Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Note 16 - Business Segment Information

v2.3.0.15
Note 16 - Business Segment Information
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Business Segment Information [Abstract]  
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]
Business Segment Information

We have three operating business segments: LNG terminal business, natural gas pipeline business and LNG and natural gas marketing business. These operating segments reflect lines of business for which separate financial information is produced internally and are subject to evaluation by our chief operating decision makers in deciding how to allocate resources.
 
Our LNG terminal business segment consists of the operational Sabine Pass LNG terminal, approximately 88.8% owned at September 30, 2011, in western Cameron Parish, Louisiana on the Sabine Pass Channel and two other LNG terminals that are in various stages of development at the following locations: Corpus Christi LNG, 100% owned, near Corpus Christi, Texas; and Creole Trail LNG, 100% owned, at the mouth of the Calcasieu Channel in central Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
 
Our natural gas pipeline business segment consists of the Creole Trail Pipeline, consisting of 94 miles of natural gas pipeline connecting the Sabine Pass LNG terminal to numerous interconnection points with existing interstate natural gas pipelines in southwest Louisiana, and other natural gas pipelines in various stages of development to provide access to North American natural gas markets.

Our LNG and natural gas marketing business segment is seeking to monetize the 2.0 Bcf/d of regasification capacity at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal held by a subsidiary of Cheniere Partners; develop a portfolio of long-term, short-term, and spot LNG purchase and sale agreements; assist Cheniere Partners' subsidiary in negotiations with potential customers for bi-directional service at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal; and enter into business relationships for the domestic marketing of natural gas imported by Cheniere Marketing as LNG to the Sabine Pass LNG terminal.
 
The following table summarizes revenues, net income (loss) from operations and total assets for each of our operating segments (in thousands):
 
 
Segments
 
 
LNG Terminal
 
Natural
Gas Pipeline
 
LNG & Natural Gas Marketing
 
Corporate and Other (1)
 
Total
Consolidation
As of or for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2011
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

Revenues
 
$
68,375

 
$
11

 
$
(2,999
)
 
$
426

 
$
65,813

Intersegment revenues (losses) (2) (3)
 
1,238

 
9

 
(1,154
)
 
(93
)
 

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
10,869

 
3,717

 
328

 
357

 
15,271

Non-cash compensation
 
403

 
104

 
(430
)
 
2,201

 
2,278

Income (loss) from operations
 
38,383

 
(7,194
)
 
(12,482
)
 
(8,352
)
 
10,355

Interest expense, net
 
(43,318
)
 
(11,543
)
 

 
(10,264
)
 
(65,125
)
Goodwill
 
76,819

 

 

 

 
76,819

Total assets
 
1,937,126

 
541,559

 
63,108

 
109,650

 
2,651,443

Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets
 
1,450

 
30

 

 
112

 
1,592

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As of or for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2010
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Revenues
 
$
65,945

 
$
21

 
$
1,533

 
$
749

 
$
68,248

Intersegment revenues (losses) (4) (5) (6) (7)
 
672

 

 
(276
)
 
(396
)
 

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
10,645

 
3,800

 
260

 
925

 
15,630

Non-cash compensation
 
397

 
121

 
916

 
2,014

 
3,448

Income (loss) from operations
 
34,907

 
(5,559
)
 
(3,976
)
 
(2,989
)
 
22,383

Interest expense, net
 
(47,963
)
 
(11,401
)
 

 
(4,535
)
 
(63,899
)
Goodwill
 
76,819

 

 

 

 
76,819

Total assets
 
1,948,286

 
557,948

 
93,494

 
16,750

 
2,616,478

Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets
 
342

 
(221
)
 

 
(1,295
)
 
(1,174
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As of or for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Revenues
 
$
205,678

 
$
42

 
$
10,055

 
$
2,079

 
$
217,854

Intersegment revenues (losses) (2) (3)
 
12,452

 
34

 
(12,010
)
 
(476
)
 

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
32,554

 
11,214

 
847

 
1,667

 
46,282

Non-cash compensation
 
1,609

 
445

 
5,232

 
9,343

 
16,629

Income (loss) from operations
 
108,095

 
(18,542
)
 
(19,512
)
 
(19,661
)
 
50,380

Interest expense, net
 
(129,952
)
 
(34,161
)
 

 
(29,754
)
 
(193,867
)
Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets
 
7,619

 
114

 
12

 
547

 
8,292

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As of or for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Revenues
 
$
199,109

 
$
58

 
$
14,703

 
$
2,170

 
$
216,040

Intersegment revenues (losses) (4) (5) (6) (7)
 
128,382

 
255

 
(127,012
)
 
(1,625
)
 

Depreciation, depletion and amortization
 
32,008

 
11,296

 
832

 
2,730

 
46,866

Non-cash compensation
 
1,241

 
375

 
4,517

 
7,300

 
13,433

Income (loss) from operations
 
235,440

 
(16,407
)
 
(129,255
)
 
(11,658
)
 
78,120

Interest expense, net
 
(140,323
)
 
(33,795
)
 

 
(23,926
)
 
(198,044
)
Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets
 
2,279

 
(326
)
 
(349
)
 
(1,371
)
 
233

 
(1)
Includes corporate activities, oil and gas exploration, development and exploitation activities and certain intercompany eliminations. Our oil and gas exploration, development and exploitation operating activities have been included in the corporate and other column due to the lack of a material impact that these activities have on our consolidated financial statements.
(2)
Intersegment revenues related to our LNG terminal segment are primarily from tug revenues from Cheniere Marketing and the receipt of 80% of gross margins earned by Cheniere Marketing in monetizing the TUA capacity of Cheniere Energy Investments, LLC ("Cheniere Investments") at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011. These LNG terminal segment intersegment revenues are eliminated with intersegment expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(3)
Intersegment losses related to our LNG and natural gas marketing segment are primarily from Cheniere Marketing's tug costs and the payment of 80% of gross margins earned by Cheniere Marketing in monetizing the TUA capacity of Cheniere Investments at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011. These LNG terminal segment intersegment costs are eliminated with intersegment revenues in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(4)
Intersegment revenues related to our LNG terminal segment are primarily from TUA capacity reservation fee revenues and tug revenues of $0.3 million and $127.0 million that were received from our LNG and natural gas marketing segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively. These LNG terminal segment intersegment revenues are eliminated with intersegment expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(5)
Intersegment revenues related to our natural gas pipeline segment are primarily from transportation fees charged by our natural gas pipeline segment to our LNG terminal and LNG and natural gas marketing segments to transport natural gas that was regasified at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal.  These natural gas pipeline segment intersegment revenues are eliminated with intersegment expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(6)
Intersegment losses related to our LNG and natural gas marketing segment are primarily from TUA capacity reservation fee expenses and tug costs of $0.7 million and $128.4 million that were incurred from our LNG terminal segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively. These costs and expenses are classified as marketing trading gains (losses) as they are considered capacity contracts related to our energy trading and risk management activities. These LNG and natural gas marketing segment intersegment costs and expenses are eliminated with intersegment revenues in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(7)
Intersegment losses related to corporate and other are from various transactions between our LNG terminal, natural gas pipeline and LNG and natural gas marketing segments in which revenue recorded by one operating segment is eliminated with a non-revenue line item (i.e., operating expense or is capitalized) by the other operating segment.