approach because there is no direct or
indirect controlling authority on this issue, we intend to
depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment
attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of
Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax
Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived
from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life
applied to the propertys unamortized book-tax disparity,
or treat that portion as
non-amortizable
to the extent attributable to property which is not amortizable.
This method is consistent with the methods employed by other
publicly traded partnerships but is arguably inconsistent with
Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6),
which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of
our assets, and Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3).
To the extent this Section 743(b) adjustment is
attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the
unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules
described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history.
If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken,
we may take a depreciation or amortization position under which
all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would receive
depreciation or amortization, whether attributable to common
basis or a Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same
applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in
our assets. This kind of aggregate approach may result in lower
annual depreciation or amortization deductions than would
otherwise be allowable to some unitholders. Please read
Uniformity of Units. A unitholders
tax basis for his common units is reduced by his share of our
deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an
individuals income tax return) so that any position we
take that understates deductions will overstate the common
unitholders basis in his common units, which 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. The IRS may
challenge our position with respect to depreciating or
amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to
preserve the uniformity of the units. If such a challenge were
sustained, the gain from the sale of units might be increased
without the benefit of additional deductions.
A Section 754 election is advantageous if the
transferees tax basis in his units is higher than the
units share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets
immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of
the
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election, the transferee would have, among other items, a
greater amount of depreciation and depletion deductions and his
share of any gain or loss on a sale of our assets would be less.
Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if
the transferees tax basis in his units is lower than those
units share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets
immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value
of the units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by
the election. A basis adjustment is required regardless of
whether a Section 754 election is made in the case of a
transfer of an interest in us if we have a substantial
built in loss immediately after the transfer, or if
we distribute property and have a substantial basis reduction.
Generally a built in loss or a basis reduction is
substantial if it exceeds $250,000.
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 allocated by us to our tangible
assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as 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 his share of
our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending
within or with his taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who
has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31 and
who disposes of all of his units following the close of our
taxable year but before the close of his taxable year must
include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in
income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be
required to include in income for his taxable year his share of
more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction.
Please read Disposition of Common
Units Allocations Between Transferors and
Transferees.
Initial Tax Basis, Depreciation and
Amortization. The tax basis of our assets will be
used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery
deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of
these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the
difference between the fair market value of our assets and their
tax basis immediately prior to this offering will be borne by
our partners holding interest in us prior to the 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 that will result in the largest
deductions being taken in the early years after assets subject
to these allowances are placed in service. Because our general
partner may determine not to adopt the remedial method of
allocation with respect to any difference between the tax basis
and the fair market value of goodwill immediately prior to this
or any future offering, we may not be entitled to any
amortization deductions with respect to any goodwill properties
conveyed to us on formation or held by us at the time of any
future offering. Please read Uniformity of
Units. 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 his interest in us.
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Please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and
Deduction and Disposition of Common
Units Recognition of Gain or Loss.
The costs incurred in selling our units (called
syndication expenses) must be capitalized and cannot
be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. There
are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as
organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as
syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us. The
underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated
as syndication expenses.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties. The
federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition
of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative
fair market values, and the initial 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 basis are subject to challenge and will
not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of
fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the
character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or
deductions previously reported by unitholders might change, and
unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for
prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to
those adjustments.
Disposition
of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss. Gain or loss will
be recognized on a sale of units equal to the difference between
the amount realized and the unitholders tax basis for the
units sold. A unitholders amount realized will be measured
by the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other
property received by him plus his share of our nonrecourse
liabilities. Because the amount realized includes a
unitholders share of our nonrecourse liabilities, the gain
recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability
in excess of any cash received from the sale.
Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable
income for a common unit that decreased a unitholders tax
basis in that common unit will, in effect, become taxable income
if the common unit is sold at a price greater than the
unitholders tax basis in that common unit, even if the
price received is less than his original cost.
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder,
other than a dealer in units, on the sale or
exchange of a unit held for more than one year will generally be
taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an
individual on the sale of units held more than twelve months
will generally be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%. 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 assets giving rise to depreciation
recapture or other unrealized receivables or to
inventory items we own. The term unrealized
receivables includes potential recapture items, including
depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to
unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation
recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized upon the sale of
a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss
realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize
both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units.
Net capital losses may offset capital gains and no more than
$3,000 of ordinary income, in the case of individuals, and may
only be used to offset capital gains in the case of corporations.
The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a
partnership in separate transactions must combine those
interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those
interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of
those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated
to the interests 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 partners tax basis in his entire
interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold
bears to the value of the partners 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, a common
unitholder will be unable to
61
select high or low basis common units to sell as would be the
case with corporate stock, but, according to the regulations,
may designate specific common units sold for purposes of
determining the holding period of units transferred. A
unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of common
units transferred must consistently use that identification
method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of common units. A
unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a
sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged
to consult his tax advisor as to the possible consequences of
this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.
Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the
taxation of some financial products and securities, including
partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an
appreciated partnership interest, one in which gain
would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at
its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons
enter(s) into:
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a short sale;
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an offsetting notional principal contract; or
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a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership
interest or substantially identical property.
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Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short
sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or
forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the
taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the
taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership
interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of
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 and
losses will be determined annually, will be prorated on a
monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the
unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each
of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the
first business day of the month, which we refer to in this
prospectus 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 units may be allocated income, gain, loss and
deduction realized after the date of transfer.
The use of this method may not be permitted under existing
Treasury Regulations. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of
allocating income and deductions between transferor and
transferee unitholders. If this method is not allowed under the
Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than
all of the unitholders interest, our taxable income or
losses might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are
authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferor
and transferee unitholders, as well as unitholders whose
interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method
permitted under future Treasury Regulations.
A unitholder who owns units at any time during a quarter and who
disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash
distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our
income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to that quarter
but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.
Notification Requirements. A unitholder who
sells any of his 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 units who purchases 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 purchase
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 United States and who
effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy
such requirements.
Constructive Termination. We will be
considered to have been terminated for tax purposes if there is
a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our
capital and profits within a twelve-month period.
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A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable
year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting
on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending
December 31, the closing of our taxable year may result in
more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being
includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. We
would be required to make new tax elections after a termination,
including a new election under Section 754 of the Internal
Revenue Code, and a termination would result in a deferral of
our deductions for depreciation. A termination could also result
in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination
had occurred. Moreover, a termination might either accelerate
the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation
enacted before the termination.
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units, we
must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics
of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of
uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number
of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and
regulatory. A lack of uniformity can result from a literal
application of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6)
and Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3).
Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of
the units. Please read Tax Consequences of
Unit Ownership Section 754 Election.
We intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b)
adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value
of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized
Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization
derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful
life applied to the Section 704(c) built-in gain of that
property, or treat that portion as nonamortizable, to the extent
attributable to property the common basis of which is not
amortizable, consistent with the regulations under
Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code, even though that
position may be inconsistent with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6),
which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of
our assets, and Treasury
Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3).
Please read Tax Consequences of Unit
Ownership Section 754 Election. To the
extent that the Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable
to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax
Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury
Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this
position cannot reasonably be taken, we may adopt a depreciation
and amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring
units in the same month would receive depreciation and
amortization deductions, whether attributable to a common basis
or Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same
applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in
our property. If this position is adopted, it may result in
lower annual depreciation and amortization deductions than would
otherwise be allowable to some unitholders and risk the loss of
depreciation and amortization deductions not taken in the year
that these deductions are otherwise allowable. This position
will not be adopted if we determine that the loss of
depreciation and amortization deductions will have a material
adverse effect on the unitholders. If we choose not to utilize
this aggregate method, we may use any other reasonable
depreciation and amortization method to preserve the uniformity
of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any units that would not
have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. The IRS may
challenge any method of depreciating the Section 743(b)
adjustment described in this paragraph. If this challenge were
sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and the
gain from the sale of units might be increased without the
benefit of additional deductions. Please read
Disposition of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss.
Tax-Exempt
Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt
organizations, non-resident aliens, foreign corporations and
other foreign persons raises issues unique to those investors
and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax
consequences to them.
Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from
federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and
other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on
unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income
allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will
be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.
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Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, trusts or estates
that own units will be considered to be engaged in business in
the United States because of the ownership of units. As a
consequence, they will be required to file federal tax returns
to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and
pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our
net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly
traded partnerships, we will withhold at the highest applicable
effective tax rate from cash distributions made quarterly to
foreign unitholders. Each foreign unitholder must obtain a
taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that
number to our transfer agent on a
Form W-8BEN
or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for
these withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require
us to change these procedures.
In addition, because a foreign corporation that owns units will
be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that
corporation may be subject to the United States branch profits
tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax,
on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in
the foreign corporations U.S. net equity,
which is effectively connected with the conduct of a United
States trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated
by an income tax treaty between the United States and the
country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a
qualified resident. In addition, this type of
unitholder is subject to special information reporting
requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue
Code.
Under a ruling of the IRS, a foreign unitholder who sells or
otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to federal income
tax on gain realized on the sale or disposition of that unit to
the extent that this gain is effectively connected with a United
States trade or business of the foreign unitholder. Because a
foreign unitholder is considered to be engaged in business in
the United States by virtue of the ownership of units, under
this ruling a foreign unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes
of a unit generally will be subject to federal income tax on
gain realized on the sale or disposition of units. Apart from
the ruling, a foreign unitholder will not be taxed or subject to
withholding upon the sale or disposition of a unit if he has
owned less than 5% in value of the units during the five-year
period ending on the date of the disposition and if the units
are regularly traded on an established securities market at the
time of the sale or disposition.
Information Returns and Audit Procedures. We
intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after
the close of each calendar year, specific tax information,
including a
Schedule K-1,
which describes his share of our income, gain, loss and
deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this
information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take
various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have
been mentioned earlier, to determine each unitholders
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. Neither we nor
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. can assure prospective
unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court
that those positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS
could negatively affect the value of the units.
The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns.
Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each
unitholder to adjust a prior years tax liability, and
possibly may result in an audit of his return. Any audit of a
unitholders return could result in adjustments not related
to our returns as well as those related to our returns.
Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for
purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of
administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement
proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income,
gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership
proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the
partners. The Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be
designated as the Tax Matters Partner for these
purposes. Our partnership agreement names our general partner as
our Tax Matters Partner.
The Tax Matters Partner will make some elections on our behalf
and on behalf of unitholders. In addition, the Tax Matters
Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of
tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our returns.
The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a
1% profits
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interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that
unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to
give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters
Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the unitholders
are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and,
if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review,
judicial review may be sought by any unitholder having at least
a 1% interest in profits or by any group of unitholders having
in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However,
only one action for judicial review will go forward, and each
unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate.
A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the
treatment of any item on his federal income tax return that is
not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return.
Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency
requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.
Nominee Reporting. Persons who hold an
interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to
furnish to us:
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(a)
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the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the
beneficial owner and the nominee;
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(b)
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whether the beneficial owner is:
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1.
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a person that is not a United States person;
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2.
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a foreign government, an international organization or any
wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the
foregoing; or
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3.
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a tax-exempt entity;
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(c)
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the amount and description of units held, acquired or
transferred for the beneficial owner; and
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(d)
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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.
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Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish
additional information, including whether they are United States
persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or
transfer for their own account. A penalty of $50 per failure, up
to a maximum of $100,000 per calendar year, is imposed by the
Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that information to
us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of
the units with the information furnished to us.
Accuracy-Related Penalties. An additional tax
equal to 20% of the amount of any portion of an underpayment of
tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes,
including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations,
substantial understatements of income tax and substantial
valuation misstatements, is imposed by the Internal Revenue
Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an
underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause
for that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith
regarding that portion.
For individuals, a substantial understatement of income tax in
any taxable year exists if the amount of the understatement
exceeds the greater of 10% of the tax required to be shown on
the return for the taxable year or $5,000. The amount of any
understatement subject to penalty generally is reduced if any
portion is attributable to a position adopted on the return:
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(1)
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for which there is, or was, substantial
authority; or
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(2)
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as to which there is a reasonable basis and the pertinent facts
of that position are disclosed on the return.
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If any item of income, gain, loss or deduction included in the
distributive shares of unitholders might result in that kind of
an understatement of income for which no
substantial authority exists, we must disclose the
pertinent facts on our return. In addition, we will make a
reasonable effort to furnish sufficient information for
unitholders to make adequate disclosure on their returns and to
take other actions as may be appropriate to permit unitholders
to avoid liability for this penalty. More stringent rules apply
to tax shelters, which we do not believe
includes us.
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A substantial valuation misstatement exists if the value of any
property, or the adjusted basis of any property, claimed on a
tax return is 200% or more of the amount determined to be the
correct amount of the valuation or adjusted basis. No penalty is
imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a
substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 for
most corporations). If the valuation claimed on a return is 400%
or more than the correct valuation, the penalty imposed
increases to 40%.
Reportable Transactions. If we were to engage
in a reportable transaction, we (and possibly you
and others) would be required to make a detailed disclosure of
the transaction to the IRS. A transaction may be a reportable
transaction based upon any of several factors, including the
fact that it is a type of tax avoidance transaction publicly
identified by the IRS as a listed transaction or
that it produces certain kinds of losses for partnerships,
individuals, S corporations, and trusts in excess of
$2 million in any single year, or $4 million in any
combination of tax years. Our participation in a reportable
transaction could increase the likelihood that our federal
income tax information return (and possibly your tax return)
would be audited by the IRS. Please read
Information Returns and Audit Procedures.
Moreover, if we were to participate in a reportable transaction
with a significant purpose to avoid or evade tax, or in any
listed transaction, you may be subject to the following
provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004:
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accuracy-related penalties with a broader scope, significantly
narrower exceptions, and potentially greater amounts than
described above at Accuracy-Related Penalties,
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for those persons otherwise entitled to deduct interest on
federal tax deficiencies, nondeductibility of interest on any
resulting tax liability and
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in the case of a listed transaction, an extended statute of
limitations.
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We do not expect to engage in any reportable
transactions.
State,
Local, Foreign and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income taxes, you likely will be subject
to other taxes, such as state, local and foreign 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. Although an analysis of those various
taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should
consider their potential impact on his investment in us. We will
initially own property or do business in Arkansas, California,
Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New
York, Ohio, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and
Virginia, and each of these states, other than Texas and
Florida, impose a personal income tax on individuals as well as
an income tax on corporations and other entities. We may also
own property or do business in other jurisdictions in the
future. Although you may not be required to file a return and
pay taxes in some jurisdictions because your income from that
jurisdiction falls below the filing and payment requirement, you
will be required to file income tax returns and to pay income
taxes in many of these jurisdictions in which we do business or
own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to
comply with those requirements. In some jurisdictions, tax
losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and
may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable
years. Some of the jurisdictions 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
jurisdiction. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or
less than a particular unitholders income tax liability to
the jurisdiction, 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, the
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 his investment in us. Accordingly, each
prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend upon, his
tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters.
Further, it is the responsibility
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of each unitholder to file all state, local and foreign, as well
as United States federal tax returns, that may be required of
him. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an
opinion on the state, local or foreign tax consequences of an
investment in us.
TAX
CONSEQUENCES OF OWNERSHIP OF DEBT SECURITIES
A description of the material federal income tax consequences of
the acquisition, ownership and disposition of debt securities
will be set forth on the prospectus supplement relating to the
offering of debt securities.
We may sell securities described in this prospectus and any
accompanying prospectus supplement to one or more underwriters
for public offering and sale, and we also may sell securities to
investors directly or through one or more broker-dealers or
agents.
We will prepare a prospectus supplement for each offering that
will disclose the terms of the offering, including the name or
names of any underwriters, dealers or agents, the purchase price
of the securities and the proceeds to us from the sale, any
underwriting discounts and other items constituting compensation
to underwriters, dealers or agents.
We will fix a price or prices of our securities at:
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market prices prevailing at the time of any sale under this
registration statement;
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prices related to market prices; or
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negotiated prices.
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We may change the price of the securities offered from time to
time.
If we use underwriters or dealers in the sale, they will acquire
the securities for their own account and they may resell these
securities from time to time in one or more transactions,
including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering
price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The
securities may be offered to the public either through
underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing
underwriters or directly by one or more of such firms. Unless
otherwise disclosed in the prospectus supplement, the
obligations of the underwriters to purchase securities will be
subject to certain conditions precedent, and the underwriters
will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered by
the prospectus supplement if any are purchased. Any initial
public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed
or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
If a prospectus supplement so indicates, the underwriters may,
pursuant to Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, engage in transactions, including stabilization bids or
the imposition of penalty bids, that may have the effect of
stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the securities at
a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open
market.
We may sell the securities directly or through agents designated
by us from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the
offering and sale of the securities for which this prospectus is
delivered, and disclose any commissions payable by us to the
agent or the method by which the commissions can be determined,
in the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the
prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best
efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
We may agree to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents who
participate in the distribution of securities against certain
liabilities to which they may become subject in connection with
the sale of the securities, including liabilities arising under
the Securities Act of 1933.
Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates may be
customers of, may engage in transactions with and may perform
services for us or our affiliates in the ordinary course of
business.
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A prospectus and accompanying prospectus supplement in
electronic form may be made available on the web sites
maintained by the underwriters. The underwriters may agree to
allocate a number of securities for sale to their online
brokerage account holders. Such allocations of securities for
internet distributions will be made on the same basis as other
allocations. In addition, securities may be sold by the
underwriters to securities dealers who resell securities to
online brokerage account holders.
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. will pass upon the validity of
the securities offered in this registration statement. If
certain legal matters in connection with an offering of the
securities made by this prospectus and a related prospectus
supplement are passed on by counsel for the underwriters of such
offering, that counsel will be named in the applicable
prospectus supplement related to that offering.
Ernst & Young, LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, has audited the consolidated financial
statements of Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. and
the consolidated balance sheet of Calumet GP, LLC
included in our Current Report on
Form 8-K
dated November 6, 2007 for the year ended December 31,
2006 as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by
reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in this registration
statement. Our consolidated financial statements are
incorporated by reference, in reliance on Ernst &
Youngs reports, given on their authority of said firm as
experts in accounting and auditing.
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3,000,000 Common
Units
Calumet Specialty Products
Partners, L.P.
Representing Limited Partner
Interests
Goldman,
Sachs & Co.
Barclays Capital
Deutsche Bank
Securities