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Variable Interest Entity
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9 Months Ended |
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Sep. 30, 2013
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| Variable Interest Entity [Abstract] | |
| Variable Interest Entities |
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Cheniere Energy Partners
Cheniere Partners is a master limited partnership formed by us to own and operate the Sabine Pass LNG terminal and related assets. As of September 30, 2013, we owned 57.9% of Cheniere Partners in the form of 12.0 million common units, 45.3 million Class B units, 135.4 million subordinated units and a 2% general partner interest. Cheniere Energy Partners GP, LLC ("Cheniere Partners GP"), our wholly owned subsidiary, is the general partner of Cheniere Partners. In May 2012, Cheniere Partners, Cheniere and Blackstone entered into the Blackstone Unit Purchase Agreement whereby Cheniere Partners agreed to sell to Blackstone in a private placement 100.0 million Class B units at a price of $15.00 per Class B unit. In August 2012, all conditions to funding were met and Blackstone purchased its initial 33.3 million Class B units, and as of December 31, 2012, Blackstone 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, four directors appointed by us and four independent directors mutually agreed by Blackstone and us and appointed by us. In addition, we have provided Blackstone with a right to maintain one board seat on our board of directors. A quorum consists of a majority of all directors, including at least two directors appointed by Blackstone, two directors appointed by us and two independent directors. Blackstone will no longer be entitled to appoint directors in the event that Blackstone's ownership in Cheniere Partners is less than: (i) 20% of outstanding common units, subordinated units and Class B units, and (ii) 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. However, we continue to consolidate Cheniere Partners as a result of Blackstone's right to maintain one board seat on our board of directors which creates a de facto agency relationship between Blackstone 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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