XML 41 R26.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.10.0.1
Acquisitions
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
Acquisitions
Midstream Streamlining Transactions and Financing

In February 2018, the Company's Board of Directors unanimously approved a plan to separate its upstream and midstream businesses, creating a standalone publicly traded corporation, Equitrans Midstream Corporation (Equitrans Midstream), which will focus on midstream operations (the Separation). Equitrans Midstream will own the midstream interests held by EQT. The Separation is intended to qualify as tax-free to EQT shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under the Separation plan, EQT shareholders will retain their shares of the Company's stock and receive a pro-rata distribution of 80.1% of the outstanding shares of Equitrans Midstream common stock. In connection with announcing the planned Separation, the Company also announced its plans to pursue (i) a sale of Rice retained midstream assets acquired by EQT in connection with the Rice Merger to EQM Midstream Partners, LP (formerly known as EQT Midstream Partners, LP) (EQM) (NYSE: EQM), (ii) a merger of EQM and RMP, and (iii) a sale of RMP’s incentive distribution rights (RMP IDRs) to EQGP Holdings, LP (formerly known as EQT GP Holdings, LP) (EQGP) (NYSE: EQGP)((i), (ii) and (iii) collectively, the Midstream Streamlining Transactions).

On April 25, 2018, EQT, Rice Midstream Holdings LLC (Rice Midstream), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, EQM and EQM Gathering Holdings, LLC (EQM Gathering), a wholly owned subsidiary of EQM, entered into a contribution and sale agreement pursuant to which EQM Gathering agreed to acquire all the outstanding limited liability company interests in each of (i) EQM West Virginia Midstream Holdings LLC (formerly known as Rice West Virginia Midstream LLC) (Rice West Virginia), (ii) EQM Olympus Midstream LLC (formerly known as Rice Olympus Midstream LLC) (Rice Olympus) and (iii) Strike Force Midstream Holdings LLC (Strike Force Holdings), which owns a 75% limited liability company interest in Strike Force Midstream LLC (Strike Force Midstream), in exchange for an aggregate of 5,889,282 EQM common units and cash consideration of $1.15 billion, plus working capital adjustments (the Drop-Down Transaction). The Drop-Down Transaction was completed on May 22, 2018 with an effective date of May 1, 2018. In connection with the Drop-Down Transaction, the Company recorded a $15.5 million gain to additional paid-in-capital, a decrease in noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiary of $20.3 million and an increase to deferred tax liability of $4.8 million.

On May 1, 2018, pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement dated April 25, 2018, by and among EQM, EQM Gathering, Gulfport Energy Corporation (Gulfport) and an affiliate of Gulfport, EQM Gathering acquired the remaining 25% limited liability company interest in Strike Force Midstream not owned by Strike Force Holdings for $175 million (the Gulfport Transaction). As a result, EQM has owned 100% of Strike Force Midstream since May 1, 2018.

On May 22, 2018, pursuant to an Incentive Distribution Rights Purchase and Sale Agreement dated April 25, 2018, by and among the Company, Rice Midstream GP Holdings LP (Rice Midstream GP Holdings), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company that owned the RMP IDRs, and EQGP, EQGP acquired all of the issued and outstanding RMP IDRs in exchange for 36,293,766 EQGP common units (the RMP IDR Purchase). As a result of the RMP IDR Purchase, EQT's percentage ownership of the outstanding EQGP common units increased from approximately 90.1% to approximately 91.3%. In connection with the RMP IDR Purchase, the Company recorded a $35.1 million loss to additional paid-in-capital, an increase in noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiary of $46.1 million and a decrease to deferred tax liability of $11.0 million.

On April 25, 2018, EQM entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Midstream Merger Agreement) with RMP, EQM Midstream Management LLC (formerly known as Rice Midstream Management LLC), the general partner of RMP (the RMP General Partner), EQM Midstream Services, LLC (formerly known as EQT Midstream Services, LLC), the general partner of EQM (the EQM General Partner), EQM Acquisition Sub, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of EQM (Merger Sub), EQM GP Acquisition Sub, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of EQM (GP Merger Sub), and, solely for certain limited purposes set forth therein, the Company. Pursuant to the Midstream Merger Agreement, on July 23, 2018, Merger Sub and GP Merger Sub merged with and into RMP and the RMP General Partner, respectively, with RMP and the RMP General Partner surviving as wholly owned subsidiaries of EQM (the Midstream Mergers). Pursuant to the Midstream Merger Agreement, each of the RMP common units issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Midstream Mergers was converted into the right to receive 0.3319 EQM common units (the Midstream Mergers Consideration), the issued and outstanding RMP IDRs were canceled and each outstanding award of phantom units in respect of RMP common units fully vested and converted into the right to receive the Midstream Mergers Consideration, less applicable tax withholding, in respect of each RMP common unit subject thereto. The aggregate Midstream Mergers Consideration consisted of approximately 34 million EQM common units. Following completion of the Midstream Mergers, RMP's common units ceased to be publicly traded. An indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company received 9,554,530 EQM common units as Midstream Mergers Consideration. In connection with the Midstream Mergers, the Company recorded a $138.8 million loss to additional paid-in capital, an increase in noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiary of $189.1 million and a decrease to deferred tax liability of approximately $50.3 million.

Also in connection with the completion of the Midstream Mergers, on July 23, 2018, EQM repaid approximately $260 million of borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, dated as of December 22, 2014, by and among RMP, as parent guarantor, RM Operating LLC (formerly known as Rice Midstream OpCo LLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of RMP (RMP OpCo), as borrower, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders and other parties from time to time party thereto (the RMP Credit Agreement), and the RMP Credit Agreement was terminated.

On April 25, 2018, EQM entered a $2.5 billion unsecured multi-draw 364-day term loan facility with a syndicate of lenders (the EQM Term Loan Facility). The EQM Term Loan Facility was used to fund the cash consideration for the Drop-Down Transaction, to repay borrowings under EQM’s $1 billion credit facility, and for other general partnership purposes. During the second quarter of 2018, the balance outstanding under the EQM Term Loan Facility was repaid, and the EQM Term Loan Facility was terminated on June 25, 2018 in connection with EQM's issuance of the EQM 2018 Senior Notes (described in the following section).

During the second quarter of 2018, EQM issued 4.75% senior notes due July 15, 2023 in the aggregate principal amount of $1.1 billion, 5.50% senior notes due July 15, 2028 in the aggregate principal amount of $850 million and 6.50% senior notes due July 15, 2048 in the aggregate principal amount of $550 million (collectively, the EQM 2018 Senior Notes). The offering of the EQM 2018 Senior Notes resulted in net proceeds of approximately $2,465.8 million, inclusive of a discount of $11.8 million and estimated debt issuance costs of $22.4 million. The net proceeds were used to repay the balance outstanding under the EQM Term Loan Facility and the RMP Credit Agreement and the remainder is expected to be used for general partnership purposes. The EQM 2018 Senior Notes were issued pursuant to new supplemental indentures to EQM's existing indenture dated August 1, 2014. The EQM 2018 Senior Notes contain covenants that limit EQM's ability to, among other things, incur certain liens securing indebtedness, engage in certain sale and leaseback transactions, and enter into certain consolidations, mergers, conveyances, transfers or leases of substantially all of EQM's assets.
Acquisitions

On February 1, 2017, the Company acquired approximately 14,000 net Marcellus acres located in Marion, Monongalia and Wetzel Counties of West Virginia from a third-party.

On February 27, 2017, the Company acquired approximately 85,000 net Marcellus acres, including drilling rights on approximately 44,000 net Utica acres and current natural gas production of approximately 110 MMcfe per day, from Stone Energy Corporation. The acquired acres are primarily located in Wetzel, Marshall, Tyler and Marion Counties of West Virginia. The acquired assets also included 174 Marcellus wells, 120 of which were producing at the time of the acquisition, and 20 miles of gathering pipeline.

On June 30, 2017, the Company acquired approximately 11,000 net Marcellus acres, and the associated Utica drilling rights from a third-party. The acquired acres are primarily located in Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland Countries of Pennsylvania.

The Company paid net cash of $740.1 million for the 2017 acquisitions during the nine months ended September 30, 2017. The preliminary fair value assigned to the acquired property, plant and equipment as of the opening balance sheet dates totaled $750.1 million. In connection with the 2017 acquisitions, the Company assumed approximately $5.3 million of net current liabilities and $4.7 million of non-current liabilities.

Fair Value Measurement

As these acquisitions qualified as business combinations under GAAP, the fair value of the acquired assets was determined using a market approach for the undeveloped acreage and a discounted cash flow model under the income approach for the wells. Significant unobservable inputs used in the analysis included the determination of estimated developed reserves and forward pricing estimates. As a result, valuation of the acquired assets was a Level 3 fair value measurement.