Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Business Segment Information (Details)

v2.4.0.6
Business Segment Information (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues $ 290,444 $ 291,513 $ 181,126
Intersegment Revenues (losses) 0 0 [1],[2],[3],[4] 0 [1],[2],[3],[4]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization 63,405 63,251 54,229
Non-cash compensation 26,364 17,878 19,196
Income (loss) from operations 58,146 104,623 23,496
Interest expense, net (259,393) (262,046) (243,295)
Goodwill 76,819 76,819 76,819
Total assets 2,915,325 2,553,507 2,732,622
Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets 10,623 5,777 102,794
LNG terminal business [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 274,272 269,538 170,071
Intersegment Revenues (losses) 14,607 [5],[6] 130,954 [1],[2],[3],[4] 252,928 [1],[2],[3],[4]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization 43,421 42,683 33,203
Non-cash compensation 2,096 1,764 1,300
Income (loss) from operations 143,615 273,810 333,710
Interest expense, net (173,590) (199,405) (157,057)
Goodwill 76,819 76,819 76,819
Total assets 1,875,613 1,899,130 2,013,618
Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets 9,617 4,528 106,628
LNG terminal business [Member] | Terminal Use Agreement (TUA), Fee and Tug Revenue (Expense) [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Intersegment Revenues (losses)   (125,500) (250,200)
LNG terminal business [Member] | Cheniere Marketing, LLC [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Proceeds (payments) of gross margin earned, percentage 80.00%    
Sabine Pass LNG terminal [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Business segment ownership percentage 88.80%    
Corpus Christi LNG [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Business segment ownership percentage 100.00%    
Creole Trail LNG [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Business segment ownership percentage 100.00%    
Natural Gas Pipeline Business [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Length of natural gas pipeline 94    
Revenues 50 95 102
Intersegment Revenues (losses) 48 [5],[6] 255 [1],[2],[3],[4] 932 [1],[2],[3],[4]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization 16,641 15,063 14,731
Non-cash compensation 550 553 583
Income (loss) from operations (24,278) (22,014) (21,453)
Interest expense, net (45,733) (45,228) (44,912)
Goodwill 0 0 0
Total assets 537,671 554,049 569,626
Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets 258 55 (4,376)
LNG and natural gas marketing business [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 13,554 19,022 8,087
Intersegment Revenues (losses) (13,731) [5],[6] (129,137) [1],[2],[3],[4] (249,196) [1],[2],[3],[4]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization 1,105 1,087 1,505
Non-cash compensation 9,258 5,791 5,661
Income (loss) from operations (28,380) (131,891) (260,514)
Interest expense, net 0 0 0
Goodwill 0 0 0
Total assets 67,792 96,781 147,164
Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets 16 (349) 1,081
LNG and natural gas marketing business [Member] | Terminal Use Agreement (TUA), Fee and Tug Revenue (Expense) [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Intersegment Revenues (losses)   125,500 250,200
LNG and natural gas marketing business [Member] | Cheniere Marketing, LLC [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Proceeds (payments) of gross margin earned, percentage 80.00%    
Corporate and Other [Member]
     
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 2,568 [7] 2,858 [7] 2,866 [7]
Intersegment Revenues (losses) (924) [5],[6] (2,072) [1],[2],[3],[4] (4,664) [1],[2],[3],[4]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization 2,238 [7] 4,418 [7] 4,790 [7]
Non-cash compensation 14,460 [7] 9,770 [7] 11,652 [7]
Income (loss) from operations (32,811) [7] (15,282) [7] (28,247) [7]
Interest expense, net (40,070) [7] (17,413) [7] (41,326) [7]
Goodwill 0 [7] 0 [7] 0 [7]
Total assets 434,249 [7] 3,548 [7] 2,214 [7]
Expenditures for additions to long-lived assets $ 732 [7] $ 1,543 [7] $ (539) [7]
[1] Intersegment losses related to our LNG and natural gas marketing segment are primarily from TUA capacity reservation fee expenses and tug costs of $125.5 million and $250.2 million that were incurred from our LNG terminal segment for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, 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.
[2] 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.
[3] 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.
[4] Intersegment revenues related to our LNG terminal segment are primarily from TUA capacity reservation fee revenues and tug revenues of $125.5 million and $250.2 million that were received from our LNG and natural gas marketing segment for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. These LNG terminal segment intersegment revenues are eliminated with intersegment expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
[5] 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 year ended December 31, 2011. These LNG terminal 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 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 year ended December 31, 2011. These LNG terminal segment intersegment costs are eliminated with intersegment revenues in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
[7] 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.