Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)

Registration No. 333-174043

 

Subject to Completion, Dated September 19, 2011

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus Dated May 9, 2011)

 

 

 

 

		Per Common Unit		Total
Public Offering Price		$		$
Underwriting Discount		$		$
Proceeds to Western Gas Partners, LP (before expenses)		$		$

Deutsche Bank Securities	UBS Investment Bank	Wells Fargo Securities

Barclays Capital	Citigroup	Morgan Stanley

RBC Capital Markets	Credit Suisse

Stifel Nicolaus Weisel	Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering of common units. The second part is the accompanying base prospectus, which gives more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering of common units. Generally, when we refer only to the “prospectus,” we are referring to both parts combined. If the information about the common unit offering varies between this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement.

 

Any statement made in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus. Please read “Information Incorporated by Reference” on page S-19 of this prospectus supplement.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us relating to this offering of common units. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with additional or different information. If anyone provides you with additional, different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are offering to sell the common units, and seeking offers to buy the common units, only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus or any free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the dates shown in these documents or that any information we have incorporated by reference herein is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document incorporated by reference. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since such dates.

 

None of Western Gas Partners, LP, the underwriters or any of their respective representatives is making any representation to you regarding the legality of an investment in our common units by you under applicable laws. You should consult with your own advisors as to legal, tax, business, financial and related aspects of an investment in our common units.

 

SUMMARY

																				Average
																				Gathering,
								Approximate								Processing				Processing and
								Number of				Gas				or Treating				Transportation
				Miles of				Receipt				Compression				Capacity				Throughput
Area		Asset Type		Pipeline				Points				(horsepower)				(MMcf/d)				(MMcf/d)
Rocky Mountains (1)		Gathering, Processing and Treating			5,385				4,219				241,955				1,627				1,207
		Transportation			782				11				29,696				—				96
Mid-Continent		Gathering			1,953				1,511				91,066				—				97
East Texas		Gathering and Treating			589				811				37,875				502				282
West Texas		Gathering			118				86				—				—				75
Total					8,827				6,638				400,592				2,129				1,757

(1)		Throughput includes 100% of Chipeta Processing LLC system volumes, excluding 22 MBbls/d of NGL pipeline volumes; 50% of volumes from the Newcastle gathering system; 14.81% of Fort Union Gas Gathering, L.L.C.’s gross volumes; and excludes crude oil throughput measured in barrels attributable to White Cliffs Pipeline, LLC.

Common Units Offered by Us		5,000,000 common units, or 5,750,000 common units if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional common units.
Common Units Outstanding Before This Offering		84,390,999 common units.
Common Units Outstanding After This Offering		89,390,999 common units, or 90,140,999 common units if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional common units.
Use of Proceeds		We expect to receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $      million, or approximately $      million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional common units in full, in each case including our general partner’s proportionate capital contribution and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
		We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, including any net proceeds from the underwriters’ exercise of their option to purchase additional common units, for general partnership purposes. Pending the use of proceeds for other purposes, we may apply some or all of the net proceeds to reduce outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility. Please read “Use of Proceeds.”
		Affiliates of certain underwriters are lenders under our revolving credit facility, and as such, will receive a portion of the proceeds from this offering pursuant to any repayment of borrowings under such facility. See “Underwriting.”
Cash Distributions		Our partnership agreement requires us to distribute all of our cash on hand at the end of each quarter (including, at our general partner’s election, all or a portion of cash on hand resulting from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter), less reserves established by our general partner. We refer to this cash as “available cash,” and we define its meaning in our partnership agreement.

		On June 30, 2011, the board of directors of our general partner declared a cash distribution to our unitholders of $0.405 per unit, or $36.1 million in aggregate, including incentive distributions, for the quarter ended June 30, 2011. The cash distribution was paid on August 12, 2011 to unitholders of record at the close of business on July 29, 2011. This distribution represents a 4% increase over the distribution of $0.39 per common unit paid for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, and a 16% increase over the distribution of $0.35 per common unit paid for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.
Issuance of Additional Common Units		We can issue an unlimited number of common units without the consent of our unitholders.
Voting Rights		Our general partner manages and operates us. Common unitholders have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business. Common unitholders have no right to elect our general partner or its directors on an annual or other continuing basis. Our general partner may not be removed except by a vote of the holders of at least 662/3% of the outstanding units, including any units owned by our general partner and its affiliates, voting together as a single class. Upon consummation of this offering, our general partner and its affiliates will own an aggregate of approximately 44.5% of our common units. This will give Anadarko the ability to prevent our general partner’s involuntary removal.
Eligible Holders and Redemption		Only Eligible Holders are entitled to receive distributions or be allocated income or loss from us. Eligible Holders are:
		• individuals or entities subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us; or
		• entities not subject to United States federal taxation on the income generated by us, so long as all of the entity’s owners are subject to such taxation.

		We have the right, which we may assign to any of our affiliates, but not the obligation, to acquire all of the common units of any holder that is not an Eligible Holder or that has failed to certify or has falsely certified that such holder is an Eligible Holder. The purchase price for such acquisition would be equal to the lesser of the holder’s purchase price and the then-current market price of the common units, and may be paid in cash or by delivery of a promissory note, as determined by our general partner.
Estimated Ratio of Taxable Income to Distributions		We estimate that if you own the common units you purchase in this offering through the record date for distributions for the period ending December 31, 2014, you will be allocated, on a cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable income for that period that will be 25% or less of the cash distributed to you with respect to that period. For example, if you receive an annual distribution of $1.62 per common unit, we estimate that your average allocable federal taxable income per year will be no more than $0.405 per common unit. Please read “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations		For a discussion of other material federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States, please read “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in this prospectus supplement and “Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying base prospectus.
New York Stock Exchange Symbol		“WES.”
Risk Factors		You should read “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-7 of this prospectus supplement and on page 4 of the accompanying base prospectus and found in the documents incorporated herein by reference, as well as the other cautionary statements throughout this prospectus supplement, to ensure you understand the risks associated with an investment in our common units.

 

An investment in our common units involves risk. Before making an investment in the common units offered hereby, you should carefully consider the risk factors included under the caption “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 of the accompanying prospectus, as well as the risk factors included in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. If any of these risks were to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of the common units could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

We expect to receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $      million, or approximately $      million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional common units in full, in each case including our general partner’s proportionate capital contribution and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, including any net proceeds from the underwriters’ exercise of their option to purchase additional common units, for general partnership purposes. Pending the use of proceeds for other purposes, we may apply some or all of the net proceeds to reduce outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

 

On March 24, 2011, we entered into an amended and restated $800.0 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility. We are required to pay a quarterly facility fee ranging from 0.20% to 0.35% of the commitment amount (whether used or unused), based upon our senior unsecured debt rating, as defined in the revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility has a maturity date of March 24, 2016 and bears interest at the applicable LIBOR, plus applicable margins ranging from 1.30% to 1.90%, or at an alternate base rate, based upon the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate, (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5%, and (c) LIBOR plus 1%, plus applicable margins ranging from 0.30% to 0.90%.

 

As of June 30, 2011 we had no borrowings outstanding under our revolving credit facility. As of September 16, 2011, borrowings outstanding under the facility were $10 million and had a weighted average interest rate of approximately 1.72%. The current borrowings under the revolving credit facility were incurred for general partnership purposes. For a detailed description of our revolving credit facility, please read “Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2011, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

 

Affiliates of certain underwriters are lenders under our revolving credit facility, and as such, will receive a portion of the proceeds from this offering pursuant to any repayment of borrowings under such facility. See “Underwriting.”

 

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of June 30, 2011 on:

 

 

 

 

 

You should read our financial statements and notes thereto that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus for additional information about our capital structure. The table above does not reflect any common units that may be sold to the underwriters upon exercise of their option to purchase additional common units.

 

Our common units trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WES.” The following table shows the high and low sales prices per common unit, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange, and cash distributions paid per common unit and subordinated unit for the periods indicated.

 

 

 

 

The last reported trading price of our common units on the New York Stock Exchange on September 16, 2011 was $36.46 per common unit. As of September 16, 2011, there were 20 record holders of our common units. Please see our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 1-34046) filed on May 6, 2008, which is incorporated herein, for a description of our common units.

 

Please see “Summary—Recent Developments—Conversion of Subordinated Units” for a discussion of the recent conversion of subordinated units held by Anadarko into common units.

 

The tax consequences to you of an investment in our common units will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. For a discussion of the principal federal income tax considerations associated with our operations and the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common units, please read “Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying base prospectus. Please also read “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Tax Risks to Common Unitholders” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 for a discussion of the tax risks related to purchasing and owning our common units. You are urged to consult with your own tax advisor about the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences peculiar to your circumstances. The following discussion is limited as described under the caption “Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying base prospectus.

 

Partnership Status

 

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our common units depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. We have not requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS on this or any other tax matter affecting us. In order to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, at least 90% of our gross income must be from specific qualifying sources, such as the transportation of natural gas and natural gas products or other passive types of income such as dividends. Further, if we were required to register under the Investment Company Act of 1940, we would be taxed as a corporation even if we meet the qualifying income exception. For a more complete description of the qualifying income requirement and the impact of Investment Company Act registration on our status as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, please read “Income Tax Considerations—Partnership Status” in the accompanying base prospectus.

 

Current law may also change so as to cause us to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject us to entity-level taxation. For example, members of Congress have recently considered substantive changes to the existing U.S. federal income tax laws that would have affected the tax treatment of certain publicly traded partnerships. Although the legislation considered would not have appeared to affect our treatment as a partnership, we are unable to predict whether any of these changes, or other proposals, will be reconsidered or will ultimately be enacted. In addition, because of widespread state budget deficits, several states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the implementation of state income, franchise or other forms of taxation. If any state were to impose a tax upon us as an entity, our cash available for distribution would be reduced. Any such changes of existing laws could negatively impact the value of an investment in our common units.

 

If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our taxable income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%, and would likely pay state income tax at varying rates. Distributions to you would generally be taxed again as corporate distributions, and no income, gains, losses or deductions would flow through to you. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation, our cash available for distribution to you would be substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to the unitholders, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our common units.

 

Ratio of Taxable Income to Distributions

 

We estimate that if you purchase common units in this offering and own them through December 31, 2014, then you will be allocated, on a cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable income for that period that will be 25% or less of the cash distributed with respect to that period. Thereafter, we anticipate that the ratio of allocable taxable income to cash

distributions to the unitholders will increase. A substantial portion of our unitholders’ allocable share of our taxable income will be attributable to the interest income from our loan to Anadarko, which is treated as “portfolio income.” A unitholder subject to the passive loss limitations will not be able to offset his share of this portfolio income with his allocable share of our operating deductions and loss. For a further discussion of the passive loss limitations, please read “Income Tax Considerations—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses” in the accompanying base prospectus. These estimates are based upon the assumption that gross income from operations will approximate the amount required to make distributions on all units and other assumptions with respect to capital expenditures, cash flow, net working capital and anticipated cash distributions. These estimates and assumptions are subject to, among other things, numerous business, economic, regulatory, legislative, competitive and political uncertainties beyond our control. Further, the estimates are based on current tax law and tax reporting positions that we will adopt and with which the IRS could disagree. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that these estimates will prove to be correct. The actual ratio of taxable income to distributions could be higher or lower than expected, and any differences could be material and could materially affect the value of the common units. For example, the ratio of allocable taxable income to cash distributions to a purchaser of common units in this offering will be greater, and perhaps substantially greater, than our estimate with respect to the period described above if:

 

 

Tax Exempt Organizations and Other Investors

 

Ownership of common units by tax-exempt entities, regulated investment companies and non-U.S. investors raises issues unique to such persons. Please read “Income Tax Considerations—Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors” in the accompanying base prospectus.

 

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., UBS Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are acting as joint book-running managers of the offering and as representatives of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus supplement, each underwriter named below has severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to that underwriter, the number of common units set forth opposite the underwriter’s name.

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the common units included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all the common units (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if they purchase any of the common units.

 

Common units sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement. Any common units sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount from the initial public offering price not to exceed $      per common unit. If all the common units are not sold at the initial offering price, the underwriters may change the offering price and the other selling terms.

 

We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to contribute to payments that may be required to be made in respect of these liabilities.

 

If the underwriters sell more common units than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement, to purchase up to additional 750,000 common units at the public offering price less the underwriting discount. The underwriters may exercise the option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter must purchase a number of additional common units approximately proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment. Any common units issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other common units that are the subject of this offering.

 

WGR Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of Anadarko, as well as us, our general partner and the executive officers and members of the board of directors of our general partner, have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., we and they will not directly or indirectly (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any common units or securities convertible into, or exchangeable for common units, or sell or

grant options, rights or warrants with respect to any common units or securities convertible into or exchangeable for common units, (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of the common units, (3) file or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendment thereto, with respect to the registration of any of our common units or any securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into our common units or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period of 60 days after the date of this prospectus supplement. The restrictions described in this paragraph do not apply to:

 

 

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., in its sole discretion, may release the common units and other securities subject to lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time with or without notice. When determining whether or not to release the common units and other securities from lock-up agreements, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. will consider, among other factors, the holder’s reasons for requesting the release, the number of common units or other securities for which the release is being requested and market conditions at the time.

 

Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WES.”

 

The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

 

We estimate that our portion of the total expenses of this offering will be approximately $300,000.

 

In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell common units in the open market. Purchases and sales in the open market may include short sales, purchases to cover short positions, which may include purchases pursuant to the over-allotment option, and stabilizing purchases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common units. They may also cause the price of the common units to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. If the underwriters commence any of these transactions, they may discontinue them at any time.

 

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by one or more of the underwriters. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of common units to underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders. The representatives will allocate units to underwriters that may make Internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations. In addition, common units may be sold by the underwriters to securities dealers who resell units to online brokerage account holders. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s or selling group member’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by any underwriter or selling group member is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter or selling group member in its capacity as underwriter or selling group member and should not be relied upon by investors.

 

In the ordinary course of its business, certain of the underwriters and their affiliates have engaged, and may in the future engage, in commercial banking and/or investment banking transactions with us and our affiliates for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.

 

In particular, affiliates of each of the underwriters other than Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. are lenders and agents under our revolving credit facility, and will receive a portion of the proceeds from this offering pursuant to any repayment of borrowings under that revolving credit facility. Because the common units offered hereby are interests in a direct participation program, this offering is being made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

 

The compensation received by the underwriters in connection with this common unit offering will not exceed 8% of the gross proceeds from this common unit offering.

 

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financing advisory, investment management, investment research,

principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such investment and securities activities may involve securities and instruments of the issuer. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

 

The validity of the common units offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas, and the legal matters described under “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” will be passed upon for us by Bingham McCutchen LLP. Certain legal matters in connection with the common units offered hereby will be passed upon for the underwriters by Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas.

 

The consolidated financial statements of Western Gas Partners, LP and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2010, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010 have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

We have made in this prospectus supplement and in the reports and documents incorporated by reference herein, and may from time to time otherwise make in other public filings, press releases and statements by our management, forward-looking statements concerning our operations, economic performance and financial condition. These forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “target,” “goal,” “plans,” “objective,” “should” or similar expressions or variations on such expressions.

 

Although we and our general partner believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, neither we nor our general partner can give any assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

 

 

The risk factors and other factors incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

We file annual, quarterly and other reports with and furnish other information to the SEC. You may read and copy any document we file with or furnish to the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-732-0330 for further information on their public reference room. Our SEC filings are also available at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and may replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (excluding any information furnished under Items 2.02 or 7.01 on any current report on Form 8-K), including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus supplement and until the termination of this offering:

 

 

You may obtain any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the SEC through the SEC’s website at the address provided above. You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference into this prospectus (including exhibits to those documents specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement), at no cost, by visiting our website at http://www.westerngas.com, or by writing or calling us at the following address:

 

Investor Relations
Western Gas Partners, LP
1201 Lake Robbins Drive
The Woodlands, Texas 77380-1046
Telephone: (832) 636-6000

 

The information contained on our website is not part of this prospectus supplement.

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

WESTERN GAS PARTNERS, LP

Common Units

Debt Securities

 

 

We may offer, from time to time, in one or more series:

 

 

Any direct or indirect subsidiaries of Western Gas Partners, LP may guarantee the debt securities.

 

The securities we may offer:

 

 

Our common units are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “WES.” We will provide information in the prospectus supplement for the trading market, if any, for any debt securities we may offer.

 

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer to sell securities we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about those securities and the terms of that offering, including the specific manner in which we will offer the securities. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus may be used to offer and sell securities only if accompanied by a prospectus supplement. We urge you to read carefully this prospectus and any prospectus supplement carefully before you invest. You should also read the documents we refer to in the “Where You Can Find More Information” section of this prospectus for information on us and our financial statements.

 

Our principal executive offices are located at 1201 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77380. Our telephone number is (832) 636-6000.

 

 

 

 

Investing in our securities involves risks.  You should carefully consider each of the factors described under “Risk Factors,” which begin on page 4 of this prospectus, before you make an investment in our securities.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this prospectus is May 9, 2011

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of each such document. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time our common units or debt securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of us and the securities offered under this prospectus.

 

Each time we sell securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering and the securities being offered. The prospectus supplement also may add to, update, or change information in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, the information in the prospectus supplement will control. We urge you to read carefully this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by reference to the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed or will be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below in the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, references in this prospectus to “Western Gas Partners,” “we,” “our,” “us” or like terms refer to Western Gas Partners, LP and its subsidiaries. “Anadarko” refers to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, excluding Western Gas Partners.

 

Western Gas Partners, LP is a growth-oriented Delaware master limited partnership, or “MLP,” organized by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (“Anadarko”) in 2008 to own, operate, acquire and develop midstream energy assets. Our common units are publicly traded and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or “NYSE,” under the symbol “WES.” With midstream assets in East and West Texas, the Rocky Mountains and the Mid-Continent, we are engaged in the business of gathering, processing, compressing, treating and transporting natural gas, condensate, natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) and crude oil for Anadarko and other producers and customers. As of March 31, 2011, our assets included eleven gathering systems, six natural gas treating facilities, seven natural gas processing facilities, one NGL pipeline, one interstate pipeline and noncontrolling interests in Fort Union Gas Gathering, L.L.C. and White Cliffs Pipeline, L.L.C.

 

Approximately two-thirds of our services are provided under long-term contracts with fee-based rates with the remainder provided under percent-of-proceeds and keep-whole contracts. We have entered into fixed-price swap agreements with Anadarko to manage the commodity price risk otherwise inherent in our percent-of-proceeds and keep-whole contracts. A substantial part of our business is conducted under long-term contracts with Anadarko.

 

We believe that one of our principal strengths is our relationship with Anadarko. Over 74% of our total natural gas gathering, processing and transportation throughput during the year ended December 31, 2010 was comprised of natural gas production owned or controlled by Anadarko. In addition and solely with respect to the Wattenberg gathering system and the gathering systems included in our initial assets, which consist of MIGC LLC, Anadarko Gathering Company LLC and Pinnacle Gas Treating LLC, all contributed to us by Anadarko concurrent with our May 2008 initial public offering, Anadarko has dedicated to us all of the natural gas production it owns or controls from (i) wells that are currently connected to such gathering systems, and (ii) additional wells that are drilled within one mile of wells connected to these gathering systems, as those systems currently exist and as they are expanded to connect additional wells in the future. As a result, this dedication will continue to expand as long as additional wells are connected to these gathering systems.

Our principal executive offices are located at 1201 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, Texas 77380-1046, and our telephone number is (832) 636-6000. Our website is located at http://www.westerngas.com. Information contained on our Internet website is not incorporated by reference into, and does not constitute a part of, this prospectus.

 

We have made in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein, and may from time to time otherwise make in other public filings, press releases and discussions by the management of Western Gas Holdings, LLC, our general partner, forward-looking statements concerning our operations, economic performance and financial condition. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology including “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” or other similar words. These statements discuss future expectations, contain projections of results of operations or financial condition or include other “forward-looking” information. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct.

 

These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to, the following risks and uncertainties:

 

 

 

The risk factors and other factors noted throughout or incorporated by reference in this prospectus could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

Limited partner interests are inherently different from the capital stock of a corporation, although many of the business risks to which we are subject are similar to those that would be faced by a corporation engaged in a similar business. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider the risk factors included in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K that are incorporated herein by reference and those that may be included in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference.

 

If any of the risks discussed in the foregoing documents were actually to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow could be materially adversely affected. In that case, our ability to make distributions to our unitholders or pay interest on, or the principal of, any debt securities, may be reduced, the trading price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

Unless we specify otherwise in any prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of securities covered by this prospectus for general partnership purposes, which may include, among other things:

 

 

The actual application of proceeds from the sale of any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering. The precise amount and timing of the application of these proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability and cost of other funds.

 

 

 

 

We will issue debt securities under an indenture among Western Gas Partners, LP, any guarantors party thereto and a trustee that we will name in the related prospectus supplement. If we offer senior debt securities, we will issue them under a senior indenture. If we issue subordinated debt securities, we will issue them under a subordinated indenture. The term “Trustee” as used in this prospectus refers to the trustee under any of the above indentures. References in this prospectus to an “Indenture” refer to the particular indenture under which Western Gas Partners, LP issues a series of debt securities. The debt securities will be governed by the provisions of the related Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

 

The debt securities may have the benefit of guarantees (each, a “guarantee”), by one or more existing or future subsidiaries of Western Gas Partners, LP (each, a “guarantor”). If a guarantor issues a guarantee, such guarantee will be the unsecured and, if guaranteeing senior debt securities, unsubordinated or, if guaranteeing subordinated debt securities, subordinated obligation of the respective guarantor. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, as used in this section, the term “guaranteed debt securities” means debt securities that, as described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto, are guaranteed by one or more guarantors pursuant to the applicable indenture.

 

This description is a summary of the material provisions of the debt securities and the Indentures. We urge you to read the forms of Indentures filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part because those Indentures, and not this description, govern your rights as a holder of debt securities.

 

General

 

Any series of debt securities:

 

 

The Indenture does not limit the total amount of debt securities that may be issued. Debt securities under the Indenture may be issued from time to time in separate series, up to the aggregate amount authorized for each such series.

 

We will prepare a prospectus supplement and either an indenture supplement or a resolution of the board of directors of the general partner of the issuer and accompanying officers’ certificate relating to any series of debt securities that we offer, which will include specific terms relating to some or all of the following:

 

 

 

This description of debt securities will be deemed modified, amended or supplemented by any description of any series of debt securities set forth in a prospectus supplement related to that series.

 

The prospectus supplement will also describe any material United States federal income tax consequences or other special considerations regarding the applicable series of debt securities, including those relating to:

 

 

Interest payments on debt securities in certificated form may be made by check mailed to the registered holders or, if so stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, at the option of a holder, by wire transfer to an account designated by the holder.

 

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, debt securities may be transferred or exchanged at the office of the Trustee at which its corporate trust business is principally administered in the United States, subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, without the payment of any service charge, other than any applicable tax or other governmental charge.

 

Any funds paid to the Trustee or any paying agent for the payment of amounts due on any debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years will be returned to us, and the holders of the debt securities must look only to us for payment after that time.

 

Certain Covenants

 

The covenants set forth in the Indenture include the following:

 

Payment of Principal, any Premium, Interest or Additional Amounts.  We will duly and punctually pay the principal of, and premium and interest on or any additional amounts payable with respect to, any debt securities of any series in accordance with their terms and the terms of the Indenture.

 

Maintenance of Office or Agency.  We will maintain an office or agency in each place of payment for each series of debt securities for notice and demand purposes and for the purposes of presenting or surrendering debt securities for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.

 

Additional Covenants.  Any additional covenants with respect to any series of debt securities will be set forth in the supplemental indenture or board resolution and officer’s certificate and prospectus supplement relating thereto.

 

Events of Default, Remedies and Notice

 

Events of Default

 

Unless otherwise specified in a supplement to the Indenture, each of the following events will be an “Event of Default” under the Indenture with respect to a series of debt securities:

 

 

 

Exercise of Remedies

 

If an Event of Default, other than an Event of Default described in the sixth bullet point above, occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may declare the entire principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default described in the sixth bullet point above occurs, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all outstanding debt securities of all series will become immediately due and payable without any declaration of acceleration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any holders.

 

A default under the fourth bullet point above will not constitute an Event of Default until the Trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series notifies us of the default and such default is not cured within 60 days after receipt of notice.

 

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may rescind any declaration of acceleration by the Trustee or the holders with respect to the debt securities of that series, but only if:

 

 

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee will be under no obligation, except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, to exercise any of the rights or powers under the Indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders unless such holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity or security against any costs, liability or expense. No holder may pursue any remedy with respect to the Indenture or the debt securities of any series, except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal, premium or interest on its own debt securities when due, unless:

 

 

 

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series have the right, subject to certain restrictions, to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any right or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to that series of debt securities. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that:

 

 

Notice of Event of Default

 

Within 30 days after the occurrence of an Event of Default, we are required to give written notice to the Trustee and indicate the status of the default and what action we are taking or proposes to take to cure the default. In addition, we are required to deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a compliance certificate indicating that we have complied with all covenants contained in the Indenture or whether any default or Event of Default has occurred during the previous year.

 

Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default known to it, the Trustee must mail to each holder a notice of the default. Except in the case of a default in the payment of principal, premium or interest with respect to any debt securities, the Trustee may withhold such notice, but only if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a committee of directors or responsible officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding such notice is in the interests of the holders.

 

Amendments and Waivers

 

We may supplement or amend the Indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities to, among other things:

 

 

In addition, we may amend the Indenture if the holders of a majority in principal amount of all debt securities of each series that would be affected then outstanding under the Indenture consent to it. We may

not, however, without the consent of each holder of outstanding debt securities of each series that would be affected, amend the Indenture to:

 

 

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the holders under the Indenture to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment. It is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment. After an amendment under the Indenture requiring the consent of the holders becomes effective, we are required to mail to all holders a notice briefly describing the amendment. The failure to give, or any defect in, such notice, however, will not impair or affect the validity of the amendment.

 

The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each affected series, on behalf of all such holders, and subject to certain rights of the Trustee, may waive:

 

 

except that such majority of holders may not waive a default:

 

 

Satisfaction and Discharge

 

The Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to all outstanding debt securities of any series issued thereunder, when:

 

(a) either:

 

(1) all outstanding debt securities of that series that have been authenticated (except lost, stolen or destroyed debt securities that have been replaced or paid and debt securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the issuer) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

 

(2) all outstanding debt securities of that series that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable or will become due and payable at their stated maturity

within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee and in any case we have irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as trust funds cash, certain U.S. government obligations or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, to pay the entire indebtedness of such debt securities not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the stated maturity or redemption date;

 

(b) we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable by us under the Indenture with respect to the debt securities of that series; and

 

(c) we have delivered to the Trustee an accountants’ certificate as to the sufficiency of the trust funds, without reinvestment, to pay the entire indebtedness of such debt securities at maturity.

 

Notwithstanding such satisfaction and discharge, our obligations to compensate and indemnify the trustee, to pay additional amounts, if any, in respect of debt securities in certain circumstances and to transfer or exchange debt securities pursuant to the terms thereof and our obligations and the obligations of the trustee to hold funds in trust and to apply such funds pursuant to the terms of the Indenture, with respect to issuing temporary debt securities, with respect to the registration, transfer and exchange of debt securities, with respect to the replacement of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and with respect to the maintenance of an office or agency for payment, shall in each case survive such satisfaction and discharge.

 

Defeasance

 

At any time, we may terminate, with respect to debt securities of a particular series, all our obligations under such series of debt securities and the Indenture, which we call a “legal defeasance.” If we decide to make a legal defeasance, however, we may not terminate our obligations specified in the Indenture, including those:

 

 

At any time we may also effect a “covenant defeasance,” which means we have elected to terminate our obligations under the additional covenants established pursuant to the terms of a particular series of debt securities, which covenants are not described in the prospectus but are described in the prospectus supplement applicable to such series, other than as described in such prospectus supplement, and any Event of Default resulting from a failure to observe such covenants.

 

The legal defeasance option may be exercised notwithstanding a prior exercise of the covenant defeasance option. If the legal defeasance option is exercised, payment of the affected series of debt securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default with respect to that series. If the covenant defeasance option is exercised, payment of the affected series of debt securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default with respect to the breach of certain agreements specified in the fourth or fifth bullet points under “— Events of Default, Remedies and Notice — Events of Default” above or an Event of Default that is added specifically for such series and described in a prospectus supplement.

 

In order to exercise either defeasance option, we must:

 

 

Upon the effectiveness of defeasance with respect to any series of guaranteed debt securities, each guarantor of the debt securities of such series shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from all of its obligations under its guarantee of the debt securities of such series and all of its other obligations under the applicable indenture in respect of the debt securities of that series, without any action by us, any guarantor or the trustee and without the consent of the holders of any debt securities.

 

No Personal Liability

 

Our partners and any directors, officers, employees, incorporators, shareholders, partners and members of our general partner or any guarantor will not be liable for:

 

 

By accepting a debt security, each holder will be deemed to have waived and released all such liability. This waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the debt securities. This waiver may not be effective, however, to waive liabilities under the Federal securities laws and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.

 

No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control

 

Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that protect the holders of the debt securities in the event of our change of control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction, whether or not such transaction results in our change of control.

 

Provisions Relating only to the Senior Debt Securities

 

The senior debt securities will rank equally in right of payment with all of our other unsubordinated debt. The senior debt securities will be effectively subordinated, however, to all of our secured debt to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt. We will disclose the amount of our secured debt in the prospectus supplement.

 

Provisions Relating only to the Subordinated Debt Securities

 

Subordinated Debt Securities Subordinated to Senior Indebtedness

 

The subordinated debt securities will rank junior in right of payment to all of our Senior Indebtedness. “Senior Indebtedness” will be defined in a supplemental indenture or authorizing resolutions respecting any issuance of a series of subordinated debt securities, and the definition will be set forth in the prospectus supplement.

 

Payment Blockages

 

The subordinated indenture will provide that no payment of principal, interest and any premium on the subordinated debt securities may be made in the event:

 

 

 

No Limitation on Amount of Senior Debt

 

The subordinated indenture will not limit the amount of Senior Indebtedness that we may incur, unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement.

 

Guarantees

 

The debt securities of any series may be guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries. However, the applicable Indenture governing the debt securities will not require that any of our subsidiaries be a guarantor of any series of debt securities and will permit the guarantors for any series of guaranteed debt securities to be different from any of the subsidiaries listed above under “— General.” As a result, a series of debt securities may not have any guarantors and the guarantors of any series of guaranteed debt securities may differ from the guarantors of any other series of guaranteed debt securities. If we issue a series of guaranteed debt securities, the identity of the specific guarantors of the debt securities of that series will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

If we issue a series of guaranteed debt securities, a description of some of the terms of guarantees of those debt securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a series of guaranteed debt securities, each guarantor of the debt securities of such series will fully and unconditionally guarantee, on a joint and several basis with each other guarantor, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on each debt security of such series, all in accordance with the terms of such debt securities and the applicable indenture.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a series of guaranteed debt securities, the applicable Indenture will contain provisions to the effect that the obligations of each guarantor under its guarantees and such Indenture shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such guarantor, result in the obligations of such guarantor under such guarantees and such indenture not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law. However, there can be no assurance that, notwithstanding such limitation, a court would not determine that a guarantee constituted a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law. If that were to occur, the court could void the applicable guarantor’s obligations under that guarantee, subordinate that guarantee to other debt and other liabilities of that guarantor or take other action detrimental to holders of the debt securities of the applicable series, including directing the holders to return any payments received from the applicable guarantor.

 

Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a series of guaranteed debt securities, the applicable indenture will (i) provide that, upon the sale or disposition (by merger or otherwise) of any guarantor, (x) if the transferee is not an affiliate of us, such guarantor will automatically be released from all obligations under its guarantee of such debt securities or (y) otherwise, the transferee (if other than us or another guarantor) will assume the guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of such debt securities and (ii) permit us to cause the guarantee of any guarantor of such debt securities to be released at any time if we satisfy such conditions, if any, as are specified in the prospectus supplement for such debt securities.

 

The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any series of guaranteed debt securities will specify other terms of the applicable guarantees.

 

If the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a series of our senior debt securities provides that those senior debt securities will have the benefit of a guarantee by any or all of our subsidiaries, unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, each such guarantee will be the unsubordinated and unsecured obligation of the applicable guarantor and will rank equally in right of payment with all of the unsubordinated indebtedness of such guarantor.

Any guarantee of any debt securities will be effectively subordinated to all existing and future secured indebtedness of the applicable guarantor, including any secured guarantees of other partnership debt, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness. Consequently, in the event of a bankruptcy, or similar proceeding with respect to any guarantor that has provided a guarantee of any debt securities, the holders of that guarantor’s secured indebtedness will be entitled to proceed directly against the collateral that secures such secured indebtedness and such collateral will not be available for satisfaction of any amount owed by such guarantor under its unsecured indebtedness, including its guarantees of any debt securities, until that secured debt is satisfied in full. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indenture will not limit the ability of any guarantor to incur secured indebtedness.

 

If the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a series of our subordinated debt securities provides that those subordinated debt securities will have the benefit of a guarantee by any or all of our subsidiaries, unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, each such guarantee will be the subordinated and unsecured obligation of the applicable guarantor and, in addition to being effectively subordinated to secured debt of such guarantor, will be subordinated in right of payment to all of such guarantor’s existing and future senior indebtedness, including any guarantee of the senior debt securities, to the same extent and in the same manner as the subordinated debt securities are subordinated to our senior debt. See “— Provisions Relating only to the Subordinated Debt Securities” above.

 

Book Entry, Delivery and Form

 

The debt securities of a particular series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global certificates that will be deposited with the Trustee as custodian for The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York (“DTC”). This means that we will not issue certificates to each holder except in the limited circumstances described below. Instead, one or more global debt securities will be issued to DTC, who will keep a computerized record of its participants (for example, your broker) whose clients have purchased the debt securities. The participant will then keep a record of its clients who purchased the debt securities. Unless it is exchanged in whole or in part for a certificated debt security, a global debt security may not be transferred, except that DTC, its nominees and their successors may transfer a global debt security as a whole to one another.

 

Beneficial interests in global debt securities will be shown on, and transfers of global debt securities will be made only through, records maintained by DTC and its participants.

 

DTC has provided us the following information: DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law, a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the United States Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing agency” registered under the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. DTC holds securities that its participants (“Direct Participants”) deposit with DTC. DTC also records the settlement among Direct Participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through computerized records for Direct Participants’ accounts. This eliminates the need to exchange certificates. Direct Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations.

 

DTC’s book-entry system is also used by other organizations such as securities brokers and dealers, banks and trust companies that work through a Direct Participant. The rules that apply to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.

 

DTC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”). DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries.

 

We will wire all payments on the global debt securities to DTC’s nominee. We and the Trustee will treat DTC’s nominee as the owner of the global debt securities for all purposes. Accordingly, we, the Trustee and

any paying agent will have no direct responsibility or liability to pay amounts due on the global debt securities to owners of beneficial interests in the global debt securities.

 

It is DTC’s current practice, upon receipt of any payment on the global debt securities, to credit Direct Participants’ accounts on the payment date according to their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the global debt securities as shown on DTC’s records. In addition, it is DTC’s current practice to assign any consenting or voting rights to Direct Participants whose accounts are credited with debt securities on a record date, by using an omnibus proxy. Payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the global debt securities, and voting by participants, will be governed by the customary practices between the participants and owners of beneficial interests, as is the case with debt securities held for the account of customers registered in “street name.” However, payments will be the responsibility of the participants and not of DTC, the Trustee or us.

 

Debt securities represented by a global debt security will be exchangeable for certificated debt securities with the same terms in authorized denominations only if:

 

 

Governing Law

 

Each Indenture and all of the debt securities will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

 

The Trustee

 

We will enter into each Indenture with a Trustee that is qualified to act under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and with any other trustee chosen by us and appointed in a supplemental Indenture for a particular series of debt securities. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, the initial Trustee for each series of debt securities will be Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. We may maintain a banking relationship in the ordinary course of business with our Trustee and one or more of its affiliates.

 

Resignation or Removal of Trustee

 

If the Trustee has or acquires a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act after a default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee must either eliminate its conflicting interest within 90 days, apply to the SEC for permission to continue as trustee or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and the applicable indenture. Any resignation will require the appointment of a successor trustee under the applicable indenture in accordance with the terms and conditions of such indenture.

 

The Trustee may resign or be removed by us with respect to one or more series of debt securities and a successor Trustee may be appointed to act with respect to any such series. The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of any series may remove the Trustee with respect to the debt securities of such series.

 

Limitations on Trustee if it is Our Creditor

 

Each indenture will contain certain limitations on the right of the Trustee, in the event that it becomes a creditor of us, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases, or to realize on certain property received in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise.

Annual Trustee Report to Holders of Debt Securities

 

The Trustee is required to submit an annual report to the holders of the debt securities regarding, among other things, the Trustee’s eligibility to serve as such, the priority of the Trustee’s claims regarding certain advances made by it, and any action taken by the Trustee materially affecting the debt securities.

 

Certificates and Opinions to be Furnished to Trustee

 

Each indenture will provide that, in addition to other certificates or opinions that may be specifically required by other provisions of the indenture, every application by us for action by the Trustee shall be accompanied by a certificate of certain of our officers and an opinion of counsel (who may be our counsel) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent to such action have been complied with by us.

 

This section is a summary of the material tax considerations that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and, unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP, counsel to our general partner and us, insofar as it relates to legal conclusions with respect to matters of U.S. federal income tax law. This section is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), existing and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated under the Internal Revenue Code (the “Treasury Regulations”) and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Later changes in these authorities may cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “us” or “we” are references to Western Gas Partners, LP and WGR Operating, LP, our operating company.

 

The following discussion does not comment on all federal income tax matters affecting us or our unitholders. Moreover, the discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and has only limited application to corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, foreign persons, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), employee benefit plans or mutual funds. In addition, the discussion only comments to a limited extent on state, local, and foreign tax consequences. Accordingly, we encourage each prospective unitholder to consult, and depend on, his own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to him of the ownership or disposition of common units.

 

All statements as to matters of federal income tax law and legal conclusions with respect thereto, but not as to factual matters, contained in this section, unless otherwise noted, are the opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP and are based on the accuracy of the representations made by us.

 

No ruling has been or will be requested from the IRS regarding any matter affecting us or prospective unitholders. Instead, we will rely on opinions of Bingham McCutchen LLP. Unlike a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for the common units and the prices at which the common units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with the IRS, principally legal, accounting and related fees, will result in a reduction in cash available for distribution to our unitholders and our general partner and thus will be borne indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner. Furthermore, the tax treatment of us, or of an investment in us, may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions. Any modifications may or may not be retroactively applied.

 

For the reasons described below, Bingham McCutchen LLP has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following specific federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a unitholder whose common units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units (please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Treatment of Short Sales”); (2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “— Disposition of Common Units — Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); and (3) whether our method for depreciating Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Section 754 Election” and “— Uniformity of Units”).

 

Partnership Status

 

A partnership is not a taxable entity and incurs no federal income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is required to take into account his share of items of income, gain, loss and deduction of the partnership in computing his federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash distributions are made to him by the partnership. Distributions by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable to the partner unless the amount of cash distributed is in excess of the partner’s adjusted basis in his partnership interest.

Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that publicly traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be taxed as corporations. However, an exception, referred to as the “Qualifying Income Exception,” exists with respect to publicly traded partnerships of which 90% or more of the gross income for every taxable year consists of “qualifying income.” Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from the transportation, storage, processing and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof, including certain hedging activities and the transportation of natural gas liquids. Other types of qualifying income include interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, gains from the sale of real property and gains from the sale or other disposition of capital assets held for the production of income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income.

 

We estimate that less than 2% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time. Based upon and subject to this estimate, the factual representations made by us and our general partner and a review of the applicable legal authorities, Bingham McCutchen LLP is of the opinion that at least 90% of our current gross income constitutes qualifying income. The portion of our income that is qualifying income may change from time to time.

 

A publicly traded partnership may not rely upon the Qualifying Income Exception if it is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”). If we were required to register under the Investment Company Act, we would be taxed as a corporation even if we met the Qualifying Income Exception. Bingham McCutchen LLP is of the opinion that we may rely on the Qualifying Income Exception.

 

No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS and the IRS has made no determination as to our status or the status of the operating company for federal income tax purposes or whether our operations generate “qualifying income” under Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP on such matters. It is the opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP that, based upon the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations, published revenue rulings and court decisions and the representations described below, we will be classified as a partnership and our operating company will be disregarded as an entity separate from us for federal income tax purposes.

 

In rendering its opinion, Bingham McCutchen LLP has relied on factual representations made by us and our general partner. The representations made by us and our general partner upon which Bingham McCutchen LLP has relied include:

 

(a) Neither we nor the operating company has elected or will elect to be treated as a corporation;

 

(b) For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income of the type that Bingham McCutchen LLP has opined or will opine is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code; and

 

(c) Each hedging transaction that we treat as resulting in qualifying income has been and will be appropriately identified as a hedging transaction pursuant to applicable Treasury Regulations, and has been and will be associated with oil, gas, or products thereof that are held or to be held by us in activities of the type that Bingham McCutchen LLP has opined or will opine result in qualifying income.

 

If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery, in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our unitholders or pay other amounts, we will be treated as if we had transferred all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation, and then distributed that stock to the unitholders in liquidation of their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation should be tax-free to unitholders and us so long as we, at that time, do not have liabilities in excess of the tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.

 

If we were treated as an association taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, either as a result of a failure to meet the Qualifying Income Exception or otherwise, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be reflected only on our tax return rather than being passed through to our unitholders, and our net income would be taxed to us at corporate rates. In addition, any distribution made to a unitholder would be

treated as either taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in his common units, or taxable capital gain, after the unitholder’s tax basis in his common units is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation as a corporation would result in a material reduction in a unitholder’s cash flow and after-tax return and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of the units.

 

The discussion below is based on Bingham McCutchen LLP’s opinion that we will be classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

 

Limited Partner Status

 

Unitholders who have become limited partners of Western Gas Partners, LP will be treated as partners of Western Gas Partners, LP for federal income tax purposes. Also, (1) assignees who have executed and delivered transfer applications, and are awaiting admission as limited partners, and (2) unitholders whose common units are held in street name or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of their common units, will be treated as partners of Western Gas Partners, LP for federal income tax purposes.

 

As there is no direct or indirect controlling authority addressing assignees of common units who are entitled to execute and deliver transfer applications and thereby become entitled to direct the exercise of attendant rights, but who fail to execute and deliver transfer applications, Bingham McCutchen LLP’s opinion does not extend to these persons. Furthermore, a purchaser or other transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of common units unless the common units are held in a nominee or street name account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application for those common units. A beneficial owner of common units whose units have been transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would appear to lose his status as a partner with respect to those units for federal income tax purposes. Please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Treatment of Short Sales.”

 

Income, gain, deductions or losses are not reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes would therefore appear to be fully taxable as ordinary income. These holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to their tax consequences of holding common units in Western Gas Partners, LP. References to “unitholders” in the discussion that follows are to persons who are treated as partners in Western Gas Partners, LP for federal income tax purposes.

 

Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership

 

Flow-Through of Taxable Income

 

We will not pay any federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be required to report on his income tax return his share of our income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether we make cash distributions to him. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if he has not received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his allocable share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year ending with or within his taxable year. Our taxable year ends on December 31.

 

Treatment of Distributions

 

Distributions by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder for federal income tax purposes, except to the extent the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds his tax basis in his common units immediately before the distribution. Our cash distributions in excess of a unitholder’s tax basis in his common units generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or exchange of the common units, taxable in accordance with the rules described under “— Disposition of Common Units” below. Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our liabilities for which no partner, including the general partner, bears the economic risk of loss, known as “nonrecourse liabilities,” will be treated as a distribution of cash to that unitholder. To the

extent our distributions cause a unitholder’s “at-risk” amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, the unitholder must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Limitations on Deductibility of Losses.”

 

A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash, which may constitute a non-pro rata distribution. Under IRS rulings, a non-pro rata distribution of money or property may result in ordinary income to a unitholder, regardless of his tax basis in his common units, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation recapture, and/or substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively, “Section 751 Assets.” To that extent, he will be treated as having been distributed his proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and then having exchanged those assets with us in return for the non-pro rata portion of the actual distribution made to him. This latter deemed exchange will generally result in the unitholder’s realization of ordinary income, which will equal the excess of (1) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) for the share of Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.

 

Basis of Common Units

 

A unitholder’s initial tax basis for his common units will be the amount he paid for the common units plus his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. That basis will be increased by his share of our income and by any increases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. That basis generally will be decreased, but not below zero, by distributions from us, by the unitholder’s share of our losses, by any decreases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities and by his share of our expenditures that are not deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to be capitalized. A unitholder will have no share of our debt that is recourse to our general partner, but will have a share, generally based on his share of profits, of our nonrecourse liabilities. Please read “— Disposition of Common Units — Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

 

Limitations on Deductibility of Losses

 

The deduction by a unitholder of his share of our losses will be limited to the tax basis in his units and, in the case of an individual unitholder, estate, trust, or corporate unitholder (if more than 50% of the value of the corporate unitholder’s stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals or some tax-exempt organizations), to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities, if that is less than his tax basis. A common unitholder subject to these limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions cause his at-risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction in a later year to the extent that his tax basis or at-risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased. Upon the taxable disposition of a unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at-risk limitation but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any loss previously suspended by the at-risk or basis limitations in excess of that gain would no longer be utilizable.

 

In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the tax basis of his units, excluding any portion of that basis attributable to his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, reduced by (i) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or other similar arrangement and (ii) any amount of money he borrows to acquire or hold his units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to the unitholder or can look only to the units for repayment. A unitholder’s at-risk amount will increase or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholder’s units increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or decreases attributable to increases or decreases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities.

 

In addition to the basis and at-risk limitations on the deductibility of losses, the passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals, estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations are permitted to deduct losses from passive activities, which are generally trade or business

activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of the taxpayer’s income from those passive activities. Moreover, “portfolio income” such as general investment income from dividends and interest is specifically excluded from the passive loss calculations, and the passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will only be available to offset our passive income generated in the future and will not be available to offset (i) our portfolio income, such as interest income with respect to our loan to Anadarko or other income we could earn from additional investments, (ii) a unitholder’s income from other passive activities or investments, including investments in other publicly traded partnerships, or (iii) a unitholder’s salary or active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we generate may be deducted in full when the unitholder disposes of his entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss limitations are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at-risk rules and the basis limitation.

 

A unitholder’s share of our net income may be offset by any of our suspended passive losses, but it may not be offset by any other current or carryover losses from other passive activities, including those attributable to other publicly traded partnerships.

 

Limitations on Interest Deductions

 

The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer’s “investment interest expense” is generally limited to the amount of that taxpayer’s “net investment income.” Investment interest expense includes:

 

 

The computation of a unitholder’s investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than interest, directly connected with the production of investment income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment or, if applicable, qualified dividend income. The IRS has indicated that the net passive income earned by a publicly traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its unitholders. In addition, the unitholder’s share of our portfolio income will be treated as investment income.

 

Entity-Level Collections

 

If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state, local or foreign income tax on behalf of any unitholder or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the unitholder on whose behalf the payment was made. If the payment is made on behalf of a person whose identity cannot be determined, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of an individual unitholder in which event the unitholder would be required to file a claim in order to obtain a credit or refund.

 

Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction

 

In general, if we have a net profit, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that distributions are made to the common units in excess of distributions to the subordinated units, or incentive

distributions are made to our general partner, gross income will be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these distributions. If we have a net loss for the entire year, that loss will be allocated first to our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us to the extent of their positive capital accounts and, second, to our general partner.

 

Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated under Section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code to account for the difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time of the offering, referred to in this discussion as “Contributed Property.” The effect of these allocations, referred to as Section 704(c) Allocations, to a unitholder purchasing common units from us in an offering will be essentially the same as if the tax bases of our assets were equal to their fair market value at the time of such offering. In the event we issue additional common units or engage in certain other transactions in the future “Reverse Section 704(c) Allocations,” similar to the Section 704(c) Allocations described above, will be made to all holders of partnership interests, including purchasers of common units in an offering, to account for the difference, at the time of the future transaction, between the “book” basis for purposes of maintaining capital accounts and the fair market value of all property held by us at the time of the future transaction. In addition, items of recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by other unitholders. Finally, although we do not expect that our operations will result in the creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will be allocated in an amount and manner to eliminate the negative balance as quickly as possible.

 

An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by Section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the difference between a partner’s “book” capital account, credited with the fair market value of Contributed Property, and “tax” capital account, credited with the tax basis of Contributed Property, referred to in this discussion as the “Book-Tax Disparity,” will generally be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has “substantial economic effect.”

 

In any other case, a partner’s share of an item will be determined on the basis of his interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including:

 

 

Bingham McCutchen LLP is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Section 754 Election,” “— Uniformity of Units” and “— Disposition of Common Units — Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations under our partnership agreement will be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.

 

Treatment of Short Sales

 

A unitholder whose units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those units. If so, he would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period:

 

 

Bingham McCutchen LLP has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder whose common units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units; therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from loaning their units. The IRS has previously announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please also read “— Disposition of Common Units — Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

 

Alternative Minimum Tax

 

Each unitholder will be required to take into account his distributive share of any items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for noncorporate taxpayers is 26% on the first $175,000 of alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors as to the impact of an investment in units on their liability for the alternative minimum tax.

 

Tax Rates

 

Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is 35% and the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains (generally, capital gains on certain assets held for more than 12 months) of individuals is 15%. However, absent new legislation extending the current rates, beginning January 1, 2013, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains of individuals will increase to 39.6% and 20%, respectively. Moreover, these rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.

 

The recently-enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, is scheduled to impose a 3.8% Medicare tax on certain net investment income earned by individuals, estates and trusts for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. For these purposes, net investment income generally includes a unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gain realized by a unitholder from a sale of common units. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the unitholder’s net investment income or (2) the amount by which the unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the unitholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the unitholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case). In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income or (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins.

 

Section 754 Election

 

We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS unless there is a constructive termination of the partnership. Please read “— Disposition of Common Units — Constructive Termination.” The election will generally permit us to adjust a common unit purchaser’s tax basis in our assets (“inside basis”) under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to reflect his purchase price. This election does not apply to a person who purchases common units directly from us. The Section 743(b) adjustment belongs to the purchaser and not to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a unitholder’s inside basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (1) his share of our tax basis in our assets (“common basis”) and (2) his Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.

 

Where the remedial allocation method is adopted (which we will generally adopt as to our properties), the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code require a portion of the Section 743(b) adjustment that is attributable to recovery property under Section 168 of the Internal Revenue Code whose book basis is in excess of its tax basis to be depreciated over the remaining cost recovery period for the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity. Under Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), a

Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue Code, rather than cost recovery deductions under Section 168, is generally required to be depreciated using either the straight-line method or the 150% declining balance method. Under our partnership agreement, our general partner is authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with these and any other Treasury Regulations. Please read “— Uniformity of Units.”

 

Although Bingham McCutchen LLP is unable to opine as to the validity of this approach because there is no direct or indirect controlling authority on this issue, we intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, or treat that portion as non-amortizable to the extent attributable to property which is not amortizable. This method is consistent with the regulations under Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code but is arguably inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets. The IRS may challenge our position with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of the units.

 

A Section 754 election is advantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in his units is higher than the units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of the election, the transferee would have, among other items, a greater amount of depreciation and depletion deductions and his share of any gain or loss on a sale of our assets would be less. Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in his units is lower than those units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value of the units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by the election. A basis adjustment is required regardless of whether a Section 754 election is made in the case of a transfer of an interest in us if we have a substantial built-in loss immediately after the transfer, or if we distribute property and have a substantial basis reduction. Generally a built-in loss or a basis reduction is substantial if it exceeds $250,000.

 

The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the value of our assets and other matters. For example, the allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our assets must be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment allocated by us to our tangible assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is generally either nonamortizable or amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure you that the determinations we make will not be successfully challenged by the IRS and that the deductions resulting from them will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different basis adjustment to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election. If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be allocated more income than he would have been allocated had the election not been revoked.

 

Tax Treatment of Operations

 

Accounting Method and Taxable Year

 

We use the year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending within or with his taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31 and who disposes of all of his units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of his taxable year must include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be required to include in income for his taxable year his share of more than twelve months of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “— Disposition of Common Units — Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”

Initial Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization

 

The tax basis of our assets will be used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the difference between the fair market value of our assets and their tax basis immediately prior to an offering will be borne by our partners holding an interest in us prior to such offering. Please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”

 

To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation and cost recovery methods, including bonus depreciation to the extent available, that will result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets subject to these allowances are placed in service. Please read “— Uniformity of Units.” Property we subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using accelerated methods permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.

 

If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of his interest in us. Please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction” and “— Disposition of Common Units — Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

 

The costs incurred in selling our units (called “syndication expenses”) must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. There are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us. The underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated as syndication expenses.

 

Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties

 

The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values, and the initial tax bases, of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates and determinations of basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deductions previously reported by unitholders might change, and unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.

 

Disposition of Common Units

 

Recognition of Gain or Loss

 

Gain or loss will be recognized on a sale of units equal to the difference between the unitholder’s amount realized and the unitholder’s tax basis for the units sold. A unitholder’s amount realized will be measured by the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property received by him plus his share of our nonrecourse liabilities attributable to the common units sold. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.

 

Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable income for a common unit that decreased a unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the common unit is sold at a price greater than the unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit, even if the price received is less than his original cost.

 

Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder, other than a “dealer” in units, on the sale or exchange of a unit will generally be taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an

individual on the sale of units held for more than twelve months will generally be taxed at favorable rates, currently a maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 15%. However, a portion of this gain or loss, which will likely be substantial, will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent attributable to assets giving rise to depreciation recapture or other “unrealized receivables” or to “inventory items” we own. The term “unrealized receivables” includes potential recapture items, including depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized upon the sale of a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units. Capital losses may offset capital gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income, in the case of individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gains in the case of corporations.

 

The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in his entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership. Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Internal Revenue Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify common units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the common units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed above, a common unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis common units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, may designate specific common units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of common units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of common units. A unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult his tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.

 

Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an “appreciated” partnership interest, one in which gain would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons enter(s) into:

 

 

Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of the Treasury is also authorized to issue regulations that treat a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as having constructively sold the financial position.

 

Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees

 

In general, our taxable income or loss will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month, which we refer to in this prospectus as the “Allocation Date.” However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business will be allocated among the unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss is recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.

Recently, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued proposed Treasury Regulations that provide a safe harbor pursuant to which a publicly traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee unitholders, although such tax items must be prorated on a daily basis. Nonetheless, the proposed regulations do not specifically authorize the use of the proration method we have adopted. Accordingly, Bingham McCutchen LLP is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferor and transferee unitholders. We use this method because it is not administratively feasible to make these allocations on a more frequent basis. If this method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of the unitholder’s interest, our taxable income or losses might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferor and transferee unitholders, as well as unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under future Treasury Regulations.

 

A unitholder who owns units at any time during a quarter and who disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to that quarter but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.

 

Notification Requirements

 

A unitholder who sells any of his units is generally required to notify us in writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the sale). A purchaser of units who purchases units from another unitholder is also generally required to notify us in writing of that purchase within 30 days after the purchase. Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of any such transfer of units and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a transfer of units may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.

 

Constructive Termination

 

We will be considered to have been terminated for tax purposes if there are sales or exchanges which, in the aggregate, constitute 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For purposes of measuring whether the 50% threshold is reached, multiple sales of the same interest are counted only once. A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. A technical termination occurring on a date other than December 31 will result in us filing two tax returns (and unitholders could receive two Schedule K-1s if the relief discussed below is not available) for one fiscal year and the cost of the preparation of these returns will be borne by all common unitholders. We would be required to make new tax elections after a constructive termination, including a new election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code, and a constructive termination would result in a deferral of our deductions for depreciation. A constructive termination could also result in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a constructive termination might either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination. The IRS has recently announced publicly traded partnership technical termination relief program whereby a publicly traded partnership that constructively terminates may be allowed to provide one Schedule K-1 to unitholders for the fiscal year notwithstanding two partnership tax years.

 

Uniformity of Units

 

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of uniformity, we

may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and regulatory. A lack of uniformity can result from a literal application of Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6). Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the units. Please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Section 754 Election.”

 

We intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, or treat that portion as nonamortizable, to the extent attributable to property the common basis of which is not amortizable, consistent with the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code, even though that position may be inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets. Please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Section 754 Election.” To the extent that the Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history. Our counsel, Bingham McCutchen LLP, is unable to opine on the validity of our approach to the extent it is inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6). The IRS may challenge our approach to the extent it is inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6). If such a challenge was made and sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and the amount of taxable income allocated to our units might be increased.

 

Our partnership agreement requires that we make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In this regard, our partnership agreement generally specifies that we allocate any unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and the general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation. In the event that we make positive adjustments to the capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units, our partnership agreement requires that we allocate any later negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting from the issuance of additional units or upon our liquidation in a manner which results, to the extent possible, in the general partner’s capital account balances equaling the amount which they would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to the capital accounts had been made. On April 15, 2009, our partnership agreement was amended to provide that any net termination losses treated as arising during the subordination period as a result of an adjustment to the carrying value of our assets in connection with an issuance by us of additional units will be allocated among the holders of subordinated units and common units in proportion to their percentage interests. As a result of this amendment, if we liquidate during the subordination period it is possible there would be less net termination gain to be allocated to unitholders holding common units, resulting in those unitholders receiving less liquidation proceeds than they would have under our partnership agreement prior to this amendment. In order to mitigate the possibility of adverse consequences to our common units of this revised allocation, our partnership agreement was also amended to provide that, in the event we liquidate during the subordination period, we will allocate items of income, gain, loss and deduction that would otherwise be included in the computation of net termination gain or net termination loss and, if necessary, items included in our net income or net losses, in each case to the extent possible, so that the capital account of each common unit will equal the amount it would have been had we not amended our partnership agreement.

 

Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors

 

Pursuant to our Partnership Agreement, ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt organizations, non-resident aliens, non-U.S. entities and other non-U.S. persons is subject to material limitations. For example, neither non-U.S. persons nor non-U.S. entities qualify as “Eligible Holders,” and after a determination by the general partner that a unitholder is not an Eligible Holder, such unitholder will be subject to redemption and may no longer receive distributions or allocations with respect to its common units. For additional discussion of Eligible Holders and the issues related thereto, please read “The Limited Partnership Agreement — Non-U.S. and Non-Taxpaying Assignees; Redemption.”

Moreover, ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt organizations, non-resident aliens, non-U.S. entities and other non-U.S. persons raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them.

 

Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income, other than interest income, allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.

 

Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, or beneficiaries of trusts or estates, that own units will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of the ownership of units. As a consequence, they will be required to file federal tax returns to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, we will withhold tax at the highest applicable effective tax rate from cash distributions made quarterly to non-U.S. unitholders. Each non-U.S. unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require us to change these procedures.

 

In addition, because a non-U.S. corporation that owns units will be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the United States branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax, on its share of our earnings and profits, as adjusted for changes in the non-U.S. corporation’s “U.S. net equity,” which is effectively connected with the conduct of a United States trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the non-U.S. corporate unitholder is a “qualified resident.” In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

A non-U.S. unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. unitholder. Under a ruling published by the IRS, interpreting the scope of “effectively connected income,” a non-U.S. unitholder would be considered to be engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. by virtue of the U.S. activities of the partnership, and part or all of that unitholder’s gain would be effectively connected with that unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business. Moreover, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, a non-U.S. unitholder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon the sale or disposition of a unit if (1) he owned (directly or constructively applying certain attribution rules) more than 5% of our common units at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of such disposition and (2) 50% or more of the fair market value of all of our assets consisted of U.S. real property interests at any time during the shorter of the period during which such unitholder held the units or the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition. Currently, more than 50% of our assets consist of U.S. real property interests and we do not expect that to change in the foreseeable future. Therefore, non-U.S. unitholders may be subject to federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of their units.

 

Administrative Matters

 

Information Returns and Audit Procedures

 

We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each calendar year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes each unitholder’s share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine each unitholder’s share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure you that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS. Neither we nor Bingham McCutchen LLP can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court that those positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS could negatively affect the value of the units.

The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability, and possibly may result in an audit of his return. Any audit of a unitholder’s return could result in adjustments not related to our returns as well as those related to our returns.

 

Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners. The Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes. Our partnership agreement names our general partner as our Tax Matters Partner.

 

The Tax Matters Partner will make some elections on our behalf and on behalf of unitholders. In addition, the Tax Matters Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our returns. The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a 1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any unitholder having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However, only one action for judicial review will go forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate in that action.

 

A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on his federal income tax return that is not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return. Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.

 

Nominee Reporting

 

Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:

 

(a) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee;

 

(b) a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:

 

(i) a person that is not a United States person;

 

(ii) a foreign government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or

 

(iii) a tax-exempt entity;

 

(c) the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and

 

(d) specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from dispositions.

 

Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are United States persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $100 per failure, up to a maximum of $1.5 million per calendar year, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.

 

Accuracy-Related Penalties

 

An additional tax equal to 20% of the amount of any portion of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements, is imposed by the Internal

Revenue Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding that portion.

 

For individuals, a substantial understatement of income tax in any taxable year exists if the amount of the understatement exceeds the greater of 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year or $5,000. The amount of any understatement subject to penalty generally is reduced if any portion is attributable to a position adopted on the return:

 

(1) for which there is, or was, “substantial authority”; or

 

(2) as to which there is a reasonable basis and the pertinent facts of that position are adequately disclosed on the return.

 

If any item of income, gain, loss or deduction included in the distributive shares of unitholders might result in that kind of an “understatement” of income for which no “substantial authority” exists, we must disclose the pertinent facts on our return. In addition, we will make a reasonable effort to furnish sufficient information for unitholders to make adequate disclosure on their returns and to take other actions as may be appropriate to permit unitholders to avoid liability for this penalty. More stringent rules apply to “tax shelters,” which we do not believe includes us, or any of our investments, plans or arrangements.

 

A substantial valuation misstatement exists if (1) the value of any property, or the adjusted tax basis of any property, claimed on a tax return is 150% or more of the amount determined to be the correct amount of the valuation or adjusted tax basis, (2) the price for any property or services (or for the use of property) claimed on any such return with respect to any transaction between persons described in Internal Revenue Code Section 482 is 200% or more (or 50% or less) of the amount determined under Section 482 to be the correct amount of such price, or (3) the net Internal Revenue Code Section 482 transfer price adjustment for the taxable year exceeds the lesser of $5 million or 10% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts. No penalty is imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 for most corporations). If the valuation claimed on a return is 200% or more of the correct valuation or certain other thresholds are met, the penalty imposed increases to 40%. We do not anticipate making any valuation misstatements.

 

In addition, the 20% accuracy-related penalty also applies to any portion of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to transactions lacking “economic substance.” To the extent that such transactions are not disclosed, the penalty imposed is increased to 40%. Additionally, there is no reasonable cause defense to the imposition of this penalty to such transactions.

 

Reportable Transactions

 

If we were to engage in a “reportable transaction,” we (and possibly you and others) would be required to make a detailed disclosure of the transaction to the IRS. A transaction may be a reportable transaction based upon any of several factors, including the fact that it is a type of tax avoidance transaction publicly identified by the IRS as a “listed transaction” or that it produces certain kinds of losses for partnerships, individuals, S corporations and trusts in excess of $2 million in any single year, or $4 million in any combination of 6 successive tax years. Our participation in a reportable transaction could increase the likelihood that our federal income tax information return (and possibly your tax return) would be audited by the IRS. Please read “— Administrative Matters — Information Returns and Audit Procedures.”

 

Moreover, if we were to participate in a reportable transaction with a significant purpose to avoid or evade tax, or in any listed transaction, you may be subject to the following provisions additional consequences:

 

 

 

We do not expect to engage in any “reportable transactions.”

 

State, Local, Foreign and Other Tax Considerations

 

In addition to federal income taxes, you likely will be subject to other taxes, such as state, local and foreign income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we conduct business or own property or in which you are a resident. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on his investment in us. We currently own property or conduct business in the states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Each of these states, other than Texas and Wyoming, currently imposes a personal income tax, and all of theses states also impose taxes on income of corporations and other entities. We may also own property or do business in other jurisdictions in the future. Although you may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in some jurisdictions because your income from that jurisdiction falls below the filing and payment requirement, you will be required to file income tax returns and to pay income taxes in many of these jurisdictions in which we conduct business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. In some jurisdictions, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable years. Some of the jurisdictions may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the jurisdiction. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder’s income tax liability to the jurisdiction, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld will be treated as if distributed to unitholders for purposes of determining the amounts distributed by us. Please read “— Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership — Entity-Level Collections.” Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, our general partner anticipates that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.

 

It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of his investment in us. Accordingly, each prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend upon, his tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. Further, it is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all state, local and foreign, as well as U.S. federal tax returns that may be required of him. Bingham McCutchen LLP has not rendered an opinion on the state, local or foreign tax consequences of an investment in us.

 

Tax Consequences of Ownership of Debt Securities

 

A description of the material federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of debt securities will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of debt securities.

 

An investment in our units or debt securities by an employee benefit plan is subject to certain additional considerations because the investments of these plans are subject to the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and the restrictions imposed by Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code and provisions under any federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or ERISA (collectively, “Similar Laws”). As used herein, the term “employee benefit plan” includes, but is not limited to, qualified pension, profit-sharing and stock bonus plans, Keogh plans, simplified employee pension plans and tax deferred annuities, IRAs and other arrangements established or maintained by an employer or employee organization, and entities whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of such plans, accounts and arrangements.

 

General Fiduciary Matters

 

ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code impose certain duties on persons who are fiduciaries of an employee benefit plan that is subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (an “ERISA Plan”) and prohibit certain transactions involving the assets of an ERISA Plan and its fiduciaries or other interested parties. Under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code, any person who exercises any discretionary authority or control over the administration of an ERISA Plan or the management or disposition of the assets of an ERISA Plan, or who renders investment advice for a fee or other compensation to an ERISA plan, is generally considered to be a fiduciary of the ERISA Plan. In considering an investment in our units or debt securities, among other things, consideration should be given to:

 

 

The person with investment discretion with respect to the assets of an employee benefit plan, often called a fiduciary, should determine whether an investment in our units or debt securities is authorized by the appropriate governing instrument and is a proper investment for the plan.

 

Prohibited Transaction Issues

 

Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code prohibit employee benefit plans, and IRAs that are not considered part of an employee benefit plan, from engaging in specified transactions involving “plan assets” with parties that, with respect to the plan, are “parties in interest” under ERISA or “disqualified persons” under the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, a fiduciary should consider whether a purchase of our common units is a prohibited transaction, unless an exemption is available. A party in interest or disqualified person who engages in a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes and other penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, the fiduciary of the ERISA Plan that engaged in such a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes, penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The acquisition and/or holding of debt securities by an ERISA Plan with respect to which we or the initial purchasers are considered a party in interest or a disqualified person, may constitute or result in a direct or indirect prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, unless the debt securities are acquired and held in accordance with an applicable statutory, class or

individual prohibited transaction exemption. In this regard, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued prohibited transaction class exemptions, or PTCEs, that may apply to the acquisition, holding and, if applicable, conversion of the debt securities. These class exemptions include, without limitation, PTCE 84-14 respecting transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers, PTCE 90-1 respecting insurance company pooled separate accounts, PTCE 91-38 respecting bank collective investment funds, PTCE 95-60 respecting life insurance company general accounts and PTCE 96-23 respecting transactions determined by in-house asset managers. There can be no assurance that all of the conditions of any such exemptions will be satisfied. In addition, Section 408(b)(17) of ERISA and Section 4975(d)(20) of the Internal Revenue Code provide relief from the prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code for certain transactions, provided that (i) neither the issuer of the securities nor any of its affiliates (directly or indirectly) have or exercise any discretionary authority or control or render any investment advice with respect to the assets of any ERISA Plan involved in the transaction and (ii) the ERISA Plan pays no more than adequate consideration in connection with the transaction. Each of these PTCEs contains conditions and limitations on its application. Thus, the fiduciaries of an employee benefit plan that is considering acquiring and/or holding the notes in reliance on any of these, or any other, PTCEs should carefully review the PTCE and consult with their counsel to confirm that it is applicable. There can be no, and we do not provide any, assurance that all of the conditions of any such exemptions will be satisfied.

 

Because of the foregoing, our units or debt securities may not be purchased or held (or converted to equity securities, in the case of any convertible debt) by any person investing “plan assets” of any employee benefit plan, unless such purchase and holding (or conversion, if any) will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code or similar violation of any applicable Similar Laws.

 

Representation

 

Accordingly, by acceptance of our units or debt securities, each purchaser and subsequent transferee of the units or debt securities will be deemed to have represented and warranted that either (i) no portion of the assets used by such purchaser or transferee to acquire and hold the units or debt securities constitutes assets of any employee benefit plan or (ii) the purchase and holding (and any conversion, if applicable) of the units or debt securities by such purchaser or transferee will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code or similar violation under any applicable Similar Laws.

 

Plan Asset Issues

 

In addition to considering whether the purchase of our units or debt securities is a prohibited transaction, a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan should consider whether the plan will, by investing in our units or debt securities, be deemed to own an undivided interest in our assets, with the result that our general partner also would be a fiduciary of the plan and our operations would be subject to the regulatory restrictions of ERISA, including its prohibited transaction rules, as well as the prohibited transaction rules of the Internal Revenue Code and any other applicable Similar Laws.

 

The Department of Labor regulations provide guidance with respect to whether, in certain circumstances, the assets of an entity in which employee benefit plans acquire equity interests would be deemed “plan assets.” Under these regulations, an entity’s assets would not be considered to be “plan assets” if, among other things:

 

(a) the equity interests acquired by the employee benefit plan are publicly offered securities — i.e., the equity interests are widely held by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and each other, are freely transferable and are registered pursuant to certain provisions of the federal securities laws;

 

(b) the entity is an “operating company,” — i.e., it is primarily engaged in the production or sale of a product or service, other than the investment of capital, either directly or through a majority-owned subsidiary or subsidiaries; or

(c) there is no significant investment by benefit plan investors, which is defined to mean that less than 25% of the value of each class of equity interest, disregarding certain interests held by our general partner, its affiliates, and certain other persons, is held by employee benefit plans that are subject to part 4 of Title I of ERISA (which excludes governmental plans and non-electing church plans) and/or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code and IRAs.

 

With respect to an investment in our units, we believe that our assets should not be considered “plan assets” under these regulations because it is expected that the investment will satisfy the requirements in (a) and (b) above and may also satisfy the requirement in (c) above (although we do not monitor the level of benefit plan investors as required for compliance with (c)). With respect to an investment in our debt securities, our assets should not be considered “plan assets” under these regulations because such securities are not equity securities or, even if they are considered equity securities under the Department of Labor regulations, it is expected that the investment will be convertible will satisfy the requirements in (a) above and may satisfy the requirements in (b) above.

 

The foregoing discussion of issues arising for employee benefit plan investments under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code and Similar Laws is general in nature and is not intended to be all inclusive, nor should it be construed as legal advice. In light of the complexity of these rules and the excise taxes, penalties and liabilities that may be imposed on persons involved in non-exempt prohibited transactions or other violations, plan fiduciaries contemplating a purchase of our units or debt securities should consult with their own counsel regarding the consequences under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code and Similar Laws.

 

We may sell the offered securities in and outside the United States (1) through underwriters or dealers, (2) directly to purchasers, (3) through agents or (4) a combination of any of these methods. The prospectus supplement will set forth the following information:

 

 

Sale Through Underwriters or Dealers

 

If we use underwriters in the sale of the offered securities, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may sell securities to or through dealers, and the dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. The underwriters may change from time to time the public offering price and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.

 

During and after an offering through underwriters, the underwriters may purchase and sell the securities in the open market. These transactions may include overallotment and stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short positions created in connection with the offering. The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, which means that selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers for the offered securities sold for their account may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the offered securities are repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the offered securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market. If commenced, these activities may be discontinued at any time.

 

If we and/or any selling security holder use dealers in the sale of securities, we and/or any selling security holder may sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. The dealers participating in any sale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of these securities. We will include in the prospectus supplement the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.

Direct Sales and Sales Through Agents

 

We may sell the securities directly. In that event, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We may also sell the securities through agents we designate from time to time. In addition, we may offer securities through at-the-market transactions. In the prospectus supplement, we will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities, and we will describe any commissions payable by us to the agent. Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.

 

We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. We will describe the terms of any such sales in the prospectus supplement.

 

Delayed Delivery Contracts

 

If we so indicate in the prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from selected types of institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.

 

General Information

 

We may have agreements with firms, agents, dealers and underwriters to indemnify them against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute with respect to payments that the firms, agents, dealers or underwriters may be required to make. Such firms, agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us and/or any selling security holder in the ordinary course of their businesses.

 

Each series of offered securities will be a new issue, and other than our common units, which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, will have no established trading market. We may elect to list any series of offered securities on an exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a series of offered securities. However, they will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue market making at any time without notice. We cannot assure you that a liquid trading market for any of our offered securities will develop.

 

Because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) views our common units as interests in a direct participation program, any offering of common units under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will be made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Conduct Rules. Any compensation to be received by underwriters in connection with an offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus will not exceed 8% of the gross proceeds of such offering.

 

The validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., and the legal matters described under “Income Tax Considerations” will be passed upon by Bingham McCutchen LLP. Additional legal matters may be passed on for us, or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

The consolidated financial statements of Western Gas Partners, LP and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2010, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

Each time we offer to sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, will include or refer you to all material information relating to each offering.

 

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC (File No. 001-34046). Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and at our website at http://www.westerngas.com. You may also read and copy at prescribed rates any document we file at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the SEC’s public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WES.” Our reports, proxy statements and other information may be read and copied at the New York Stock Exchange at 11 Wall Street, 5th Floor, New York, New York 10005.

 

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we later provide to the SEC, and which is deemed to be “filed” with the SEC, will automatically update information previously filed with the SEC, and may replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC.

 

We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the following documents that we have previously filed with the SEC:

 

 

These reports contain important information about us, our financial condition and our results of operations.

All documents that we subsequently file pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (i) after the date on which the registration statement that includes this prospectus was initially filed with the SEC and before the effectiveness of such registration statement and (ii) after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of an offering, unless otherwise stated therein, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Nothing in this prospectus shall be deemed to incorporate information furnished to, but not filed with, the SEC pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K (or corresponding information furnished under Item 9.01 or included as an exhibit).

 

We make available free of charge on or through our Internet website, http://www.westerngas.com, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our Internet website is not incorporated by reference into, and does not constitute a part of, this prospectus.

 

You may obtain any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the SEC through the SEC’s website at the address provided above. You also may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus (excluding any exhibits to those documents, unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference in this document), at no cost, by visiting our Internet website at http://www.westerngas.com, or by writing or calling us at the following address:

 

Investor Relations

Western Gas Partners, LP

1201 Lake Robbins Drive

The Woodlands, Texas 77380-1046

Telephone: (832) 636-6000

 

You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with any information. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of each document.