v3.3.1.900
SUBSEQUENT EVENT
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]  
Subsequent Events
SUBSEQUENT EVENT

On March 1, 2016, NuStar GP, LLC intends to transfer and assign to NuStar Services Company LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NuStar Energy, all of NuStar GP, LLC’s employees and related benefit plans. Following the transfer of employees, we will pay employee costs directly and sponsor the following related benefit plans, among others:
The NuStar Thrift Plan (the Thrift Plan), a qualified employee profit-sharing plan;
The NuStar Pension Plan, a qualified non-contributory defined benefit pension plan;
The NuStar Excess Thrift Plan, a benefit plan to those employees whose compensation and/or annual contributions under the Thrift Plan are subject to the limitations applicable to qualified retirement plans;
The NuStar Excess Pension Plan, a benefit plan to a select group of management or other highly compensated employees; and
The NuStar GP, LLC Retiree Welfare Benefits Plan, a medical benefits plan for certain retired employees.
We do not expect this transfer of employees and related benefit plans to materially change our expenses since we currently reimburse NuStar GP, LLC for all employee costs attributable to us. Our consolidated balance sheet will reflect employee-related obligations to external parties instead of related party payables to NuStar GP, LLC.

On January 28, 2016, at a special meeting of unitholders, NuStar Energy’s unitholders approved the Fifth Amended and Restated 2000 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the Amended Plan), which, among other items, provided that NuStar Energy could use newly issued units from NuStar Energy to satisfy unit awards. The unitholder vote approving the Amended Plan on January 28, 2016, coupled with the subsequent transfer of the employees of NuStar GP, LLC into NuStar Services Company LLC, will result in the classification of substantially all of our currently outstanding and subsequently issued awards as equity awards.  At the time of the transfer of employees, NuStar Services Company LLC will assume obligations associated therewith, including all outstanding awards, and we intend to satisfy substantively all of the vestings of such awards with newly issued units of NuStar Energy.