OPERATIONS AND ORGANIZATION:

Financial Statement Presentation

The consolidated financial statements of Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (the “Partnership,” “we” or “ETE”) presented herein for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. We consolidate all majority-owned subsidiaries and limited partnerships, which we control as the general partner or owner of the general partner. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts are eliminated in consolidation.

Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Partnership” and “ETE” mean Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. and its consolidated subsidiaries, which include ETP, ETP GP, ETP LLC, Panhandle, Sunoco LP and Lake Charles LNG. References to the “Parent Company” mean Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. on a stand-alone basis.

The consolidated financial statements of ETE presented herein include the results of operations of:


•	the Parent Company;


•	our controlled subsidiaries, ETP and Sunoco LP;


•	consolidated subsidiaries of our controlled subsidiaries and our wholly-owned subsidiaries that own general partner interests and IDR interests in ETP and Sunoco LP; and


•	our wholly-owned subsidiary, Lake Charles LNG.

Our subsidiaries also own varying undivided interests in certain pipelines. Ownership of these pipelines has been structured as an ownership of an undivided interest in assets, not as an ownership interest in a partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other forms of entities. Each owner controls marketing and invoices separately, and each owner is responsible for any loss, damage or injury that may occur to their own customers. As a result, we apply proportionate consolidation for our interests in these entities.

At January 25, 2018, subsequent to Sunoco LP’s repurchase of the 12 million Sunoco LP Series A Preferred Units held by ETE, our interests in ETP and Sunoco LP consisted of 100% of the respective general partner interests and IDRs, as well as approximately 27.5 million ETP common units, and approximately 2.3 million Sunoco LP common units. Additionally, ETE owns 100 ETP Class I Units, which are currently not entitled to any distributions.

As discussed in Note 8, in July 2015, the Partnership completed a two-for-one split of ETE Common Units. All references to unit and per unit amounts in the consolidated financial statements and in these notes to the consolidated financial statements have been adjusted to reflect the effects of the unit split for all periods presented.

In April 2017, ETP and Sunoco Logistics completed the previously announced merger transaction in which Sunoco Logistics acquired ETP in a unit-for-unit transaction (the “Sunoco Logistics Merger”). Under the terms of the transaction, ETP unitholders received 1.5 common units of Sunoco Logistics for each common unit of ETP they owned. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Sunoco Logistics’ general partner was merged with and into ETP GP, with ETP GP surviving as an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ETE. In connection with the merger, the ETP Class H units were cancelled. The outstanding ETP Class E units, Class G units, Class I units and Class K units at the effective time of the merger were converted into an equal number of newly created classes of Sunoco Logistics units, with the same rights, preferences, privileges, duties and obligations as such classes of ETP units had immediately prior to the closing of the merger. Additionally, the outstanding Sunoco Logistics common units and Sunoco Logistics Class B units owned by ETP at the effective time of the merger were cancelled.

In connection with the Sunoco Logistics Merger, Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. changed its name from “Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.” to “Energy Transfer, LP” and Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. changed its name to “Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.” Energy Transfer, LP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. For purposes of maintaining clarity, the following references are used herein:


•	References to “ETLP” refer to the entity named Energy Transfer, LP subsequent to the close of the merger;


•	References to “Sunoco Logistics” refer to the entity named Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. prior to the close of the merger; and


•	References to “ETP” refer to the consolidated entity named Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. subsequent to the close of the merger.

The historical common units for ETP presented in these consolidated financial statements have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect the 1.5 to one unit-for-unit exchange in connection with the Sunoco Logistics Merger.

For prior periods herein, certain transactions related to the business of legacy Sunoco Logistics have been reclassified from cost of products sold to operating expenses; these transactions include sales between operating subsidiaries and their marketing affiliates. These reclassifications had no impact on net income or total equity. Additionally, for prior periods herein, certain balances have been reclassified to assets and liabilities held for sale and certain revenues and expenses to discontinued operations. These reclassifications had no impact on net income or total equity.

Business Operations

The Parent Company’s principal sources of cash flow are derived from its direct and indirect investments in the limited partner and general partner interests in ETP and Sunoco LP and cash flows from the operations of Lake Charles LNG. The Parent Company’s primary cash requirements are for general and administrative expenses, debt service requirements and distributions to its partners. Parent Company-only assets are not available to satisfy the debts and other obligations of ETE’s subsidiaries. In order to understand the financial condition of the Parent Company on a stand-alone basis, see Note 17 for stand-alone financial information apart from that of the consolidated partnership information included herein.

Our financial statements reflect the following reportable business segments:


•	Investment in ETP, including the consolidated operations of ETP;


•	Investment in Sunoco LP, including the consolidated operations of Sunoco LP;


•	Investment in Lake Charles LNG, including the operations of Lake Charles LNG; and


•	Corporate and Other, including the following:


•	activities of the Parent Company; and


•	the goodwill and property, plant and equipment fair value adjustments recorded as a result of the 2004 reverse acquisition of Heritage Propane Partners, L.P.

ETP is a publicly traded partnership whose operations comprise the following:


•	the gathering and processing, compression, treating and transportation of natural gas, focusing on providing midstream services in some of the most prolific natural gas producing regions in the United States, including the Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Barnett, Fayetteville, Marcellus, Utica, Bone Spring and Avalon shales;


•	intrastate transportation and storage natural gas operations that own and operate natural gas pipeline systems that are engaged in the business of purchasing, gathering, transporting, processing, and marketing natural gas and NGLs in the states of Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and West Virginia;


•	interstate pipelines that are owned and operated, either directly or through equity method investments, that transport natural gas to various markets in the United States; and


•	controlling interest in Sunoco Logistics Partners Operations L.P., which owns and operates a logistics business, consisting of a geographically diverse portfolio of complementary pipeline, terminalling, and acquisition and marketing assets, which are used to facilitate the purchase and sale of crude oil, NGLs and refined products.

Sunoco LP is engaged in the wholesale distribution of motor fuels to convenience stores, independent dealers, commercial customers, and distributors, as well as the retail sale of motor fuels and merchandise through Sunoco LP operated convenience stores and retail fuel sites.

Lake Charles LNG operates a LNG import terminal, which has approximately 9.0 Bcf of above ground LNG storage capacity and re-gasification facilities on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast near Lake Charles, Louisiana. Lake Charles LNG is engaged in interstate commerce and is subject to the rules, regulations and accounting requirements of the FERC.