v3.5.0.2
Partners' Capital and Partnership Distributions
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Equity [Abstract]  
Partners' Capital and Partnership Distributions
(8) Partners’ Capital and Partnership Distributions

The Partnership has two types of partnership interests outstanding:

common units; and

a general partner interest, which is not entitled to any distributions, and which is held by the general partner.

As of September 30, 2016, the Partnership had a total of 113,282,973 common units issued and outstanding, of which 38,920,000 common units were owned by CRLLC, representing approximately 34% of the total Partnership common units outstanding.

The board of directors of the Partnership's general partner has a policy for the Partnership to distribute all available cash generated on a quarterly basis. Cash distributions will be made to the common unitholders of record on the applicable record date, generally within 60 days after the end of each quarter. Available cash for each quarter will be determined by the board of directors of the general partner following the end of such quarter.

Available cash begins with Adjusted EBITDA reduced for cash needed for (i) net cash interest expense (excluding capitalized interest) and debt service and other contractual obligations; (ii) maintenance capital expenditures; and (iii) to the extent applicable, major scheduled turnaround expenses, reserves for future operating or capital needs that the board of directors of the general partner deems necessary or appropriate, and expenses associated with the East Dubuque Merger, if any. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA (net income before interest expense, net, income tax expenses, depreciation and amortization) further adjusted for the impact of non-cash share-based compensation, and, when applicable, major scheduled turnaround expense, loss on disposition of assets, expenses associated with the East Dubuque Merger and business interruption insurance recovery. Available cash for distribution may be increased by the release of previously established cash reserves, if any, at the discretion of the board of directors of the general partner, and available cash is increased by the business interruption insurance proceeds and the impact of purchase accounting. Actual distributions are set by the board of directors of the general partner. The board of directors of the general partner may modify the cash distribution policy at any time, and the partnership agreement does not require the board of directors of the general partner to make distributions at all.

The following is a summary of cash distributions paid to the Partnership's unitholders during 2016 for the respective quarters to which the distributions relate:

 
December 31,
2015
 
March 31,
  2016(1)
 
June 30,
2016
 
Total Cash Distributions
Paid in 2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
($ in millions, except per common unit amounts)
Amount paid to CRLLC
$
10.5

 
$
10.5

 
$
6.6

 
$
27.6

Amount paid to public unitholders
9.2

 
20.1

 
12.7

 
42.0

Total amount paid
$
19.7

 
$
30.6

 
$
19.3

 
$
69.6

Per common unit
$
0.27

 
$
0.27

 
$
0.17

 
$
0.71

Common units outstanding (in thousands)
73,128

 
113,283

 
113,283

 
 

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(1) The distribution per common unit for the three months ended March 31, 2016 is calculated based on the post-merger common units outstanding.