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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF INCOME Table 2 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2015 | Sep. 30, 2015 | Jun. 30, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2014 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues | $ 464,919 | $ 493,566 | $ 570,611 | $ 554,944 | $ 681,738 | $ 794,422 | $ 749,745 | $ 849,213 | $ 2,084,040 | $ 3,075,118 | $ 3,463,732
Costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,693,336 | 2,728,217 | 3,482,853
Operating income (loss) | 98,024 | 100,994 | 92,405 | 99,281 | 81,346 | 95,098 | 89,354 | 81,103 | 390,704 | 346,901 | (19,121)
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Equity in earnings (loss) of joint ventures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 4,796 | (39,970)
Interest (expense) income, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (131,868) | (131,226) | (121,006)
Other income (expense), net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 61,822 | 4,499 | 7,341
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 320,658 | 224,970 | (172,756)
Income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 14,712 | 10,801 | 12,753
Income (loss) from continuing operations | 59,480 | 65,016 | 54,325 | 127,125 | 54,869 | 59,117 | 57,187 | 42,996 | 305,946 | 214,169 | (185,509)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 774 | (1,475) | 2,831 | (1,788) | (3,359) | 774 | (3,791) | (99,162)
Net income (loss) | $ 59,480 | $ 65,016 | $ 54,325 | $ 127,899 | $ 53,394 | $ 61,948 | $ 55,399 | $ 39,637 | 306,720 | 210,378 | (284,671)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | (395) | (10,901)
Net income (loss) attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 306,720 | 210,773 | (273,770)
Eliminations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (2,063) | (9,676) | (34,147)
Costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (2,105) | (9,645) | (34,168)
Operating income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 42 | (31) | 21
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (619,708) | (404,913) | 884,466
Equity in earnings (loss) of joint ventures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0
Interest (expense) income, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Other income (expense), net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (619,666) | (404,944) | 884,487
Income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Income (loss) from continuing operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (619,666) | (404,944) | 884,487
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Net income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (619,666) | (404,944) | 884,487
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0
Net income (loss) attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (619,666) | (404,944) | 884,487
NuStar Energy |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,717 | 1,753 | 1,908
Operating income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (1,717) | (1,753) | (1,908)
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 308,437 | 212,527 | (271,862)
Equity in earnings (loss) of joint ventures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0
Interest (expense) income, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Other income (expense), net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 306,720 | 210,774 | (273,770)
Income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 1 | 0
Income (loss) from continuing operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 306,720 | 210,773 | (273,770)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Net income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 306,720 | 210,773 | (273,770)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0
Net income (loss) attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 306,720 | 210,773 | (273,770)
NuStar Logistics |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 547,959 | 510,833 | 415,128
Costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 293,708 | 287,614 | 242,743
Operating income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 254,251 | 223,219 | 172,385
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (7,257) | (12,798) | 16,531
Equity in earnings (loss) of joint ventures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (8,278) | (49,599)
Interest (expense) income, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (137,847) | (132,274) | (116,624)
Other income (expense), net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,179 | 511 | (115)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 110,326 | 70,380 | 22,578
Income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (392) | 5 | 579
Income (loss) from continuing operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 110,718 | 70,375 | 21,999
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | (169) | (12,317)
Net income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 110,718 | 70,206 | 9,682
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0
Net income (loss) attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 110,718 | 70,206 | 9,682
NuPOP |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 215,469 | 229,211 | 218,591
Costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 140,081 | 149,955 | 147,117
Operating income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 75,388 | 79,256 | 71,474
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 120,768 | 62,946 | (347,808)
Equity in earnings (loss) of joint ventures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0
Interest (expense) income, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,611 | 89 | (4,851)
Other income (expense), net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 | (37) | (127)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 197,772 | 142,254 | (281,312)
Income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23 | 23 | 8
Income (loss) from continuing operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 197,749 | 142,231 | (281,320)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0
Net income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 197,749 | 142,231 | (281,320)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0
Net income (loss) attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 197,749 | 142,231 | (281,320)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,322,675 | 2,344,750 | 2,864,160
Costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,259,935 | 2,298,540 | 3,125,253
Operating income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 62,740 | 46,210 | (261,093)
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 197,760 | 142,238 | (281,327)
Equity in earnings (loss) of joint ventures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 13,074 | 9,629
Interest (expense) income, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,368 | 959 | 469
Other income (expense), net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 60,638 | 4,025 | 7,583
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 325,506 | 206,506 | (524,739)
Income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15,081 | 10,772 | 12,166
Income (loss) from continuing operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 310,425 | 195,734 | (536,905)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 774 | (3,622) | (86,845)
Net income (loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 311,199 | 192,112 | (623,750)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (395) | (10,901)
Net income (loss) attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 311,199 | $ 192,507 | $ (612,849)

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