Variable Interest Entity |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2015 | |
| Variable Interest Entity [Abstract] | |
| Variable Interest Entity |
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Cheniere Partners
Cheniere Partners is a master limited partnership formed by us in 2006 to own and operate the Sabine Pass LNG terminal and related assets. Cheniere Holdings is a limited liability company formed by us in 2013 to hold our Cheniere Partners limited partner interests. As of December 31, 2015, we owned 80.1% of Cheniere Holdings, which owns a 55.9% limited partner interest in Cheniere Partners in the form of 12.0 million common units, 45.3 million Class B units and 135.4 million subordinated units. We also own 100% of the general partner interest and the incentive distribution rights in Cheniere Partners.
Cheniere Partners GP, our wholly owned subsidiary, is the general partner of Cheniere Partners. In May 2012, Cheniere Partners, Cheniere and Blackstone CQP Holdco LP (“Blackstone CQP Holdco”) entered into a unit purchase agreement (the “Blackstone Unit Purchase Agreement”) whereby Cheniere Partners agreed to sell to Blackstone CQP Holdco in a private placement 100.0 million Class B units of Cheniere Partners (“Class B units”) at a price of $15.00 per Class B unit. In August 2012, all conditions to funding were met and Blackstone CQP Holdco purchased its initial 33.3 million Class B units, and as of December 31, 2012, Blackstone CQP Holdco had purchased the remaining 66.7 million Class B units. At initial funding, the board of directors of Cheniere Partners GP was modified to include three directors appointed by Blackstone CQP Holdco, four directors appointed by us and four independent directors mutually agreed upon by Blackstone CQP Holdco and us and appointed by us. In addition, we provided Blackstone CQP Holdco with a right to maintain one board seat on our Board of Directors (our “Board”). A quorum of Cheniere Partners GP directors consists of a majority of all directors, including at least two directors appointed by Blackstone CQP Holdco, two directors appointed by us and two independent directors. Blackstone CQP Holdco will no longer be entitled to appoint Cheniere Partners GP directors in the event that Blackstone CQP Holdco’s ownership in Cheniere Partners is less than: (1) 20% of outstanding common units, subordinated units and Class B units, and (2) 50.0 million Class B units.
As a result of contractual changes in the governance of Cheniere Partners GP in connection with the Blackstone Unit Purchase Agreement, we have determined that Cheniere Partners GP is a variable interest entity and that we, as the holder of the equity at risk, do not have a controlling financial interest due to the rights held by Blackstone CQP Holdco. However, we continue to consolidate Cheniere Partners as a result of Blackstone CQP Holdco’s right to maintain one board seat on our Board which creates a de facto agency relationship between Blackstone CQP Holdco and us. GAAP requires that when a de facto agency relationship exists, one of the members of the de facto agency relationship must consolidate the variable interest entity based on certain criteria. As a result, we consolidate Cheniere Partners in our Consolidated Financial Statements.
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