v3.19.3
Leases
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]  
Leases
Leases

As of January 1, 2019, we adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) using the modified retrospective method of adoption. We elected to use the transition option that allows us to initially apply the new lease standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, to the opening balance of retained earnings in the year of adoption. Comparable periods continue to be presented under the guidance of the previous standard, ASC 840. ASC 842 requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and right-of-use asset on the balance sheet for operating leases. For lessors, the new accounting model remains largely the same, although some changes have been made to align it with the new lessee model and the new revenue recognition guidance, ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Our adoption of ASC 842 did not result in any material adjustments to retained earnings, changes in the timing or amounts of lease costs or changes to our leverage ratio as defined in our credit agreement.

We have both lessee and lessor arrangements. Our leases are evaluated at inception or at any subsequent modification. Depending on the terms, leases are classified as either operating or finance leases if we are the lessee, or as operating, sales-type or direct financing leases if we are the lessor, as appropriate under ASC 842.  Our lessee arrangements primarily include a terminalling and storage contract where we have exclusive use of dedicated tankage, leased pipelines and office buildings. Our lessor arrangements include pipeline capacity and storage contracts and our condensate splitter tolling agreement that qualify as operating leases under ASC 842. In addition, we have a long-term throughput and deficiency agreement with a customer that is being accounted for as a sales-type lease under ASC 842.

In accordance with ASC 842, we have made an accounting policy election to not apply the new standard to lessee arrangements with a term of one year or less and no purchase option that is reasonably certain of exercise. We will continue to account for these short-term arrangements by recognizing payments and expenses as incurred, without recording a lease liability and right-of-use asset.

We have also made an accounting policy election for both our lessee and lessor arrangements to combine lease and non-lease components. This election is applied to all of our lease arrangements as our non-lease components are not material and do not result in significant timing differences in the recognition of rental expenses or income.

Operating Leases – Lessee

We recognize a lease liability for each lease based on the present value of remaining minimum fixed rental payments (which includes payments under any renewal option that we are reasonably certain to exercise), using a discount rate that approximates the rate of interest we would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term. We also recognize a right-of-use asset for each lease, valued at the lease liability, adjusted for prepaid or accrued rent balances existing at the time of initial recognition. The lease liability and right-of-use asset are reduced over the term of the lease as payments are made and the assets are used.

Related Party Operating Lease. In 2018, we entered into a long-term terminalling and storage contract with Seabrook for exclusive use of dedicated tankage that provides our customers with crude oil storage capacity and dock access for crude oil imports and exports on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Minimum fixed rental payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease as costs and expenses on our consolidated statements of income. Variable and short-term rental payments are recognized as costs and expenses as they are incurred. Variable payments consist of amounts that exceed the contractual minimum rental payment (for example, payment increases tied to a change in a market index). Future minimum rental payments under operating leases with initial terms greater than one year as of September 30, 2019 are as follows (in thousands):
 
Third Party Leases
 
Seabrook Lease
 
All Leases
2019
$
2,643

 
$
2,607

 
$
5,250

2020
18,607

 
10,429

 
29,036

2021
18,994

 
8,973

 
27,967

2022
18,870

 
6,612

 
25,482

2023
18,349

 
6,612

 
24,961

Thereafter
34,086

 
37,473

 
71,559

Total future minimum rental payments
111,549

 
72,706

 
184,255

Present value discount
13,207

 
12,362

 
25,569

Total operating lease liability
$
98,342

 
$
60,344

 
$
158,686




The following tables provide further information about our operating leases (dollars in thousands):

 
 
Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
 
Third Party Leases
 
Seabrook Lease
 
All Leases
 
Third Party Leases
 
Seabrook Lease
 
All Leases
Fixed lease cost
 
$
4,792

 
$
2,608

 
$
7,400

 
$
14,375

 
$
7,951

 
$
22,326

Short-term lease cost
 
405

 

 
405

 
1,215

 

 
1,215

Variable lease cost
 
1,009

 

 
1,009

 
2,041

 

 
2,041

Total lease cost
 
$
6,206

 
$
2,608

 
$
8,814

 
$
17,631

 
$
7,951

 
$
25,582

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
As of and for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
 
 
Third Party Leases
 
Seabrook Lease
 
All Leases
Current lease liability
 
$
14,925

 
$
8,072

 
$
22,997

Long-term lease liability
 
$
83,417

 
$
52,272

 
$
135,689

Right-of-use asset
 
$
102,119

 
$
60,344

 
$
162,463

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating cash flows for operating leases
 
$
17,990

 
7,969

 
$
25,959

Weighted average remaining lease term (years)
 
6

 
9

 
7

Weighted-average discount rate
 
3.9%
 
4.3%
 
4.1%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Rent expense was $11.8 million and $30.3 million, respectively, for three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and was recognized in accordance with ASC 840.

Operating Leases – Lessor

We recognize fixed rental income on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease as revenue on our consolidated statements of income. Variable rental payments are recognized as revenue in the period in which the circumstances on which the variable lease payments are based occur.

Future minimum payments receivable under operating leases with initial terms greater than one year as of September 30, 2019 are estimated as follows (in thousands):
2019
$
9,624

2020
36,614

2021
36,560

2022
23,855

2023
7,663

Thereafter
15,631

Total
$
129,947


 
We recognized variable lease revenue of $15.4 million and $43.3 million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, primarily related to our condensate splitter in Corpus Christi, Texas.

At September 30, 2019, property, plant and equipment utilized by our customers in operating lease arrangements consisted of: $224.1 million of processing equipment; $72.9 million of storage tanks; $49.2 million of pipeline and station equipment; and $29.9 million of other assets. The processing equipment primarily relates to our condensate splitter.

Sales-Type Lease - Lessor

We entered into a long-term throughput and deficiency agreement with a customer on a pipeline and related assets that we constructed in Texas and New Mexico, which contains minimum payment commitments. Our customer has the option to purchase this pipeline and related assets at the end of the lease term for a nominal amount. This agreement was previously accounted for as a direct-financing lease under ASC 840 and is now being accounted for as a sales-type lease under ASC 842. The net investment under this arrangement as of December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2019 was as follows (in thousands):
 
 
December 31, 2018
 
September 30,
2019
Total minimum lease payments receivable
 
$
17,468

 
$
16,158

Less: Unearned income
 
3,422

 
2,961

Recorded net investment in sales-type lease
 
$
14,046

 
$
13,197


The net investment in sales-type leases was classified in the consolidated balance sheets as follows (in thousands):
 
 
December 31, 2018
 
September 30,
2019
Other accounts receivable
 
$
1,138

 
$
1,177

Long-term receivables
 
12,908

 
12,020

Total
 
$
14,046

 
$
13,197


Future minimum payments receivable under this lease are $0.4 million in 2019, $1.7 million in 2020, $1.7 million in 2021, $1.7 million in 2022, $1.7 million in 2023 and $8.7 million thereafter.