Organization and Basis of Consolidation and Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization and Basis of Consolidation and Presentation

Organization

Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (“PAA”) is a Delaware limited partnership formed in 1998. Our operations are conducted directly and indirectly through our primary operating subsidiaries. As used in this Form 10-K and unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “Partnership,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours” and similar terms refer to PAA and its subsidiaries.

Our business model integrates large-scale supply aggregation capabilities with the ownership and operation of critical midstream infrastructure systems that connect major producing regions to key demand centers and export terminals. As one of the largest midstream service providers in North America, we own an extensive network of pipeline transportation, terminalling, storage and gathering assets in key crude oil and natural gas liquids (“NGL”) producing basins (including the Permian Basin) and transportation corridors and at major market hubs in the United States and Canada. Our assets and the services we provide are primarily focused on and conducted through two operating segments: Crude Oil and NGL. See Note 20 for further discussion of our operating segments.

Our non-economic general partner interest is held by PAA GP LLC (“PAA GP”), a Delaware limited liability company, whose sole member is Plains AAP, L.P. (“AAP”), a Delaware limited partnership. In addition to its ownership of PAA GP, as of December 31, 2021, AAP also owned a limited partner interest in us through its ownership of approximately 241.5 million of our common units (approximately 31% of our total outstanding common units and Series A preferred units combined). Plains All American GP LLC (“GP LLC”), a Delaware limited liability company, is AAP’s general partner. Plains GP Holdings, L.P. (“PAGP”) is the sole and managing member of GP LLC, and, at December 31, 2021, owned an approximate 81% limited partner interest in AAP. PAA GP Holdings LLC (“PAGP GP”) is the general partner of PAGP.

As the sole member of GP LLC, PAGP has responsibility for conducting our business and managing our operations; however, the board of directors of PAGP GP has ultimate responsibility for managing the business and affairs of PAGP, AAP and us. GP LLC employs our domestic officers and personnel; our Canadian officers and personnel are employed by our subsidiary, Plains Midstream Canada ULC.

References to the “PAGP Entities” include PAGP GP, PAGP, GP LLC, AAP and PAA GP. References to our “general partner,” as the context requires, include any or all of the PAGP Entities. References to the “Plains Entities” include us, our subsidiaries and the PAGP Entities.

Definitions

Additional defined terms are used in the following notes and shall have the meanings indicated below:


AOCI	=	Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss)
ASC	=	Accounting Standards Codification
ASU	=	Accounting Standards Update
Bcf	=	Billion cubic feet
Btu	=	British thermal unit
CAD	=	Canadian dollar
CODM	=	Chief Operating Decision Maker
DERs	=	Distribution equivalent rights
EBITDA	=	Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
EPA	=	United States Environmental Protection Agency
FASB	=	Financial Accounting Standards Board
GAAP	=	Generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
ICE	=	Intercontinental Exchange
ISDA	=	International Swaps and Derivatives Association
LIBOR	=	London Interbank Offered Rate
LTIP	=	Long-term incentive plan
Mcf	=	Thousand cubic feet
MMbls	=	Million barrels
MLP	=	Master limited partnership
NGL	=	Natural gas liquids, including ethane, propane and butane
NYMEX	=	New York Mercantile Exchange
SEC	=	United States Securities and Exchange Commission
TWh	=	Terawatt hour
U.S.	=	United States
USD	=	United States dollar
WTI	=	West Texas Intermediate

Basis of Consolidation and Presentation

The accompanying financial statements and related notes present and discuss our consolidated financial position as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the consolidated results of our operations, cash flows, changes in partners’ capital, comprehensive income and changes in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation, and certain reclassifications have been made to information from previous years to conform to the current presentation, as discussed further below.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of PAA and all of its wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities that it controls. Investments in entities over which we have significant influence but not control are accounted for by the equity method. We apply proportionate consolidation for pipelines and other assets in which we own undivided joint interests.

Reclassification of Prior Period Information

During the fourth quarter of 2021, we effected changes in the primary financial information provided to our Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) (our Chief Executive Officer) for assessing performance and allocating resources to present two operating segments, Crude Oil and NGL. Prior to the fourth quarter of 2021, this information was organized into three operating segments: Transportation, Facilities and Supply and Logistics. See Note 20 for further discussion of our operating segments. In connection with this change, we changed the presentation of Revenues on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. “Product sales revenues” include amounts that were previously presented as “Supply and Logistics segment revenues,” while “Services revenues” includes amounts previously presented as “Transportation segment revenues” and “Facilities segment revenues.”

In October 2021, we and Oryx Midstream Holdings LLC (“Oryx Midstream”) completed the merger, in a cashless, debt-free transaction, of our respective Permian Basin assets, operations and commercial activities into a newly formed joint venture, Plains Oryx Permian Basin LLC (the “Permian JV”). See Note 7 for more details regarding this transaction. Due to the increase in intangible assets associated with this transaction, we present “Intangible assets, net” as a separate line item on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Such amounts were previously reported in “Other long-term assets, net” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

COVID-19

Many uncertainties remain with respect to the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, including uncertainty regarding the length of time the pandemic will continue, as well as the timing, pace and extent of an economic recovery in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, and how such uncertainties will impact the energy industry and our business. As a result, these matters may affect our estimates and assumptions on amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes in the near term.

Subsequent Events

Subsequent events have been evaluated through the financial statements issuance date and have been included in the following footnotes where applicable.