Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Non-Controlling Interest (Details)

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Non-Controlling Interest (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 8 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Apr. 30, 2007
Chenier Partners [Member]
Dec. 31, 2012
Chenier Partners [Member]
Dec. 31, 2012
Cheniere LNG Holdings [Member]
Sep. 30, 2012
common units [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
Sep. 30, 2011
common units [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
Mar. 31, 2011
common units [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
Dec. 31, 2012
common units [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
Dec. 31, 2011
common units [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
Sep. 30, 2011
common units [Member]
Cheniere Common Units Holding, LLC [Member]
Dec. 31, 2012
common units [Member]
Cheniere LNG Holdings [Member]
Dec. 31, 2012
common units [Member]
Common Unit Purchase Option [Member]
Cheniere LNG Holdings [Member]
Aug. 31, 2012
Class B Unit [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
May 31, 2012
Class B Unit [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
Dec. 31, 2012
Class B Unit [Member]
Chenier Partners [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]                                  
Net proceeds from issuance / sale of common units $ 1,387,339,000 $ 52,351,000     $ 355,671,000 [1] $ 203,946,000 [2]                      
Distributions to Cheniere Partners' non-controlling interest (36,327,000) (28,215,000) (26,393,000)   (157,350,000) [3]                        
Non-controlling interest 12,861,000 4,582,000 2,191,000   38,002,000 [4]                        
Non-controlling interest 1,751,604,000 208,575,000                              
Partners' Capital Account, Units, Sold in Public Offering       15,525,000     8,000,000 3,000,000   500,000 500,000     2,025,000      
Sale of common units by Cheniere Partners 204,878,000 52,351,000 0 98,400,000     194,000,000 43,300,000   11,100,000 9,000,000   203,900,000 39,400,000      
Number of units authorized for sale under issuance program                 1,000,000             100,000,000  
Common units sold in private placement                       1,100,000     33,300,000   100,000,000
Price per Common Unit             $ 25.07         $ 15.25       $ 15  
Proceeds from Issuance in private placement                       $ 16,400,000          
[1] (1)In March and April 2007, we and Cheniere Partners completed a public offering of 15,525,000 Cheniere Partners common units (the "Cheniere Partners Offering"). Cheniere Partners received $98.4 million in net proceeds from the issuance of its common units to the public. Prior to January 1, 2009, a company was able to elect an accounting policy of recording a gain or loss on the sale of common equity of a subsidiary equal to the amount of proceeds received in excess of the carrying value of the parent’s investment. Effective January 1, 2009, the sale of common equity of a subsidiary is accounted for as an equity transaction. In January 2011, Cheniere Partners initiated an at-the-market program to sell up to 1.0 million common units, the proceeds from which would be used primarily to fund development costs associated with the Liquefaction Project. As of December 31, 2011, Cheniere Partners had sold 0.5 million common units with net proceeds of $9.0 million. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Cheniere Partners sold 0.5 million common units with net proceeds of $11.1 million. In September 2011, Cheniere Partners sold 3.0 million common units in an underwritten public offering and 1.1 million common units to Cheniere Common Units Holding, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere, at a price of $15.25 per common unit. Cheniere Partners received net proceeds of $43.3 million and $16.4 million from the public offering and Cheniere Common Units Holding, LLC sale, respectively.In September 2012, Cheniere Partners sold 8.0 million common units in an underwritten public offering at a price of $25.07 per common unit for net cash proceeds of $194.0 million.
[2] In conjunction with the Cheniere Partners Offering, Cheniere LNG Holdings, LLC ("Holdings") sold a portion of the Cheniere Partners common units held by it to the public, realizing net proceeds of $203.9 million, which included $39.4 million of net proceeds realized once the underwriters exercised their option to purchase an additional 2,025,000 common units from Holdings. Due to the subordinated distribution rights on our subordinated units, we recorded those proceeds as non-controlling interest.
[3] Cash distributions to the non-controlling interest are recorded directly against the non-controlling interest on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. There is no obligation beyond what is reflected in our consolidated financial statements to fund or absorb such distributions to the non-controlling interest. If in the future the non-controlling interest on our Consolidated Balance Sheets is reduced to zero, these distributions may increase the loss allocated to us.
[4] In May 2012, Cheniere Partners and Blackstone CQP Holdco LP ("Blackstone") entered into a unit purchase agreement (the "Blackstone Unit Purchase Agreement") whereby Cheniere Partners agreed to sell to Blackstone 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. Cheniere Partners has issued and sold 100.0 million Class B units to Blackstone as of December 31, 2012. The net proceeds will be used to fund the equity portion of the costs of developing, constructing and placing into service Train 1 and Train 2 of the Liquefaction Project.