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Partners' Capital and Distributions (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Partners' Capital Notes [Abstract] |
Activity for preferred and common units | The following table presents the activity for our preferred and common units:
| Limited Partners
| Series A Preferred Units |  | Series B Preferred Units |  | Common Units
Outstanding at December 31, 2014 | — |  |  | — |  |  | 375,107,793 |
Sales of common units | — |  |  | — |  |  | 22,133,904 |
Issuances of common units under LTIP | — |  |  | — |  |  | 485,927 |
Outstanding at December 31, 2015 | — |  |  | — |  |  | 397,727,624 |
Sale of Series A preferred units | 61,030,127 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Issuances of Series A preferred units in connection with in-kind distributions | 3,358,726 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Sales of common units | — |  |  | — |  |  | 26,278,288 |
Issuances of common units under LTIP | — |  |  | — |  |  | 480,581 |
Issuance of common units in connection with Simplification Transactions (Note 1) | — |  |  | — |  |  | 244,707,926 |
Outstanding at December 31, 2016 | 64,388,853 |  |  | — |  |  | 669,194,419 |
Issuances of Series A preferred units in connection with in-kind distributions | 5,307,689 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Sale of Series B preferred units | — |  |  | 800,000 |  |  | — |
Sales of common units | — |  |  | — |  |  | 54,119,893 |
Issuance of common units in connection with acquisition of interest in Advantage Joint Venture (Note 6) | — |  |  | — |  |  | 1,252,269 |
Issuances of common units under LTIP | — |  |  | — |  |  | 622,557 |
Outstanding at December 31, 2017 | 69,696,542 |  |  | 800,000 |  |  | 725,189,138 |
Issuance of common units | The following table summarizes our sales of common units (net proceeds in millions):
Year |  | Type of Offering |  | Common Units Issued |  | Net Proceeds (1) (2) |
2017 |  | Continuous Offering Program |  | 4,033,567 |  |  | $ | 129 |  | (3)
2017 |  | Omnibus Agreement (4) |  | 50,086,326 |  | (5) | 1,535 |  |
2017 Total |  |  |  | 54,119,893 |  |  | $ | 1,664 |  |
2016 Total |  | Continuous Offering Program |  | 26,278,288 |  |  | $ | 805 |  | (3)
2015 |  | Continuous Offering Program |  | 1,133,904 |  |  | $ | 59 |  | (3)
2015 |  | Underwritten Offering |  | 21,000,000 |  |  | 1,062 |  |
2015 Total |  |  |  | 22,133,904 |  |  | $ | 1,121 |  |
(1) | Amounts are net of costs associated with the offerings.
(2) | For periods prior to the closing of the Simplification Transactions, amounts include our general partner’s proportionate capital contributions of $9 million and $22 million during 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(3) | We pay commissions to our sales agents in connection with common unit issuances under our Continuous Offering Program. We paid $1 million, $8 million and $1 million of such commissions during 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(4) | Pursuant to the Omnibus Agreement entered into by the Plains Entities in connection with the Simplification Transactions, PAGP used the net proceeds from the sale of PAGP Class A shares, after deducting the sales agents’ commissions and offering expenses, to purchase from AAP a number of AAP units equal to the number of PAGP Class A shares sold in such offering at a price equal to the net proceeds from such offering. Also pursuant to the Omnibus Agreement, immediately following such purchase and sale, AAP used the net proceeds it received from such sale of AAP units to purchase from us an equivalent number of our common units.
(5) | Includes (i) approximately 1.8 million common units issued to AAP in connection with PAGP’s issuance of Class A shares under its Continuous Offering Program and (ii) 48.3 million common units issued to AAP in connection with PAGP’s March 2017 underwritten offering.
Schedule of distributions paid | The following table details distributions paid to common unitholders (and, prior to the Simplification Transactions, our general partner) during the year presented (in millions, except per unit data):
|  | Distributions Paid |  |  | Distributions per common unit
Year |  | Public |  | AAP (1) |  | Total |  |
2017 |  | $ | 849 |  |  | $ | 537 |  |  | $ | 1,386 |  |  |  | $ | 1.95 |
2016 |  | $ | 1,062 |  |  | $ | 565 |  |  | $ | 1,627 |  |  |  | $ | 2.65 |
2015 |  | $ | 1,081 |  |  | $ | 590 |  |  | $ | 1,671 |  |  |  | $ | 2.76 |
(1) | Prior to the Simplification Transactions, our general partner was entitled to receive (i) distributions with respect to its 2% indirect general partner interest and (ii) as the holder of our IDRs, incentive distributions if the amount we distributed with respect to any quarter exceeded certain specified levels. The Simplification Transactions, which closed on November 15, 2016, included the permanent elimination of our IDRs and the economic rights associated with our 2% general partner interest in exchange for the issuance by us to AAP of approximately 244.7 million common units. As such, beginning with the distribution pertaining to the fourth quarter of 2016, our general partner is no longer entitled to receive distributions on the IDRs or general partner interest. During the year ended December 31, 2017, AAP received distributions on the common units it owned.

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