v2.4.0.8
Long-Term Incentive Plan
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
Long-Term Incentive Plan
Long-Term Incentive Plan

Plan Description

We have a long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) covering certain of our employees and directors of our general partner. The LTIP primarily consists of phantom units and permits the grant of awards covering an aggregate of 9.4 million of our limited partner units. The remaining units available under the LTIP at December 31, 2013 total approximately 1.8 million. The compensation committee administers our LTIP.

Under our LTIP, the compensation committee has granted performance-based awards and retention awards.  Retention awards are subject to forfeiture by a participant if their employment is terminated for any reason other than death or disability prior to the vesting date.  Performance-based awards are subject to forfeiture by a participant if their employment is terminated for any reason other than retirement, death or disability prior to the vesting date.  If a performance-based award recipient retires, dies or becomes disabled prior to the end of the vesting period, the recipient's award will be prorated based upon the completed months of employment during the vesting period, and the award will be settled shortly after the end of the vesting period. Our agreement with the award participants requires these awards to be paid in our limited partner units. Award grants under our LTIP do not have an early vesting feature except for the performance-based awards which can vest early under certain circumstances following a change in control of our general partner.

For performance-based awards, we base the payout calculation for 80% of the award solely on the attainment of a financial metric established by the compensation committee. We account for this portion of the award grants as equity. The payout calculation for the remaining 20% of the unit awards is based on both the attainment of a financial metric and the individual employee's personal performance as determined by the compensation committee. We account for this portion of the award grants as a liability. The payout for the retention awards that have been granted by the compensation committee is subject only to the participant's continued employment with us. We account for these award grants as equity.

Non-Vested Unit Awards

The following table includes the changes during the current fiscal year in the number of non-vested units that have been granted by the compensation committee. The amounts below include no adjustments for above-target or below-target performance and forfeitures are actual amounts through December 31, 2013.
 
 
Equity Method
 
Liability Method Performance-Based Awards
 
 
 
 
 
 
Performance-Based Awards
 
Retention Awards
 
 
Total Awards
 
 

Number of Unit
Awards
 
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
 

Number of Unit
Awards
 
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
 

Number of Unit
Awards
 
Weighted-Average Fair Value
 

Number of Unit
Awards
 
Weighted-Average Fair Value
Non-vested units - 1/1/2013
 
444,090

 
$
31.24

 
58,802

 
$
24.60

 
111,025

 
$
43.19

 
613,917

 
$
32.77

Units granted during 2013
 
182,798

 
$
51.49

 
22,668


$
53.02


45,700


$
51.49

 
251,166

 
$
51.63

Units vested during 2013
 
(228,058
)
 
$
29.07

 
(2,207
)
 
$
34.02

 
(57,015
)
 
$
63.27

 
(287,280
)
 
$
35.90

Units forfeited during 2013
 
(9,420
)
 
$
35.98

 
(4,052
)
 
$
25.00

 
(2,355
)
 
$
63.27

 
(15,827
)
 
$
37.23

Non-vested units - 12/31/13
 
389,410

 
$
41.90

 
75,211

 
$
32.87

 
97,355

 
$
63.27

 
561,976

 
$
44.40



The table below summarizes the total non-vested unit awards granted by the compensation committee. The award grants have been adjusted for units we estimate will be forfeited by the end of the vesting period and for estimated amounts of above-target financial performance to determine the total number of unit awards included in our total equity-based liability accrual.
Grant Date
Unit Awards Granted
 
Estimated Forfeitures
 
Adjustment to Unit Awards in Anticipation of Achieving Above- Target Financial Results
 
Total Unit Award Accrual
 
Vesting Date
 
Unrecognized Compensation Expense(a)         (in millions)
 
Performance-Based Awards:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2012 Awards
267,322

 
39,225

 
228,097

 
456,194

 
12/31/2014
 
$
6.0

 
2013 Awards
228,498

 
31,869

 
147,472

 
344,101

 
12/31/2015
 
12.4

 
Retention Awards:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2014 Vesting Date
71,849

 
10,778

 

 
61,071

 
12/31/2014
 
0.7

 
2015 Vesting Date
444

 
22

 

 
422

 
12/31/2015
 

 
2016 Vesting Date
13,300

 
665

 

 
12,635

 
12/31/2016
 
0.7

 
Total
581,413

 
82,559

 
375,569

 
874,423

 
 
 
$
19.8

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(a) Unrecognized compensation expense will be recognized over the remaining vesting period of the awards.


Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Values
The weighted-average grant-date fair value of award grants issued during 2011, 2012 and 2013 were as follows:
 
 
Equity Method
 
 
 
 
Performance-Based Awards
 
Retention Awards
 
Liability Method Performance-Based Awards
 
 

Number of
Unit
Awards
 
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
 

Number of Unit
Awards
 
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
 

Number of Unit
Awards
 
Weighted-Average Fair Value
Units granted during 2011
 
281,180

 
$
28.52

 
59,880

 
$
23.96

 
70,296

 
$
34.32

Units granted during 2012
 
214,232

 
$
33.57

 
7,016

 
$
30.54

 
53,558

 
$
33.57

Units granted during 2013
 
182,798

 
$
51.49

 
22,668

 
$
53.02

 
45,700

 
$
51.49



Vested Unit Awards

The table below sets forth the numbers and values of units that vested in each of the three years ended December 31, 2013. The vested limited partner units include adjustments for above-target performance.
Vesting Date
 
Vested
Limited
Partner Units
 
Fair Value of Unit Awards on Vesting Date (in millions)*
 
Intrinsic Value of Unit Awards on Vesting Date (in millions)
12/31/2011
 
1,100,276

 
$
16.5

 
$
37.9

12/31/2012
 
751,237

 
$
17.1

 
$
32.5

12/31/2013
 
572,353

 
$
20.5

 
$
36.2

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

* Represents the amount of the equity-based liabilities settled in January of the year following the vesting date.

Cash Flow Effects of LTIP Settlements

We settle awards that vest by issuing limited partner units. The difference between the limited partner units issued to the participants and the total units accrued represents the minimum tax withholdings associated with the award settlement, which we pay in cash.
Settlement Date
 
Number of Limited Partner Units Issued, Net of Tax Withholdings
 
Minimum Tax Withholdings
(in millions)
 
Employer Taxes (in millions)
 
Total Cash Taxes Paid (in millions)
January 2011
 
505,492

 
$
7.4

 
$
0.9

 
$
8.3

January 2012
 
722,766

 
$
13.0

 
$
1.3

 
$
14.3

January 2013
 
476,682

 
$
12.3

 
$
1.1

 
$
13.4



Compensation Expense Summary

Equity-based incentive compensation expense, excluding amounts for directors (discussed below), for 2011, 2012 and 2013 was as follows (in thousands):
 
 
Year Ended December 31, 2011
 
Year Ended December 31, 2012
 
Year Ended December 31, 2013
 
Equity
Method
 
Liability
Method
 
Total
 
Equity
Method
 
Liability
Method
 
Total
 
Equity
Method
 
Liability
Method
 
Total
2009 awards
$
4,418

 
$
4,264

 
$
8,682

 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$

2010 awards
3,100

 
1,562

 
4,662

 
4,937

 
3,723

 
8,660

 
121

 
73

 
194

2011 awards
2,839

 
841

 
3,680

 
5,062

 
2,094

 
7,156

 
5,359

 
4,280

 
9,639

2012 awards

 

 

 
3,426

 
1,101

 
4,527

 
4,751

 
2,747

 
7,498

2013 awards

 

 

 

 

 

 
4,726

 
1,451

 
6,177

Retention awards
686

 

 
686

 
693

 

 
693

 
575

 

 
575

Total
$
11,043

 
$
6,667

 
$
17,710

 
$
14,118

 
$
6,918

 
$
21,036

 
$
15,532

 
$
8,551

 
$
24,083

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Allocation of LTIP expense on our consolidated statements of income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
G&A expense
 
 
 
$
16,024

 
 
 
 
 
$
18,587

 
 
 
 
 
$
23,264

Operating expense
 
 
 
1,686

 
 
 
 
 
2,449

 
 
 
 
 
819

Total
 
 
 
$
17,710

 
 
 
 
 
$
21,036

 
 
 
 
 
$
24,083


 
Director Compensation Expense

Pursuant to our LTIP, long-term incentive awards are granted to independent members of the board of directors of our general partner. Most directors elect to defer all or a portion of their compensation. The table below summarizes the phantom limited partner units earned by our independent directors and total equity-based director compensation expense recognized. The phantom unit and compensation amounts below include amounts credited to the directors' accounts for distribution equivalents earned.
 
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
2011
 
2012
 
2013
Phantom units earned pursuant to the LTIP
 
20,284

 
20,054

 
16,424

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Compensation - phantom unit expense
 
$
446

 
$
523

 
$
533

Distribution equivalents
 
139

 
195

 
267

Changes in market value of phantom units
 
568

 
973

 
2,535

Total value of phantom units
 
1,153

 
1,691

 
3,335

Compensation paid in cash
 
292

 
345

 
422

Compensation paid in our limited partner units
 
140

 
170

 
85

Total director compensation
 
1,585

 
2,206

 
3,842

Distribution equivalents charged to partners' capital
 
(139
)
 
(195
)
 
(267
)
Total director compensation expense
 
$
1,446

 
$
2,011

 
$
3,575