DCP MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years Ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 — (Continued)
Subordinated Units —
All of our subordinated units were held by DCP Midstream, LLC and were
converted to common limited partner units by February 2009. The subordination period had an early
termination provision that permitted 50% of the subordinated units, or 3,571,428 units, to convert into common
units on a one-to-one basis in February 2008 and permitted the other 50% of the subordinated units, or
3,571,429 units, to convert into common units on a one-to-one basis in February 2009, following the
satisfactory completion of the tests for ending the subordination period contained in our partnership agreement.
The board of directors of the General Partner certified that all conditions for early conversion were satisfied.
Our partnership agreement provides that, during the subordination period, the common units had the right
to receive distributions of Available Cash each quarter in an amount equal to $0.35 per common unit, or the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution, plus any arrearages in the payment of the Minimum Quarterly Distribution on
the common units from prior quarters, before any distributions of Available Cash may be made on the
subordinated units. These units are deemed “subordinated” because for a period of time, referred to as the
subordination period, the subordinated units were not entitled to receive any distributions until the common
units received the Minimum Quarterly Distribution plus any arrearages from prior quarters. Furthermore, no
arrearages could be paid on the subordinated units. The practical effect of the subordinated units is to increase
the likelihood that during the subordination period there will be Available Cash to be distributed on the
common units.
Distributions of Available Cash after the Subordination Period
— Our partnership agreement, after
adjustment for the general partner’s relative ownership level, requires that we make distributions of Available
Cash from operating surplus for any quarter after the subordination period, which ended in February 2009, in
the following manner:
•
first,
to all unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their pro rata interest, until each
unitholder receives a total of $0.4025 per unit for that quarter;
•
second,
13% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all
unitholders pro rata until each unitholder receives a total of $0.4375 per unit for that quarter;
•
third,
23% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to all
unitholders pro rata until each unitholder receives a total of $0.525 per unit for that quarter; and
•
thereafter,
48% to the general partner, plus the general partner’s pro rata interest, and the remainder to
all unitholders.
The following table presents our cash distributions paid in 2011, 2010 and 2009:
Payment Date
Per Unit
Distribution
Total Cash
Distribution
(Millions)
November 14, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6400
$34.9
August 12, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6325
$34.0
May 13, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6250
$33.4
February 14, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6175
$30.0
November 12, 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6100
$27.4
August 13, 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6100
$25.3
May 14, 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6000
$24.6
February 12, 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6000
$24.6
November 13, 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6000
$22.6
August 14, 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6000
$22.6
May 15, 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6000
$20.1
February 13, 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.6000
$20.1
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