---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Years Ended December 31,
2004 2005
January 1 May 1 January 1 May 10
to to to to
Years Ended December 31, April 30, December 31, May 9, December 31,
2001 2002 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005
(unaudited) (audited) (audited) (audited)
--------------------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------
(in thousands, except per unit and fleet data)
Income Statement Data:
Voyage revenues................ $ 60,326 $ 59,866 $ 86,709 $ 40,718 $ 83,115 $ 50,129 $ 95,330
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Operating expenses:
Voyage expenses (1)........... 5,092 5,334 4,911 1,842 3,090 251 407
Vessel operating expenses (2). 12,403 16,104 26,440 10,302 20,315 10,771 18,034
Depreciation and amortization. 16,094 17,689 23,390 8,585 26,275 14,751 28,420
General and administrative.... 5,061 6,501 8,799 2,103 4,375 2,928 7,029
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total operating expenses....... 38,650 45,628 63,540 22,832 54,055 28,701 53,890
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Income from vessel operations.. 21,676 14,238 23,169 17,886 29,060 21,428 41,440
Interest expense............... (20,104) (18,109) (34,862) (21,475) (50,485) (35,679) (37,623)
Interest income................ 3,752 5,248 8,431 8,692 13,519 9,098 14,084
Foreign currency exchange gain
(loss) (3).................... 3,462 (44,310) (71,502) 18,010 (78,831) 52,295 29,524
Interest rate swaps gain
(loss)(4)..................... (7,618) (71,400) 14,715 3,985 -- -- --
Other income (loss) (5)........ 5,327 563 617 (10,934) 2,342 (17,927) 2,907
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net income (loss) before change
in accounting principle....... 6,495 (113,770) (59,432) 16,164 (84,395) 29,215 50,332
Change in accounting
principle(6)................... (4,366) -- -- -- -- -- --
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net income (loss).............. $ 2,129 $(113,770) $ (59,432) $ 16,164 $ (84,395) $ 29,215 $ 50,332
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ==========
General partner's interest
in net income................. $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ 9,665
Limited partners' interest:
Net income (loss)............. 2,129 (113,770) (59,432) 16,164 (84,395) 29,215 40,667
Net income (loss) per:
Common unit (basic and
diluted) (7)................. 0.09 (4.85) (2.53) 0.69 (3.60) 1.24 1.45
Subordinated unit (basic and
diluted) (7)................. 0.09 (4.85) (2.53) 0.69 (3.60) 1.24 1.15
Total unit (basic and
diluted) (7)................. 0.09 (4.85) (2.53) 0.69 (3.60) 1.24 1.31
Cash distributions declared
per unit...................... -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.65
Balance Sheet Data (at end
of period):
Cash and marketable
securities.................... $ 24,625 $ 20,141 $ 22,533 $ 11,289 $ 156,410 $ 34,469
Restricted cash deposits (8)... 70,051 106,399 398,038 385,564 435,112 298,323
Vessels and equipment (10)(11). 368,951 705,010 602,550 602,055 1,045,068 1,502,386
Total assets (8)(10)........... 491,058 882,604 1,069,081 1,021,695 1,885,366 2,070,815
Total debt and capital lease
obligations (8)(9)............ 444,865 882,027 1,129,426 1,072,379 1,853,869 926,341
Total debt related to
newbuilding vessels to
be acquired (11).............. -- -- -- -- -- 319,573
Total stockholders'/partners'
equity (deficit).............. 29,849 (106,105) (164,809) (144,186) (123,002) 769,139
Common units outstanding (7)... 8,734,572 8,734,572 8,734,572 8,734,572 8,734,572 8,734,572 20,238,072
Subordinated units
outstanding (7)...............14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572
Cash Flow Data:
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities.......... $ 24,770 $ 20,418 $ 18,318 $ 14,808 $ 10,268 $ 11,867 $ 53,851
Financing activities.......... 31,852 176,316 (277,616) (25,846) 393,149 (159,845) 241,498
Investing activities.......... (55,695) (199,218) 262,766 901 (258,198) 19,066 (288,378)
Other Financial Data:
Net voyage revenues (12)....... $ 55,234 $ 54,532 $ 81,798 $ 38,876 $ 80,025 $ 49,878 $ 94,923
EBITDA (13).................... 33,912 (81,056) (6,578) 36,887 (20,187) 73,195 99,381
Capital expenditures:
Expenditures for vessels
and equipment................. 110,097 186,755 133,628 5,522 83,703 43,962 429,378
Expenditures for drydocking... -- 984 4,711 -- 4,085 -- 3,489
LNG Fleet Data:
Calendar-ship-days (14)........ -- 93 518 242 660 516 944
Average age of our fleet (in
years at end of period)........ -- 0.3 0.8 1.2 1.1 1.4 2.1
Vessels at end of period....... -- 1.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 4.0 4.0
Suezmax Fleet Data:
Calendar-ship-days (14)........ 2,085 2,190 2,190 726 1,134 516 1,238
Average age of our fleet (in
years at end of period)....... 4.3 5.3 6.3 6.6 3.2 3.6 3.0
Vessels at end of period....... 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 4.0 4.0 8.0
------------------------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
|
(1) |
Voyage expenses are all expenses unique to a particular voyage, including any
bunker fuel expenses, port fees, cargo loading and unloading expenses, canal
tolls, agency fees and commissions. |
|
(2) |
Vessel operating expenses include crewing, repairs and maintenance, insurance,
stores, lube oils and communication expenses. |
|
(3) |
Substantially all of these foreign currency exchange gains and losses were
unrealized and not settled in cash. Under U.S. accounting guidelines, all
foreign currency-denominated monetary assets and liabilities, such as cash and
cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, accounts payable,
long-term debt and capital lease obligations, are revalued and reported based on
the prevailing exchange rate at the end of the period. Our primary source for
the foreign currency gains and losses is our Euro-denominated term loans, which
totaled 294.8 million Euros ($372.4 million) at December 31, 2003, 325.8 million
Euros ($443.7 million) at December 31, 2004 and 318.5 million Euros ($377.4
million) at December 31, 2005, and Euro-denominated advances from Teekay Shipping
Corporation, which totaled 341.9 million Euros ($465.7 million) at December 31,
2004. |
|
(4) |
We have entered into interest rate swaps to hedge our interest rate risk from
our floating-rate debt used to purchase our LNG carriers. These interest rate
swaps were not designated as hedges under U.S. accounting guidelines until April
30, 2004. Consequently, the changes in the fair values of these swaps that
occurred during periods prior to April 30, 2004 above have been recorded in
earnings as interest rate swaps gain (loss) for those periods. Had
these interest rate swaps been designated as hedges prior to 2003, any
subsequent changes in fair value would have been recognized in accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss) to the extent the hedge was effective
and until the hedged item was recognized as income. |
|
(5) |
The $10.9 million other loss in the four months ended April 30, 2004 primarily
resulted from a $11.9 million loss on the sale of non-shipping assets by Teekay
Spain prior to its April 30, 2004 acquisition by Teekay Shipping Corporation.
The $17.9 million other loss in the period from January 1, 2005 to May 9, 2005
primarily resulted from a write-off of capitalized loan costs and a loss on
cancellation of interest rate swaps. |
|
(6) |
In June 1998, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 133 (or SFAS 133), Accounting
for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, which establishes new
standards for recording derivatives in interim and annual financial statements.
We adopted SFAS 133 on January 1, 2001. We recognized the fair value of our
derivatives as liabilities of $4.4 million on our consolidated balance sheet as
of January 1, 2001. This amount was recorded as a change in accounting principle
in our consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2001. |
|
(7) |
Net income (loss) per unit is determined by dividing net income (loss), after
deducting the amount of net income (loss) allocated to our general
partners interest from the issuance date of the units of May 10, 2005, by
the weighted average number of units outstanding during the period. For periods
prior to May 10, 2005, such units are deemed equal to the common and
subordinated units received by Teekay Shipping Corporation in exchange for net
assets contributed to us. |
|
(8) |
We operate two of our LNG carriers under Spanish tax lease
arrangements. Under these arrangements, we borrow under term loans and deposit
the proceeds into restricted cash accounts. Concurrently, we enter into capital
leases for the vessels, and the vessels are recorded as assets on our balance
sheet. The restricted cash deposits, plus the interest earned on the deposits,
will equal the remaining amounts we owe under the capital lease arrangements,
including our obligations to purchase the vessels at the end of the lease term.
Therefore, the payments under our capital leases are fully funded through our
restricted cash deposits, and our continuing obligation is the repayment of the
term loans. However, under GAAP we record both the obligations under the capital
leases and the term loans as liabilities, and both the restricted cash deposits
and our vessels under capital leases as assets. This accounting treatment has
the effect of overstating our assets and liabilities by the amount of restricted
cash deposits relating to the corresponding capital lease obligations. As at
December 31, 2004 and December 31, 2005, our total assets and total debt each
included $413.3 million and $289.1 million, respectively, of such amount. |
|
(9) |
As at December 31, 2004, total debt and capital lease obligations included advances and accrued interest of $465.7 million from
Teekay Shipping Corporation that Luxco used to purchase Teekay Spain and to prepay certain debt of Teekay Spain. Because the
advances from Teekay Shipping Corporation were contributed to us in connection with our initial public offering, these advances
were eliminated on consolidation in the periods subsequent to May 9, 2005. |
|
(10) |
Vessels and equipment consist of (a) our vessels, at cost less accumulated
depreciation, (b) vessels under capital leases, at cost less accumulated
depreciation, and (c) advances on our newbuildings. |
|
(11) |
During May 2005, we entered into an agreement with Teekay Shipping
Corporation to purchase its 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat Corporation (or Teekay Nakilat), which owns three LNG
newbuildings and the related 20-year time charters. Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat) owns the remaining 30% interest
in Teekay Nakilat. The purchase will occur upon
the delivery of the first newbuilding, which is scheduled during the fourth
quarter of 2006. As a result of this agreement, under current U.S. accounting
guidelines we are required to consolidate Teekay Nakilat even though
we do not yet have an ownership interest in Teekay Nakilat. As at
December 31, 2005, the assets of Teekay Nakilat included three LNG newbuildings,
which had a carrying value of $316.9 million, and other assets of $2.7 million.
These assets have been financed with $205.9 of term loans and $113.7 million of
loans from Teekay Shipping Corporation and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat). |
|
(12) |
Consistent with general practice in the shipping industry, we use net voyage revenues (defined as voyage revenues less voyage
expenses) as a measure of equating revenues generated from voyage charters to revenues generated from time charters, which assists
us in making operating decisions about the deployment of our vessels and their performance. Under time charters the charterer pays
the voyage expenses, whereas under voyage charter contracts the ship owner pays these expenses. Some voyage expenses are fixed,
and the remainder can be estimated. If we, as the ship owner, pay the voyage expenses, we typically pass the approximate amount of
these expenses on to our customers by charging higher rates under the contract or billing the expenses to them. As a result,
although voyage revenues from different types of contracts may vary, the net revenues after subtracting voyage expenses, which we
call net voyage revenues, are comparable across the different types of contracts. We principally use net voyage revenues, a
non-GAAP financial measure, because it provides more meaningful information to us than voyage revenues, the most directly
comparable GAAP financial measure. Net voyage revenues are also widely used by investors and analysts in the shipping industry for
comparing financial performance between companies and to industry averages. The following table reconciles net voyage revenues
with voyage revenues. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Years Ended December 31,
2004 2005
January 1 to May 1 to January 1 to May 10 to
Years Ended December 31, April 30, December 31, May 9, December 31,
2001 2002 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005
(unaudited) (audited) (audited) (audited)
----------------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------
Voyage revenues...... $ 60,326 $ 59,866 $ 86,709 $ 40,718 $ 83,115 $ 50,129 $ 95,330
Voyage expenses...... (5,092) (5,334) (4,911) (1,842) (3,090) (251) (407)
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net voyage revenues.. $ 55,234 $ 54,532 $ 81,798 $ 38,876 $ 80,025 $ 49,878 $ 94,923
=========== =========== =========== =========== =========== =========== ===========
|
(13) |
EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by management and by external users of our financial statements, such as
investors, as discussed below: |
|
|
Financial and operating performance. EBITDA allows us to measure the financial and operating performance of our assets
without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis. For instance, our net income is affected
by whether we finance assets or operations with debt or equity and by changing interest rates. Likewise, our net income is
affected by how much we pay for an asset and that assets depreciation or amortization schedule. By reviewing our earnings
before the impact of interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, we, our investors and others can understand the
performance of our assets and operations on a more comparable basis from period to period and against the performance of
other companies in our industry. |
|
|
Liquidity. EBITDA allows us to assess the ability of our assets to generate cash sufficient to service debt, make
distributions to our unitholders and undertake capital expenditures. For example, reviewing our earnings before the impact
of non-cash depreciation and amortization charges, and before the payment of interest on debt we incur, provides us an
understanding of how much cash is available to pay interest. |
|
|
EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities or any
other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA excludes some, but not all,
items that affect net income and operating income, and these measures may vary among other companies. Therefore, EBITDA as
presented below may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Years Ended December 31,
2004 2005
January 1 to May 1 to January 1 to May 10 to
Years Ended December 31, April 30, December 31, May 9, December 31,
2001 2002 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005
(unaudited) (audited) (audited) (audited)
----------------------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
Reconciliation of "EBITDA"
to "Net income (loss)":
Net income (loss)....... $ 2,129 $(113,770) $(59,432) $ 16,164 $ (84,395) $ 29,215 $ 50,332
Depreciation and
amortization.......... 16,094 17,689 23,390 8,585 26,275 14,751 28,420
Interest expense, net... 16,352 12,861 26,431 12,783 36,966 26,581 23,539
Provision (benefit)
for income taxes...... (663) 2,164 3,033 (645) 967 2,648 (2,910)
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
EBITDA.................. $ 33,912 $ (81,056) $ (6,578) $ 36,887 $ (20,187) $ 73,195 $ 99,381
=========== =========== =========== =========== =========== =========== ===========
Reconciliation of
"EBITDA" to "Net
operating cash flow":
Net operating cash flow. $ 24,470 $ 20,418 $ 18,318 $ 14,808 $ 10,268 $ 11,867 $ 53,851
Expenditures for
drydocking............ -- 984 4,711 -- 4,085 -- 3,489
Interest expense, net... 16,352 12,861 26,431 12,783 36,966 26,581 23,539
Gain(loss) on sale of
assets................ 2,661 490 1,576 (11,837) 3,428 (15,282) 186
Change in working
capital............... (846) (253) (237) (911) (7,719) (73) (4,621)
Interest rate swaps
gain(loss) and
change in accounting
principle............. (11,984) (71,400) 14,715 3,985 -- -- --
Foreign currency
exchange gain (loss)
and other, net........ 3,259 (44,156) (72,093) 18,059 (67,215) 50,102 22,937
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
EBITDA.................. $ 33,912 $ (81,056) $ (6,578) $ 36,887 $ (20,187) $ 73,195 $ 99,381
=========== =========== =========== =========== =========== =========== ===========
|
EBITDA
includes our foreign currency exchange and interest rate swap gains and losses,
substantially all of which were unrealized, as follows: |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Years Ended December 31,
2004 2005
January 1 to May 1 to January 1 to May 10 to
Years Ended December 31, April 30, December 31, May 9, December 31,
2001 2002 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005
(unaudited) (audited) (audited) (audited)
----------------------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
Foreign currency $ 3,462 $ (44,310) $ (71,502) $ 18,010 $ (78,831) $ 52,295 $ 29,524
exchange gain (loss)..
Interest rate swaps
gain (loss)........... (7,618) (71,400) 14,715 3,985 -- -- --
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
$ (4,156) $(115,710) $ (56,787) $ 21,995 $ (78,831) $ 52,295 $ 29,524
=========== =========== =========== =========== =========== =========== ===========
|
(14) |
Calendar-ship-days are equal to the aggregate number of calendar days in a period that our vessels were in our possession
during that period. |
Risk Factors
|
|
We may not have sufficient cash from operations to enable us to pay the minimum quarterly
distribution on our common units following the establishment of cash reserves and
payment of fees and expenses. |
We may not have sufficient cash
available each quarter to pay the minimum quarterly distribution. The amount of cash we
can distribute on our common units principally depends upon the amount of cash we generate
from our operations, which may fluctuate based on, among other things:
|
|
the rates we obtain from our charters; |
|
|
the level of our operating costs, such as the cost of crews and insurance; |
|
|
the continued availability of LNG production, liquefaction and regasification facilities;
|
|
|
the number of unscheduled off-hire days for our fleet and the timing of, and number of days required for, scheduled
drydocking of our vessels; |
|
|
delays in the delivery of newbuildings and the beginning of payments under charters relating to those vessels; |
|
|
prevailing global and regional economic and political conditions; |
|
|
currency exchange rate fluctuations; and |
|
|
the effect of governmental regulations and maritime self-regulatory organization standards on the conduct of our business. |
The actual amount of cash we will
have available for distribution also will depend on factors such as:
|
|
the level of capital expenditures we make, including for maintaining vessels, building new
vessels, acquiring existing vessels and complying with regulations; |
|
|
our debt service requirements and restrictions on distributions contained in our debt instruments; |
|
|
fluctuations in our working capital needs; |
|
|
our ability to make working capital borrowings, including to pay distributions to unitholders; and |
|
|
the amount of any cash reserves, including reserves for future capital expenditures and
other matters, established by our general partner in its discretion. |
The amount of cash we generate from
our operations may differ materially from our profit or loss for the period, which will be
affected by non-cash items. As a result of this and the other factors mentioned above, we
may make cash distributions during periods when we record losses and may not make cash
distributions during periods when we record net income.
|
|
We make substantial capital expenditures to maintain the operating capacity of our fleet,
which reduce our cash available for distribution. In addition, each
quarter our general partner is required to deduct estimated maintenance capital
expenditures from operating surplus, which may result in less cash
available to unitholders than if actual maintenance capital expenditures were deducted. |
We must make substantial capital
expenditures to maintain, over the long term, the operating capacity of our fleet. These
maintenance capital expenditures include capital expenditures associated with drydocking a
vessel, modifying an existing vessel or acquiring a new vessel to the extent these
expenditures are incurred to maintain the operating capacity of our fleet. These
expenditures could increase as a result of changes in:
|
|
the cost of labor and materials; |
|
|
increases in the size of our fleet; |
|
|
governmental regulations and maritime self-regulatory organization standards relating to safety, security or the
environment; and |
Our significant maintenance capital
expenditures will reduce the amount of cash we have available for distribution to our
unitholders.
In addition, our actual maintenance
capital expenditures vary significantly from quarter to quarter based on, among other
things, the number of vessels drydocked during that quarter. Our partnership agreement
requires our general partner to deduct estimated, rather than actual, maintenance capital
expenditures from operating surplus each quarter in an effort to reduce fluctuations in
operating surplus. The amount of estimated maintenance capital expenditures deducted from
operating surplus is subject to review and change by the conflicts committee at least once
a year. In years when estimated maintenance capital expenditures are higher than actual
maintenance capital expenditures as we expect will be the case in the years we
are not required to make expenditures for mandatory drydockings the amount of
cash available for distribution to unitholders will be lower than if actual maintenance
capital expenditures were deducted from operating surplus. If our general partner
underestimates the appropriate level of estimated maintenance capital expenditures, we may
have less cash available for distribution in future periods when actual capital
expenditures begin to exceed our previous estimates.
|
|
We will be required to make substantial capital expenditures to expand the size of our fleet. We generally will be required to
make significant installment payments for acquisitions of newbuilding vessels prior to their delivery and generation of revenue.
Depending on whether we finance our expenditures through cash from operations or by issuing debt or equity securities, our
ability to make cash distributions may be diminished or our financial leverage could increase or our unitholders could be
diluted.
|
We intend to make substantial capital
expenditures to increase the size of our fleet, particularly the number of LNG carriers we
own.
We have agreed to purchase from
Teekay Shipping Corporation its 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat, which owns three LNG
newbuildings and related long-term, fixed-rate time charters, for an estimated purchase
price of approximately $53.0 million, plus the assumption of approximately
$327.7 million of long-term debt. This purchase will take place in connection with
the delivery of the first newbuilding scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2006.
In addition, we are obligated to
purchase five of our existing Suezmax tankers upon the termination of the related capital
leases, which will occur at various times from 2007 to 2011, seven years from the
respective commencement dates of the capital leases. The purchase price will be based on
the unamortized portion of the vessel construction financing costs for the vessels, which
we expect to range from $39.4 million to $41.9 million per vessel, which we
expect to accomplish by assuming the existing vessel financing.
We and Teekay Shipping Corporation
regularly evaluate and pursue opportunities to provide the marine transportation
requirements for new or expanding LNG projects. Teekay Shipping Corporation currently has
submitted bids to provide transportation solutions for LNG projects and we and Teekay
Shipping Corporation may submit additional bids from time to time. The award process
relating to LNG transportation opportunities typically involves various stages and takes
several months to complete. The award process for some of the projects upon which Teekay
Shipping Corporation has bid are in advanced stages. Neither we nor Teekay Shipping
Corporation may be awarded charters relating to any of the projects we or it pursues. If
any LNG project charters are awarded to Teekay Shipping Corporation, it must offer them to
us pursuant to the terms of the omnibus agreement. In July and August 2005, Teekay
Shipping Corporation announced the awards to it of a 70% interest in two LNG carriers and
related long-term, fixed-rate time charters to service the Tangguh LNG project in
Indonesia and a 40% interest in four LNG carriers and related long-term, fixed-rate time
charters to service an LNG project in Qatar. In connection with these awards, Teekay
Shipping Corporation has (a) exercised shipbuilding options to construct two 155,000
cubic meter LNG carriers at a total delivered cost of approximately $450 million,
which vessels are scheduled to deliver in late 2008 and early 2009, respectively, and
(b) entered into agreements to construct four 217,000 cubic meter LNG carriers at a
total delivered cost of approximately $1.1 billion, which vessels are scheduled to
deliver in the first half of 2008.
If we elect pursuant to the omnibus
agreement to obtain Teekay Shipping Corporations interests in either or both of
these LNG projects or any other projects Teekay Shipping Corporation may be awarded, or if
we bid on and are awarded contracts relating to any LNG project, we will need to incur
significant capital expenditures to buy Teekay Shipping Corporations interest in
these LNG projects or to build the LNG carriers.
To fund the remaining portion of
these and other capital expenditures, we will be required to use cash from operations or
incur borrowings or raise capital through the sale of debt or additional equity
securities. Use of cash from operations will reduce cash available for distributions to
unitholders. Our ability to obtain bank financing or to access the capital markets for
future offerings may be limited by our financial condition at the time of any such
financing or offering as well as by adverse market conditions resulting from, among other
things, general economic conditions and contingencies and uncertainties that are beyond
our control. Our failure to obtain the funds for necessary future capital expenditures
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition and on our ability to make cash distributions. Even if we are successful in
obtaining necessary funds, the terms of such financings could limit our ability to pay
cash distributions to unitholders. In addition, incurring additional debt may
significantly increase our interest expense and financial leverage, and issuing additional
equity securities may result in significant unitholder dilution and would increase the
aggregate amount of cash required to meet our minimum quarterly distribution to
unitholders, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to make cash
distributions.
If we were unable to obtain financing required to complete payments on any future newbuilding orders, we could effectively forfeit
all or a portion of the progress payments previously made.
Our
substantial debt levels may limit our flexibility in obtaining additional financing and
in pursuing other business opportunities.
As of December 31, 2005, our
consolidated debt, capital lease obligations and debt related to newbuilding vessels to be
acquired totaled $1.2 billion. In addition, we have the capacity to borrow additional
amounts under our credit facilities. During December 2005, we entered into a $137.5
million nine-year revolving credit facility, which became available to us in January 2006.
These facilities may be used by us for general partnership purposes. If we are awarded
contracts for new LNG projects, our consolidated debt and capital lease obligations will
increase, perhaps significantly. We will continue to have the ability to incur additional
debt, subject to limitations in our credit facilities. Our level of debt could have
important consequences to us, including the following:
|
|
our ability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, for working capital, capital
expenditures, acquisitions or other purposes may be impaired or such financing may not be
available on favorable terms; |
|
|
we will need a substantial portion of our cash flow to make principal and interest
payments on our debt, reducing the funds that would otherwise be available for operations,
future business opportunities and distributions to unitholders; |
|
|
our debt level will make us more vulnerable than our competitors with less debt to
competitive pressures or a downturn in our business or the economy generally; and |
|
|
our debt level may limit our flexibility in responding to changing business and economic conditions. |
Our ability to service our debt will
depend upon, among other things, our future financial and operating performance, which
will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and
other factors, some of which are beyond our control. If our operating results are not
sufficient to service our current or future indebtedness, we will be forced to take
actions such as reducing distributions, reducing or delaying our business activities,
acquisitions, investments or capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or
refinancing our debt, or seeking additional equity capital or bankruptcy protection. We
may not be able to affect any of these remedies on satisfactory terms, or at all.
|
|
We
derive a substantial majority of our revenues from a limited number of customers, and the
loss of any customer, time charter or vessel could result in a significant loss of
revenues and cash flow. |
We have derived, and believe that we
will continue to derive, a significant portion of our revenues and cash flow from a
limited number of customers. Compania Espanola de Petroleos, S.A. (or CEPSA), an
international oil company, accounted for approximately 47%, 36% and 30% of our revenues
during 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. In addition, two other customers, Spanish energy
companies Repsol YPF, S.A. and Gas Natural SDG, S.A., accounted for 26% and 11% of our
revenues in 2003, 18% and 21% of our revenues in 2004 and 33% and 18% of our revenues in
2005, respectively. In addition, Unión Fenosa Gas, S.A. accounted for 16% of our
revenues in 2005. Collectively, CEPSA, Repsol YPF, S.A. and Gas Natural SDG, S.A.
accounted for approximately 84% and 75% of our revenues during 2003 and 2004,
respectively, and, together with Unión Fenosa Gas, S.A., 97% of our revenues in
2005. No other customer accounted for 10% or more of our revenues during any of these
periods. As a result of our acquisition of the three Suezmax tankers (or the
ConocoPhillips Tankers) from Teekay Shipping Corporation upon the closing of our
follow-on pubic offering on November 23, 2005, we will derive a significant portion of our
revenues in 2006 from a ConocoPhillips subsidiary, the customer under the related time
charter contracts. Likewise, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Limited (II) (or
RasGas II) will be a significant customer following the delivery in 2006 and
2007 of the three LNG newbuildings we have agreed to purchase from Teekay Shipping
Corporation and commencement of payments by RasGas II under the related time
charters.
We could lose a customer or the
benefits of a time charter if:
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the customer fails to make charter payments because of its financial inability, disagreements with us or otherwise; |
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the customer exercises certain rights to terminate the charter, purchase or cause the sale
of the vessel or, under some of our charters, convert the time charter to a bareboat
charter (some of which rights are exercisable at any time); |
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the customer terminates the charter because we fail to deliver the vessel within a fixed
period of time, the vessel is lost or damaged beyond repair, there are serious
deficiencies in the vessel or prolonged periods of off-hire, or we default under the
charter; or |
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under some of our time charters, the customer terminates the charter because of the
termination of the charterers LNG sales agreement supplying the LNG designated for
our services, or a prolonged force majeure event affecting the customer, including damage
to or destruction of relevant LNG production or regasification facilities, war or
political unrest preventing us from performing services for that customer. |
If we lose a key LNG time charter, we
may be unable to re-deploy the related vessel on terms as favorable to us due to the
long-term nature of most LNG time charters and the lack of an established LNG spot market.
If we are unable to re-deploy an LNG carrier, we will not receive any revenues from that
vessel, but we may be required to pay expenses necessary to maintain the vessel in proper
operating condition. In addition, if a customer exercises its right to purchase a vessel,
we would not receive any further revenue from the vessel and may be unable to obtain a
substitute vessel and charter. This may cause us to receive decreased revenue and cash
flows from having fewer vessels operating in our fleet. Any compensation under our
charters for a purchase of the vessels may not adequately compensate us for the loss of
the vessel and related time charter.
If we lose a key Suezmax tanker
customer, we may be unable to obtain other long-term Suezmax charters and may become
subject to the volatile spot market, which is highly competitive and subject to
significant price fluctuations. If a customer exercises its right under some charters to
purchase or force a sale of the vessel, we may be unable to acquire an adequate
replacement vessel or may be forced to construct a new vessel. Any replacement newbuilding
would not generate revenues during its construction and we may be unable to charter any
replacement vessel on terms as favorable to us as those of the terminated charter.
The loss of any of our customers,
time charters or vessels, or a decline in payments under our charters, could have a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and
our ability to make cash distributions.
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We
depend on Teekay Shipping Corporation to assist us in operating our business, competing
in our markets, and providing interim financing for certain vessel acquisitions. |
Pursuant to certain services
agreements between us and certain of our operating subsidiaries, on the one hand, and
certain subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation, on the other hand, the Teekay
Shipping Corporation subsidiaries provide to us administrative services and to our
operating subsidiaries significant operational services (including vessel maintenance,
crewing for some of our vessels, purchasing, shipyard supervision, insurance and financial
services) and other technical, advisory and administrative services. Our operational
success and ability to execute our growth strategy depend significantly upon Teekay
Shipping Corporations satisfactory performance of these services. Our business will
be harmed if Teekay Shipping Corporation fails to perform these services satisfactorily or
if Teekay Shipping Corporation stops providing these services to us.
Our ability to compete for the
transportation requirements of LNG projects and to enter into new time charters and expand
our customer relationships depends largely on our ability to leverage our relationship
with Teekay Shipping Corporation and its reputation and relationships in the shipping
industry. If Teekay Shipping Corporation suffers material damage to its reputation or
relationships it may harm our ability to:
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renew existing charters upon their expiration; |
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successfully interact with shipyards during periods of shipyard construction constraints; |
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obtain financing on commercially acceptable terms; or |
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maintain satisfactory relationships with our employees and suppliers. |
If our ability to do any of the
things described above is impaired, it could have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations and financial condition and our ability to make cash
distributions.
Teekay Shipping Corporation is also
incurring all costs for the construction and delivery of the three RasGas II LNG
newbuildings, which we refer to as warehousing. Upon their delivery, we will
purchase all of the interest of Teekay Shipping Corporation in the vessels at a price that
will reimburse Teekay Shipping Corporation for these costs and compensate it for its
average weighted cost of capital on the construction payments. We may enter into similar
arrangements with Teekay Shipping Corporation in the future. If Teekay Shipping
Corporation fails to make construction payments for the RasGas II newbuildings or
other vessels that Teekay Shipping Corporation warehouses for us, we could lose access to
the vessels as a result of the default or we may need to finance these vessels before they
begin operating and generating voyage revenues, which could harm our business and reduce
our ability to make cash distributions.
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Our
growth depends on continued growth in demand for LNG and LNG shipping. |
Our growth strategy focuses on
continued expansion in the LNG shipping sector. Accordingly, our growth depends on
continued growth in world and regional demand for LNG and LNG shipping, which could be
negatively affected by a number of factors, such as:
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increases in the cost of natural gas derived from LNG relative to the cost of natural gas generally; |
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increases in the production of natural gas in areas linked by pipelines to consuming
areas, the extension of existing, or the development of new, pipeline systems in markets
we may serve, or the conversion of existing non-natural gas pipelines to natural gas
pipelines in those markets; |
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decreases in the consumption of natural gas due to increases in its price relative to
other energy sources or other factors making consumption of natural gas less attractive; |
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availability of new, alternative energy sources, including compressed natural gas; and |
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negative global or regional economic or political conditions, particularly in LNG
consuming regions, which could reduce energy consumption or its growth. |
Reduced demand for LNG and LNG
shipping would have a material adverse effect on our future growth and could harm our
business, results of operations and financial condition.
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Growth
of the LNG market may be limited by infrastructure constraints and community
environmental group resistance to new LNG infrastructure over concerns about the
environment, safety and terrorism. |
A complete LNG project includes
production, liquefaction, regasification, storage and distribution facilities and LNG
carriers. Existing LNG projects and infrastructure are limited, and new or expanded LNG
projects are highly complex and capital-intensive, with new projects often costing several
billion dollars. Many factors could negatively affect continued development of LNG
infrastructure or disrupt the supply of LNG, including:
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increases in interest rates or other events that may affect the availability of sufficient
financing for LNG projects on commercially reasonable terms; |
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decreases in the price of LNG, which might decrease the expected returns relating to investments in LNG projects; |
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the inability of project owners or operators to obtain governmental approvals to construct or operate LNG facilities; |
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local community resistance to proposed or existing LNG facilities based on safety, environmental or security concerns; |
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any significant explosion, spill or similar incident involving an LNG facility or LNG carrier; |
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labor or political unrest affecting existing or proposed areas of LNG production; and |
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capacity constraints at existing shipyards, which are expected to continue until at least the end of 2008. |
If the LNG supply chain is disrupted
or does not continue to grow, or if a significant LNG explosion, spill or similar incident
occurs, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and
financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions.
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Our
growth depends on our ability to expand relationships with existing customers and obtain
new customers, for which we will face substantial competition. |
One of our principal objectives is to
enter into additional long-term, fixed-rate LNG time charters. The process of obtaining
new long-term LNG time charters is highly competitive and generally involves an intensive
screening process and competitive bids, and often extends for several months. LNG shipping
contracts are awarded based upon a variety of factors relating to the vessel operator,
including:
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shipping industry relationships and reputation for customer service and safety; |
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LNG shipping experience and quality of ship operations (including cost effectiveness); |
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quality and experience of seafaring crew; |
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the ability to finance LNG carriers at competitive rates and financial stability generally; |
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relationships with shipyards and the ability to get suitable berths; |
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construction management experience, including the ability to obtain on-time delivery of new vessels according to customer
specifications; |
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willingness to accept operational risks pursuant to the charter, such as allowing termination of the charter for force
majeure events; and |
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competitiveness of the bid in terms of overall price. |
We compete for providing marine
transportation services for potential LNG projects with a number of experienced companies,
including state-sponsored entities and major energy companies affiliated with the LNG
project requiring LNG shipping services. Many of these competitors have significantly
greater financial resources than we do or Teekay Shipping Corporation does. We anticipate
that an increasing number of marine transportation companies including many
with strong reputations and extensive resources and experience will enter the
LNG transportation sector. This increased competition may cause greater price competition
for time charters. As a result of these factors, we may be unable to expand our
relationships with existing customers or to obtain new customers on a profitable basis, if
at all, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations
and financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions.
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Delays
in deliveries of newbuildings could harm our operating results and lead to the
termination of related time charters. |
We have agreed to purchase Teekay
Shipping Corporations 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat, which owns the three
RasGas II LNG newbuilding carriers, in connection with their deliveries scheduled for
the fourth quarter of 2006 and the first half of 2007. The delivery of these vessels, or
any other newbuildings we may order or otherwise acquire, could be delayed, which would
delay our receipt of revenues under the time charters for the vessels. In addition, under
some of our charters if our delivery of a vessel to our customer is delayed, we may be
required to pay liquidated damages in amounts equal to or, under some charters, almost
double, the hire rate during the delay. For prolonged delays, the customer may terminate
the time charter and, in addition to the resulting loss of revenues, we may be responsible
for additional, substantial liquidated damages.
Our receipt of newbuildings could be
delayed because of:
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quality or engineering problems; |
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changes in governmental regulations or maritime self-regulatory organization standards; |
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work stoppages or other labor disturbances at the shipyard; |
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bankruptcy or other financial crisis of the shipbuilder; |
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a backlog of orders at the shipyard; |
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political or economic disturbances in South Korea or other locations, where our vessels are being or may be built; |
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weather interference or catastrophic event, such as a major earthquake or fire; |
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our requests for changes to the original vessel specifications; |
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shortages of or delays in the receipt of necessary construction materials, such as steel; |
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our inability to finance the purchase of the vessels; or |
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our inability to obtain requisite permits or approvals. |
If delivery of a vessel is materially
delayed, it could adversely affect our results or operations and financial condition and
our ability to make cash distributions.
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We
may have more difficulty entering into long-term, fixed-rate time charters if an active
short-term or spot LNG shipping market develops. |
LNG shipping historically has been
transacted with long-term, fixed-rate time charters, usually with terms ranging from 20 to
25 years. One of our principal strategies is to enter into additional long-term,
fixed-rate LNG time charters. However, the number of spot and short-term charters has been
increasing, with LNG charters under 12 months in duration growing from less than 2%
of the market in the late 1990s to almost 12% in 2004. For example, substantially all LNG
shipped into the Lake Charles, Louisiana terminal in 2004 was shipped under short-term
charters.
If an active spot or short-term
market continues to develop, we may have increased difficulty entering into long-term,
fixed-rate time charters for our LNG vessels and, as a result, our cash flow may decrease
and be less stable. In addition, an active short-term or spot LNG market may require us to
enter into charters based on changing market prices, as opposed to contracts based on a
fixed rate, which could result in a decrease in our cash flow in periods when the market
price for shipping LNG is depressed or insufficient funds are available to cover our
financing costs for related vessels.
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Over
time, vessel values may fluctuate substantially and, if these values are lower at a time
when we are attempting to disposeof a vessel, we may incur a loss. |
Vessel values for LNG carriers and
Suezmax oil tankers can fluctuate substantially over time due to a number of different
factors, including:
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prevailing economic conditions in natural gas, oil and energy markets; |
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a substantial or extended decline in demand for natural gas, LNG or oil; |
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increases in the supply of vessel capacity, and |
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the cost of retrofitting or modifying existing vessels, as a result of technological
advances in vessel design or equipment, changes in applicable environmental or other
regulation or standards, or otherwise. |
If a charter terminates, we may be
unable to re-deploy the vessel at attractive rates and, rather than continue to incur
costs to maintain and finance it, may seek to dispose of it. Our inability to dispose of
the vessel at a reasonable value could result in a loss on its sale and adversely affect
our results of operations and financial condition.
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We
may be unable to make or realize expected benefits from acquisitions, and implementing
our growth strategy through acquisitions may harm our business, financial condition
and operating results. |
Our growth strategy includes
selectively acquiring existing LNG carriers or LNG shipping businesses. Historically,
there have been very few purchases of existing vessels and businesses in the LNG shipping
industry. Factors that may contribute to a limited number of acquisition opportunities in
the LNG industry in the near term include the relatively small number of independent LNG
fleet owners and the limited number of LNG carriers not subject to existing long-term
charter contracts. In addition, competition from other companies could reduce our
acquisition opportunities or cause us to pay higher prices.
Any acquisition of a vessel or
business may not be profitable to us at or after the time we acquire it and may not
generate cash flow sufficient to justify our investment. In addition, our acquisition
growth strategy exposes us to risks that may harm our business, financial condition and
operating results, including risks that we may:
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fail to realize anticipated benefits, such as new customer relationships, cost-savings or cash flow enhancements; |
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be unable to hire, train or retain qualified shore and seafaring personnel to manage and operate our growing business and
fleet; |
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decrease our liquidity by using a significant portion of our available cash or borrowing capacity to finance acquisitions; |
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significantly increase our interest expense or financial leverage if we incur additional debt to finance acquisitions; |
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incur or assume unanticipated liabilities, losses or costs associated with the business or vessels acquired; or |
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incur other significant charges, such as impairment of goodwill or other intangible
assets, asset devaluation or restructuring charges. |
Unlike newbuildings, existing vessels
typically do not carry warranties as to their condition. While we generally inspect
existing vessels prior to purchase, such an inspection would normally not provide us with
as much knowledge of a vessels condition as we would possess if it had been built
for us and operated by us during its life. Repairs and maintenance costs for existing
vessels are difficult to predict and may be substantially higher than for vessels we have
operated since they were built. These costs could decrease our cash flow and reduce our
liquidity.
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Terrorist
attacks, increased hostilities or war could lead to further economic instability,
increased costs and disruption of our business. |
Terrorist attacks, such as the
attacks that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001 and the bombings in
Spain on March 11, 2004 and in England on July 7, 2005, and the current
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and other current and future conflicts, may adversely
affect our business, operating results, financial condition, ability to raise capital and
future growth. Continuing hostilities in the Middle East may lead to additional armed
conflicts or to further acts of terrorism and civil disturbance in the United States,
Spain or elsewhere, which may contribute further to economic instability and disruption of
LNG and oil production and distribution, which could result in reduced demand for our
services.
In addition, LNG and oil facilities,
shipyards, vessels, pipelines and oil and gas fields could be targets of future terrorist
attacks. Any such attacks could lead to, among other things, bodily injury or loss of
life, vessel or other property damage, increased vessel operational costs, including
insurance costs, and the inability to transport LNG, natural gas and oil to or from
certain locations. Terrorist attacks, war or other events beyond our control that
adversely affect the distribution, production or transportation of LNG or oil to be
shipped by us could entitle our customers to terminate our charter contracts, which would
harm our cash flow and our business.
Terrorist attacks, or the perception
that LNG facilities and LNG carriers are potential terrorist targets, could materially and
adversely affect expansion of LNG infrastructure and the continued supply of LNG to the
United States and other countries. Concern that LNG facilities may be targeted for attack
by terrorists has contributed to significant community and environmental resistance to the
construction of a number of LNG facilities, primarily in North America. If a terrorist
incident involving an LNG facility or LNG carrier did occur, in addition to the possible
effects identified in the previous paragraph, the incident may adversely affect
construction of additional LNG facilities in the United States and other countries or the
temporary or permanent closing of various LNG facilities currently in operation.
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Our
substantial operations outside the United States expose us to political, governmental and
economic instability, which could harm our operations. |
Because our operations are primarily
conducted outside of the United States, they may be affected by economic, political and
governmental conditions in the countries where we are engaged in business or where our
vessels are registered. Any disruption caused by these factors could harm our business. In
particular, we derive a substantial portion of our revenues from shipping LNG and oil from
politically unstable regions. Past political conflicts in these regions, particularly in
the Arabian Gulf, have included attacks on ships, mining of waterways and other efforts to
disrupt shipping in the area. In addition to acts of terrorism, vessels trading in this
and other regions have also been subject, in limited instances, to piracy.
Future hostilities or other political
instability in the Arabian Gulf or other regions where we operate or may operate could
have a material adverse effect on the growth of our business, results of operations and
financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions. In addition, tariffs,
trade embargoes and other economic sanctions by Spain, the United States or other
countries against countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia or elsewhere as a result of
terrorist attacks, hostilities or otherwise may limit trading activities with those
countries, which could also harm our business and ability to make cash distributions.
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Marine
transportation is inherently risky, and an incident involving significant loss of or
environmental contamination by any of our vessels could harm our reputation and
business. |
Our vessels and their cargoes are at
risk of being damaged or lost because of events such as:
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grounding, fire, explosions and collisions; |
An accident involving any of our
vessels could result in any of the following:
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death or injury to persons, loss of property or environmental damage; |
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delays in the delivery of cargo; |
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loss of revenues from or termination of charter contracts; |
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governmental fines, penalties or restrictions on conducting business; |
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higher insurance rates; and |
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damage to our reputation and customer relationships generally. |
Any of these results could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
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Our
insurance may be insufficient to cover losses that may occur to our property or result
from our operations. |
The operation of LNG carriers and oil
tankers is inherently risky. Although we carry hull and machinery (marine and war risks)
and protection and indemnity insurance, all risks may not be adequately insured against,
and any particular claim may not be paid. In addition, we do not carry insurance on our
oil tankers covering the loss of revenues resulting from vessel off-hire time based on its
cost compared to our off-hire experience. Commencing January 1, 2006, Teekay Shipping
Corporation began providing off-hire insurance for our LNG carriers. Any claims covered by
insurance would be subject to deductibles, and since it is possible that a large number of
claims may be brought, the aggregate amount of these deductibles could be material.
Certain of our insurance coverage is maintained through mutual protection and indemnity
associations, and as a member of such associations we may be required to make additional
payments over and above budgeted premiums if member claims exceed association reserves.
We may be unable to procure adequate
insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates in the future. For example, more
stringent environmental regulations have led in the past to increased costs for, and in
the future may result in the lack of availability of, insurance against risks of
environmental damage or pollution. A catastrophic oil spill or marine disaster could
result in losses that exceed our insurance coverage, which could harm our business,
financial condition and operating results. Any uninsured or underinsured loss could harm
our business and financial condition. In addition, our insurance may be voidable by the
insurers as a result of certain of our actions, such as our ships failing to maintain
certification with applicable maritime self-regulatory organizations.
Changes in the insurance markets
attributable to terrorist attacks may also make certain types of insurance more difficult
for us to obtain. In addition, the insurance that may be available may be significantly
more expensive than our existing coverage.
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The
marine energy transportation industry is subject to substantial environmental and other
regulations, which may significantly limit our operations or increase our expenses. |
Our operations are affected by
extensive and changing environmental protection laws and other regulations and
international conventions. We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, substantial
expenses in complying with these laws and regulations, including expenses for vessel
modifications and changes in operating procedures. Additional laws and regulations may be
adopted that could limit our ability to do business or further increase our costs. In
addition, failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in
administrative and civil penalties, criminal sanctions or the suspension or termination of
our operations.
The United States Oil Pollution Act
of 1990 (or OPA 90), for instance, increased expenses for us and others in our
industry. OPA 90 provides for potentially unlimited joint, several and strict
liability for owners, operators and demise or bareboat charterers for oil pollution and
related damages in U.S. waters, which include the U.S. territorial sea and the
200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the United States. OPA 90 applies to
discharges of any oil from a vessel, including discharges of oil tanker cargoes and
discharges of fuel and lubricants from an oil tanker or LNG carrier. To comply with
OPA 90, vessel owners generally incur increased costs in meeting additional
maintenance and inspection requirements, in developing contingency arrangements for
potential spills and in obtaining required insurance coverage. OPA 90 requires vessel
owners and operators of vessels operating in U.S. waters to establish and maintain with
the U.S. Coast Guard evidence of insurance or of qualification as a self-insurer or
other acceptable evidence of financial responsibility sufficient to meet certain potential
liabilities under OPA 90 and the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (or CERCLA), which imposes similar liabilities upon
owners, operators and bareboat charterers of vessels from which a discharge of
hazardous substances (other than oil) occurs. While LNG should not be
considered a hazardous substance under CERCLA, additives to fuel oil or lubricants used on
LNG carriers might fall within its scope. Under OPA 90 and CERCLA, owners, operators and
bareboat charterers are jointly, severally and strictly liable for costs of cleanup and
damages resulting from a discharge or threatened discharge within U.S. waters. This
means we may be subject to liability even if we are not negligent or at fault.
Most states in the United States
bordering on a navigable waterway have enacted legislation providing for potentially
unlimited strict liability without regard to fault for the discharge of pollutants within
their waters. An oil spill or other event could result in significant liability, including
fines, penalties, criminal liability and costs for natural resource damages. The potential
for these releases could increase to the extent we increase our operations in
U.S. waters.
OPA 90 and CERCLA do not preclude
claimants from seeking damages for the discharge of oil and hazardous substances under
other applicable law, including maritime tort law. Such claims could include attempts to
characterize seaborne transportation of LNG as an ultra-hazardous activity, which
attempts, if successful, would lead to our being strictly liable for damages resulting
from that activity.
In addition, we believe that the
heightened environmental, quality and security concerns of insurance underwriters,
regulators and charterers will generally lead to additional regulatory requirements,
including enhanced risk assessment and security requirements and greater inspection and
safety requirements on all vessels in the LNG carrier and oil tanker markets.
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Exposure
to currency exchange rate fluctuations will result in fluctuations in our cash flows and
operating results. |
We are paid in Euros under some of
our charters, and a majority of our vessel operating expenses and general and
administrative expenses currently are denominated in Euros, which is primarily a function
of the nationality of our crew and administrative staff. We also make payments under two
Euro-denominated term loans. If the amount of our Euro-denominated obligations exceeds our
Euro-denominated revenues, we must convert other currencies, primarily the
U.S. Dollar, into Euros. An increase in the strength of the Euro relative to the
U.S. Dollar would require us to convert more U.S. Dollars to Euros to satisfy
those obligations, which would cause us to have less cash available for distribution. In
addition, if we do not have sufficient U.S. Dollars, we may be required to convert
Euros into U.S. Dollars for distributions to unitholders. An increase in the strength
of the U.S. Dollar relative to the Euro could cause us to have less cash available
for distribution in this circumstance. We have not entered into currency swaps or forward
contracts or similar derivatives to mitigate this risk.
Because we report our operating
results in U.S. Dollars, changes in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to the
Euro also result in fluctuations in our reported revenues and earnings. In addition, under
U.S. accounting guidelines, all foreign currency-denominated monetary assets and
liabilities such as cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash,
accounts payable, long-term debt and capital lease obligations are revalued and reported
based on the prevailing exchange rate at the end of the period. This revaluation
historically has caused us to report significant non-monetary foreign currency exchange
gains or losses each period. The primary source for these gains and losses is our
Euro-denominated term loans. In 2003 and 2004, we reported foreign currency exchange
losses of $71.5 million and $60.8 million, respectively. In 2005, we reported a
foreign currency exchange gain of $81.8 million.
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Many
of our seafaring employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements and the
failure to renew those agreements or any future labor agreements may disrupt our
operations and adversely affect our cash flows. |
A significant portion of our
seafarers, and the seafarers employed by Teekay Shipping Corporation and its other
affiliates that crew our vessels, are employed under collective bargaining agreements,
which expire at varying times through 2008. The collective bargaining agreement for our
Spanish Suezmax tanker crew members (covering five Suezmax tankers) expires at the end of
2008. We may be subject to similar labor agreements in the future. We may be subject to
labor disruptions in the future if our relationships deteriorate with our seafarers or the
unions that represent them. Our collective bargaining agreements may not prevent labor
disruptions, particularly when the agreements are being renegotiated. Any labor
disruptions could harm our operations and could have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations and financial condition and our ability to make cash
distributions.
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Due to our lack of diversification, adverse developments in our LNG or oil marine
transportation business could reduce our ability to make distributions to our
unitholders.
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We rely exclusively on the cash flow
generated from our LNG carriers and Suezmax oil tankers that operate in the LNG and oil
marine transportation business. Due to our lack of diversification, an adverse development
in the LNG or oil shipping industry would have a significantly greater impact on our
financial condition and results of operations than if we maintained more diverse assets or
lines of business.
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Teekay Shipping Corporation and its affiliates may engage in competition with us. |
Teekay Shipping Corporation and its
affiliates may engage in competition with us. Pursuant to the omnibus agreement, Teekay
Shipping Corporation and its controlled affiliates (other than us and our subsidiaries)
generally will agree not to own, operate or charter LNG carriers without the consent of
our general partner. The omnibus agreement, however, allows Teekay Shipping Corporation or
any of such controlled affiliates to:
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acquire LNG carriers and related time charters as part of a business if a majority of the
value of the total assets or business acquired is not attributable to the LNG carriers and
time charters, as determined in good faith by the board of directors of Teekay Shipping
Corporation; however, if at any time Teekay Shipping Corporation completes such an
acquisition, it must offer to sell the LNG carriers and related time charters to us for
their fair market value plus any additional tax or other similar costs to Teekay Shipping
Corporation that would be required to transfer the LNG carriers and time charters to us
separately from the acquired business; or |
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own, operate and charter LNG carriers that relate to a bid or award for a proposed LNG
project that Teekay Shipping Corporation or any of its subsidiaries has submitted or
hereafter submits or receives; however, at least 180 days prior to the scheduled delivery
date of any such LNG carrier, Teekay Shipping Corporation must offer to sell the LNG
carrier and related time charter to us, with the vessel valued at its fully-built-up
cost, which represents the aggregate expenditures incurred (or to be incurred prior
to delivery to us) by Teekay Shipping Corporation to acquire or construct and bring such
LNG carrier to the condition and location necessary for our intended use. |
If we decline the offer to purchase
the LNG carriers and time charters described above, Teekay Shipping Corporation may own
and operate the LNG carriers, but may not expand that portion of its business.
In addition, pursuant to the omnibus
agreement, Teekay Shipping Corporation or any of its controlled affiliates (other than us
and our subsidiaries) may:
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acquire, operate or charter LNG carriers if our general partner has previously advised
Teekay Shipping Corporation that the board of directors of our general partner has
elected, with the approval of its conflicts committee, not to cause us or our subsidiaries
to acquire or operate the carriers; |
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own and operate the three RasGas II LNG newbuilding carriers and related time charters if
we fail to perform our obligation to purchase such vessels under our agreement with Teekay
Shipping Corporation; |
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acquire up to a 9.9% equity ownership, voting or profit participation interest in any
publicly traded company that owns or operate LNG carriers; and |
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provide ship management services relating to LNG carriers. |
If there is a change of control of
Teekay Shipping Corporation, the non-competition provisions of the omnibus agreement may
terminate, which termination could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions.
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Our general partner and its other affiliates have conflicts of interest and limited fiduciary
duties, which may permit them to favor their own interests to those of unitholders. |
Teekay Shipping Corporation, which
owns and controls our general partner, indirectly owns the 2% general partner interest and
currently owns a 65.8% limited partner interest in us. Conflicts of interest may arise
between Teekay Shipping Corporation and its affiliates, including our general partner, on
the one hand, and us and our unitholders, on the other hand. As a result of these
conflicts, our general partner may favor its own interests and the interests of its
affiliates over the interests of our unitholders. These conflicts include, among others,
the following situations:
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neither our partnership agreement nor any other agreement requires our general partner or
Teekay Shipping Corporation to pursue a business strategy that favors us or utilizes our
assets, and Teekay Shipping Corporations officers and directors have a fiduciary
duty to make decisions in the best interests of the stockholders of Teekay Shipping
Corporation, which may be contrary to our interests; |
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the executive officers and three of the directors of our general partner also currently
serve as executive officers or directors of Teekay Shipping Corporation and another
director of our general partner is employed by an affiliate of Teekay Shipping
Corporation; |
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our general partner is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than
us, such as Teekay Shipping Corporation, in resolving conflicts of interest, which has the
effect of limiting its fiduciary duty to our unitholders; |
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our general partner has limited its liability and reduced its fiduciary duties under the
laws of the Marshall Islands, while also restricting the remedies available to our
unitholders, and as a result of purchasing common units, unitholders are treated as having
agreed to the modified standard of fiduciary duties and to certain actions that may be
taken by our general partner, all as set forth in the partnership agreement; |
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our general partner determines the amount and timing of asset purchases and sales, capital
expenditures, borrowings, issuances of additional partnership securities and reserves,
each of which can affect the amount of cash that is available for distribution to our
unitholders; |
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in some instances, our general partner may cause us to borrow funds in order to permit the
payment of cash distributions, even if the purpose or effect of the borrowing is to make a
distribution on the subordinated units or to make incentive distributions or to accelerate
the expiration of the subordination period; |
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our general partner determines which costs incurred by it and its affiliates are reimbursable by us; |
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our partnership agreement does not restrict our general partner from causing us to pay it
or its affiliates for any services rendered to us on terms that are fair and reasonable or
entering into additional contractual arrangements with any of these entities on our
behalf; |
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our general partner controls the enforcement of obligations owed to us by it and its affiliates; and |
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our general partner decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants or others to perform services for us. |
Item 4. Information on
the Partnership
A. Overview, History and
Development
Overview and History
We are an international provider of
liquefied natural gas (or LNG) and crude oil marine transportation services. We
were formed on November 3, 2004 by Teekay Shipping Corporation, the worlds largest
owner and operator of medium-sized crude oil tankers, to expand its operations in the LNG
shipping sector. Our growth strategy focuses on expanding our fleet of LNG carriers under
long-term, fixed-rate charters. We view our Suezmax tanker fleet primarily as a source of
stable cash flow as we expand our LNG operations. We seek to leverage the expertise,
relationships and reputation of Teekay Shipping Corporation and its affiliates to pursue
growth opportunities in the LNG shipping sector. As of December 31, 2005, Teekay Shipping
Corporation, which owned and controls our general partner, owned a 67.8% limited partner
interest in us.
Our fleet, excluding newbuildings,
currently consists of four LNG carriers and eight Suezmax class crude oil tankers, all of which are
double-hulled. Our fleet is young, with an average age of approximately two years for our
LNG carriers and approximately three years for our existing Suezmax tankers, compared to
world averages of 12.6 years and 8.1 years, respectively, as of December 31,
2005.
These vessels operate under
long-term, fixed-rate time charters with major energy and utility companies. The average
remaining term for these charters is approximately 20 years for our LNG carriers and
approximately 14 years for our Suezmax tankers, subject, in certain circumstances, to
termination or vessel purchase rights.
Our fleet of existing LNG carriers
currently has 557,000 cubic meters of total capacity, which will increase to approximately 1.0
million cubic meters by mid-2007 upon delivery of three RasGas II LNG newbuilding carriers
described below. The aggregate capacity of our Suezmax tanker fleet is 1,252,700
deadweight tonnes.
Our original fleet was established by
Naviera F. Tapias S.A. (or Tapias), a private Spanish company founded in 1991 to
ship crude oil. Tapias began shipping LNG with the acquisition of its first LNG carrier in
2002. Teekay Shipping Corporation acquired Tapias in April 2004 and changed its name to
Teekay Shipping Spain S.L. (or Teekay Spain). As part of the acquisition, Teekay
Spain retained Tapiass senior management, including its chief executive officer, and
other personnel, who continue to manage the day-to-day operations of Teekay Spain with
input on strategic decisions from our general partner. Teekay Spain also obtains strategic
consulting, advisory, ship management, technical and administrative services from
affiliates of Teekay Shipping Corporation.
We were formed in connection with our
initial public offering. Upon the closing of that offering on May 10, 2005, we
acquired Teekay Spain, among other assets, and began operating as a publicly traded
limited partnership.
We are incorporated under the laws of
the Republic of The Marshall Islands as Teekay LNG Partners L.P. and maintain our
principal executive headquarters at Bayside House, Bayside Executive Park, West Bay Street
& Blake Road, P.O. Box AP-59212, Nassau, The Bahamas. Our telephone number at such
address is (242) 502-8820.
Agreement to Purchase
RasGas II Interest
We have agreed to acquire from Teekay
Shipping Corporation its 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat, which owns three 151,700 cubic
meter, double-hulled LNG newbuilding carriers. We expect to take delivery of these LNG
newbuildings during the fourth quarter of 2006 and the first half of 2007. Upon their
deliveries, the vessels will provide transportation services under 20-year, fixed-rate
time charters to RasGas II, a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil
RasGas Inc., a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corporation, established for the purpose of
expanding LNG production in Qatar.
During January 2006, Teekay Shipping
Corporation completed a 30-year U.K. lease arrangement that will be used to finance the
purchase of the three RasGas II LNG newbuilding carriers owned by Teekay Nakilat. The tax
benefits of this lease arrangement are expected to reduce the equity portion of our
purchase of Teekay Shipping Corporations 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat by
approximately $40 million, from approximately $93 million to approximately $53 million. We
also expect to assume approximately $328 million of long-term debt as part of this
purchase.
Potential Additional LNG
Projects
We have the contractual right to
acquire from Teekay Shipping Corporation its interest in LNG projects it is awarded. These
include the following projects that were awarded to Teekay Shipping Corporation in July
and August 2005:
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Tangguh LNG Project. Corporation has been awarded a 70% interest in two LNG carriers and related 20-year,
fixed-rate time charters to service the Tangguh LNG project in Indonesia. The customer will be The Tangguh Production
Sharing Contractors, a consortium led by BP Berau Ltd., a subsidiary of BP plc. Teekay Shipping Corporation has contracted
to construct two double-hulled LNG carriers of 155,000 cubic meters each at a total delivered cost of approximately
$450 million. Teekay Shipping Corporation will finance its 70% share of such amount. The charters will commence upon
vessel deliveries, which are scheduled for late 2008 and early 2009. Teekay Shipping Corporation will have operational
responsibility for the vessels in this project. The remaining 30% interest in the project is held by BLT LNG Tangguh
Corporation, a subsidiary of PT Berlian Laju Tanker Tbk. |
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RasGas 3 LNG Project. Teekay Shipping Corporation has been awarded a 40% interest in four LNG carriers and related 25-year,
fixed-rate time
charters (with options to extend up to an additional 10 years) to service expansion of the LNG project in Qatar. The
customer will be Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Limited (3), a joint venture company between Qatar Petroleum and a
subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corporation. Teekay Shipping Corporation has contracted to construct four double-hulled LNG
carriers of 217,000 cubic meters each at a total delivered cost of approximately $1.1 billion. Teekay Shipping
Corporation will finance its 40% share of such amount. The charters will commence upon vessel deliveries, which are scheduled
for the first half of 2008. The remaining 60% interest in the project will be held by Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd.
(Nakilat). Teekay Shipping Corporation will have operational responsibility for the vessels in this project, although our
partner may assume operational responsibility beginning 10 years following delivery of the vessels.
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Teekay Shipping Corporation is
obligated to offer us the opportunity to pursue these projects no later than 180 days
before the respective scheduled delivery dates of the vessels. The conflicts committee of
our general partners board of directors must approve any decision to pursue or
decline such an opportunity. Our management may recommend not pursuing either of these
opportunities, our conflicts committee may not approve pursuing them or we may not have
the financial ability to pursue them. If we decline an LNG project awarded to Teekay
Shipping Corporation and offered to us, Teekay Shipping Corporation may pursue the project
and we will have no further rights in the project.
B. Operations
LNG Carrier Segment
The vessels in our fixed-rate LNG
segment compete in the LNG market. LNG carriers are usually chartered to carry LNG
pursuant to time charter contracts, where a vessel is hired for a fixed period of time,
usually between 20 and 25 years, and the charter rate is payable to the owner on a monthly
basis. LNG shipping historically has been transacted with these long-term, fixed-rate time
charter contracts. LNG projects require significant capital expenditures and typically
involve an integrated chain of dedicated facilities and cooperative activities.
Accordingly, the overall success of an LNG project depends heavily on long-range planning
and coordination of project activities, including marine transportation. Although most
shipping requirements for new LNG projects continue to be provided on a long-term basis,
spot voyages (typically consisting of a single voyage) and short-term time charters of
less than 12 months duration have grown from 1% of the market in 1992 to 12% in 2004.
In the LNG market, we compete
principally with other private and state-controlled energy and utilities companies that
generally operate captive fleets, and independent ship owners and operators. Many major
energy companies compete directly with independent owners by transporting LNG for third
parties in addition to their own LNG. Given the complex, long-term nature of LNG projects,
major energy companies historically have transported LNG through their captive fleets.
However, independent fleet operators have been obtaining an increasing percentage of
charters for new or expanded LNG projects as major energy companies have continued to
divest non-core businesses.
LNG carriers transport LNG
internationally between liquefaction facilities and import terminals. After natural gas is
transported by pipeline from production fields to a liquefaction facility, it is
supercooled to a temperature of approximately negative 260 degrees Fahrenheit. This
process reduces its volume to approximately 1/600th of its volume in a gaseous
state. The reduced volume facilitates economical storage and transportation by ship over
long distances, enabling countries with limited natural gas reserves or limited access to
long-distance transmission pipelines to import natural gas. LNG carriers include a
sophisticated containment system that holds and insulates the LNG so it maintains its
liquid form. LNG is transported overseas in specially built tanks on double-hulled ships
to a receiving terminal, where it is offloaded and stored in heavily insulated tanks. In
regasification facilities at the receiving terminal, the LNG is returned to its gaseous
state (or regasified) and then shipped by pipeline for distribution to natural gas
customers.
Most new vessels, including all of
our vessels, are being built with a membrane containment system. These systems are built
inside the carrier and consist of insulation between thin primary and secondary barriers
that are designed to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction without overstressing
the membrane. New LNG carriers are generally expected to have a lifespan of approximately
35 to 40 years. Unlike the oil tanker industry, there currently are no regulations that
require the phase-out from trading of LNG carriers after they reach a certain age. As of
December 31, 2005, our LNG carriers had an average age of approximately two years,
compared to the world LNG carrier fleet average age of approximately 13 years. In
addition, as at that date, there were approximately 194 vessels in the world LNG fleet and
approximately 127 additional LNG carriers under construction or on order for delivery
through 2010.
The following table provides
additional information about our LNG vessels as of December 31, 2005.
Vessel Capacity Delivery Our Ownership Charterer Remaining Charter Term(1)
(cubic meters)
Operating LNG carriers:
Hispania Spirit ............ 140,500 Sept. 2002 100% Repsol YPF 17 years (4)
Catalunya Spirit ........... 138,000 Aug. 2003 Capital lease (2) Gas Natural SDG 18 years (4)
Galicia Spirit ............. 140,500 July 2004 100% Union Fenosa Gas 24 years (5)
Madrid Spirit .............. 138,000 Dec. 2004 Capital lease (2) Repsol YPF 19 years (4)
Newbuildings:
Hull No. 2238 .............. 151,700 Oct. 2006 Teekay-owned (3) RasGas II 20 years (6)
Hull No. 2239 .............. 151,700 Jan. 2007 Teekay-owned (3) RasGas II 20 years (6)
Hull No. 2240 .............. 151,700 Apr. 2007 Teekay-owned (3) RasGas II 20 years (6)
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Total Capacity: ..........1,012,100
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(1) |
Each of our time charters are subject to certain termination and purchase obligations. |
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(2) |
We lease the vessel under a Spanish tax lease arrangement and will purchase the
vessel when the lease terminates in 2006 for the Catalunya Spirit and
2011 for the Madrid Spirit. Please read Item 18 Financial
Statements: Note 5 Capital Lease Obligations and Restricted Cash. |
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(3) |
These newbuilding vessels are currently owned by subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping
Corporation. Upon the delivery of the first vessel, we will purchase Teekay
Shipping Corporations 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat, which owns the
vessels. Until delivery, Teekay Shipping Corporation has agreed to finance the
construction of these three vessels, which allows us to defer our need to
finance them. The delivery dates for the newbuildings are based on current
shipyard schedules. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 13(e)
Related Party Transactions, Note 15 Commitments and Contingencies,
and Note 18 Subsequent Events. |
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(4) |
The charterer has two options to extend the term for an additional five years
each. |
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(5) |
The charterer has one option to extend the term for an additional five years. |
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(6) |
The charterer has three options to extend the term for an additional five years
each. |
Repsol and Gas Natural accounted for
26% and 11% of our 2003 revenues, 18% and 21% of our 2004 revenues and 33% and 18% of our
2005 revenues, respectively. In addition, Unión Fenosa Gas, S.A. accounted for 16%
of our 2005 revenues. No other LNG customer accounted for 10% or more of our revenues
during any of these periods. The loss of any significant customer or a substantial decline
in the amount of services requested by a significant customer could harm our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Each LNG carrier that is owned by us
or Teekay Shipping Corporation, other than the Galicia Spirit, is encumbered by a
mortgage relating to the vessels financing. Each of the Catalunua Spirit and
the Madrid Spirit is subject to a capital lease and a mortgage associated with our
financing of the restricted cash deposits associated with the vessel.
For 2005, 2004 and 2003,
approximately 67.4%, 49.7% and 39.7%, respectively, of our net voyage revenues were
earned by the vessels in the LNG carrier segment. Please see Item 5 Operating
and Financial Review and Prospects: Results of Operations.
Suezmax Tanker Segment
Oil has been the worlds primary
energy source for a number of decades. Seaborne crude oil transportation is
a mature industry. The two main types of oil tanker operators are major oil companies
(including state-owned companies) that generally operate captive fleets, and independent
operators that charter out their vessels for voyage or time-charter use. Most conventional
oil tankers controlled by independent fleet operators are hired for one or a few voyages
at a time at fluctuating market rates based on the existing tanker supply and demand.
These charter rates are extremely sensitive to this balance of supply and demand, and
small changes in tanker utilization have historically led to relatively large short-term
rate changes. Long-term, fixed-rate charters for crude oil transportation, such as those
applicable to our Suezmax tanker fleet, are less typical in the industry. As used in this
discussion, conventional oil tankers exclude those vessels that can carry dry
bulk and ore, tankers that currently are used for storage purposes and shuttle tankers
that are designed to transport oil from offshore production platforms to onshore storage
and refinery facilities.
Oil tanker demand is primarily a
function of several factors, including the locations of oil production, refining and
consumption and world oil demand and supply while oil tanker supply is primarily a
function of new vessel deliveries, vessel scrapping and the conversion or loss of tonnage.
The majority of crude oil tankers
range in size from approximately 80,000 to approximately 320,000 deadweight tonnes (or
dwt). Suezmax tankers are the mid-size of the various primary oil tanker types,
typically sized from 120,000 to 200,000 dwt. As of December 31, 2005, the world tanker
fleet included 279 conventional Suezmax vessels, representing approximately 12% of
worldwide oil tanker capacity, excluding tankers under 10,000 dwt.
As of December 31, 2005, our Suezmax
tankers had an average age of approximately three years, compared to the average age of
8.1 years for the world Suezmax conventional tanker fleet. New Suezmax tankers
generally are expected to have a lifespan of approximately 25 to 30 years, based on
estimated hull fatigue life. However, United States and international regulations require
the phase-out of double-hulled vessels by 25 years. All of our Suezmax tankers are
double-hulled.
The following table provides
additional information about our Suezmax oil tankers as of December 31, 2005.
Remaining
Tanker Capacity Delivery Our Ownership Charterer Charter Term
(dwt)
Operating Suezmax tankers:
Tenerife Spirit ................ 159,500 July 2000 Capital lease (1) CEPSA 15 years (2)
Algeciras Spirit ............... 159,500 Oct. 2000 Capital lease (1) CEPSA 15 years (2)
Huelva Spirit .................. 159,500 Mar. 2001 Capital lease (1) CEPSA 16 years (2)
Teide Spirit ................... 159,500 Oct. 2004 Capital lease (1) CEPSA 19 years (2)
Toledo Spirit .................. 159,500 July 2005 Capital lease (1) CEPSA 20 years (2)
European Spirit ................ 151,800 Sept. 2003 100% ConocoPhillips 10 years (3)
African Spirit ................. 151,700 Nov. 2003 100% ConocoPhillips 10 years (3)
Asian Spirit ................... 151,700 Jan. 2004 100% ConocoPhillips 10 years (3)
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Total Capacity: .............. 1,252,700
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(1) |
We are the lessee under a capital lease arrangement and are required to purchase
the vessel seven years after the commencement of the capital lease, which we
expect to accomplish by assuming the existing vessel financing. Please read Item
18 Financial Statements: Note 5 Capital Lease Obligations and
Restricted Cash. |
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(2) |
CEPSA has the right to terminate the time charter 13 years after the
original delivery date, in which case we are generally expected to sell the
vessel, subject to our right of first refusal to purchase the vessel. |
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(3) |
The term of the time charter is 12 years from the original delivery date,
which may be extended at the customers option for up to an additional six
years. In addition, the customer has the right to terminate the time charter
upon notice and payment of a cancellation fee. Either party also may require the
sale of the vessel at any time, subject to the other partys right of first
refusal to purchase the vessel. |
CEPSA accounted for 47%, 36%, and 30%
of our 2003, 2004 and 2005 revenues, respectively. No other Suezmax tanker customer
accounted for 10% or more of our revenues during either of these periods. The loss of any
significant customer or a substantial decline in the amount of services requested by a
significant customer could harm our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
For 2005, 2004 and 2003,
approximately 32.6%, 50.3% and 60.3%, respectively, of our net voyage revenues were
earned by the vessels in the Suezmax tanker segment. Please see Item 5
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects: Results of Operations.
Business Strategies
Our primary business objective is to
increase distributable cash flow per unit by executing the following strategies:
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Acquire new LNG carriers built to project specifications after long-term, fixed-rate
time charters have been awarded for an LNG project.
Our LNG carriers (including the three RasGas II vessels) were built or will be built
to customer specifications included in the related long-term, fixed-rate time charters for
the vessels. We intend to continue our practice of acquiring LNG carriers as needed for
approved projects only after the long-term, fixed-rate time charters for the projects have
been awarded, rather than ordering vessels on a speculative basis. We believe this
approach is preferable to speculative newbuilding because it: |
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eliminates the risk of incremental or duplicative expenditures to alter our LNG carriers to meet customer specifications; |
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facilitates the financing of new LNG carriers based on their anticipated future revenues; and |
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ensures that new vessels will be
employed upon acquisition, which should generate more stable cash flow. |
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Expand our LNG operations globally. We seek to capitalize on
opportunities emerging from the global expansion of the LNG sector by selectively
targeting: |
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long-term, fixed-rate time charters wherever significant LNG liquefaction and
regasification facilities are being built or expanded; |
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joint ventures and partnerships with companies that may provide increased access to
opportunities in attractive LNG importing and exporting geographic regions; and |
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strategic vessel and business acquisitions. |
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Provide superior customer service by maintaining high reliability, safety,
environmental and quality standards. LNG project operators seek LNG
transportation partners that have a reputation for high reliability, safety, environmental
and quality standards. We seek to leverage our own and Teekay Shipping Corporations
operational expertise to create a sustainable competitive advantage with consistent
delivery of superior customer service by our: |
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responsiveness, reliability, professionalism and integrity; |
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adoption of responsible environmental practices and strict adherence to environmental regulations; |
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dedication to safe operations, commencing with our care in selecting and training our sea and office personnel; and |
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use of customer feedback and industry and internal performance measures to drive continuous improvements. |
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Manage our Suezmax tanker fleet to provide stable cash flows. The
remaining terms for our existing long-term Suezmax tanker charters are 10 to
20 years. We believe the fixed-rate time charters for our oil tanker fleet provide us
stable cash flows during their terms and a source of funding for expanding our LNG
operations. Depending on prevailing market conditions during and at the end of each
existing charter, we may seek to extend the charter, enter into a new charter, operate the
vessel on the spot market or sell the vessel, in order to maximize returns on our Suezmax
fleet while managing residual risk. |
While our primary business objective
is to increase distributable cash flow per unit by executing the previously mentioned
strategies, we may consider other opportunities to which our competitive strengths are
well suited.
Competitive Strengths
We believe that we are well
positioned to execute our business strategies successfully because of the following
competitive strengths:
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We have a strategic platform from which to expand our
presence in the rapidly growing LNG marine transportation sector. We currently
operate four LNG carriers and are scheduled to receive deliveries of the three RasGas II
LNG newbuildings beginning in the fourth quarter of 2006 through the first half of 2007.
Our LNG fleet, combined with our existing relationships with leading energy and utility
companies in Spain, a significant importer of LNG, and our new relationship, through
RasGas II, to the important LNG exporting nation of Qatar, give us a significant
presence in the rapidly growing LNG marine transportation sector. We believe this platform
provides a strategic base from which we will seek to expand existing relationships and
attract new customers. |
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Our management and the personnel of Teekay Shipping Corporations subsidiaries
who provide services to us have extensive experience in fleet
expansion. The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of our
general partner, key employees of our subsidiary Teekay Spain and personnel of other
subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation who provide services to us pursuant to
advisory and administrative services agreements have extensive experience in fleet expansion
through a combination of newbuildings, vessel and business acquisitions and, in some
cases, joint ventures. These individuals have overseen all aspects of the construction of
over 50 newbuildings, including: |
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identifying and pre-qualifying shipyards with reputations for quality workmanship and timely vessel completion; |
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advising customers about technical vessel specifications and suggested improvements, and conducting related negotiations
with the shipyard; and |
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supervising construction quality and shipyard progress toward identified budgetary constraints and completion milestones. |
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We believe our relationship with Teekay Shipping Corporation and its prominence and
customer relationships in the shipping industry significantly
enhances our growth opportunities. Established in 1973, Teekay Shipping
Corporation has achieved a global brand name in the shipping industry, developed an
extensive network of long-standing relationships with major energy companies and earned a
reputation for reliability, safety and excellence. We believe that our relationship with
Teekay Shipping Corporation significantly enhances our growth opportunities and that we
are able to leverage this relationship to our advantage in competing for the
transportation requirements of LNG projects and in attracting and retaining long-term
charter contracts throughout the world. We also believe that Teekay Shipping
Corporations established relationships with leading shipyards and the high number of
newbuilding orders it places with these shipyards will facilitate our interactions with
these shipyards during periods of shipyard production constraints, which is anticipated
over the next few years. |
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We supplement our operational experience through continued access to Teekay Shipping
Corporations expertise in various functions critical to our
vessel operations. The key employees of our primary operating subsidiary,
Teekay Spain, bring to us significant technical, financial and commercial capabilities
relating to vessel operations and other business matters. Through Teekay Shipping
Corporations extensive experience operating its large fleet and its commitment to
exceptional customer service, it has developed specialized core competencies addressing
various functions critical to its and our operations, has adopted best practices in the
shipping industry and has developed an infrastructure to efficiently coordinate and
implement these skills and practices. |
We believe these services complement
our existing operational experience and provide strict quality and cost controls and
effective safety monitoring.
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We have financial flexibility to pursue acquisitions and other expansion
opportunities through additional debt borrowings and the issuance of
additional partnership units. As of March 31, 2006, our existing revolving
credit facilities provided us access to $214.5 million for working capital and acquisition
purposes. We believe that borrowings available under our revolving credit facilities,
access to other bank financing facilities and the debt capital markets, and our ability to
issue additional partnership units will provide us with financial flexibility to pursue
acquisition and expansion opportunities. |
Safety, Management of
Ship Operations and Administration
Safety and environmental compliance
are our top operational priorities. We operate our vessels in a manner intended to protect
the safety and health of our employees, the general public and the environment. We
actively manage the risks inherent in our business and are committed to eliminating
incidents that threaten the safety, environment and integrity of our vessels. We are also
committed to reducing our emissions and waste generation.
We established key performance
indicators to facilitate regular monitoring of our operational performance. We set targets
on an annual basis to drive continuous improvement, and we review performance indicators
monthly to determine if remedial action is necessary to reach our targets.
Teekay Shipping Corporation, through
its subsidiaries, assists us in managing our ship operations. Teekay Shipping Corporation
has obtained through Det Norske Veritas, the Norwegian classification society, approval of
its safety management system as in compliance with the International Safety Management
Code (or ISM Code), and this system has been implemented for our Bahamian-flagged
vessels. Spains flag administration has approved this safety management system for
our Spanish-flagged vessels. As part of Teekay Shipping Corporations ISM Code
compliance, all of our vessels safety management certificates are being maintained
through ongoing internal audits performed by Teekay Shipping Corporations certified
internal auditors and intermediate external audits performed by Det Norske Veritas or
Spains flag administration.
In addition to our operational
experience, Teekay Shipping Corporations in-house global shore staff performs,
through its subsidiaries, the full range of technical, commercial and business development
services for our LNG operation. This staff also provides administrative support to our
operations in finance, accounting and human resources. This affords a safe, efficient and
cost-effective operation and, pursuant to administrative services agreements with certain
subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation, access to human resources, financial and
other administrative functions.
Critical ship management functions
that Teekay Shipping Corporation has agreed to provide to us through its Teekay Marine
Services division located in various offices around the world include:
These functions are supported by
onboard and onshore systems for maintenance, inventory, purchasing and budget management.
In addition, Teekay Shipping
Corporations day-to-day focus on cost control is applied to our operations. In 2003,
Teekay Shipping Corporation and two other shipping companies established a purchasing
alliance, Teekay Bergesen Worldwide, which leverages the purchasing power of the combined
fleets, mainly in such commodity areas as lube oils, paints and other chemicals. Through
our arrangements with Teekay Shipping Corporation, we benefit from this purchasing
alliance.
We believe that the generally uniform
design of some of our existing and newbuilding vessels and the adoption of common
equipment standards provides operational efficiencies, including with respect to crew
training and vessel management, equipment operation and repair, and spare parts ordering.
Risk of Loss, Insurance
and Risk Management
The operation of any ocean-going
vessel carries an inherent risk of catastrophic marine disasters, death or injury of
persons and property losses caused by adverse weather conditions, mechanical failures,
human error, war, terrorism, piracy and other circumstances or events. In addition, the
transportation of LNG and crude oil is subject to the risk of spills and to business
interruptions due to political circumstances in foreign countries, hostilities, labor
strikes and boycotts. The occurrence of any of these events may result in loss of revenues
or increased costs.
We carry hull and machinery (marine
and war risks) and protection and indemnity insurance coverage to protect against most of
the accident-related risks involved in the conduct of our business. Hull and machinery
insurance covers loss of or damage to a vessel due to marine perils such as collisions,
grounding and weather. Protection and indemnity insurance indemnifies us against
liabilities incurred while operating vessels, including injury to our crew or third
parties, cargo loss and pollution. The current available amount of our coverage for
pollution is $1 billion per vessel per incident. We also carry insurance policies
covering war risks (including piracy and terrorism) and, for our LNG carriers, loss of
revenues resulting from vessel off-hire time due to a marine casualty or an officer or
crew strike. Commencing January 1, 2006, Teekay Shipping Corporation has provided off-hire
insurance for our LNG carriers. We believe that our current insurance coverage is adequate
to protect against most of the accident-related risks involved in the conduct of our
business and that we maintain appropriate levels of environmental damage and pollution
insurance coverage. However, we cannot assure that all covered risks are adequately
insured against, that any particular claim will be paid or that we will be able to procure
adequate insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates in the future. More stringent
environmental regulations have resulted in increased costs for, and may result in the lack
of availability of, insurance against risks of environmental damage or pollution.
We use in our operations Teekay
Shipping Corporations thorough risk management program that includes, among other
things, computer-aided risk analysis tools, maintenance and assessment programs, a
seafarers competence training program, seafarers workshops and membership in emergency
response organizations. We believe we benefit from Teekay Shipping Corporations
commitment to safety and environmental protection as certain of its subsidiaries assist us
in managing our vessel operations.
Classification, Audits
and Inspections
The hull and machinery of all our
vessels is classed by one of the major classification societies: Det Norske
Veritas or Lloyds Register of Shipping. The classification society certifies that
the vessel has been built and maintained in accordance with its rules. Each vessel is
inspected by a classification society surveyor annually, with either the second or third
annual inspection being a more detailed survey (or an Intermediate Survey) and the
fourth or fifth annual inspection being the most comprehensive survey (or a Special
Survey). The inspection cycle resumes after each Special Survey. Vessels also may be
required to be drydocked at each Intermediate and Special Survey for inspection of the
underwater parts of the vessel in addition to a more detailed inspection of the hull and
machinery. Many of our vessels have qualified with their respective classification
societies for drydocking every four or five years in connection with the Special Survey
and are no longer subject to drydocking at Intermediate Surveys. To qualify, we were
required to enhance the resiliency of the underwater coatings of each vessel and mark the
hull to accommodate underwater inspections by divers.
The vessels flag state, or the
vessels classification society if nominated by the flag state, also inspects our
vessels to ensure they comply with applicable rules and regulations of the country of
registry of the vessel and the international conventions of which that country is a
signatory.
In addition to the classification
inspections, many of our customers regularly inspect our vessels as a condition to
chartering, and regular inspections are standard practice under long-term charters as
well.
Port state authorities, such as the
U.S. Coast Guard, also inspect our vessels when they visit their ports.
We believe that our relatively new, well-maintained
and high-quality vessels provide us with a competitive advantage in the current
environment of increasing regulation and customer emphasis on quality of service.
Our vessels are also regularly
inspected by our seafaring staff, who perform much of the necessary routine maintenance.
Shore-based operational and technical specialists also inspect our vessels at least twice
a year. Upon completion of each inspection, action plans are developed to address any
items requiring improvement. All plans are monitored until they are completed. The
objectives of these inspections are to:
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ensure our operating standards are
being adhered to; |
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maintain the structural integrity of the vessel; |
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maintain machinery
and equipment to give full reliability in service; |
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optimize performance in terms of
speed and fuel consumption; and |
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ensure the vessels appearance will support our
brand and meet customer expectations. |
To achieve our vessel structural
integrity objective, we use a comprehensive Structural Integrity Management
System developed by Teekay Shipping Corporation. This system is designed to closely
monitor the condition of our vessels and to ensure that structural strength and integrity
are maintained throughout a vessels life.
Teekay Shipping Corporation, who
assists us in managing our ship operations, through its subsidiaries, has obtained
approval for its safety management system as being in compliance with the ISM Code. Teekay
Shipping Corporations safety management system has also been certified as being
compliant with the International Standards Organizations (or ISO) 9001 for
quality assurance, ISO 14001 for environment management systems, OHSAS 18001 for
Occupational Health and Safety, and the IMOs International Management Code for the
Safe Operation of Ships and Pollution Prevention on a fully integrated basis. To maintain
compliance, the system is audited regularly by either the vessels flag state or,
when nominated by the flag state, a classification society. Certification is valid for
five years subject to satisfactorily completing internal and external audits.
Properties
Other than our vessels, we do not
have any material property.
Organizational Structure
The following is a list of the
Partnerships significant subsidiaries as at December 31, 2005, all of which we
wholly own:
Name of Significant Subsidiary State or Jurisdiction of Incorporation
Naviera Teekay Gas, SL...............................Spain
Naviera Teekay Gas II, SL............................Spain
Naviera Teekay Gas III, SL...........................Spain
Naviera Teekay Gas IV, SL............................Spain
Single Ship Limited Liability Companies..............Marshall Islands
Teekay Luxembourg Sarl...............................Luxembourg
Teekay Shipping Spain SL.............................Spain
C. Regulations
General
Our business and the operation of our
vessels are significantly affected by international conventions and national, state and
local laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which our vessels operate, as well as
in the country or countries of their registration. Because these conventions, laws and
regulations change frequently, we cannot predict the ultimate cost of compliance or their
impact on the resale price or useful life of our vessels. Additional conventions, laws,
and regulations may be adopted that could limit our ability to do business or increase the
cost of our doing business and that may materially adversely affect our operations. We are
required by various governmental and quasi-governmental agencies to obtain permits,
licenses and certificates with respect to our operations. Subject to the discussion below
and to the fact that the kinds of permits, licenses and certificates required for the
operations of the vessels we own will depend on a number of factors, we believe that we
will be able to continue to obtain all permits, licenses and certificates material to the
conduct of our operations.
We believe that the heightened
environmental and quality concerns of insurance underwriters, regulators and charterers
will generally lead to greater inspection and safety requirements on all vessels in the
LNG carrier and oil tanker markets and will accelerate the scrapping of older vessels
throughout these industries.
Regulation
International Maritime Organization (or IMO)
IMO regulations include the
International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (or SOLAS), including amendments
to SOLAS implementing the International Security Code for Ports and Ships (or
ISPS), the ISM Code, the International Convention on Prevention of Pollution from
Ships (the MARPOL Convention), the International Convention on Civil Liability for
Oil Pollution Damage of 1969, the International Convention on Load Lines of 1966, and,
specifically with respect to LNG carriers, the International Code for Construction and
Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (the IGC Code). SOLAS provides
rules for the construction of and equipment required for commercial vessels and includes
regulations for safe operation. Flag states which have ratified the convention and the
treaty generally employ the classification societies, which have incorporated SOLAS
requirements into their class rules, to undertake surveys to confirm compliance.
SOLAS and other IMO regulations
concerning safety, including those relating to treaties on training of shipboard
personnel, lifesaving appliances, radio equipment and the global maritime distress and
safety system, are applicable to our operations. Non-compliance with IMO regulations,
including SOLAS, the ISM Code, ISPS and the IGC Code, may subject us to increased
liability or penalties, may lead to decreases in available insurance coverage for affected
vessels and may result in the denial of access to or detention in some ports. For example,
the Coast Guard and European Union authorities have indicated that vessels not in
compliance with the ISM Code will be prohibited from trading in U.S. and European Union
ports.
The ISM Code requires vessel
operators to obtain a safety management certification for each vessel they manage,
evidencing the shipowners compliance with requirements of the ISM Code relating to
the development and maintenance of an extensive Safety Management System. Such
a system includes, among other things, the adoption of a safety and environmental
protection policy setting forth instructions and procedures for safe operation and
describing procedures for dealing with emergencies. Each of the existing vessels in our
fleet currently is ISM Code-certified, and we expect to obtain safety management
certificates for each newbuilding vessel upon delivery.
ISPS was adopted in December 2002 in
the wake of heightened concern over worldwide terrorism and became effective on July 1,
2004. The objective of ISPS is to enhance maritime security by detecting security threats
to ships and ports and by requiring the development of security plans and other measures
designed to prevent such threats. The United States implemented ISPS with the adoption of
the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (or MTSA), which requires vessels
entering U.S. waters to obtain certification of plans to respond to emergency incidents
there, including identification of persons authorized to implement the plans. Each of the
existing vessels in our fleet currently complies with the requirements of ISPS and MTSA,
and we expect all relevant newbuildings to comply upon delivery.
LNG carriers are also subject to
regulation under the IGC Code. Each LNG carrier must obtain a certificate of compliance
evidencing that it meets the requirements of the IGC Code, including requirements relating
to its design and construction. Each of our LNG carriers currently is in substantial
compliance with the IGC Code, and each of our LNG newbuilding shipbuilding contracts
requires compliance prior to delivery.
Under IMO regulations, an oil tanker
must be of double-hull construction, be of a mid-deck design with double-side construction
or be of another approved design ensuring the same level of protection against oil
pollution in the event that such tanker:
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is the subject of a contract for a major conversion or original construction on or after July 6, 1993; |
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commences a major conversion or has its keel laid on or after January 6, 1994; or |
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completes a major conversion or is a newbuilding delivered on or after July 6, 1996. |
In December 2003, the IMO revised its
regulations relating to the prevention of pollution from oil tankers. These regulations,
which became effective April 5, 2005, accelerate the mandatory phase-out of single-hull
tankers and impose a more rigorous inspection regime for older tankers. All of our oil
tankers are double-hulled and were delivered after July 6, 1996, so our tankers will not
be affected directly by these IMO regulations.
Annex VI to MARPOL, which became
effective internationally on May 19, 2005, sets limits on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxide emissions from ship exhausts and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting
substances. Annex VI also imposes a global cap on the sulfur content of fuel oil and
allows for specialized areas to be established internationally with more stringent
controls on sulfur emissions. For vessels over 400 gross tons, Annex VI imposes
various survey and certification requirements. The United States has not yet ratified
Annex VI. Vessels operated internationally, however, are subject to the requirements
of Annex VI in those countries that have implemented its provisions. We believe that
the cost of our complying with Annex VI will not be material.
Environmental
Regulations The United States Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (or OPA 90)
OPA 90 established an extensive
regulatory and liability regime for the protection and cleanup of the environment from oil
spills, including discharges of oil cargoes, fuel (or bunkers) or lubricants. OPA
90 affects all owners and operators whose vessels trade to the United States or its
territories or possessions or whose vessels operate in United States waters, which include
the U.S. territorial sea and 200-mile exclusive economic zone around the United States.
Under OPA 90, vessel owners,
operators and bareboat charters are responsible parties and are jointly,
severally and strictly liable (unless the spill results solely from the act or omission of
a third party, an act of God or an act of war and the responsible party reports the
incident and reasonably cooperates with the appropriate authorities) for all containment
and cleanup costs and other damages arising from discharges or threatened discharges of
oil from their vessels. These other damages are defined broadly to include:
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natural resources damages and the related assessment costs; |
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real and personal property damages; |
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net loss of taxes, royalties, rents, fees and other lost revenues; |
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lost profits or impairment of earning capacity due to property or natural resources damage; |
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net cost of public services necessitated by a spill response, such as protection from fire, safety or health hazards; and |
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loss of subsistence use of natural resources. |
OPA 90 limits the liability of
responsible parties to the greater of $1,200 per gross ton or $10 million per tanker that
is over 3,000 gross tons per incident, subject to possible adjustment for inflation. These
limits of liability would not apply if the incident were proximately caused by violation
of applicable U.S. federal safety, construction or operating regulations, including IMO
conventions to which the United States is a signatory, or by the responsible partys
gross negligence or willful misconduct, or if the responsible party fails or refuses to
report the incident or to cooperate and assist in connection with the oil removal
activities. We currently plan to continue to maintain for each of our vessels
pollution liability coverage in the amount of $1 billion per incident. A catastrophic
spill could exceed the coverage available, which could harm our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Under OPA 90, with limited
exceptions, all newly built or converted tankers delivered after January 1, 1994 and
operating in United States waters must be built with double-hulls. All of our existing
tankers are, and all of our newbuildings will be, double-hulled.
In December 1994, the United States
Coast Guard (or Coast Guard) implemented regulations requiring evidence of
financial responsibility in the amount of $1,500 per gross ton for tankers, coupling the
OPA limitation on liability of $1,200 per gross ton with the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (or CERCLA) liability limit of $300 per
gross ton. Under the regulations, such evidence of financial responsibility may be
demonstrated by insurance, surety bond, self-insurance, guaranty or an alternate method
subject to agency approval. Under OPA 90, an owner or operator of a fleet of vessels is
required only to demonstrate evidence of financial responsibility in an amount sufficient
to cover the vessel in the fleet having the greatest maximum limited liability under OPA
90 and CERCLA.
The Coast Guards regulations
concerning certificates of financial responsibility (or COFR) provide, in
accordance with OPA 90, that claimants may bring suit directly against an insurer or
guarantor that furnishes COFR. In addition, in the event that such insurer or guarantor is
sued directly, it is prohibited from asserting any contractual defense that it may have
had against the responsible party and is limited to asserting those defenses available to
the responsible party and the defense that the incident was caused by the willful
misconduct of the responsible party. Certain organizations, which had typically provided
COFR under pre-OPA 90 laws, including the major protection and indemnity organizations,
have declined to furnish evidence of insurance for vessel owners and operators if they are
subject to direct actions or required to waive insurance policy defenses.
The Coast Guards financial
responsibility regulations may also be satisfied by evidence of surety bond, guaranty or
by self-insurance. Under the self-insurance provisions, the shipowner or operator must
have a net worth and working capital, measured in assets located in the United States
against liabilities located anywhere in the world, that exceeds the applicable amount of
financial responsibility. We have complied with the Coast Guard regulations by obtaining
financial guaranties from a third party. If other vessels in our fleet trade into the
United States in the future, we expect to obtain additional guaranties from third-party
insurers or to provide guaranties through self-insurance.
OPA 90 and CERCLA permit individual states to impose their own liability regimes with regard to oil or hazardous substance
pollution incidents occurring within their boundaries, and some states have enacted legislation providing for unlimited strict
liability for spills. We intend to comply with all applicable state regulations in the ports where our vessels call.
Owners or operators of tank vessels operating in United States waters are required to file vessel response plans with the Coast
Guard, and their tank vessels are required to operate in compliance with their Coast Guard approved plans. Such response plans
must, among other things:
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address a worst case scenario and identify and ensure, through contract or
other approved means, the availability of necessary private response resources to respond
to a worst case discharge; |
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describe crew training and drills; and |
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identify a qualified individual with full authority to implement removal actions. |
We have filed vessel response plans
with the Coast Guard for the tankers we own and have received approval of such plans for
all vessels in our fleet to operate in United States waters. In addition, we conduct
regular oil spill response drills in accordance with the guidelines set out in OPA 90. The
Coast Guard has announced it intends to propose similar regulations requiring certain
vessels to prepare response plans for the release of hazardous substances.
OPA 90 allows U.S. state legislatures
to pre-empt associated regulation if the states regulations are equal or more
stringent. Several coastal states such as California, Washington and Alaska require
state-specific COFR and vessel response plans.
CERCLA contains a similar liability
regime to OPA 90, but applies to the discharge of hazardous substances rather
than oil. Petroleum products and LNG should not be considered hazardous
substances under CERCLA, but additives to oil or lubricants used on LNG carriers might
fall within its scope. CERCLA imposes strict joint and several liability upon the owner,
operator or bareboat charterer of a vessel for cleanup costs and damages arising from a
discharge of hazardous substances.
OPA 90 and CERCLA do not preclude
claimants from seeking damages for the discharge of oil and hazardous substances under
other applicable law, including maritime tort law. Such claims could include attempts to
characterize the transportation of LNG aboard a vessel as an ultra-hazardous activity
under a doctrine that would impose strict liability for damages resulting from that
activity. The application of this doctrine varies by jurisdiction. There can be no
assurance that a court in a particular jurisdiction will not determine that the carriage
of oil or LNG aboard a vessel is an ultra-hazardous activity, which would expose us to
strict liability for damages we cause to injured parties even when we have not acted
negligently.
Environmental
Regulation Other Environmental Initiatives
Although the United States is not a
party, many countries have ratified and follow the liability scheme adopted by the IMO and
set out in the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1969,
as amended (or CLC), and the Convention for the Establishment of an International
Fund for Oil Pollution of 1971, as amended. Under these conventions, which are applicable
to vessels that carry persistent oil (not LNG) as cargo, a vessels registered owner
is strictly liable for pollution damage caused in the territorial waters of a contracting
state by discharge of persistent oil, subject to certain complete defenses. Many of the
countries that have ratified the CLC have increased the liability limits through a 1992
Protocol to the CLC. The liability limits in the countries that have ratified this
Protocol are currently approximately $6.5 million plus approximately $899 per
gross registered tonne above 5,000 gross tonnes with an approximate maximum of
$128 million per vessel and the exact amount tied to a unit of account which varies
according to a basket of currencies. The right to limit liability is forfeited under the
CLC when the spill is caused by the owners actual fault or privity and, under the
1992 Protocol, when the spill is caused by the owners intentional or reckless
conduct. Vessels trading to contracting states must provide evidence of insurance covering
the limited liability of the owner. In jurisdictions where the CLC has not been adopted,
various legislative schemes or common law governs, and liability is imposed either on the
basis of fault or in a manner similar to the CLC.
In addition, the IMO, various
countries and states, such as Australia, the United States and the State of California,
and various regulators, such as port authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have either adopted legislation or regulations,
or are separately considering the adoption of legislation or regulations, aimed at
regulating the transmission, distribution, supply and storage of LNG, the discharge of
ballast water and the discharge of bunkers as potential pollutants, and requiring the
installation on ocean-going vessels of pollution prevention equipment such as oily water
separators and bilge alarms.
D. Taxation of the
Partnership
Marshall Islands Taxation
Because we and our subsidiaries do
not, and we do not expect that we and our subsidiaries will, conduct business or
operations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, neither we nor our subsidiaries will
be subject to income, capital gains, profits or other taxation under current Marshall
Islands law. As a result, distributions by our subsidiaries to us will not be subject to
Marshall Islands taxation.
United States Taxation
This section is based upon provisions
of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the IRC) as in effect on the
date of this Annual Report, existing final, temporary and proposed regulations thereunder
and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to
change. 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 we, our or us are references to
Teekay LNG Partners L.P. and its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries that have
properly elected to be disregarded as entities separate from Teekay LNG Partners L.P. for
U.S. federal tax purposes.
Classification as a
Partnership. For purposes of U.S. federal income taxes, a partnership
is not a taxable entity, and although it may be subject to withholding taxes on behalf of
its partners under certain circumstances, a partnership itself incurs no U.S. federal
income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is required to take into
account his share of items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of the partnership
in computing his U.S. federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash
distributions are made to him by the partnership.
Section 7704 of the IRC provides
that publicly traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be treated as corporations for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, an exception, referred to as the
Qualifying Income Exception, exists with respect to publicly traded
partnerships whose qualifying income represents 90% or more of their gross
income for every taxable year. Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from
the transportation and storage of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof, including
liquefied natural gas. 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 qualifying income,
including stock. We recently received a ruling from the IRS that we requested in
connection with our initial public offering to the effect that the income we derive from
transporting LNG and crude oil pursuant to time charters existing at the time of our
initial public offering is qualifying income within the meaning of Section 7704. A
ruling from the IRS, while generally binding on the IRS, may under certain circumstances
be revoked or modified by the IRS retroactively.
We estimate that less than 5% of our
current income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to
time. There are a number of factors that could cause the percentage of our income that is
qualifying income to vary. For example, we have not received an IRS ruling or an opinion
of counsel that any income or gain we recognize from foreign currency transactions or from
interest rate swaps is qualifying income. Under some circumstances, such as a significant
increase in interest rates, the percentage of such income or gain in relation to our total
gross income could be substantial. However, we do not expect income or gains from foreign
currency transactions or interest rate swaps to constitute a significant percentage of our
current or future gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Possible Classification as a
Corporation. If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception described
previously with respect to our classification as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent
and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery, we will be treated as a
non-U.S. corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If previously treated
as a partnership, our change in status would be deemed to have been effected by our
transfer of all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed
non-U.S. corporation, in return for stock in that corporation, and then our
distribution of that stock to our unitholders and other owners in liquidation of their
interests in us.
If we were treated 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, deduction and credit would not
pass through to unitholders. Instead, we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax
based on the rules applicable to foreign corporations, not partnerships, and such items
would be treated as our own. Any distribution made to a unitholder would be treated as
either taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and
profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to
the extent of the unitholders tax basis in his common units, or taxable capital
gain, after the unitholders tax basis in his common units is reduced to zero.
Taxation of Operating Income.
In the event we were treated as a corporation, our operating income may be
subject to U.S. federal income taxation under one of two alternative tax regimes (the
4% gross basis tax or the net basis tax, as described below).
The 4% Gross Basis Tax.
We may be subject to a 4% U.S. federal income tax on the
U.S. source portion of our gross income (without benefit of deductions) attributable
to transportation that begins or ends (but not both) in the United States, unless the
Section 883 Exemption applies (as more fully described below under
The Section 883 Exemption) and we file a U.S. federal
income tax return to claim that exemption. For this purpose, gross income attributable to
transportation (or transportation income) includes income from the use, hiring or leasing
of a vessel to transport cargo, or the performance of services directly related to the use
of any vessel to transport cargo, and thus includes time charter or bareboat charter
income. The U.S. source portion of our transportation income is deemed to be 50% of
the income attributable to voyages that begin or end (but not both) in the United States.
Generally, no amount of the income from voyages that begin and end outside the United
States is treated as U.S. source, and consequently none of the transportation income
attributable to such voyages is subject to U.S. federal income tax. Although the
entire amount of transportation income from voyages that begin and end in the United
States would be fully taxable in the United States, we currently do not expect to have any
transportation income from voyages that begin and end in the United States; however, there
is no assurance that such voyages will not occur.
Net Income Tax and Branch Tax
Regime. We currently do not expect to have a fixed place of business in the
United States. Nonetheless, if this were to change or we otherwise were treated as having
such a fixed place of business involved in earning U.S. source transportation income,
such transportation income may be treated as effectively connected with the conduct of a
trade or business in the United States. Any income that we earn that is treated as
U.S. effectively connected income would be subject to U.S. federal corporate
income tax (the highest statutory rate is currently 35%), unless the Section 883
Exemption (as discussed below) applied. The 4% U.S. federal income tax described
above is inapplicable to U.S. effectively connected income, however.
Unless the Section 883 Exemption
applied, a 30% branch profits tax imposed under Section 884 of the IRC also would
apply to our earnings that result from U.S. effectively connected income, and a
branch interest tax could be imposed on certain interest paid or deemed paid by us.
Furthermore, on the sale of a vessel that has produced U.S. effectively connected
income, we could be subject to the net basis corporate income tax and to the 30% branch
profits tax with respect to our gain not in excess of certain prior deductions for
depreciation that reduced U.S. effectively connected income. Otherwise, we would not
be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to gain realized on sale of a
vessel because it is expected that any sale of a vessel will be structured so that it is
considered to occur outside of the United States and so that it is not attributable to an
office or other fixed place of business in the United States.
The Section 883
Exemption. In general, if a non-U.S. corporation satisfies the
requirements of Section 883 of the IRC and the regulations thereunder (or the
Final Section 883 Regulations), it will not be subject to the 4% gross basis
tax or the net basis tax described above on its U.S. source transportation income
attributable to voyages that begin or end (but not both) in the United States (or
U.S. Source International Shipping Income).
A non-U.S. corporation will
qualify for the Section 883 Exemption if, among other things, it is organized in a
jurisdiction outside the United States that grants an equivalent exemption from tax to
corporations organized in the United States (or an Equivalent Exemption) and it
meets one of three ownership tests (or the Ownership Test) described in the Final
Section 883 Regulations.
The U.S. Treasury Department has
recognized the Republic of The Marshall Islands as a jurisdiction that grants an
Equivalent Exemption. Consequently, in the event we were treated as a corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, our U.S. Source International Shipping Income
(including for this purpose, any such income earned by our subsidiaries that have properly
elected to be treated as partnerships or disregarded as entities separate from us for
U.S. federal income tax purposes), would be exempt from U.S. federal income
taxation provided we meet the Ownership Test. We believe that we should satisfy the
Ownership Test. However, the determination of whether we will satisfy the Ownership Test
at any given time depends upon a multitude of factors, including Teekay Shipping
Corporations ownership of us, whether Teekay Shipping Corporations stock is
publicly traded, the concentration of ownership of Teekay Shipping Corporations own
stock and the satisfaction of various substantiation and documentation requirements. There
can be no assurance that we will satisfy these requirements at any given time and thus
that our U.S. Source International Shipping Income would be exempt from
U.S. federal income taxation by reason of Section 883 in any of our taxable
years if we were treated as a corporation.
Consequences of Possible PFIC
Classification. A non-United States entity treated as a corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes will be a PFIC in any taxable year in which, after
taking into account the income and assets of the corporation and certain subsidiaries
pursuant to a look through rule, either (1) at least 75% of its gross
income is passive income or (2) at least 50% of the average value of its
assets is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the
production of passive income.
Based upon our current assets and
operations, we do not believe that we would be considered to be a PFIC even if we were
treated as a corporation. There are, however, legal uncertainties involved and, in
addition, there is no assurance that the nature of our assets, income and operations will
remain the same in the future.
Consequences of Possible
Controlled Foreign Corporation Classification. If more than 50% of either
the total combined voting power of our outstanding units entitled to vote or the total
value of all of our outstanding units were owned, actually or constructively, by citizens
or residents of the United States, U.S. partnerships or corporations, or
U.S. estates or trusts (as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes), each
of which owned, actually or constructively, 10% or more of the total combined voting power
of our outstanding units entitled to vote, we could be treated as a controlled foreign
corporation (or CFC) at any such time as we are properly classified as a
corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, we believe we are not a
CFC.
Luxembourg Taxation
The following discussion is based
upon the current tax laws of Luxembourg and regulations, the Luxembourg tax administrative
practice and judicial decisions thereunder, all subject to possible change on a
retroactive basis. The following discussion is for general information purposes only and
does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the Luxembourg income tax
considerations applicable to us.
Our operating subsidiary, Teekay LNG
Operating L.L.C. (a Marshall Islands company), through its direct Luxembourg subsidiary,
Teekay Luxembourg S.a.r.l. (or Luxco), and other intermediary subsidiaries,
indirectly holds all of our operating assets. Luxco is considered a Luxembourg resident
company for Luxembourg tax purposes subject to taxation in Luxembourg on its income
regardless. Luxco is capitalized with equity and loans from Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C.
Luxco, in turn, has re-lent a substantial portion of the loan proceeds received from
Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C. to Teekay Spain S.L. (or Spainco). Luxco used the
remaining proceeds from the loans from and equity purchases by Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C.
to purchase shares in Spainco.
Luxco is considered a Luxembourg
resident company for Luxembourg tax purposes subject to taxation in Luxembourg on its
income regardless of where the income is derived. The generally applicable Luxembourg
income tax rate is approximately 30%.
Taxation of Interest Income.
Luxcos loans to Spainco generate interest income. However, because
this interest income is offset substantially by interest expense on the loan made Teekay
LNG Operating L.L.C. to Luxco, we believe that any taxation of that income will be
immaterial.
Taxation of Interest Payments.
Luxembourg does not levy a withholding tax on interest paid to corporate
entities non-resident of Luxembourg, such as Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C., unless the
interest represents an unlimited right to participate in profits of the interest-paying
entity, or the interest payment relates to the portion of debt used to acquire share
capital and the debt exceeds a Luxembourg thin capitalization threshold or the
interest rate is not regarded as arms length. Based on guidance received by Teekay
Shipping Corporation from the Luxembourg taxing authority, we believe interest paid by
Luxco on the types of loans made to it by Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C. do not represent a
right to participate in its profits and are consistent with Luxembourg transfer pricing
rules. In addition, we have capitalized Luxco in a manner we believe meets the thin
capitalization threshold. Accordingly, we believe that interest payments made by
Luxco to Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C. are not subject to Luxembourg withholding tax.
Taxation of Spainco Dividends
and Capital Gains. Pursuant to Luxembourg law, dividends received by Luxco
from Spainco and capital gains realized on any disposal of Spainco shares generally will
be exempt from Luxembourg taxation if certain requirements are met. We believe that Luxco
will meet these requirements and that any dividend received on or any capital gain
resulting from the disposition of the shares of Spainco will be exempt from taxation in
Luxembourg. Notwithstanding this exemption, Luxembourg law does not permit the deduction
of interest expense on loans specifically used to purchase shares eligible for the
dividend exemption, to the extent of any dividends received the same year and derived from
the shares financed by the loans. Similarly, capital gains are tax exempt only for the
portion exceeding the interest expense generated by the loan financing the purchase of
shares and previously deducted. We currently do not intend to dispose of the shares of
Spainco. However, we believe that any taxation on any gain resulting from any disposition
of the shares of Spainco would not be material.
Taxation of Luxco Dividends.
Luxembourg levies a 20% withholding tax on dividends paid by a Luxembourg company to a non-resident of the European Union (absent
a tax treaty), which would apply to dividends paid by Luxco to Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C. However, we do not expect to
cause Luxco to pay dividends, but to distribute all of its available cash through the payment of interest and principal on its
loans owing to Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C., for at least the next ten years. We may also recapitalize another Luxembourg company
in the future to continue this arrangement, as is permitted under current Luxembourg tax rules.
Spanish Taxation
The following discussion is based
upon the tax laws of Spain and regulations, rulings and judicial decisions thereunder, and is
subject to possible change on a retroactive basis. The following discussion is for general
information purposes only and does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of
the Spanish income tax considerations applicable to us.
Spainco owns, directly and
indirectly, a number of other Spanish subsidiaries, including those operating five of our
Suezmax tankers and all of our LNG carriers.
Taxation of Spanish
Subsidiaries Engaged in Shipping Activities. Spain imposes income taxes on
income generated by our operating Spanish subsidiaries shipping related activities
at a rate of 35%. Two alternative Spanish tax regimes provide incentives for Spanish
companies engaged in shipping activities; the Canary Islands Special Ship Registry (or
CISSR) and the Spanish Tonnage Tax Regime (or TTR). As at December 31, 2005,
the vessels operated by our operating Spanish subsidiaries were subject to the CISSR;
however, we have applied for all but two of these vessels to be taxed under the TTR
commencing with the 2006 tax year.
To qualify under the CISSR, the
Spanish companys vessels must be registered in the Canary Islands Special Ship
Registry. Under this registry, the Master and First Officer for the vessel must be Spanish
nationals and at least 50% of the crew must be European Union nationals. All of the
vessels of our operating Spanish subsidiaries currently are registered in the Canary
Islands Special Ship Registry and meet these ship personnel requirements. As a result, we
believe that these subsidiaries qualify for the tax benefits associated with the first
regime, representing a credit equal to 90% against the tax otherwise payable on income
from the commercial operation of the vessels. This credit effectively reduces the Spanish
tax rate on this income to 3.5%. This deduction does not apply to gains from vessel
dispositions.
The TTR applies to Spanish companies
that own or operate vessels, but does not depend upon the registry of the vessels.
Consequently, there is no requirement for the vessel to maintain the Spanish or Canary
Island flag or to follow the crewing requirements that correspond to these flags. However,
under a proposal currently under discussion in the Spanish Parliament, it is possible that
the TTR regime will be modified to require that a certain percentage (measured in terms of
net tonnage) of the vessels owned or operated under the TTR regime should be flagged in a
European Union member state. If granted, the TTR regime will apply to the shipping company
for an initial period of 10 years, which may be extended for successive 10-year
periods upon application by the company.
Under this regime, the applicable
income tax is based on the weight (measured as net tonnage) of the vessel and the number
of days during the taxable period that the vessel is at the companys disposal,
excluding time required for repairs. The tax base currently ranges from 0.20 to 0.90 Euros
per day per 100 tonnes, against which the generally applicable tax rate of 35% will apply.
If the shipping company also engages in activities other than those subject to the TTR
regime, income from those other activities will be subject to tax at the generally
applicable rate of 35%.
If a vessel is acquired and disposed
of by a company while it is subject to the TTR regime, any gain on the disposition of the
vessel generally is not subject to Spanish taxation. If the company acquired the vessel
prior to becoming subject to the TTR regime or if the company acquires a used vessel after
becoming subject to the TTR regime, the difference between the fair market value of the
vessel at the time it enters into the TTR and the tax value of the vessel at that time is
added to the taxable income in Spain when the vessel is disposed of and generally remains
subject to Spanish taxation at the rate of 35%.
We believe that the TTR regime
provides several advantages over the first ship registry regime described above, including
increased flexibility on registering and crewing vessels, a lower overall tax payable and
a possible reduction in the Spanish tax on any gain from the disposition of the vessels.
Taxation on Distributions by
Spanish Entities. Income distributed to non-residents of Spain by our
Spanish subsidiaries as dividends may be subject to a 15% Spanish withholding tax, unless
the dividends are paid to an entity resident in a European Union member state, subject to
certain requirements, or to an entity resident in a tax treaty jurisdiction.
In addition, interest paid by Spanish entities on debt owed to non-residents of Spain is
generally subject to a 15% withholding tax.
Spainco has obtained shareholder
approval for itself and its subsidiaries to file a consolidated tax return for the 2005
tax year. As a result, no withholding taxes should apply to any interest or dividend
payments made between Spainco and its Spanish subsidiaries.
As described above, Spainco is
capitalized with debt and equity from Luxco, which owns 100% of Spainco. We expect that
Spainco will not pay dividends but will distribute all of its available cash through the
payment of interest and principal on its loans owing to Luxco for at least the next ten
years. Once these loans are fully repaid, Spainco will distribute all of its available
cash to Luxco through dividends.
Pursuant to Spanish law, interest
paid by Spainco to Luxco is not subject to Spanish withholding tax if our Spanish
subsidiaries respect the debt-equity provisions applicable to direct and indirect debt
borrowed from non-European Union resident related parties and if Luxco is a resident of
Luxembourg, Luxco does not have a permanent establishment in Spain, and Luxco is not a
company qualifying as a tax-exempt 1929 holding company under Luxembourg legislation. We
believe Luxco meets the Spanish law requirements. Consequently, we believe that interest
paid by Spainco to Luxco should not be subject to withholding tax in Spain.
Pursuant to the European Union
Parent-Subsidiary Directive, dividends paid by Spainco to Luxco will not be subject to
Spanish withholding taxes if Luxco meets an ownership requirement and a Luxembourg
presence requirement. We believe that Luxco has satisfied both the ownership and
Luxembourg presence requirements and has qualified for the Spanish withholding tax
exemption on any dividends that Spainco has paid to Luxco.
Qatar Taxation
The following discussion is based
upon our knowledge of the tax laws of Qatar and regulations, rulings and judicial
decisions thereunder. The following discussion is for general information purposes only
and does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the Qatar income tax
considerations applicable to us.
The Qatar Public Revenue and Tax
Departments (or QPRTD) has confirmed that foreign entities are subject to tax
in Qatar on income earned from international shipping within Qatari waters. Qatar income
tax is usually determined on a consolidated basis for multiple foreign entities owned by a
common parent. In our case, the three RasGas II LNG carriers we plan to operate in
Qatar beginning in late 2006 will be operated by separate shipowning subsidiaries owned by
Teekay Nakilat, of which we will own a 70% interest.
Based on the QPRTDs
confirmation, we believe that Teekay Nakilats income earned from activity in Qatar
will be taxable. Because the time charter revenue we will earn from the Qatari voyages
will be earned on a daily or time use basis, we believe it is more likely than not that
this revenue will be taxable in Qatar only in relation to the time the vessels operate in
Qatari waters. Expenses specifically and demonstrably related to the revenue taxable in
Qatar should be deductible in calculating income subject to Qatari tax.
Based on our anticipated operation of
the three RasGas II LNG carriers, we believe that the allocation and deduction of
operating expenses, tax depreciation and interest expense to the revenue taxable in Qatar
should result in no taxation in Qatar for the first ten years of operation. Furthermore,
because our time charters with RasGas II provide for a gross up payment for any
Qatari tax Teekay Nakilat must pay with respect to its operation of the LNG carriers in
Qatari waters, we believe any Qatari taxes will not affect our financial results. However,
during January 2006, Teekay Shipping Corporation entered into finance leases with a U.K.
lessor for the three RasGas II vessels and will have to separately reimburse the U.K.
lessor for any Qatari taxes.
Item 4A. Unresolved
Staff Comments
Not applicable.
Item 5. Operating and
Financial Review and Prospects
Managements
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
General
Teekay LNG Partners L.P. is an
international provider of liquefied natural gas (or LNG) and crude oil marine
transportation services. Our growth strategy focuses on expanding our fleet of LNG
carriers under long-term, fixed-rate time charters. We intend to continue our practice of
acquiring LNG carriers as needed for approved projects only after the long-term charters
for the projects have been awarded to us, rather than ordering vessels on a speculative
basis. We seek to capitalize on opportunities emerging from the global expansion of the
LNG sector by selectively targeting long-term, fixed-rate time charters. We may enter into
joint ventures and partnerships with companies that may provide increased access to these
opportunities or may engage in vessel or business acquisitions. We plan to leverage the
expertise, relationships and reputation of Teekay Shipping Corporation and its affiliates
to pursue these growth opportunities in the LNG sector and may consider other opportunities
to which our competitive strengths are well suited. We view our Suezmax tanker
fleet primarily as a source of stable cash flow as we expand our LNG operations.
We manage our business and analyze
and report our results of operations on the basis of the following two business segments:
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LNG
Carrier Segment. We have four LNG carriers, including one vessel delivered
in July 2004 and one vessel delivered in December 2004, all of which operate under
long-term, fixed-rate charters. |
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In
2005 and 2004, our LNG carrier segment generated 67.4% and 49.7%, respectively, of our
total net voyage revenues. |
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In
addition, we have entered into an agreement with Teekay Shipping Corporation to purchase
its 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat Corporation (or Teekay Nakilat), which owns three LNG
newbuilding carriers and the related 20-year time charters. The estimated purchase price
for the 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat is $92.8 million, plus the assumption of
$327.7 million of long-term debt. The purchase will occur upon the delivery of the first
newbuilding, which is scheduled during the fourth quarter of 2006. The remaining two
newbuildings are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2007. Upon their deliveries,
these vessels will commence service under existing charters with Ras Laffan Liquefied
Natural Gas Co. Limited (II) (or RasGas II), a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and
ExxonMobil RasGas Inc., a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corporation, established for the
purpose of expanding LNG production in Qatar. |
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During
January 2006, Teekay Shipping Corporation completed a 30-year U.K. lease
arrangement that will be used to finance the purchase of the three RasGas II LNG
newbuilding carriers owned by Teekay Nakilat. The tax benefits of this lease
arrangement are expected to reduce the equity portion of our purchase of Teekay Shipping
Corporations 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat by approximately $40 million, from
approximately $93 million to approximately $53 million. Under the terms of the U.K.
leases, we will be required to have on deposit with financial institutions an amount of
cash that, together with interest earned on the deposits, will equal the remaining amounts
owing under the leases. These restricted cash deposits will be used for capital lease
payments and will be fully funded with term loans and loans from the joint venture
partners. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 15 Commitments and
Contingencies. |
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Suezmax
Tanker Segment. We have eight Suezmax class crude oil tankers, including a
new tanker, the Toledo Spirit, that delivered in July 2005 and three double-hulled
Suezmax tankers we acquired from Teekay Shipping Corporation in November 2005. In May
2005, we sold our only single-hulled Suezmax tanker, the Granada Spirit. During
most of 2004, we had six Suezmax tankers, while during most of 2005, we had five Suezmax
tankers. Please read Follow-On Offering and Acquisition of Three Suezmax
Tankers below. We describe our Suezmax tanker dispositions and deliveries in more
detail under Results of Operations below. All of our Suezmax
tankers operate under long-term, fixed-rate time charters. |
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In
2005 and 2004, our Suezmax tanker segment generated 32.6% and 50.3%, respectively, of our
total net voyage revenue. |
Our original fleet was established by
Naviera F. Tapias S.A. (or Tapias), a Spanish company founded in 1991. Teekay
Shipping Corporation, through its subsidiary Teekay Luxembourg S.a.r.l. (or Luxco),
acquired Tapias on April 30, 2004 and changed its name to Teekay Shipping Spain S.L. (or
Teekay Spain). Teekay Shipping Corporation acquired Tapias for $298.2 million in
cash, plus the assumption of existing debt and newbuilding commitments. Please read Item
18 Financial Statements: Note 3 Acquisition of Teekay Shipping Spain S.L.
Our Initial Public
Offering
On November 3, 2004, Teekay
Shipping Corporation formed us to own and operate the LNG
and Suezmax crude oil marine transportation businesses conducted by Luxco and its
subsidiaries. On May 6, 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed to us all of the
outstanding shares of Luxco, all but $54.9 million of notes receivable from Luxco, and all
of the equity interests of Granada Spirit L.L.C., which owned the Suezmax tanker, the
Granada Spirit, to us in connection with our initial public offering on May 10,
2005. We subsequently repaid the $54.9 million note receivable.
In exchange for these shares, equity
interests and assets, Teekay Shipping Corporation received 8,734,572 common units and
14,734,572 subordinated units, which represented a 75.7% limited partner interest in us.
Our general partner, Teekay GP L.L.C. received a 2% general partner interest and all of
the incentive distribution rights in us. Teekay GP L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Teekay Shipping Corporation. We sold 6.9 million of our common units, which
represent limited partner interest, in our initial public offering at a price of $22.00 per unit, for proceeds of $151.8 million
before underwriting costs and offering expenses. Please read Item 18 Financial
Statements: Note 2 Public Offerings.
New Long-Term,
Fixed-Rate LNG Contracts Awarded
In July and August 2005, Teekay Shipping
Corporation announced that it has been awarded new long-term, fixed-rate time charter
contracts to transport LNG and has entered into agreements to construct a total of six LNG
carriers in connection with these awards. Two of the LNG carriers will be chartered for a
period of 20 years to The Tangguh Production Sharing Contractors, and four will be
chartered for a period of 25 years (with options to extend up to an additional 10 years)
to Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Limited (3). Partners in each of these projects
will participate in the ownership of the time charters and related vessels, and Teekay
Shipping Corporation will offer to us its interest in these charters and vessels. Please
read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 19 Other Information.
Follow-On Offering and
Acquisition of Three Suezmax Tankers
In November 2005, we completed our
follow-on public offering of 4.6 million common units at a price of $27.40 per unit. Net
proceeds from the offering were $120.2 million, net of an estimated $5.8 million of commissions and
offering expenses. In addition, our general partner contributed $2.6 million to us to
maintain its 2% general partner interest. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements:
Note 2 Public Offerings.
Concurrently with the closing of the
offering, we acquired from Teekay Shipping Corporation three double-hulled Suezmax oil
tankers and related long-term, fixed-rate time charters for an aggregate price of $180.0
million. These vessels, the African Spirit, the Asian Spirit and the
European Spirit (collectively, the ConocoPhillips Tankers), are similar in
size to our five existing crude oil tankers. The vessels have an average age of two years
and are chartered to a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, an international, integrated energy
company. Each time charter has a remaining scheduled term of approximately 10 years,
subject to termination and vessel sale and purchase rights. In addition, ConocoPhillips
has the option to extend the charters for up to an additional six years. Please read Item
18 Financial Statements: Note 2 Public Offerings and Note 13(i)
Related Party Transactions.
Our Charters
We generate revenues by charging
customers for the transportation of their LNG and crude oil using our vessels.
Historically, we generally have provided these services under the following basic types of
contractual relationships:
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Time charters, where vessels are chartered to customers for a fixed period of time at
rates that are generally fixed but may contain a variable component, based on inflation,
interest rates or current market rates; and |
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Voyage charters, which are charters for shorter intervals, usually a single round trip,
that are priced on a current, or spot, market rate. |
During 2005 and 2004, we derived
100.0% and 84.3%, respectively, of our revenues from time charters. During 2004, 15.7% of
our revenues were derived from voyage charters. During these periods, all our vessels were
employed on long-term time charters, except the Granada Spirit, which operated
under voyage charters in the spot market during 2004. We do not anticipate earning
revenues from voyage charters in the foreseeable future.
Hire rate refers to the
basic payment from the customer for the use of a vessel. Hire is payable monthly, in
advance, in U.S. Dollars or Euros, as specified in the charter. The hire rate generally
includes two components a capital cost component and an operating expense
component. The capital component typically approximates the amount we are required to pay
under vessel financing obligations and, for our existing Suezmax tankers (other than for
the ConocoPhillips Tankers), adjusts for changes in the floating interest rates relating
to the underlying vessel financing. The operating component, which adjusts annually for
inflation, is intended to compensate us for vessel operating expenses and provide us a
profit.
The time charters for the
ConocoPhillips Tankers include a fixed monthly rate for their initial 12-year term, which
increases to another fixed amount for any extensions of the initial term. These time
charters do not include capital or operating components or adjust for inflation.
For our charters, other than the
charters for the RasGas II vessels and the ConocoPhillips Tankers, we earn a profit from a
margin built into the operating component. Under the RasGas II charters, this margin is
built into the capital component.
In addition, we may receive
additional revenues beyond the fixed hire rate when current market rates exceed specified
amounts under our time charter for one Suezmax tanker, the Teide Spirit.
Hire payments may be reduced or, under some charters, we must pay liquidated damages, if the vessel does not perform to certain of
its specifications, such as if the average vessel speed falls below a guaranteed speed or the amount of fuel consumed to power the
vessel under normal circumstances exceeds a guaranteed amount. Historically, we have had few instances of hire rate reductions and
none that have had a material impact on our operating results.
When a vessel is
off-hireor not available for servicegenerally the customer is not
required to pay the hire rate and we are responsible for all costs. Prolonged off-hire may
lead to vessel substitution or termination of the time charter. A vessel will be deemed to
be off-hire if it is in drydock. We must periodically drydock each of our vessels for
inspection, repairs and maintenance and any modifications to comply with industry
certification or governmental requirements. In addition, a vessel generally will be deemed
off-hire if there is a loss of time due to, among other things: operational deficiencies;
equipment breakdowns; delays due to accidents, crewing strikes, certain vessel detentions
or similar problems; or our failure to maintain the vessel in compliance with its
specifications and contractual standards or to provide the required crew.
The average remaining term of our
existing long-term, fixed-rate time charters is approximately 19 years for our LNG
carriers and 14 years for our Suezmax tankers, subject, in certain circumstances, to
termination or purchase rights. The initial term of each of our three LNG newbuilding
charters is 20 years, in each case from delivery of the vessel.
Important Financial and
Operational Terms and Concepts
We use a variety of financial and
operational terms and concepts when analyzing our performance. These include the
following:
Voyage Revenues.
Voyage revenues currently include revenues only from time charters. Prior to our transfer
of the Granada Spirit to Teekay Shipping Corporation in December 2004, our voyage
revenues also included revenues from voyage charters. Voyage revenues are affected by hire
rates and the number of calendar-ship-days a vessel operates. Voyage revenues are also
affected by the mix of business between time and voyage charters. Hire rates for voyage
charters are more volatile, as they are typically tied to prevailing market rates at the
time of a voyage.
Voyage Expenses.
Voyage expenses are all expenses unique to a particular voyage, including any bunker fuel
expenses, port fees, cargo loading and unloading expenses, canal tolls, agency fees and
commissions. Voyage expenses are typically paid by the customer under time charters and by
us under voyage charters. When we pay voyage expenses, we typically add them to our hire
rates at an approximate cost.
Net Voyage
Revenues. Net voyage revenues represent voyage revenues less voyage
expenses. Because the amount of voyage expenses we incur for a particular charter depends
upon the form of the charter, we use net voyage revenues to improve the comparability
between periods of reported revenues that are generated by the different forms of
charters. We principally use net voyage revenues, a non-GAAP financial measure, because it
provides more meaningful information to us about the deployment of our vessels and their
performance than voyage revenues, the most directly comparable financial measure under
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (or GAAP).
Vessel Operating
Expenses. We are responsible for vessel operating expenses, which include
crewing, repairs and maintenance, insurance, stores, lube oils and communication expenses.
The two largest components of vessel operating expenses are crews and repairs and
maintenance.
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Crews. Crews represented approximately 56% and 53% of our vessel
operating expenses for 2005 and 2004, respectively. A substantial majority of our crewing
expenses are denominated in Euros, which is primarily a function of the nationality of our
crew. Fluctuations in the Euro relative to the U.S. Dollar have caused, and will
continue to cause, fluctuations in our operating results. |
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Repairs and Maintenance. Repairs and maintenance represented
approximately 23% and 30% of vessel operating expenses for 2005 and 2004, respectively.
Expenses for repairs and maintenance tend to fluctuate from period to period because most
repairs and maintenance typically occur during periodic drydockings. Please read
Drydocking below. Because vessel operating expenses such as
repairs and maintenance are lower for newer vessels, and our fleet is relatively new, we
expect these expenses to increase as our fleet matures. |
Income from Vessel
Operations. To assist us in evaluating our operations by segment, we
sometimes analyze the income we receive from each segment after deducting operating
expenses, but prior to the deduction of interest expenses, taxes, foreign currency and
interest rate swap gains or losses and other income and losses. For more information,
please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 4 Segment Reporting.
Drydocking. We must periodically drydock each of our vessels for inspection, repairs and
maintenance and any modifications to comply with industry certification or
governmental requirements. Generally, we drydock each of our vessels every five
years. In addition, a shipping society classification intermediate survey is
performed on our LNG carriers between the second and third year of a five-year
drydocking period. We capitalize a substantial portion of the costs incurred
during drydocking and for the survey and amortize those costs on a straight-line
basis from the completion of a drydocking or intermediate survey to the
estimated completion of the next drydocking. We expense costs related to routine
repairs and maintenance incurred during drydocking or intermediate survey that
do not improve or extend the useful lives of the assets. The number of
drydockings undertaken in a given period, and the nature of the work performed
determine the level of drydocking expenditures.
Depreciation and
Amortization. Our depreciation and amortization expense typically consists
of the following three components:
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charges related to the depreciation of the historical cost of our fleet (less an estimated
residual value) over the estimated useful lives of our vessels; |
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charges related to the amortization of drydocking expenditures over the estimated number
of years to the next scheduled drydocking; and |
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charges related to the amortization of the fair value of the time charters acquired in the
Teekay Spain acquisition (over the remaining terms of the charters), which was initially
determined at approximately $183 million in April 2004 when Teekay Shipping Corporation
acquired Teekay Spain. |
Revenue Days.
Revenue days are the total number of calendar days our vessels were in our possession
during a period less the total number of off-hire days during the period associated with
major repairs, drydockings or special or intermediate surveys. Consequently, revenue days
represents the total number of days available for the vessel to earn revenue. Idle days,
which are days when the vessel is available for the vessel to earn revenue, yet is not
employed, are included in revenue days. We use revenue days to explain changes in our net
voyage revenues between periods.
Calendar-Ship-Days.
Calendar-ship-days are equal to the total number of calendar days that our
vessels were in our possession during a period. As a result, we use
calendar-ship-days primarily in explaining changes in vessel operating expenses and depreciation and amortization.
Utilization.
An indicator of the use of our fleet during a given period, which is determined
by dividing our revenue days by our calendar-ship-days for the period.
Restricted Cash
Deposits. Under capital lease arrangements for two of our LNG carriers, we
(a) borrowed under term loans and deposited the proceeds into restricted cash accounts and
(b) entered into capital leases, also referred to as bareboat charters, for
the vessels. The restricted cash deposits, together with interest earned on the deposits,
will equal the remaining amounts we owe under the lease arrangements, including our
obligation to purchase the vessels at the end of the lease terms. During vessel
construction, we borrowed under the term loans and made restricted cash deposits equal to
construction installment payments. We also maintain restricted cash deposits relating to
certain term loans and other obligations. For more information, please read Item 18
Financial Statements: Note 5 Capital Lease Obligations and Restricted Cash.
Foreign Currency
Fluctuations. Our results of operations are affected by fluctuations in
currency exchange rates. The volatility in our financial results due to currency exchange
rate fluctuations are attributed primarily to the following factors:
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Unrealized end-of-period revaluations. Under U.S. accounting guidelines, all
foreign currency-denominated monetary assets and liabilities, such as cash and cash
equivalents, restricted cash, long-term debt and capital lease obligations, are revalued
and reported based on the prevailing exchange rate at the end of the period. A substantial
majority of our foreign currency gains and losses are attributable to this revaluation in
respect of our Euro-denominated term loans. Substantially all of these gains and losses
are unrealized. |
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Foreign currency revenues and expenses. A portion of our voyage revenues are
denominated in Euros. A substantial majority of our vessel operating expenses and general
and administrative expenses are denominated in Euros, which is primarily a function of the
nationality of our crew and administrative staff. We also have Euro-denominated interest
expense and interest income related to our Euro-denominated loans and Euro-denominated
restricted cash deposits, respectively. As a result, fluctuations in the Euro relative to
the U.S. Dollar have caused, and are likely to continue to cause, fluctuations in our
reported voyage revenues, vessel operating expenses, general and administrative expenses,
interest expense and interest income. |
Our Euro-denominated revenues
currently generally approximate our Euro-denominated expenses and Euro-denominated loan
and interest payments. For this reason, we have not entered into any forward contracts or
similar arrangements to protect against the risk of foreign currency-denominated revenues,
expenses or monetary assets or liabilities. If our foreign currency-denominated revenues
and expenses become sufficiently disproportionate in the future, we may engage in hedging
activities. For more information, please read Quantitative and
Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Items You Should
Consider When Evaluating Our Results of Operations
Some factors that have affected our
historical financial performance or will affect our future performance are listed below:
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Our financial results reflect changes in our capital structure. Prior
to the closing of our initial public offering on May 10, 2005, we repaid $337.3 million of
term loans on two LNG carriers and settled related interest rate swaps. We also settled
other interest rate swaps associated with 322.8 million Euros ($390.5 million) of other
term loans and entered into new swaps of the same amount with a lower fixed interest rate.
In addition, on May 6, 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed to us all but $54.9
million of its notes receivable from Luxco, among other assets. We subsequently repaid the
$54.9 million note receivable. These reductions in our debt and effective interest rates
have decreased the amount of our interest expense. |
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Our financial results reflect the revaluation of our assets and
liabilities. On April 30, 2004, Teekay Shipping Corporation acquired 100%
of the issued and outstanding shares of Teekay Spain through Luxco, which Teekay Shipping
Corporation subsequently contributed to us in May 2005. Results for periods subsequent to
April 30, 2004 reflect the comprehensive revaluation of all assets, including intangible
assets and goodwill, and liabilities of Teekay Spain at their fair values on the date of
acquisition by Teekay Shipping Corporation. This revaluation primarily increased
depreciation and amortization expense. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements:
Note 1 Basis of Presentation. |
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We have disposed of certain assets included in our historical results of
operations. Immediately prior to its acquisition by Teekay Shipping
Corporation in April 2004, Tapias disposed of certain assets unrelated to the marine
transportation operations purchased by Teekay Shipping Corporation. These unrelated assets
included certain investments in marketable securities and other non-shipping assets,
including real estate and a yacht. Since these unrelated assets were held in
Tapias ship-owning subsidiaries acquired by Teekay Shipping Corporation, the financial
impact of the assets is included in our historical operating results discussed below
through the date of their disposition (as opposed to three unrelated businesses previously
held in separate subsidiaries not acquired in the Tapias acquisition, which are not
included in our historical operating results). Excluding expenses associated with the
yacht, none of the unrelated assets had a significant impact on our operating results.
Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 1 Basis of Presentation. |
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Our historical operating results include the historical results of Luxco for the
nine months ended December 31, 2004 and the period from
January 1, 2005 to May 9, 2005 (or the 2005 Pre-IPO
Period). Teekay Shipping Corporation formed Luxco in April 2004 to acquire and hold Teekay Spain.
From its formation until our initial public offering, Luxco had no revenues, expenses or income,
or assets or liabilities, other than: |
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advances (including accrued interest) of $465.7 million as of December 31, 2004,
from Teekay Shipping Corporation that Luxco used to purchase Teekay Spain and to prepay
certain debt of Teekay Spain; |
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net interest expense related to the advances of $9.8 million and $7.3 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2004
and for the 2005 Pre-IPO Period, respectively; |
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an unrealized foreign exchange loss of $44.7 million for the nine months ended
December 31, 2004 related to the advances, which are Euro-denominated, and a
$23.8 million unrealized foreign exchange gain related to the advances for the 2005
Pre-IPO Period; |
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other expenses of $1.1 million and $0.1 million for those respective periods; |
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cash and cash equivalents of $2.2 million as of December 31, 2004; and |
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its ownership interest in Teekay Spain and certain purchase rights and obligations for
Suezmax tankers operated by Teekay Spain under capital lease arrangements, which it
acquired from Teekay Spain on December 30, 2004. |
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Luxcos
results relate solely to the financing of the acquisition of Teekay Spain and repayment of
Teekay Spain debt by Teekay Shipping Corporation and do not relate to the historical
results of Teekay Spain. In addition, because the capital stock of Luxco and the advances
from Teekay Shipping Corporation were contributed to us in connection with our initial
public offering, these advances and their related effects were eliminated on consolidation
in the periods subsequent to May 9, 2005. Consequently, certain of our historical
financial and operating data for 2005 Pre-IPO Period may not be comparable to subsequent
periods. |
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Our financial results reflect the consolidation of Teekay Nakilat, a variable
interest entity for which we are the primary
beneficiary. In January 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards
Board (or FASB) issued FASB Interpretation 46, Consolidation of Variable Interest
Entities, an Interpretation of ARB No. 51 (or FIN 46). In general, a variable
interest entity (or VIE) is a corporation, partnership, limited-liability
corporation, trust, or any other legal structure used to conduct activities or hold assets
that either (1) has an insufficient amount of equity to carry out its principal activities
without additional subordinated financial support, (2) has a group of equity owners that
are unable to make significant decisions about its activities, or (3) has a group of
equity owners that do not have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive
returns generated by its operations. If a party with an ownership, contractual or other
financial interest in the VIE (a variable interest holder) is obligated to absorb a
majority of the risk of loss from the VIEs activities, is entitled to receive a
majority of the VIEs residual returns (if no party absorbs a majority of the
VIEs losses), or both, then FIN 46 requires that this party consolidate the VIE. We
have consolidated Teekay Nakilat in our consolidated financial statements, as Teekay
Nakilat is a VIE and we are its primary beneficiary. The assets and liabilities of Teekay
Nakilat in our financial statements are recorded at historical cost as we and Teekay
Nakilat are under common control. As at December 31, 2005, the assets of Teekay Nakilat
included three LNG newbuildings, which had a carrying value of $316.9 million and other
assets of $2.7 million. These assets have been financed with $205.9 of term loans and
$113.7 million of loans from Teekay Shipping Corporation and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat).
Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note
1 Basis of Presentation and Note 15 Commitments and Contingencies. |
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The size of our LNG carrier and Suezmax tanker fleets has changed.
Our historical results of operations reflect changes in the size and composition of our
fleet due to certain vessel deliveries and vessel dispositions. In particular, during most
of 2004, we had six Suezmax tankers, while during most of 2005, we had five Suezmax
tankers, and we have increased the size of our LNG carrier fleet from two carriers in
early 2004 to four in 2005. Please read Results of Operations LNG Carrier
Segment and Suezmax Tanker Segment below for further details
about our vessel dispositions and deliveries. |
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We do not anticipate earning revenues from voyage charters in the foreseeable
future. Since December 2004, all of our vessels have operated under
fixed-rate time charters, and we do not anticipate earning revenues from voyage charters
in the foreseeable future. Our 2004 results reflect relatively high voyage charter rates
earned by the Granada Spirit, which operated under voyage charters based on spot
market rates and which was part of our fleet until December 2004, when we sold it to
Teekay Shipping Corporation. Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed the Granada
Spirit back to us on May 6, 2005 and we concurrently chartered it to Teekay Shipping
Corporation under a short-term, fixed-rate time charter until we disposed of it on May 26,
2005. |
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The time charters for two of our Suezmax tankers, the Sevilla Spirit, prior to being
sold in the fourth quarter of 2004, and the Teide Spirit, which began operating in
the fourth quarter of 2004, contain a component providing for additional revenues to us
beyond the fixed hire rate when current market rates exceed certain threshold amounts.
Accordingly, even though declining spot market rates will not result in our receiving less
than the fixed hire rate, our results will continue to be influenced, in part, by the
variable component of the Teide Spirit charter. During 2005 and 2004, we earned
$4.5 million and $4.2 million, respectively, in additional revenue from this
variable component. |
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We have designated our interest rate swaps as hedges. We have entered
into interest rate swaps to hedge our interest rate risk from our floating-rate debt used
to purchase our LNG carriers. These interest rate swaps were not designated as hedges
under U.S. accounting guidelines until April 30, 2004. Consequently, the changes
in the fair values of these swaps that occurred during 2003 and the four months ended
April 30, 2004 have been recorded in earnings as interest rate swaps gain
(loss) for those periods. Had these interest rate swaps been designated as hedges
prior to 2003, any subsequent changes in fair value would have been recognized in
accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to the extent the hedge was
effective and until the hedged item was recognized as income. Because the swaps have been
highly effective, the change in fair value after April 30, 2004 has been reflected in
accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and, because we expect the swaps, or
replacement swaps, to continue to be highly effective, we expect that most of the change
in value will continue to be reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
For more information, please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 14
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities. In addition, as mentioned above, in April
2005 we settled interest rate swaps in connection with prepayment of debt associated with
two of our LNG carriers, and settled and replaced the interest rate swaps associated with
our other two LNG carriers. |
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We are incurring additional general and administrative expenses following our
initial public offering. In connection with the closing of our initial
public offering, we and certain of our subsidiaries entered into services agreements with
certain subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation pursuant to which those subsidiaries
provide us and our subsidiaries certain services, including strategic consulting,
advisory, ship management, technical and administrative services. Our cost for these
services depends on the amount and type of services provided during each period. The
services are valued at a reasonable, arms-length rate that includes reimbursement of
reasonable direct or indirect expenses incurred to provide the services. We also reimburse
our general partner for all expenses it incurs on our behalf. We may also pay
incentive fees to Teekay Shipping Corporation to reward and motivate it for
pursuing LNG projects that we may elect to undertake, and we may grant equity compensation
that would result in an expense to us. In addition, since our initial public offering on
May 10, 2005, we have begun to incur expenses as a result of being a publicly-traded
limited partnership, including costs associated with annual reports to unitholders and SEC
filings, investor relations, incremental director and officer liability insurance costs
and director compensation. |
We Have Derived, and We Expect to
Continue to Derive, a Substantial Majority of Our Revenues From a Limited Number of
Customers.
Our customers include major energy
companies and their affiliates. We derive a substantial majority of our revenues from a
limited number of customers. During 2005 and 2004, we derived 98% and 84%, respectively,
of our revenues from four customers Compania Espanola de Petroleos, S.A. (30% and
36%), Repsol YPF, S.A. (34% and 18%), Gas Natural SDG, S.A. (18% and 21%) and Unión
Fenosa Gas, S.A (16% and 9%). As a result of our acquisition of the ConocoPhillips Tankers and
related time charters from Teekay Shipping Corporation upon the closing of our follow-on
public offering on November 23, 2005, we expect to derive a significant amount of revenues
in 2006 from a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips; we also expect that RasGas II will be a
significant customer following our acquisition of the RasGas II LNG carriers and related
time-charter contracts.
We have long-term, fixed-rate time
charters with each of our existing customers and expect to continue to derive a
substantial majority of our revenue and cash flows from them. The loss of any customer or
time charter, or a significant decline in payments under our time charters, could
materially and adversely affect our revenues, cash flows and operating results.
We could lose one of these customers
or another customer or the benefits of a time charter if:
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the customer exercises certain rights to terminate the charter, purchase or cause the sale
of the vessel or, under some of our charters, convert the time charter to a bareboat
charter (some of which rights are exercisable at any time); |
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the customer terminates the charter because we fail to deliver the vessel within a fixed
period of time, the vessel is lost or damaged beyond repair, there are serious
deficiencies in the vessel or prolonged periods of off-hire, or we default under the
charter; or |
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under some of our time charters, the customer terminates the charter because of (a) the
termination of the charters LNG sales agreement supplying the LNG designated for our
services or (b) a prolonged force majeure event affecting the customer, including damage
to or destruction of relevant LNG production or regasification facilities, war or
political unrest preventing us from performing services for that customer. |
Our customers primary
obligation under the time charter contracts is to pay us for our services, and the
contracts provide narrow exceptions to this payment obligation for force majeure events
and, in limited circumstances as described above, LNG supply disruptions. However, we
could lose the benefits of a time charter if the customer fails to make charter payments
because of its financial inability, disagreements with us or otherwise. Our customers
include major energy companies and their affiliates. Factors materially and adversely
affecting the supply of or demand for LNG or crude oil or the financial condition and
operating results of our customers could affect their ability to make charter payments to
us.
Results of Operations
The following tables present our
operating results by reportable segment for 2005, 2004 and 2003, and compare our net
voyage revenues, a non-GAAP financial measure, for those periods to voyage revenues, the
most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. For ease of comparison in the following
tables and the discussion below, we have combined our results of the various time periods
set forth in our consolidated statements of income (loss).
-------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- -----------------------------
2005 2004 2003
(in thousands of U.S. LNG Suezmax LNG Suezmax LNG Suezmax
dollars, except Carrier Tanker Carrier Tanker Carrier Tanker
Operating Data) Segment Segment Total Segment Segment Total Segment Segment Total
-------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Voyage revenues........... 97,645 47,814 145,459 59,395 64,438 123,833 32,607 54,102 86,709
Voyage expenses........... 50 608 658 254 4,678 4,932 123 4,788 4,911
-------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Net voyage revenues....... 97,595 47,206 144,801 59,141 59,760 118,901 32,484 49,314 81,798
-------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Vessel operating expenses. 15,622 13,183 28,805 10,615 20,002 30,617 5,856 20,584 26,440
Depreciation and
amortization............ 30,360 12,811 43,171 15,391 19,469 34,860 5,630 17,760 23,390
General and
administrative (1) ..... 4,689 5,268 9,957 1,962 4,516 6,478 1,683 7,116 8,799
-------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Income from vessel
operations...... 46,924 15,944 62,868 31,173 15,773 46,946 19,315 3,854 23,169
-------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Operating Data:
Revenue Days (A)........ 1,445 1,714 3,159 902 2,042 2,944 518 2,047 2,565
Calendar-Ship-Days (B).. 1,460 1,754 3,214 902 2,073 2,975 518 2,190 2,708
Utilization (A)/(B)..... 99% 98% 98% 100% 99% 99% 100% 93% 95%
-------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
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(1) |
Includes direct general and administrative expenses and indirect general and administrative expenses (allocated to each
segment based on estimated use of resources).
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Year Ended December 31,
2005 versus Year Ended December 31, 2004
LNG Carrier Segment
We operated four LNG carriers during
2005 and two LNG carriers during most of 2004. These additional LNG carriers were
delivered in July 2004 and December 2004 (collectively, the LNG Deliveries).
Accordingly, our total revenue days increased by 60.2%, from 902 days in 2004 to 1,445
days in 2005.
Net Voyage Revenues. Net
voyage revenues increased 65.1% to $97.6 million for 2005, from $59.1 million for 2004.
This increase was the result of:
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an increase of $38.6 million relating to the LNG Deliveries; and |
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an increase of $0.7 million due to the effect on our Euro-denominated revenue from the strengthening of the Euro against
the U.S. Dollar during 2005; |
partially offset by
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a decrease of $0.8 million from
15.2 days of off-hire for one of our LNG carriers during February 2005. |
Vessel Operating Expenses. Vessel operating expenses increased 47.2% to $15.6 million for 2005, from $10.6 million for 2004. This
increase was the result of:
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an increase of $4.7 million relating to the LNG Deliveries; |
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an increase of $0.8 million relating to repair and maintenance work (net of insurance proceeds) completed on one of our
LNG carriers in early 2005; and |
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an increase of $0.3 million due to the effect on our Euro-denominated vessel operating
expenses from the strengthening of the Euro against the U.S. Dollar during 2005 (a
majority of our vessel operating expenses are denominated in Euros, which is primarily a
function of the nationality of our crew); |
partially offset by
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a decrease of $0.8 million relating to lower insurance, service and other operating costs
in 2005, primarily as a result of Teekay Shipping Corporations volume purchasing
cost savings from which we benefit. |
Depreciation and Amortization.
Depreciation and amortization increased 97.4% to $30.4 million for 2005, from $15.4
million for 2004. This increase was the result of:
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an increase of $12.7 million relating to the LNG Deliveries; |
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an increase of $1.4 million from the amortization, as an intangible asset, of the value of
the Teekay Spain time charters acquired on April 30, 2004; and |
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an increase of $0.9 million resulting from an increase in the book values of the Teekay
Spain vessels acquired on April 30, 2004 to their respective fair values. |
Suezmax Tanker Segment
During most of 2004, we had six
Suezmax tankers, while during most of 2005, we had five Suezmax tankers. The results of
our Suezmax tanker segment reflect the following fleet changes during 2004 and 2005:
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the delivery of two Suezmax tanker newbuildings (the Teide Spirit and the
Toledo Spirit) in November 2004 and July 2005, respectively (collectively, the
Suezmax Deliveries); |
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the sale of two Suezmax tankers (the Sevilla Spirit and the Leon Spirit) in the fourth quarter of 2004 (collectively, the
Suezmax Dispositions); |
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the sale of the Granada Spirit to Teekay Shipping Corporation in December 2004, in
connection with a significant drydocking and re-flagging of the vessel, the contribution
of this vessel to us on May 6, 2005, and the subsequent sale back to Teekay Shipping
Corporation on May 26, 2005 (collectively, the Granada Spirit Transactions); |
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the delivery and concurrent sale of the Suezmax tanker newbuilding (the Santiago
Spirit) to Teekay Shipping Corporation in March 2005; and |
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the acquisition of the ConocoPhillips Tankers from Teekay Shipping Corporation in November 2005. |
As a result, our total revenue days
decreased by 16.1% from 2,042 days in 2004 to 1,714 days in 2005.
Net Voyage Revenues. Net
voyage revenues decreased 21.1% to $47.2 million for 2005, from $59.8 million for 2004.
This decrease was the result of:
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a decrease of $16.6 million relating to the Suezmax
Dispositions; and |
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a decrease of $15.5 million relating to the Granada Spirit Transactions, which include the
change in employment of the Granada Spirit from operating on voyage charters in the
spot market during 2004 to operating under a lower fixed-rate time charter during the
period from May 6, 2005 to May 26, 2005, when we disposed of the vessel; |
partially offset by
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an increase of $14.3 million relating to the Suezmax Deliveries; |
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an increase of $2.9 million relating to the acquisition of the ConocoPhillips Tankers; and |
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an increase of $2.3 million due to adjustments to the daily charter rate based on
inflation and increases from rising interest rates in accordance with the time charter
contracts for all Suezmax tankers other than the Granada Spirit. However, under
the terms of our capital leases for our tankers subject to these charter rate
fluctuations, we had a corresponding increase in our lease payments, which is reflected as
an increase to interest expense. Therefore, these interest rate adjustments, which will
continue, did not affect our cash flow or net income. |
Vessel Operating Expenses.
Vessel operating expenses decreased 34.0% to $13.2 million for 2005, from $20.0 million
for 2004. This decrease was the result of:
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a decrease of $9.5 million relating to the Suezmax Dispositions and the Granada Spirit Transactions; |
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a decrease of $0.7 million relating to lower insurance, service and other operating costs
in 2005, primarily as a result of Teekay Shipping Corporations volume purchasing
cost savings, from which we benefit; and |
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a decrease of $0.6 million relating to insurance proceeds received during the second half
of 2005 in respect of repair costs previously incurred; |
partially offset by
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an increase of $3.1 million relating to the Suezmax Deliveries; |
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an increase of $0.6 million relating to the ConocoPhillips Tankers; and |
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an increase of $0.3 million due to the effect on our Euro-denominated vessel operating
expenses from the strengthening of the Euro against the U.S. Dollar during 2005 (a
majority of our vessel operating expenses are denominated in Euros, which is primarily a
function of the nationality of our crew). |
Depreciation and Amortization.
Depreciation and amortization decreased 34.4% to $12.8 million for 2005, from $19.5
million for 2004. This decrease was the result of:
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a decrease of $10.9 million relating to the Suezmax Dispositions and the Granada Spirit Transactions; |
partially offset by
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an increase of $3.1 million relating to the Suezmax Deliveries; |
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an increase of $0.7 million relating to the ConocoPhillips Tankers; and |
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an increase of $0.4 million during 2005 resulting from an increase in the book values of
the Teekay Spain vessels acquired on April 30, 2004 to their respective fair values. |
Other Operating Results
General and Administrative Expenses.
General and administrative expenses increased 53.8% to $10.0 million for 2005, from $6.5
million for 2004. This increase was the result of:
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an increase of $2.5 million associated with (a) services agreements we and certain of our
subsidiaries entered into with subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation in connection
with our initial public offering, (b) fees and cost reimbursements of our general partner
and (c) additional expenses as a result of being a publicly-traded limited partnership; |
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an increase of $0.7 million relating to the legal costs associated with the repayment of
term loans, settlement of interest rate swaps made in connection with our initial public
offering and restructuring of loans; and |
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a number of smaller factors that increased general and administrative expenses by $0.3 million.
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Interest Expense.
Interest expense increased 1.8% to $73.3 million for 2005, from $72.0 million for 2004. This increase was the
result of:
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an increase of $11.0 million relating to an increase in debt used to finance the LNG
Deliveries, Suezmax Deliveries, the acquisition of the ConocoPhillips Tankers and
an increase in interest rates in our capital leases for our Suezmax tankers,
partially offset by the reduction in interest expense from the repayments of debt with the
proceeds of the Suezmax Dispositions and the Granada Spirit Transactions; and |
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an increase of $8.9 million relating to the increase in capital lease obligations in
connection with the delivery of one LNG carrier in December 2004, partially offset by lower interest expense resulting from
scheduled capital lease repayments on a second LNG carrier which delivered in August 2003
(these LNG vessels have been financed pursuant to Spanish tax lease arrangements,
under which we borrowed under term loans and deposited the proceeds into
restricted cash accounts and entered into capital leases for the vessels; as a result,
these increases in interest expense are offset by a corresponding increase in the
interest income from restricted cash); |
partially offset by
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a decrease of $15.9 million resulting from the repayment of $337.3 million of term
loans and the settlement of related interest rate swaps prior to our initial
public offering; and |
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a decrease of $2.7 million resulting from Teekay Shipping Corporations
contribution to us of the interest-bearing loans in connection with our initial
public offering. |
Interest Income.
Interest income increased 4.5% to $23.2 million for 2005, from $22.2 million for 2004.
Interest income primarily reflects interest earned on restricted cash deposits that
approximate the present value of the remaining amounts we owe under lease arrangements on
two of our LNG carriers. This increase was the result of:
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an aggregate increase of $3.0 million primarily from $54.5 million of additional cash being placed
in restricted cash deposits in December 2004; |
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an increase of $0.6 million primarily from temporary investments held during 2005; and |
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an increase of $0.6 million from interest earned on overnight deposits in our bank accounts; |
partially offset by
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a decrease of $3.2 million resulting from $76.3 million of cash withdrawals during
December 2004 used to make scheduled repayments of capital lease obligations. |
Foreign Currency Exchange
Gains. Foreign currency exchange gains were $81.8 million for 2005, compared to
foreign currency exchange losses of $60.8 million for 2004. These foreign currency
exchange gains and losses, substantially all of which were unrealized, are due
substantially to the relevant period-end revaluation of Euro-denominated term loans for
financial reporting purposes. The gains reflect a stronger U.S. Dollar against the Euro on
the date of revaluation. The losses reflect a weaker U.S. Dollar against the Euro on the
date of revaluation.
Other Loss. Other loss of
$15.0 million for 2005 resulted from:
|
|
a $7.8 million loss from the settlement of interest rate swaps in April 2005 that were
being used to hedge the interest rate risk on two of our term loans that were repaid at
that time; |
|
|
a $7.5 million loss from the write-off of capitalized loan costs relating to the two term loans we repaid in April 2005;
and |
|
|
$0.2 million of other miscellaneous expense; |
partially
offset by
|
|
$0.3 million of income tax recoveries; and |
|
|
a $0.2 million gain from the sale of the Granada Spirit to Teekay Shipping Corporation during May 2005. |
Other loss of $4.6 million for 2004
resulted from:
|
|
a $11.9 million loss on the sale of non-shipping assets by Tapias prior to its acquisition on April 30, 2004 by Teekay
Shipping Corporation; and |
|
|
$0.3 million of income taxes; |
partially
offset by
|
|
$4.0 million of gains resulting from changes in the fair values of our interest rate swaps
(these interest rate swaps were not designated as hedges under U.S. accounting guidelines
until April 30, 2004; consequently, the changes in fair values of these swaps that
occurred prior to April 30, 2004 were recorded in earnings); |
|
|
$3.4 million of gains on the sale of vessels and equipment; and |
|
|
$0.2 million of other miscellaneous income and gains on the sale of marketable securities. |
Net Income (Loss). As a result of the foregoing factors, net income was $79.5 million for 2005,
compared to a net loss of $68.2 million for 2004.
Year Ended
December 31, 2004 Versus Year Ended December 31, 2003
LNG Carrier Segment
Our four LNG carriers were delivered
into our fleet in September 2002, August 2003, July 2004 and December 2004. Accordingly,
our total revenue days increased by 74.1% from 518 days in 2003 to 902 days in
2004.
Net Voyage Revenues. Net
voyage revenues increased 82.1% to $59.1 million for 2004, from $32.5 million
for 2003, which was attributable to the addition of our LNG carriers during 2003 and 2004
and higher rates earned by more recently delivered LNG carriers.
Vessel Operating Expenses.
Vessel operating expenses increased 81.3% to $10.6 million for 2004, compared to
$5.9 million for 2003. Approximately $4.4 million of the increase was
attributable to the delivery of our LNG carriers during 2003 and 2004, and approximately
$0.3 million of the increase was attributable to the strengthening of the Euro
against the U.S. Dollar in 2004. A majority of our vessel operating expenses are
denominated in Euros, which is primarily a function of the nationality of our crew.
Depreciation and Amortization.
Depreciation and amortization increased 173.4% to $15.4 million for 2004, from
$5.6 million for 2003, primarily due to the following factors:
|
|
the addition of our three LNG carriers in August 2003 and July and December 2004; |
|
|
the amortization, as an intangible asset, of the value of the Tapias time charters acquired on April 30, 2004; and |
|
|
increased depreciation resulting from recording the Tapias vessels at their acquisition
cost as compared to their depreciated value prior to the acquisition. |
Suezmax Tanker Segment
During 2003, we operated six Suezmax
tankers. During the fourth quarter of 2004, we took delivery of one Suezmax newbuilding
and sold three Suezmax tankers. As a result, our total revenue days decreased by 0.2% from
2,047 days in 2003 to 2,042 days in 2004.
Net Voyage Revenues. Net
voyage revenues increased 21.2% to $59.8 million for 2004, from $49.3 million for 2003.
The increase was primarily the result of:
|
|
a $5.1 million increase in net voyage revenues for 2004 compared to 2003 due to increases in average spot market rates earned by the
Granada Spirit; |
|
|
a $4.2 million increase in net voyage revenues for 2004 compared to 2003 due to an
increase in the voyage revenues earned from a charter with a variable component based on
spot market rates; and |
|
|
a $2.9 million increase in net
voyage revenues due to fewer off-hire days from drydocking in 2004 compared to 2003. |
These increases were partially offset by
a decrease of $1.2 million in net voyage revenues due to a net reduction in fleet
size and corresponding reduction in calendar-ship-days in 2004, and by a $0.5 million
decrease in net voyage revenues in 2004 from three time charters that fluctuate based on
changes in interest rates. However, under the terms of our capital leases for the three
vessels with fluctuating charter rates, we had a corresponding reduction in our lease
payments, which is reflected as a reduction of interest expense.
Vessel Operating Expenses.
Vessel operating expenses decreased 2.8% to $20.0 million for 2004, compared to
$20.6 million for 2003, primarily due to the reduction in calendar-ship-days,
partially offset by strengthening of the Euro against the U.S. Dollar.
Depreciation and Amortization.
Depreciation and amortization increased 9.6% to $19.5 million for 2004, from
$17.8 million for 2003. The increase was primarily due to the following factors:
|
|
the amortization, as an intangible asset, of the value of the Tapias time charters acquired on April 30, 2004; and |
|
|
increased depreciation resulting from recording the Tapias vessels at their acquisition
cost as compared to their depreciated value prior to the acquisition. |
Other Operating Results
General and Administrative
Expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased 26.1% to $6.5 million for
2004, from $8.8 million for 2003, primarily due to a $3.0 million decrease in
expenses resulting from four months of expenses associated with a yacht and certain other
non-shipping assets disposed of by Tapias immediately prior to its acquisition on
April 30, 2004 by Teekay Shipping Corporation, compared to a full year of these
expenses included in our results for 2003. The decrease in general and administrative
expenses in 2004 was partially offset by an increase of $0.7 million in shore-staff
performance-based bonuses.
Interest Expense. Interest
expense increased 106.3% to $72.0 million for 2004, from $34.9 million for 2003.
This increase primarily reflects increases in interest-bearing debt and capital lease
obligations associated with the delivery of one LNG carrier in each of August 2003
and July 2004 and interest-bearing loans from Teekay Shipping Corporation during
April 2004 for the purchase of Teekay Spain, partialy offset by the repayment of certain term loans
commencing in December 2004.
Interest Income. Interest
income increased 164.3% to $22.2 million for 2004, from $8.4 million for 2003.
This increase was primarily due to interest earned on increased restricted cash deposits.
Foreign Currency Exchange
Loss. Foreign currency exchange loss decreased to $60.8 million for 2004 from
$71.5 million for 2003. These foreign currency exchange losses, substantially all of
which were unrealized, are due substantially to the period-end revaluation of
Euro-denominated term loans for financial reporting purposes. The higher loss in 2003
reflects the greater weakening of the U.S. Dollar against the Euro during 2003 compared to
2004.
Other Income (Loss). Other
loss of $4.6 million for 2004 resulted from:
|
|
a $11.9 million loss on the sale of non-shipping assets by Tapias prior to its acquisition on April 30, 2004 by Teekay
Shipping Corporation; and |
|
|
$0.3 million of income taxes; |
partially
offset by
|
|
$4.0 million of gains resulting from changes in the fair values of our interest rate swaps
(these interest rate swaps were not designated as hedges under U.S. accounting guidelines
until April 30, 2004; consequently, the changes in fair values of these swaps that
occurred prior to April 30, 2004 were recorded in earnings); |
|
|
$3.4 million of gains on the sale of vessels and equipment; and |
|
|
$0.2 million of other miscellaneous income and gains on the sale of marketable securities. |
Other income of $15.3 million
for 2003 resulted from:
|
|
$14.7 million of gains resulting from changes in the fair values of our interest rate
swaps (these interest rate swaps were not designated as hedges under U.S. accounting
guidelines until April 30, 2004; consequently, the changes in fair values of these swaps
that occurred prior to April 30, 2004 were recorded in earnings); |
|
|
a $1.6 million gain on the sale of marketable securities; and |
|
|
$2.2 million of other miscellaneous income; |
partially
offset by
|
|
$3.0 million of income taxes; and |
|
|
$0.2 million of minority interest expense. |
The marketable securities, other
miscellaneous income and minority interest expense all relate to non-shipping assets
disposed of by Tapias prior to its acquisition by Teekay Shipping Corporation.
Net Loss. As a result of the
foregoing factors, net loss decreased to $68.2 million for 2004 from
$59.4 million for 2003.
Liquidity and Capital
Resources
Liquidity and Cash Needs
As at December 31, 2005, our
total cash and cash equivalents totaled $34.5 million, compared
to $156.4 million at December 31, 2004. Our total liquidity including cash, cash
equivalents and undrawn long-term borrowings, was $105.5 million as at December 31, 2005,
compared to $156.4 million as at December 31, 2004. Total liquidity as at December 31,
2005 includes $71.0 million of availability under our $100 million senior secured
revolving credit facility as discussed below. Total liquidity as at December 31, 2005 does
not include our additional $137.5 million nine-year revolving credit facility that we entered into
during December 2005, as the facility was not available to us until after year end.
Our primary short-term liquidity
needs are to pay quarterly distributions on our outstanding units and to fund general
working capital requirements and drydocking expenditures, while our long-term liquidity
needs primarily relate to expansion and maintenance capital expenditures and debt
repayment. Expansion capital expenditures primarily represent the purchase or construction
of vessels to the extent the expenditures increase the operating capacity or revenue
generated by our fleet, while maintenance capital expenditures primarily consist of
drydocking expenditures and expenditures to replace vessels in order to maintain the
operating capacity or revenue generated by our fleet. We anticipate that our primary
sources of funds for our short-term liquidity needs will be cash flows from operations
while our long-term sources of funds will be from cash from operations, term loans and
other debt or equity financings.
We believe that cash flows from
operations will be sufficient to meet our short-term liquidity needs for at least the next
12 months. We may need to raise additional capital to finance the purchase of our five
Suezmax tankers that we are required to purchase at the end of their capital lease terms,
which will be at various times from 2007 to 2011. We anticipate that we will be able to
purchase these five tankers by assuming the outstanding financing obligations that relate
to them; however, we may be required to obtain separate debt or equity financing to
complete the purchases if the lenders do not consent to our assuming the financing
obligations. We may be unable to raise additional funds on favorable terms, if at all.
Cash Flows. The following table
summarizes our sources and uses of cash for the periods presented:
Years Ended December 31,
2005 2004
($000's) ($000's)
----------------- -----------------
Sources of Cash:
Operating activities: ...................................................... 65,718 25,076
Financing activities:
Advances from affiliate................................................... 354,277 409,141
Proceeds from issuance of common units.................................... 259,289 -
Proceeds from long-term debt.............................................. 291,189 133,746
Decrease in restricted cash............................................... 80,365 19,370
Other..................................................................... - 4,226
Investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of vessels and equipment............................... 133,270 123,689
Other..................................................................... - 7,150
----------------- -----------------
1,184,108 722,398
----------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------
Uses of Cash:
Financing activities:
Repayments of debt and capital lease obligations.......................... 486,525 199,161
Advances to affiliate..................................................... 252,929 -
Interest rate swap settlement costs....................................... 143,295 -
Cash distributions paid................................................... 20,090 -
Other..................................................................... 628 19
Investing activities:
Expenditures for vessels and equipment.................................... 222,582 89,225
Purchase of three Suezmax tankers from Teekay Shipping Corporation........ 180,000 -
Purchase of Teekay Shipping Spain S.L., net of cash acquired of $11,191... - 298,184
Other..................................................................... - 727
----------------- ----------------
1,306,049 587,316
----------------- ----------------
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents........................ (121,941) 135,082
================= ================
Operating Cash Flows.
Net cash flow from operating activities increased to $65.7 million in 2005,
from $25.1 million in 2004, primarily reflecting the increase in the size of our LNG
fleet. Net cash flow from operating activities depends upon the timing and amount of
drydocking expenditures, repairs and maintenance activity, vessel additions and
dispositions, foreign currency rates, changes in interest rates,
fluctuations in working capital balances and spot market hire rates (to the extent we have
vessels operating in the spot tanker market or our hire rates are partially affected by
spot market rates). The number of vessel drydockings tends to be uneven between years.
The capital component of the hire
rate for our Suezmax time charters (other than for the ConocoPhillips Tankers) fluctuates
with the floating interest rates for the debt used to finance the related vessels. If
interest rates increase or decrease, the amount we pay under the capital leases relating
to the chartered vessels increases or decreases by the amount of the additional or reduced
interest payments, and the capital component we receive from the related time charters
correspondingly changes. Consequently, the fluctuating portion of the capital component
has no net effect on our cash flows or net income, but does affect our recorded voyage
revenues and interest expense.
Financing Cash Flows.
Our investments in vessels and equipment have been financed primarily with
term loans and capital lease arrangements. Net proceeds from long-term debt were
$291.2 million and $133.7 million, respectively, for 2005 and 2004. We used
these funds to make newbuilding installment payments.
In December 2004, Teekay Shipping
Corporation advanced to us $409.1 million primarily for the purchase of Teekay Spain and
to prepay debt associated with two of the LNG carriers. During 2005, Teekay Shipping
Corporation advanced a further $353.1 million to us and we used these funds, along with
existing cash balances, to repay certain term loans and settle certain interest rate
swaps. Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed to us all but $54.9 million of these loans
and other assets in connection with our initial public offering in exchange for notes
payable of $129.4 million, which were repaid from the proceeds of the offering and
partnership interests in us.
Scheduled debt repayments were $9.5
million during 2005 compared to $70.5 million during 2004. Repayments of capital lease
obligations were $77.7 million in 2005 compared to $66.7 million in 2004. Debt prepayments
were $399.3 million during 2005 compared to $61.9 million during 2004. Prior to our
initial public offering, we repaid $337.3 million of term loans associated with two LNG
carriers. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 8 Long-Term Debt.
As at December 31, 2005, our total debt was $406.4 million, compared to $787.1 million as at December 31, 2004. As at December
31, 2005, our revolving credit facility provided for borrowings of up to $100.0 million, of which $71.0 million was undrawn. As at
December 31, 2005, we had term loans outstanding that totaled 318.5 million Euros ($377.4 million) of Euro-denominated loans,
compared to $343.4 million of U.S. Dollar-denominated loans and 325.8 million Euros ($443.7 million) of Euro-denominated loans as
at December 31, 2004. Our Euro-denominated term loans reduce in monthly payments with varying maturities through 2023. Please
read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 8 Long-Term Debt. The Euro-denominated loans were used to make restricted cash deposits
that fully fund payments under capital leases. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 5 Capital Lease Obligations and
Restricted Cash.
We entered into a $100 million revolving credit facility in connection with our initial public offering, of which $71.0 million
was undrawn at December 31, 2005. We may use this facility for general partnership purposes and to fund cash distributions. Under
the credit facility, we are required to reduce all borrowings used to fund cash distributions to zero for a period of at least 15
consecutive days during any 12-month period. Interest payments are based on LIBOR plus a margin. The credit facility is available
to us until September 2009. Our obligations under this facility are secured by a first-priority mortgage on one of our LNG
carriers, the Hispania Spirit, and a pledge of certain shares of the subsidiary operating the carrier.
During December 2005, we entered into a $137.5 million nine-year revolving
credit facility, which became available to us in 2006. This facility may be used by us for general partnership purposes.
Our obligations under this facility are secured by a first-priority mortgage on three of our Suezmax tankers and a pledge of
certain shares of the subsidiaries operating the Suezmax tankers.
The credit facility bears interest at a rate of LIBOR plus a margin. This facility contains covenants that require us to
maintain a minimum free liquidity, minimum tangible net worth and a maximum leverage ratio.
As at December 31, 2005, our total debt related to newbuilding vessels
to be acquired was $319.6 million, which consists of $205.9
million of U.S. Dollar-denominated term loans of Teekay Nakilat, $111.7 million of interest-bearing loans from Teekay Shipping
Corporation and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat), and $2.0 million of non-interest bearing loans from Teekay Shipping
Corporation. Interest costs on debt related to newbuilding vessels are capitalized to advances on newbuilding contracts. Please
read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 15 Commitments and Contingencies.
Interest payments on the term loans in Teekay Nakilat are based on LIBOR plus a margin.
The term loans reduce in quarterly payments
commencing three months after delivery of each LNG newbuilding. Once fully drawn, the loans have approximately $56.0 million per vessel
in bullet repayments, due at maturity. Interest payments on the loans from
Teekay Shipping Corporation and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat) are based on a fixed interest rate of 4.84%, commencing
a year after the delivery of the third LNG carrier. These loans are unsecured and are repayable on demand.
The RasGas II term loan agreements, which we expect to assume, currently require Teekay Shipping Corporations guaranty and require
Teekay Shipping Corporation to maintain at least $100.0 million of free liquidity (excluding the portion attributable to us). The
amount of Teekay Shipping Corporations consolidated free liquidity (as defined above) plus any undrawn revolving credit
facilities (excluding that portion attributable to us and excluding undrawn committed revolving credit lines with less than six
months to maturity) is required to equal at least 7.5% of Teekay Shipping Corporations total debt (excluding non-recourse debt).
As at December 31, 2005 and 2004, the margins on our term loans and revolving credit facilities ranged
from 0.5% to 1.3%.
All of our existing vessel financing is arranged on a vessel-by-vessel basis,
and each financing is secured by first-preferred mortgages on the applicable vessel, together with other related collateral.
Our capital leases do not contain financial or restrictive covenants other than those relating to operation and maintenance
of the vessels. In addition, our ship-owning subsidiaries may not pay dividends or distributions if we are in default under our
loan agreements and revolving credit facilities.
The term loan agreements for our LNG
carriers, including the RasGas II financing arrangements we expect to assume, are with
separate shipowning subsidiaries, although Teekay Spain guarantees the payments under the
term loan agreements for all of our existing LNG carriers (or Teekay Shipping Corporation
in the case of the RasGas II loan agreements). These agreements and the agreements that
govern our revolving credit facilities contain covenants and other restrictions typical of
debt financing secured by vessels, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following that restrict the shipowning
subsidiaries from:
|
|
incurring or guaranteeing indebtedness; |
|
|
changing ownership or structure, including mergers, consolidations, liquidations and dissolutions; |
|
|
making dividends or distributions if we are in default; |
|
|
making capital expenditures in excess of specified levels; |
|
|
making certain negative pledges and granting certain liens; |
|
|
selling, transferring, assigning or conveying assets; |
|
|
making certain loans and investments; and |
|
|
entering into a new line of business. |
The term loan for one of our LNG carriers, the Catalunya Spirit, contains
covenants that require the maintenance of a minimum
liquidity of 5.0 million Euros and annual restricted cash deposits of 1.2 million Euros.
We conduct our funding and treasury activities within corporate policies designed to minimize borrowing costs and maximize
investment returns while maintaining the safety of the funds and appropriate levels of liquidity for our purposes. We hold cash
and cash equivalents primarily in U.S. dollars, with some balances held in Euros.
We are exposed to the impact of
interest rate changes primarily through our unhedged floating-rate borrowings. As at
December 31, 2005, our unhedged floating-rate borrowings totaled $29.0 million.
Significant increases in interest rates could adversely affect our operating margins,
results of operations and our ability to service our debt. We use interest rate swaps to
reduce our exposure to market risk from changes in interest rates. Please read Item 11
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Commencing after the date of our initial public offering,
cash distributions declared during 2005 were $20.1 million, or $0.4125 per unit per quarter. For the quarter
ended June 30, 2005, cash distributions declared were prorated for the period of May 10, 2005 to June 30, 2005.
Investing Cash Flows.
During 2005, we sold two Suezmax tankers (the Granada Spirit and the
Santiago Spirit) to Teekay Shipping Corporation for gross proceeds of $83.6
million. In addition, immediately after the delivery of the Toledo Spirit in July
2005, we sold this vessel for gross proceeds of $49.7 million and leased it back under a
capital lease arrangement similar to those in place for our Suezmax tankers other than the
ConocoPhillips Tankers.
During 2005, we incurred capital
expenditures for vessels and equipment of $222.6 million. These capital expenditures
represent construction installment payments for three LNG newbuildings owned by Teekay
Nakilat and two Suezmax tankers, the Toledo Spirit and the Santiago Spirit.
In November 2005, we acquired the ConocoPhillips Tankers from Teekay Shipping Corporation
for $180.0 million.
Net cash used in investing activities for 2004 consisted primarily of $89.2 million of construction costs relating to three
Suezmax tankers and four LNG carriers we had under construction. In April 2004, Luxco acquired all of the outstanding shares of
Teekay Spain S.L. for $298.2 million in cash, plus the assumption of debt and remaining newbuilding commitments.
In 2004, we sold three Suezmax
tankers for proceeds of $74.3 million and also sold and leased back one Suezmax
tanker for proceeds of $49.4 million. One of these Suezmax tankers, the Granada
Spirit, was sold to another subsidiary of Teekay Shipping Corporation. Upon the
closing of our initial public offering, Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed the
Granada Spirit back to us and chartered it under a short-term, fixed-rate time
charter until we disposed of the vessel on May 26, 2005.
We have agreed to acquire from Teekay
Shipping Corporation its 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat, which owns three LNG newbuilding
carriers. We expect to take delivery of the three LNG newbuildings between the fourth
quarter of 2006 and the first half of 2007. Upon their delivery, the three LNG carriers
will provide transportation services to RasGas II. Please read Item 18 Financial
Statements: Note 15 Commitments and Contingencies.
We are obligated to purchase five of our existing Suezmax tankers upon the termination of the related capital leases, which will
occur at various times from 2007 to 2011, seven years from the respective commencement dates of the capital leases. The purchase
price will be based on the unamortized portion of the vessel construction financing costs for the vessels, which we expect to
range from $39.4 million to $41.9 million per vessel. We expect to satisfy the purchase price by assuming the existing vessel
financing. We are also obligated to purchase two of our existing LNG carriers upon the termination of the related capital leases
in 2006 for the Catalunya Spirit and 2011 for the Madrid Spirit, both of which purchase obligations have been fully funded with
restricted cash deposits. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 5 Capital Lease Obligations and Restricted Cash.
Contractual Obligations
and Contingencies
The following table summarizes our
long-term contractual obligations as at December 31, 2005:
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
1 1 - 3 3 - 5 More than
Total year years years 5 years
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
(in millions of U.S. Dollars)
U.S. Dollar-Denominated Obligations:
Long-term debt (1)........................................ 29.0 - - 29.0 -
Commitments under capital leases (2)...................... 275.8 25.5 153.7 96.6 -
Long-term debt relating to newbuilding vessels to be
acquired (3)............................................ 319.6 - 17.4 22.0 280.2
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total U.S. Dollar-denominated obligations................. 624.4 25.5 171.1 147.6 280.2
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Euro-Denominated Obligations:(4)
Long-term debt (5)........................................ 377.4 8.1 18.0 20.7 330.6
Commitments under capital leases (2) (6).................. 341.5 146.0 56.4 62.3 76.8
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total Euro-denominated obligations........................ 718.9 154.1 74.4 83.0 407.4
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Totals...................................................... 1,343.3 179.6 245.5 230.6 687.6
========== ========== ========== ========== ==========
|
(1) |
Excludes interest payments which are based on LIBOR plus a margin. |
|
(2) |
Includes amounts we are required to pay to purchase the vessels at the end of
the lease terms. Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 5
Capital Lease Obligations and Restricted Cash. |
|
(3) |
During May 2005, we entered into an agreement with Teekay Shipping Corporation to purchase its 70% interest in Teekay
Nakilat, which owns three LNG newbuildings and the related 20-year time charters. The purchase will occur upon the delivery of
the first newbuilding, which is scheduled during the fourth quarter of 2006. As a result of this agreement, under current U.S.
accounting guidelines we are required to consolidate Teekay Nakilat even though we do not yet have an ownership interest in
Teekay Nakilat. As at December 31, 2005, the assets of Teekay Nakilat included the three LNG newbuildings, which had a carrying
value of $316.9 million, and other assets of $2.7 million. These assets have been financed with $205.9 of term loans and $113.7
million of loans from Teekay Shipping Corporation and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat). |
|
Our 70% responsibility for the total cost for the three vessels, including shipyard payments, capitalized financing cost and
the other costs, is estimated to be approximately $420.5 million. Long-term vessel financing will cover approximately
$327.7 million of this amount. We will be required to fund the remaining approximately $92.8 million of the purchase price for
Teekay Shipping Corporations interest in Teekay Nakilat. During January 2006, Teekay Shipping Corporation completed a 30-year
U.K. lease arrangement that will be used to finance the purchase of the three newbuildings owned by Teekay Nakilat. The tax
benefits of this lease arrangement are expected to reduce the equity portion of our purchase of Teekay Shipping Corporations
70% interest in Teekay Nakilat by approximately $40 million, from approximately $93 million to approximately $53 million.
Please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 13(e) Related Party Transactions. |
|
(4) |
Euro-denominated obligations are presented in U.S. Dollars and have been
converted using the prevailing exchange rate as of December 31, 2005. |
|
(5) |
Excludes interest payments which are based on EURIBOR plus a margin. |
|
(6) |
Existing restricted cash deposits, together with the interest earned on the
deposits, will equal the remaining amounts we owe under the lease arrangements,
including our obligation to purchase the vessels at the end of the lease terms. |
Off-Balance Sheet
Arrangements
We have no off-balance sheet
arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future material
effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses,
results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
Critical Accounting
Policies
We prepare our consolidated financial
statements in accordance with GAAP, which require us to make estimates in the application
of our accounting policies based on our best assumptions, judgments and opinions.
Following is a discussion of the accounting policies that involve a high degree of
judgment and the methods of their application. For a further description of our material
accounting policies, please read Item 18 Financial Statements: Note 1
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenues from time
charters daily over the term of the charter as the applicable vessel operates under the
charter. We do not recognize revenues during days that the vessel is off-hire.
Prior to 2005, we generated a portion
of our revenues from voyage charters. Within the shipping industry, the two methods used
to account for voyage revenues and expenses from voyage charters are the percentage of
completion and the completed voyage methods. Most shipping companies, including us, use
the percentage of completion method. For each method, voyages may be calculated on either
a load-to-load or discharge-to-discharge basis. In other words, revenues are recognized
ratably either from the beginning of when product is loaded for one voyage to when it is
loaded for another voyage, or from when product is discharged (unloaded) at the end of one
voyage to when it is discharged after the next voyage.
In applying the percentage of
completion method, we believe that, in most cases, the discharge-to-discharge basis of
calculating voyages more accurately reflects voyage results than the load-to-load basis.
At the time of cargo discharge, we generally have information about the next load port and
expected discharge port, whereas at the time of loading we are normally less certain what
the next load port will be. We have used this method of revenue recognition for all spot
voyages. However, we did not begin recognizing voyage revenue until a charter had been
agreed to by the customer and us, even if the vessel had discharged its cargo and was
sailing to the anticipated load port on its next voyage.
Vessel Lives and
Impairment
The carrying value of each of our
vessels represents its original cost at the time of delivery or purchase less depreciation
or impairment charges. We depreciate our vessels on a straight-line basis over a
vessels estimated useful life, less an estimated residual value. Depreciation is
calculated using an estimated useful life of 25 years for Suezmax tankers and 35 years for
LNG carriers, from the date the vessel was originally delivered from the shipyard, or a
shorter period if regulations prevent us from operating the vessels to 25 years or 35
years, respectively. In the shipping industry, the use of a 25-year vessel life for
Suezmax tankers has become the prevailing standard. In addition, the use of a 30 to 40
year vessel life for LNG carriers is typical. However, the actual life of a vessel may be
different, with a shorter life potentially resulting in an impairment loss. We are not
aware of any regulatory changes or environmental liabilities that we anticipate will have
a material impact on our current or future operations.
The carrying values of our vessels
may not represent their fair market value at any point in time since the market prices of
second-hand vessels tend to fluctuate with changes in charter rates and the cost of
newbuildings. Both charter rates and newbuilding costs tend to be cyclical in nature. We
review vessels and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. We measure the
recoverability of an asset by comparing its carrying amount to future undiscounted cash
flows that the asset is expected to generate over its remaining useful life. If we
consider a vessel or equipment to be impaired, we recognize impairment in an amount equal
to the excess of the carrying value of the asset over its fair market value.
Drydocking
Generally, we drydock each LNG
carrier and Suezmax tanker every five years. In addition, a shipping society
classification intermediate survey is performed on our LNG carriers between the second and
third year of the five-year drydocking period. We capitalize a substantial portion of the
costs we incur during drydocking and for the survey and amortize those costs on a
straight-line basis from the completion of a drydocking or intermediate survey to the
estimated completion of the next drydocking. We expense costs related to routine repairs
and maintenance incurred during drydocking that do not improve or extend the useful lives
of the assets. When significant drydocking expenditures occur prior to the expiration of
this period, we expense the remaining unamortized balance of the original drydocking cost
and any unamortized intermediate survey costs in the month of the subsequent drydocking.
Derivative Instruments
We utilize derivative financial
instruments to reduce interest rate risks. We do not hold or issue derivative financial
instruments for trading purposes. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (or
SFAS) No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,
which was amended in June 2000 by SFAS No. 138 and in May 2003 by
SFAS No. 149, establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative
instruments and hedging activities. It requires that an entity recognize all derivatives
as either assets or liabilities in the statement of financial condition and measure those
instruments at fair value. Derivatives that are not hedges or are not designated as hedges
are adjusted to fair value through income. If the derivative is a hedge, depending upon
the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair value of the derivatives are either offset
against the fair value of assets, liabilities or firm commitments through income, or
recognized in other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recognized in income.
The ineffective portion of a derivatives change in fair value is immediately
recognized into income.
Goodwill and Intangible
Assets
We allocate the cost of acquired
companies to the identifiable tangible and intangible assets and liabilities acquired,
with the remaining amount being classified as goodwill. Certain intangible assets, such as
time charter contracts, are being amortized over time. Our future operating performance
will be affected by the amortization of intangible assets and potential impairment charges
related to goodwill. Accordingly, the allocation of purchase price to intangible assets
and goodwill may significantly affect our future operating results. The allocation of the
purchase price of acquired companies to intangible assets and goodwill requires management
to make significant estimates and assumptions, including estimates of future cash flows
expected to be generated by the acquired assets and the appropriate discount rate to value
these cash flows.
Goodwill and indefinite lived assets
are not amortized, but reviewed for impairment annually, or more frequently if impairment
indicators arise. The process of evaluating the potential impairment of goodwill and
intangible assets is highly subjective and requires significant judgment at many points
during the analysis. The fair value of our reporting units was estimated based on
discounted expected future cash flows using a weighted-average cost of capital rate. The
estimates and assumptions regarding expected cash flows and the discount rate require
considerable judgment and are based upon existing contracts, historical experience,
financial forecasts and industry trends and conditions.
Item 6. Directors,
Senior Management and Employees
Management of Teekay LNG
Partners L.P.
Teekay GP L.L.C., our general
partner, manages our operations and activities. Unitholders are not entitled to elect the
directors of our general partner or directly or indirectly participate in our management
or operation.
Our general partner owes a fiduciary
duty to our unitholders. Our general partner is liable, as general partner, for all of our
debts (to the extent not paid from our assets), except for indebtedness or other
obligations that are expressly nonrecourse to it. Whenever possible, our general partner
intends to cause us to incur indebtedness or other obligations that are nonrecourse to it.
The directors of our general partner
oversee our operations. The day-to-day affairs of our business are managed by the officers
of our general partner and key employees of certain of our operating subsidiaries.
Employees of certain subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation provide assistance to us
and our operating subsidiaries pursuant to services agreements. Please read Item 7
Major Unitholders and Related Party Transactions.
The Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer of our general partner, Peter Evensen, allocates his time between
managing our business and affairs and the business and affairs of Teekay Shipping
Corporation. Mr. Evensen is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
of Teekay Shipping Corporation. The amount of time Mr. Evensen allocates between our
business and the businesses of Teekay Shipping Corporation varies from time to time
depending on various circumstances and needs of the businesses, such as the relative
levels of strategic activities of the businesses. Mr. Evensen devotes sufficient time
to our business and affairs as is necessary for their proper conduct.
Officers of Teekay LNG Projects Ltd.,
a subsidiary of Teekay Shipping Corporation, allocate their time between providing LNG
strategic consulting and advisory services to certain of our operating subsidiaries and
pursuing LNG project opportunities for Teekay Shipping Corporation, which projects, if
awarded to Teekay Shipping Corporation, are offered to us pursuant to the non-competition
provisions of the omnibus agreement. This agreement has previously been filed with the
SEC. Please see Item 19. The omnibus agreement also permits us to pay to Teekay Shipping
Corporation any incentive fees approved by the conflicts committee of our
general partners board of directors, in its sole discretion, and relating to LNG
projects provided to us by Teekay Shipping Corporation. Any such fee would be intended to
reward Teekay Shipping Corporation for obtaining, and to further motivate it in pursuing
additional, LNG projects. Teekay Shipping Corporation, in turn, may pay incentive fees to
Teekay LNG Projects Ltd. for LNG projects awarded to it as a result of the efforts of
Teekay LNG Projects Ltd.
Officers of our general partner and
those individuals providing services to us or our subsidiaries may face a conflict
regarding the allocation of their time between our business and the other business
interests of Teekay Shipping Corporation. Our general partner seeks to cause its officers
to devote as much time to the management of our business and affairs as is necessary for
the proper conduct of our business and affairs.
Directors, Executive
Officers and Key Employees
The following table provides
information about the directors and executive officers of our general partner and key
employees of our operating subsidiary Teekay Spain as of December 31, 2005. Directors are
elected for one-year terms. The business address of each of our directors and executive
officers listed below is c/o Bayside House, Bayside Executive Park, West Bay Street and
Blake Road, Nassau, Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The business address of each of our key
employees of Teekay Spain is Musgo Street 528023, Madrid, Spain.
Name Age Position
C. Sean Day.............. 56 Chairman
Bjorn Moller............. 48 Vice Chairman and Director
Peter Evensen............ 47 Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director
Robert E. Boyd........... 65 Director (1) (2)
Ida Jane Hinkley......... 55 Director (1)
Ihab J.M. Massoud........ 37 Director (2)
George Watson............ 58 Director (1) (2)
Bruce C. Bell............ 58 Secretary
Andres Luna.............. 49 Managing Director, Teekay Spain
Pedro Solana............. 49 Director, Finance and Accounting, Teekay Spain
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(1) |
Member of Audit Committee and Conflicts Committee. |
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(2) |
Member of Corporate Governance Committee. |
Certain biographical information
about each of these individuals is set forth below:
C. Sean Day has served as
Chairman of Teekay GP L.L.C. since it was formed in November 2004. Mr. Day has served
as Chairman of Teekay Shipping Corporations board of directors since 1999. From 1989
to 1999, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Navios Corporation, a large bulk
shipping company based in Stamford, Connecticut. Prior to this, Mr. Day held a number
of senior management positions in the shipping and finance industry. He is currently
serving as a director of Kirby Corporation. Mr. Day also serves as the Chairman of
Resolute Investments, Inc., the largest stockholder of Teekay Shipping Corporation.
Bjorn Moller has served as the
Vice Chairman and a Director of Teekay GP L.L.C. since it was formed in November 2004.
Mr. Moller is the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Teekay
Shipping Corporation and has held those positions since April 1998. Mr. Moller has
over 25 years experience in the shipping industry and has served in senior
management positions with Teekay Shipping Corporation for more than 20 years. He has
headed its overall operations since January 1997, following his promotion to the position
of Chief Operating Officer. Prior to this, Mr. Moller headed Teekay Shipping
Corporations global chartering operations and business development activities.
Peter Evensen has served as
the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Teekay GP L.L.C. since it was
formed in November 2004 and as a Director of Teekay GP L.L.C. since January 2005.
Mr. Evensen is also the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
Teekay Shipping Corporation. He joined Teekay Shipping Corporation in May 2003 as Senior
Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer. He was appointed to his current
positions with Teekay Shipping Corporation in February 2004. Mr. Evensen has over
20 years experience in banking and shipping finance. Prior to joining Teekay
Shipping Corporation, Mr. Evensen was Managing Director and Head of Global Shipping
at J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and worked in other senior positions for its
predecessor firms. His international industry experience includes positions in New York,
London and Oslo.
Robert E. Boyd has served as a
Director of Teekay GP L.L.C. since January 2005. From May 1999 until his retirement in
March 2004, Mr. Boyd was employed as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Teknion Corporation, a company engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing
of office systems and office furniture products. From 1991 to 1999, Mr. Boyd was
employed by The Oshawa Group Limited, a company engaged in the wholesale and retail
distribution of food products and real estate activities, where his positions included
Executive Vice President-Financial and Chief Financial Officer.
Ida Jane Hinkley has served as
a Director of Teekay GP L.L.C. since January 2005. From 1998 to 2001, she served as
Managing Director of Navion Shipping AS, a shipping company at that time affiliated with
the Norwegian state-owned oil company Statoil ASA (and subsequently acquired by Teekay
Shipping Corporation in 2003). From 1980 to 1997, Ms. Hinkley was employed by the
Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corporation, an international provider of marine transportation
services for crude oil and gas (including LNG), serving as its Chief Financial Officer
from 1988 to 1992 and its Managing Director from 1993 to 1997.
Ihab J.M. Massoud has served
as a Director of Teekay GP L.L.C. since January 2005. Since 1998, he has been President of
The Compass Group International LLC, a private equity investment firm based in Westport,
Connecticut and an affiliate of Teekay Shipping Corporation. From 1995 to 1998,
Mr. Massoud was employed in management at Petroleum Heat and Power, Inc. From
1993 to 1995, Mr. Massoud was a Vice President of Colony Capital, Inc., a Los
Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in acquiring distressed real estate and
corporate assets. Since 2005, Mr. Massoud has been serving as a Director and Chairman of Patriot Captial
Funding Inc., a Nasdaq listed specialty finance company.
George Watson has served as a
Director of Teekay GP L.L.C. since January 2005. Since July 2002, he has served as Chief
Executive Officer of CriticalControl Solutions Inc. (formerly WNS Emergent), a provider of
information control applications for the energy sector. From February 2000 to July 2002,
he served as Executive Chairman at VerticalBuilder.com Inc. Mr. Watson served as
President and Chief Executive Officer of TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. from 1993 to 1999 and
as its Chief Financial Officer from 1990 to 1993.
Bruce C. Bell has served as
the Secretary of Teekay GP L.L.C. since it was formed in November 2004. Since March 1994,
Mr. Bell has been employed as the Managing Director of Oceanic Bank and
Trust Limited, a Bahamian bank and trust company and in August 2005 he was appointed
Chairman. Prior to joining Oceanic Bank and Trust Limited, Mr. Bell was engaged in
the private practice of law in Canada, specializing in corporate/commercial, banking and
international business transactions. From May 2000 until May 2003, Mr. Bell served as
the Corporate Secretary of Teekay Shipping Corporation. Mr. Bell is also a director
of Teekay Shipping Corporation.
Andres Luna has served as the
Managing Director of Teekay Spain since April 2004. Mr. Luna joined Alta Shipping,
S.A., a former affiliate company of Naviera F. Tapias S.A., in September 1992 and served
as its General Manager until he was appointed Commercial General Manager of Naviera F.
Tapias S.A. in December 1999. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Naviera F.
Tapias S.A. from July 2000 until its acquisition by Teekay Shipping Corporation in April
2004, when it was renamed Teekay Spain. Mr. Lunas responsibilities with Teekay
Spain have included business development, newbuilding contracting, project management,
development of its LNG business and the renewal of its tanker fleet. He has been in the
shipping business since his graduation as a naval architect from Madrid University in
1981.
Pedro Solana has served as the
Director, Finance and Accounting of Teekay Spain since August 2004. Mr. Solana joined
Naviera F. Tapias S.A. in 1991 and served as Deputy Financial Manager until its
acquisition by Teekay Shipping Corporation. Mr. Solanas responsibilities with
Teekay Spain have included oversight of its accounting department and arranging for
financing of its LNG carriers and crude oil tankers. He has been in the shipping business
since 1980.
Officers of Teekay LNG
Projects Ltd.
The following table provides
information about the officers of Teekay LNG Projects Ltd., which is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Teekay Shipping Corporation. As described above, Teekay LNG Projects Ltd.
provides certain LNG strategic consulting and advisory services to Teekay Spain and
certain of our other operating subsidiaries pursuant to services agreements and pursues
LNG projects on behalf of Teekay Shipping Corporation, which will be offered to us
pursuant to the omnibus agreement.
Name Age Position
David Glendinning.......... 51 President
Mark J. Kremin............. 35 Vice President
Roy E. Spires.............. 59 Vice President, Finance
David Glendinning has served
as the President of Teekay LNG Projects Ltd. since it was formed in November 2004.
Mr. Glendinning is also the President of Teekay Shipping Corporations Teekay
Gas and Offshore division, and has held this position since November 2003. Since joining
Teekay Shipping Corporation, Mr. Glendinning has worked in a number of other senior
positions with Teekay Shipping Corporation, including Vice President, Marine and
Commercial Operations from January 1995 until his promotion to Senior Vice President,
Customer Relations and Marine Project Development in February 1999. Prior to joining
Teekay Shipping Corporation, Mr. Glendinning, who is a Master Mariner, had
18 years sea service on oil tankers of various types and sizes.
Mark J. Kremin has served as
Vice President for Teekay LNG Projects Ltd. since March 2006. Mr. Kremin was also
appointed Vice President, Gas Services of Teekay Shipping Corporation in March 2006.
Mr. Kremin joined Teekay Shipping Corporation in November 2000, and served as its
Vice President and Associate General Counsel until he was appointed to his current
position. Prior to joining Teekay Shipping Corporation, Mr. Kremin was an attorney
with Burke & Parsons, an admiralty law firm in New York City. Prior to attending law
school, he worked for Mediterranean Shipping Company.
Roy E. Spires has served as
Vice President, Finance of Teekay LNG Projects Ltd. since it was formed in November 2004.
Mr. Spires has served as Teekay Shipping Corporations Vice President, Finance
from February 2004 until the closing of our initial public offering. He also served as
Teekay Shipping Corporations Director of Finance from November 1999 until February
2004. Prior to joining Teekay Shipping Corporation, Mr. Spires spent seven years with
a publicly traded Canadian corporation, where his positions included Treasurer and
Corporate Secretary. His experience includes over 17 years of management positions in
commercial and corporate banking.
Reimbursement of
Expenses of Our General Partner
Our general partner does not receive
any management fee or other compensation for managing us. Our general partner and its
other affiliates are reimbursed for expenses incurred on our behalf. These expenses
include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the conduct of our business and
allocable to us, as determined by our general partner. During 2005, these expenses were
comprised of a portion of compensation earned by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer of our general partner, directors fees and travel expenses, as
discussed below.
Annual Executive
Compensation
We and our general partner were
formed in November 2004. Our general partner neither paid any compensation to its
directors or officers nor accrued any obligations with respect to management incentive or
retirement benefits for the directors and officers prior to our initial public offering.
Because the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of our general partner,
Peter Evensen, is an employee of Teekay Shipping Corporation, his compensation (other than
any awards under the long-term incentive plan described below) is set and paid by Teekay
Shipping Corporation, and we reimburse Teekay Shipping Corporation for time he spends on
partnership matters.
Our general partner compensates Bruce
Bell, the Secretary of our general partner, for time he spends on partnership matters and
may grant Mr. Bell awards under the long-term incentive plan described below. The
corporate governance committee of the board of directors of our general partner
establishes the compensation for certain key employees of our operating subsidiary Teekay
Spain. Officers and employees of our general partner or its affiliates may participate in
employee benefit plans and arrangements sponsored by Teekay Shipping Corporation, our
general partner or their affiliates, including plans that may be established in the
future.
The aggregate compensation earned by
the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of our general partner and the two
key employees of Teekay Spain listed above (or the Executive Officers) for 2005 was
$1.5 million. This is comprised of base salary ($0.8 million), annual bonus ($0.6 million)
and pension and other benefits ($0.1 million). These amounts were paid primarily in
Canadian Dollars or in Euros, but are reported here in U.S. Dollars using an exchange rate
of 1.16 Canadian Dollars for each U.S. Dollar and 0.85 Euro for each U.S. Dollar, the
exchange rates on December 31, 2005. Teekay Shipping Corporations annual bonus plan
considers both company performance, through comparison to established targets and
financial performance of peer companies, and individual performance. We have reimbursed
our general partner for the portion of time that Mr. Evensen spent providing services to
us. Please read Item 7. Major Unitholders and Related Party Transactions.
Compensation of Directors
Officers of our general partner or
Teekay Shipping Corporation who also serve as directors of our general partner do not
receive additional compensation for their service as directors. Each non-management
director receives compensation for attending meetings of the board of directors, as well
as committee meetings. Non-management directors receive a director fee of $30,000 per
year and 700 common units subject to reverse vesting over a three-year period.
Members of the audit and conflicts committees each receive a committee fee of
$5,000 per year, and the chair of the audit committee receives an additional fee of
$5,000 for serving in that role. In addition, each director is reimbursed for
out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attending meetings of the board of directors or
committees. Each director is fully indemnified by us for actions associated with being a
director to the extent permitted under Marshall Islands law.
During 2005, the five non-employee
directors received, in the aggregate, $170,000 in director and committee fees and
reimbursement of $54,000 of their out-of-pocket expenses from our general partner. We
reimbursed our general partner for these expenses as they were incurred for the conduct of
our business. Please read Item 7. Major Unitholders and Related Party Transactions. During
2005, the five non-employee directors also received, in the aggregate, 3,500 common units
of the Partnership.
2005 Long-Term Incentive
Plan
Our general partner has adopted the
Teekay LNG Partners L.P. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan for employees and directors of and
consultants to our general partner and employees and directors of and consultants to its
affiliates, who perform services for us. The plan provides for the award of restricted
units, phantom units, unit options, unit appreciation rights and other unit or cash-based
awards. Other than the previously mentioned 3,500 common units awarded to our general
partners directors, we have not made any awards under the 2005 long-term incentive
plan.
Board Practices
Teekay GP L.L.C., our general
partner, manages our operations and activities. Unitholders are not entitled to elect the
directors of our general partner or directly or indirectly participate in our management
or operation.
Our general partners board of
directors (or the Board) currently consists of seven members. Directors are
appointed to serve until their successor is appointed or until they resign or are removed.
There are no service contracts
between us and any of our directors providing for benefits upon termination of their
employment or service.
The Board has the following three
committees: Audit Committee, Conflicts Committee, and Corporate Governance Committee. The
membership of these committees during 2005 and the function of each of the committees are
described below. Each of the committees is currently comprised of independent members and
operates under a written charter adopted by the Board. The committee charters for the
Audit Committee and Corporate Governance Committee are available under Other
Information Corporate Governance in the Investor Centre of our web site at
www.teekaylng.com. During 2005, the Board held three meetings. Each director attended all
Board meetings and all applicable committee meetings.
The Audit Committee of our general
partner is composed of three or more directors, each of whom must meet the independence
standards of the NYSE and the SEC. This committee is currently comprised of directors
Robert E. Boyd (Chair), Ida Jane Hinkley and George Watson. All members of the committee
are financially literate and the Board has determined that Mr. Boyd qualifies as
an audit committee financial expert.
The Audit Committee assists the Board
in fulfilling its responsibilities for general oversight of:
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the integrity of our financial statements; |
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our compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements; |
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the independent auditors qualifications and independence; and |
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the performance of our internal audit function and independent auditors. |
The Conflicts Committee of our
general partner is composed of the same directors constituting the Audit Committee, being
George Watson (Chair), Robert E. Boyd and Ida Jane Hinkley. The members of the Conflicts
Committee may not be officers or employees of our general partner or directors, officers
or employees of its affiliates, and must meet the independence standards established by
the NYSE to serve on an audit committee of a board of directors and certain other
requirements.
The Conflicts Committee:
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reviews specific matters that the Board believes may involve conflicts of interest; and |
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determines if the resolution of the conflict of interest is fair and reasonable to us. |
Any matters approved by the Conflicts
Committee will be conclusively deemed to be fair and reasonable to us, approved by all of
our partners, and not a breach by our general partner of any duties it may owe us or our
unitholders.
The Corporate Governance Committee of
our general partner is composed of at least two or more directors, a majority of whom must
meet the independence standards established by the NYSE. This committee is currently
comprised of directors Ihab J.M. Massoud (Chair), Robert E. Boyd and George Watson.
The Corporate Governance
Committee:
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oversees the operation and effectiveness of the Board and its corporate governance; |
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develops and recommends to the Board corporate governance principles and policies
applicable to us and our general partner and monitors compliance with these principles and
policies and recommends to the Board appropriate changes; and |
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oversees director compensation and the long-term incentive plan described above. |
Crewing and Staff
As of December 31, 2005, we employed
approximately 376 seagoing staff who serve on our vessels and approximately 32 shore
staff. Teekay Shipping Corporation and its subsidiaries may employ additional seagoing
staff to assist us as we grow and has staffed the three Suezmax tankers we acquired in
connection with our follow-on offering. Certain subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping
Corporation provide advisory, operational and administrative support to us pursuant to
services agreements. Please read Item 7 Major Unitholders and Related Party
Transactions.
We regard attracting and retaining
motivated seagoing personnel as a top priority. Like Teekay Shipping Corporation, we offer
our seafarers competitive employment packages and comprehensive benefits and opportunities
for personal and career development, which relates to a philosophy of promoting
internally.
Teekay Shipping Corporation has
entered into a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Philippine Seafarers Union,
an affiliate of the International Transport Workers Federation (or ITF), and
a Special Agreement with ITF London, which cover substantially all of the officers and
seamen that operate our Bahamian-flagged vessels. Our officers and seamen for our
Spanish-flagged vessels are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with Spains
Union General de Trabajadores and Comisiones Obreras. We believe our relationships with
these labor unions are good.
Our commitment to training is
fundamental to the development of the highest caliber of seafarers for our marine
operations. Teekay Shipping Corporation has agreed to allow our personnel to participate
in its training programs. Teekay Shipping Corporations cadet training approach is
designed to balance academic learning with hands-on training at sea. Teekay Shipping
Corporation has relationships with training institutions in Canada, Croatia, India,
Latvia, Norway, Philippines, Turkey and the United Kingdom. After receiving formal
instruction at one of these institutions, our cadets training continues on board on
one of our vessels. Teekay Shipping Corporation also has a career development plan that we
follow, which was designed to ensure a continuous flow of qualified officers who are
trained on its vessels and familiarized with its operational standards, systems and
policies. We believe that high-quality crewing and training policies will play an
increasingly important role in distinguishing larger independent shipping companies that
have in-house or affiliate capabilities from smaller companies that must rely on outside
ship managers and crewing agents on the basis of customer service and safety.
Unit Ownership
The following table sets forth
certain information regarding beneficial ownership, as of March 31, 2006, of our
units by all directors and officers of our general partner and key employees as a group.
The information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other
purpose. Under SEC rules a person or entity beneficially owns any units that the person or
entity has the right to acquire as of May 30, 2006 (60 days after March 31, 2006)
through the exercise of any unit option or other right. Unless otherwise indicated, each
person or entity has sole voting and investment power (or shares such powers with his or
her spouse) with respect to the units set forth in the following table. Information for
certain holders is based on information delivered to us.
Identity of Person or Group Percentage of
Total Common
Percentage of Percentage of and
Common Units Common Units Subordinated Subordinated Subordinated
Owned Owned Units Owned Units Owned Units Owned(3)
All executive officers, key
employees and directors as
a group (10 persons) (1) (2).... 254,336 1.26% - - 0.73%
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(1) |
Excludes units owned by Teekay Shipping Corporation, on the board of which serve
the directors of our general partner, C. Sean Day and Bjorn Moller, and our
general partners Secretary, Bruce C. Bell. In addition, Mr. Moller is
Teekay Shipping Corporations Chief Executive Officer, and
Peter Evensen, our general partners Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Financial Officer and Director, is Teekay Shipping Corporations Chief
Financial Officer. Messrs. Day and Bell, also serve as directors and as the
Chairman and Vice President, respectively, of Teekay Shipping Corporations
largest stockholder. |
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(2) |
Each director, executive officer and key employee beneficially owns less than
one percent of the outstanding common and subordinated units. |
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(3) |
Excludes the 2% general partner interest held by our general partner, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Teekay Shipping Corporation. |
Item 7. Major
Unitholders and Related Party Transactions
Major Unitholders
The following table sets forth information
regarding beneficial ownership, as of March 31, 2006, of the Partnerships
common and subordinated units by each person we know to beneficially own more than 5% of
the common or subordinated units. The number of units beneficially owned by each person is
determined under SEC rules and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial
ownership for any other purpose. Under SEC rules a person beneficially owns any units as
to which the person has or shares voting or investment power. In addition, a person
beneficially owns any units that the person or entity has the right to acquire as of
May 30, 2006 (60 days after March 31, 2006) through the exercise of any unit option
or other right. The unitholder listed below has sole voting and investment power with
respect to the units set forth in the following table.
Identity of Person or Group Percentage of
Percentage of Percentage of Total Common
Common Units Common Units Subordinated Subordinated and Subordinated
Owned Owned Units Owned Units Owned Units Owned
Teekay Shipping
Corporation (1)................. 8,734,572 43.2% 14,734,572 100.0% 67.1%
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(1) |
Excludes the 2% general partner interest held by our general partner, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Teekay Shipping Corporation. |
Our majority unitholder has the same
voting rights as our other unitholders. The Partnership is directly controlled by Teekay
Shipping Corporation. We are not aware of any arrangements, the operation of which may at
a subsequent date result in a change in control of the Partnership.
Related Party
Transactions
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a) |
Pursuant to a Contribution, Conveyance and Assumption Agreement, on May 6, 2005,
Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed all of the outstanding shares of Luxco,
all but $54.9 million of the notes receivable from Luxco, and all of the
outstanding equity interests of Granada Spirit L.L.C., which owns the Suezmax
tanker, the Granada Spirit, to us in connection with our initial public
offering on May 10, 2005 of common units, which represent limited partner
interests in us. We subsequently repaid the $54.9 million note receivable. |
|
b) |
We have entered into an omnibus agreement with Teekay Shipping Corporation, our
general partner, and our operating company, Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C. The
following discussion describes provisions of the omnibus agreement. |
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Noncompetition. Under the omnibus agreement, Teekay Shipping Corporation has agreed, and has
caused its controlled affiliates (other than us) to agree, not to own, operate
or charter LNG carriers. This restriction does not prevent Teekay Shipping
Corporation or any of its controlled affiliates (other than us) from, among
other things: |
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|
acquiring LNG carriers and related time charters as part of a business and operating or
chartering those vessels if a majority of the value of the total assets or business
acquired is not attributable to the LNG carriers and related time charters, as determined
in good faith by the board of directors of Teekay Shipping Corporation; however, if at any
time Teekay Shipping Corporation completes such an acquisition, it must offer to sell the
LNG carriers and related time charters to us for their fair market value plus any
additional tax or other similar costs to Teekay Shipping Corporation that would be
required to transfer the LNG carriers and time charters to us separately from the acquired
business; |
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|
owning, operating or chartering LNG carriers that relate to a bid or award for a proposed
LNG project that Teekay Shipping Corporation or any of its subsidiaries has submitted or
hereafter submits or receives; however, at least 180 days prior to the scheduled delivery
date of any such LNG carrier, Teekay Shipping Corporation must offer to sell the LNG
carrier and related time charter to us, with the vessel valued at its fully-built-up
cost, which represents the aggregate expenditures incurred (or to be incurred prior
to delivery to us) by Teekay Shipping Corporation to acquire or construct and bring such
LNG carrier to the condition and location necessary for our intended use; or |
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|
acquiring, operating or chartering LNG carriers if our general partner has previously
advised Teekay Shipping Corporation that the board of directors of our general partner has
elected, with the approval of its conflicts committee, not to cause us or our subsidiaries
to acquire or operate the carriers. |
|
The
omnibus agreement also permits us to pay to Teekay Shipping Corporation any
incentive fees approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors
of our general partner, in its sole discretion and relating to LNG projects provided to us
by Teekay Shipping Corporation. |
|
In
addition, under the omnibus agreement we have agreed not to own, operate or charter crude
oil tankers. This restriction does not apply to any of the Suezmax tankers in our current
fleet, and the ownership, operation or chartering of any oil tankers that replace any of
those oil tankers in connection with certain events. In addition, the restriction does not
prevent us from, among other things: |
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|
acquiring oil tankers and any related time charters as part of a business and operating or
chartering those vessels, if a majority of the value of the total assets or business
acquired is not attributable to the oil tankers and any related charters, as determined by
the conflicts committee of our general partners board of directors; however, if at
any time we complete such an acquisition, we are required to promptly offer to sell the
oil tankers and time charters to Teekay Shipping Corporation for fair market value plus
any additional tax or other similar costs to us that would be required to transfer the oil
tankers and time charters to Teekay Shipping Corporation separately from the acquired
business; or |
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acquiring, operating or chartering oil tankers if Teekay Shipping Corporation has
previously advised our general partner that it has elected not to acquire or operate those
tankers. |
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Rights
of First Offer on Suezmax Tankers and LNG Carriers. Under the omnibus agreement, we
have granted to Teekay Shipping Corporation a 30-day right of first offer on any proposed
(a) sale, transfer or other disposition of any of our Suezmax tankers or (b) re-chartering
of any of our Suezmax tankers pursuant to a time charter with a term of at least three
years if the existing charter expires or is terminated early. Likewise, Teekay Shipping
Corporation has granted a similar right of first offer to us for any LNG carriers it might
own. These rights of first offer do not apply to certain transactions. |
|
c) |
We and certain of our subsidiaries have entered into services agreements with
subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation pursuant to which the Teekay
Shipping Corporation subsidiaries have agreed to provide (a) to us certain
non-strategic administrative services, (b) advisory, technical and
administrative services that supplement existing capabilities of the employees
of our operating subsidiaries and (c) strategic consulting and advisory
services to our operating subsidiaries relating to our LNG business, unless the
provision of those services would materially interfere with Teekay Shipping
Corporations operations. These services are to be provided in a
commercially reasonably manner and upon the reasonable request of our general
partner or our operating subsidiaries, as applicable. The Teekay Shipping
Corporation subsidiaries that are parties to the services agreements may provide
these services directly or may subcontract for certain of these services with
other entities, including other Teekay Shipping Corporation subsidiaries. We pay
a reasonable, arms-length fee for the services that includes reimbursement
of the reasonable cost of any direct and indirect expenses the Teekay Shipping Corporation
subsidiaries incur in
providing these services. During the period from May 10, 2005 to December 31,
2005, we incurred $1.1 million of costs under these agreements. |
|
d) |
We reimburse our general partner for all expenses necessary or appropriate for
the conduct of our business. During the period from May 10, 2005 to December 31,
2005, we incurred $0.2 million of these costs. |
|
e) |
We have agreed to acquire from Teekay Shipping Corporation its 100% ownership
interest in Teekay Nakilat Holdings Corporation (or Teekay Nakilat
Holdings). Teekay Nakilat Holdings owns 70% of Teekay Nakilat, which in
turns owns three subsidiaries, each of which has contracted to have built one of
the three RasGas II LNG newbuildings. Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd.
(Nakilat) owns the remaining 30% interest in Teekay Nakilat. Our estimated
purchase price for the 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat is $92.8 million, plus the
assumption of approximately $327.7 million of long-term debt. |
|
During
January 2006, Teekay Shipping Corporation completed a 30-year U.K. lease arrangement that
will be used to finance the purchase of the three RasGas II LNG newbuilding carriers owned
by Teekay Nakilat. The tax benefits of this lease arrangement are expected to reduce the
equity portion of our purchase of Teekay Shipping Corporations 70% interest in
Teekay Nakilat by approximately $40 million, from approximately $93 million to
approximately $53 million. |
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The
purchase will occur upon the delivery of the first carrier, which is scheduled for the
fourth quarter of 2006. The remaining two carriers are scheduled for delivery in the first
half of 2007. Upon their deliveries, these vessels will provide transportation services
under 20-year, fixed-rate time charters to Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Limited
(II), a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil RasGas Inc., a subsidiary of
ExxonMobil Corporation, established for the purpose of expanding LNG production in Qatar. |
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Our
aggregate purchase price for Teekay Shipping Corporations interest in Teekay Nakilat
will reimburse Teekay Shipping Corporation for its costs related to the construction and
delivery of the three RasGas II vessels and compensate it for its cost of capital on
construction payments made to the shipyard. Teekay Shipping Corporation will provide all
capital required to finance the construction of the three RasGas II vessels until our
purchase of Teekay Nakilat Holdings. An initial installment equal to 90% of the estimated
purchase price will be payable upon delivery of the first vessel, with the balance due
within 90 days of delivery of the third vessel. Payments will be made in either cash or
our common units, at Teekay Shipping Corporations election made at least 90 days
prior to payment thereof, or such other consideration as agreed between Teekay Shipping
Corporation and the conflicts committee of our general partners board of directors.
Payments in our common units will be valued at their average closing price during the
10-trading day period immediately preceding the payment or, if lower, their price per
share to the public in any offering undertaken by us to partially finance our purchase. |
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f) |
In December 2004, Teekay Spain sold the Granada Spirit to a subsidiary of
Teekay Shipping Corporation for $26.5 million. The resulting gain on sale of
$4.9 million was accounted for as an equity contribution. This sale was done in
connection with a drydocking and re-flagging of the vessel. Teekay Spain had
operated the vessel on the spot market until it was sold. |
|
Following
Teekay Shipping Corporations contribution of the Granada Spirit LLC back to us on
the closing of our initial public offering in May 2005, we entered into a short-term,
fixed-rate time charter and vessel sales agreement with a subsidiary of Teekay Shipping
Corporation for the Granada Spirit. |
|
On
May 26, 2005, we sold the Granada Spirit to the Teekay Shipping Corporation
subsidiary for $20.6 million, resulting in a gain on sale of $0.2 million. Net
voyage revenues earned under the short-term time-charter contract with Teekay Shipping
Corporation were $0.5 million. |
|
g) |
In early 2005, we sold the Santiago Spirit (a newly constructed,
double-hulled Suezmax tanker delivered in March 2005) to a subsidiary of Teekay
Shipping Corporation for $70.0 million. The resulting $3.1 million loss on
sale, net of income taxes, has been accounted for as an equity distribution. |
|
h) |
Our Suezmax tanker, the Toledo Spirit, which delivered in July 2005,
operates pursuant to a time-charter contract that increases or decreases the
fixed rate established in the charter, depending on the spot charter rates that
we would have earned had we traded the vessel in the spot tanker market. We
entered into an agreement with Teekay Shipping Corporation such that Teekay
Shipping Corporation pays us any amounts payable to the charter party as a
result of spot rates being below the fixed rate, and we pay Teekay Shipping
Corporation any amounts payable to us as a result of spot rates being in excess
of the fixed rate. During the period from May 10, 2005 to December 31, 2005,
$2.8 million was paid or payable by us to Teekay Shipping Corporation as a
result of this agreement. |
|
i) |
Concurrently with the closing of our follow-on public offering of common units
in November 2005, we acquired the three ConocoPhillips Tankers and related
long-term, fixed-rate time charter contracts from Teekay Shipping Corporation
for $180.0 million. The vessels are chartered to a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips,
an international, integrated energy company. Each time charter has a remaining
scheduled term of approximately 10 years, subject to termination and vessel sale
and purchase rights. In addition, ConocoPhillips has the option to extend the
charters for up to an additional six years. The acquisition was funded with the
net proceeds from the offering, together with borrowings under our $100 million
revolving credit facility and cash balances. If ConocoPhillips declines to
exercise its option to extend the terms of the charters, we have granted Teekay
Shipping Corporation the right to charter the vessels for up to six years under
the same pricing terms and conditions as those in the time charters with
ConocoPhillips. |
|
j) |
The Chairman of our general partner, C. Sean Day, and our general
partners Secretary, Bruce Bell, are directors and the Chairman and Vice
President, respectively, of Resolute Investments, Inc., the largest
stockholder of Teekay Shipping Corporation. Mr. Bell is the Managing
Director of Oceanic Bank and Trust Limited, to which Teekay Shipping Corporation
paid approximately $0.5 million in 2005 for corporate administration fees
and shared office costs. Mr. Day is also the Chairman of Teekay Shipping
Corporation and his consulting company provides services primarily to affiliates
of Teekay Shipping Corporation. Another director of our general partner,
Ihab J.M. Massoud, is President of The Compass Group
International LLC, a private equity investment firm affiliated with Teekay
Shipping Corporation. |
|
k) |
Until November 2004, Andres Luna, the Managing Director of Teekay Spain, was a
stockholder of Alta Shipping S.A., a former affiliate of Teekay Spain and
currently an affiliate of Teekay Shipping Corporation. In each of 2003 and 2004,
Teekay Spain paid ship brokerage commissions to Alta Shipping S.A. relating
to Suezmax tanker time charters in amounts totaling no more than
1.0 million Euros ($1.26 million). |
Item 8. Financial
Information
Consolidated Financial
Statements and Notes
Please see Item 18 below for
additional information required to be disclosed under this Item.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time we have been, and
expect to continue to be, subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course
of our business, principally personal injury and property casualty claims. These claims,
even if lacking merit, could result in the expenditure of significant financial and
managerial resources. We are not aware of any legal proceedings or claims that we believe
will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on us.
Cash Distribution Policy
Rationale for Our Cash
Distribution Policy.
Our partnership agreement requires us
to distribute all of our available cash (as defined in our partnership agreement) within
approximately 45 days after the end of each quarter. This cash distribution policy
reflects a basic judgment that our unitholders will be better served by our distributing
our cash available after expenses and reserves rather than retaining it. Because we
believe we will generally finance any capital investments from external financing sources,
we believe that our investors are best served by our distributing all of our available
cash.
Limitations on Cash
Distributions and Our Ability to Change Our Cash Distribution Policy.
There is no guarantee that
unitholders will receive quarterly distributions from us. Our distribution policy is
subject to certain restrictions and may be changed at any time, including:
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|
Our distribution policy is subject to restrictions on distributions under our credit
agreements. Specifically, our credit agreements contain material financial tests and
covenants that we must satisfy. Should we be unable to satisfy these restrictions under
our credit agreements, we would be prohibited from making cash distributions to
unitholders notwithstanding our stated cash distribution policy. |
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|
The board of directors of our general partner has the authority to establish reserves for
the prudent conduct of our business and for future cash distributions to our unitholders,
and the establishment of those reserves could result in a reduction in cash distributions
to unitholders from levels we anticipate pursuant to our stated distribution policy. |
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|
Even if our cash distribution policy is not modified or revoked, the amount of
distributions we pay under our cash distribution policy and the decision to make any
distribution is determined by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of
our partnership agreement. |
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Under Section 51 of the Marshall Islands Limited Partnership Act, we may not make a
distribution to unitholders if the distribution would cause our liabilities to exceed the
fair value of our assets. |
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We may lack sufficient cash to pay distributions to our unitholders due to increases in
our general and administrative expenses, principal and interest payments on our
outstanding debt, tax expenses, the issuance of additional units (which will require the
payment of distributions on those units), working capital requirements and anticipated
cash needs. |
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|
While our partnership agreement requires us to distribute all of our available cash, our
partnership agreement, including provisions requiring us to make cash distributions
contained therein, may be amended. Although during the subordination period, with certain
exceptions, our partnership agreement may not be amended without the approval of the
public common unitholders, our partnership agreement can be amended with the approval of a
majority of the outstanding common units, voting as a class (including common units held
by affiliate of our general partner) after the subordination period has ended. |
Minimum Quarterly
Distribution
Common unitholders are entitled under
our partnership agreement to receive a quarterly distribution of $0.4125 per unit, or
$1.65 per year, prior to any distribution on our subordinated units to the extent we have
sufficient cash from our operations after establishment of cash reserves and payment of
fees and expenses, including payments to our general partner. Our general partner has the
authority to determine the amount of our available cash for any quarter. This
determination, as well as all determinations made by the general partner, must be made in
good faith. There is no guarantee that we will pay the minimum quarterly distribution on
the common units in any quarter, and we will be prohibited from making any distributions
to unitholders if it would cause an event of default, or an event of default is existing,
under our credit agreements.
Commencing after the date of our initial public offering, cash distributions
declared during 2005 were $20.1 million, or $0.4125 per unit per quarter. For the quarter ended June 30, 2005,
cash distributions declared were prorated for the period of May 10, 2005 to June 30, 2005.
Subordination Period
During the subordination period,
applicable to the subordinated units held by Teekay Shipping Corporation, the common units
will have the right to receive distributions of available cash from operating surplus in
an amount equal to 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 from operating surplus may be made on the subordinated
units. The purpose 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.
Incentive Distribution
Rights
Incentive distribution rights
represent the right to receive an increasing percentage of quarterly distributions of
available cash from operating surplus (as defined in our partnership agreement) after the
minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels have been achieved. Our
general partner currently holds the incentive distribution rights, but may transfer these
rights separately from its general partner interest, subject to restrictions in the
partnership agreement.
The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of the
additional available cash from operating surplus among the unitholders and our general partner up to the various target
distribution levels. The amounts set forth under Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions are the percentage
interests of the unitholders and our general partner in any available cash from
operating surplus we distribute up to and including the corresponding amount in the column Total Quarterly Distribution Target
Amount, until available cash from operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target distribution level, if any. The
percentage interests shown for the unitholders and our general partner for the minimum quarterly distribution are also applicable
to quarterly distribution amounts that are less than the minimum quarterly distribution. The percentage interests shown for our
general partner include its 2% general partner interest and assume the general partner has not transferred the incentive
distribution rights.
Marginal Percentage Interest
Total Quarterly Distribution in Distributions
Target Amount Unitholders General Partner
Minimum Quarterly Distribution ............$0.4125 98% 2%
First Target Distribution..................up to $0.4625 98 2
Second Target Distribution.................above $0.4625 up to $0.5375 85 15
Third Target Distribution..................above $0.5375 up to $0.6500 75 25
Thereafter ................................above $0.6500 50 50
Significant Changes
No significant changes have occurred
since the date of the annual financial statements included herein.
Item 9. The Offer and
Listing
Our common units are traded on the
New York Stock Exchange (or NYSE) under the symbol TGP. The following
table sets forth the high and low closing sales prices for our common units on the NYSE
for each of the periods indicated.
Year Ended Dec. 31,
2005 (1)
----------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ----------- -----------
High.......................... 34.70
Low........................... 24.30
Quarters Ended Dec. 31, Sept. 30, June 30,
2005 2005 2005 (1)
----------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ----------- -----------
High.......................... 31.66 34.70 28.45
Low........................... 27.40 28.12 24.30
Months Ended Feb. 28, Jan. 31, Dec. 31, Nov. 30, Oct. 31, Sept. 30,
2006 2006 2005 2005 2005 2005
----------- ------------ ----------- ------------ ----------- -----------
High.......................... 30.40 30.00 29.91 30.30 31.66 32.70
Low........................... 28.65 29.32 28.05 27.40 27.75 30.00
|
(1) |
Period beginning May 5, 2005. |
Item 10. Additional
Information
Memorandum and Articles
of Association
The information required to be
disclosed under Item 10.B is incorporated by reference to the following sections of
the prospectus included in Amendment No. 2 to our Registration Statement on
Form F-1 filed with the SEC on November 15, 2005: The Partnership
Agreement, Description of the Common Units The Units, Conflicts
of Interest and Fiduciary Duties and Cash Distribution Policy.
Material Contracts
The following is a summary of each
material contract, other than material contracts entered into in the ordinary course of
business, to which we or any of our subsidiaries is a party, for the two years immediately
preceding the date of this Annual Report, each of which is included in the list of
exhibits in Item 19:
|
(a) |
Agreement, dated February 21, 2001, for a U.S. $100,000,000 Revolving Credit
Facility between Naviera Teekay Gas S.L., J.P. Morgan plc and various other
banks. This facility bears interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.2%. The credit
facility is available to us until September 2009 and may be used for general
partnership purposes and to fund cash distributions. Under the facility, we are
required to reduce all borrowings used to fund cash distributions to zero for a
period of at least 15 consecutive days during any 12-month period. Our
obligations under the facility are secured by a first-priority mortgage on one
of our LNG carriers, the Hispania Spirit, and a pledge of certain shares
of the subsidiary operating the carrier. |
|
(b) |
Agreement, dated December 7, 2005, for a U.S. $137,500,000 Revolving Credit
Facility between Asian Spirit L.L.C., African Spirit L.L.C., and European Spirit
L.L.C., Den Norske Bank ASA and various other banks. This facility bears
interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 0.50%. The amount available under the
facility reduces by $4.4 million semi-annually, with a bullet reduction of $57.7
million on maturity in April 2015. The credit facility may be used for general
partnership purposes and to fund cash distributions. Our obligations under the
facility are secured by a first-priority mortgage on three of its Suezmax
tankers and a pledge of certain shares of the subsidiaries operating the Suezmax
tankers. |
|
(c) |
Omnibus agreement with Teekay Shipping Corporation, our general partner, and our
operating company, Teekay LNG Operating L.L.C. Please read Item 7 Major
Unitholders and Related Party Transactions for a summary of certain contract
terms. |
|
(d) |
We and certain of our operating subsidiaries have entered into services
agreements with certain subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation pursuant to
which the Teekay Shipping Corporation subsidiaries provide us and our operating
subsidiaries with administrative, advisory, technical and strategic consulting
services for a reasonable, arms-length fee that includes reimbursement of the
reasonable cost of any direct and indirect expenses it incurs in providing these
services. Please read Item 7 Major Unitholders and Related Party
Transactions for a summary of certain contract terms. |
|
(e) |
Pursuant to the Nakilat Share Purchase Agreement, we have agreed to acquire from
Teekay Shipping Corporation its 100% ownership interest in Teekay Nakilat
Holdings Corporation. Please read Item 7 Major Unitholders and Related
Party Transactions for a summary of certain contract terms. |
|
(f) |
Syndicated Loan Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas III, S.L. (formerly Naviera
F. Tapias Gas III, S.A.) and Caixa de Aforros de Vigo Ourense e Pontevedra, as
Agent, dated as of October 2, 2000, as amended. This facility was used to make
restricted cash deposits that fully fund payments under a capital lease for one
of our LNG carriers, the Catalunya Spirit. |
|
(g) |
Bareboat Charter Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas III, S.L. (formerly Naviera F. Tapias Gas III, S.A.) and Poseidon
Gas AIE dated as of October 2, 2000. This bareboat charter agreement has a term of three years and is for one of our LNG
carriers, the Catalunya Spirit.
|
|
(h) |
Credit Facility Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas IV, S.L. (formerly Naviera
F. Tapias Gas IV, S.A.) and Chase Manhattan International Limited, as Agent,
dated as of December 21, 2001, as amended. This facility was used to make
restricted cash deposits that fully fund payments under a capital lease for one
of our LNG carriers, the Madrid Spirit. |
|
(i) |
Bareboat Charter Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas IV, S.L. (formerly Naviera F.Tapias Gas IV, S.A.) and Pagumar AIE
dated as of December 30, 2003. This bareboat charter agreement has a term of seven years and is for one of our LNG
carriers, the Madrid Spirit.
|
|
(j) |
Contribution, Conveyance and Assumption Agreement. Please read Item 7
Major Unitholders and Related Party Transactions for a summary of certain
contract terms. |
|
(k) |
Teekay LNG Partners L.P. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Please read Item 6
Directors, Senior Management and Employees for a summary of certain plan terms. |
Exchange Controls and
Other Limitations Affecting Unitholders
We are not aware of any governmental
laws, decrees or regulations, including foreign exchange controls, in the Republic of The
Marshall Islands that restrict the export or import of capital, or that affect the
remittance of dividends, interest or other payments to non-resident holders of our
securities.
We are not aware of any limitations
on the right of non-resident or foreign owners to hold or vote our securities imposed by
the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands or our Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws.
Taxation
Marshall Islands Tax
Consequences. Because we and our subsidiaries do not, and we do not expect
that we and our subsidiaries will, conduct business or operations in the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, and because all documentation related to our initial public offering and
follow-on offering was executed outside of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, under
current Marshall Islands law, no taxes or withholdings will be imposed by the Republic of
the Marshall Islands on distributions, including upon a return of capital, made to
unitholders, so long as such persons do not reside in, maintain offices in, nor engage in
business in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Furthermore, no stamp, capital gains or
other taxes will be imposed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands on the purchase,
ownership or disposition by such persons of our common units.
Canadian Federal Income Tax
Consequences. The following discussion is a summary of the material
Canadian federal income tax consequences under the Income Tax Act (Canada) (or the
Canada Tax Act), that we believe are relevant to holders of common units who are,
at all relevant times, for the purposes of the Canada Tax Act and the Canada-United States
Tax Convention 1980 (or the Canada-U.S. Treaty) resident in the United States
and who deal at arms length with us and Teekay Shipping Corporation (or
U.S. Resident Holders).
Under the Canada Tax Act, no taxes on
income (including taxable capital gains) are payable by U.S. Resident Holders in
respect of the acquisition, holding, disposition or redemption of the common units,
provided that we do not carry on business in Canada and such U.S. Resident Holders do
not, for the purposes of the Canada-U.S. Treaty, otherwise have a permanent
establishment or fixed base in Canada to which such common units pertain and, in addition,
do not use or hold and are not deemed or considered to use or hold such common units in
the course of carrying on a business in Canada and, in the case of any U.S. Resident
Holders that carry on an insurance business in Canada and elsewhere, such
U.S. Resident Holders establish that the common units are not effectively connected
with their insurance business carried on in Canada.
In this connection, we believe that
our activities and affairs can be conducted in a manner that we will not be carrying on
business in Canada and that U.S. Resident Holders should not be considered to be
carrying on business in Canada for purposes of the Canada Tax Act solely by reason of the
acquisition, holding, disposition or redemption of their common units. We intend that this
is and continues to be the case, notwithstanding that certain services will be provided to
Teekay LNG Partners L.P., indirectly through arrangements with a subsidiary of Teekay
Shipping Corporation that is resident and based in the Bahamas, by Canadian service
providers. However, we cannot asure this result.
Documents on Display
Documents concerning us that are
referred to herein may be inspected at our principal executive headquarters at Bayside
House, Bayside Executive Park, West Bay Street & Blake Road, P.O. Box AP-59212,
Nassau, The Bahamas. Those documents electronically filed via the SECs Electronic
Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (or EDGAR) system may also be obtained from
the SECs website at www.sec.gov, free of charge, or from the
Public Reference Section at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates.
Further information on the operation of the SEC public reference rooms may be obtained by
calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
Item 11. Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk
We are exposed to the impact of
interest rate changes primarily through our unhedged floating-rate borrowings. Significant
increases in interest rates could adversely affect our operating margins, results of
operations and our ability to service our debt. We use interest rate swaps to reduce our
exposure to market risk from changes in interest rates. The principal objective of these
contracts is to minimize the risks and costs associated with our floating-rate debt. As at
December 31, 2005, our unhedged floating-rate borrowings totaled $29.0 million. A 1%
increase in the interest rates on that amount would result in $0.3 million in additional
annual interest payments.
The table below provides information
about our financial instruments at December 31, 2005, that are sensitive to changes in
interest rates. For debt obligations, the table presents principal payments and related
weighted-average interest rates by expected maturity dates. For interest rate swaps, the
table presents notional amounts and weighted-average interest rates by expected
contractual maturity dates.
Expected Maturity Date
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Thereafter Rate(1)
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
(in millions of U.S. dollars, except percentages)
Long-Term Debt:
Variable Rate Debt
U.S. Dollar-denominated (2) .............. - - - 29.0 - - 5.6%
U.S. Dollar-denominated
(newbuildings) (2)(3)................... - 6.4 11.0 11.0 11.0 278.2 5.1%
Euro-denominated (4)(5) .................. 8.1 8.7 9.3 10.0 10.7 330.6 3.6%
Capital Lease Obligations (6)
Fixed-Rate Obligations (7)................ 8.6 130.7 3.7 3.8 84.0 - 7.4%
Average Interest Rate (8)................. 7.5% 8.8% 5.4% 5.4% 5.5% n/a
Interest Rate Swaps:
Contract Amount
(U.S. Dollar-denominated) (9)........... - 2.2 4.5 4.9 5.3 217.1 6.2%
Average Fixed Pay Rate (2) ............... - 6.2% 6.2% 6.2% 6.2% 6.2%
Contract Amount
(Euro-denominated) (5)(10).............. 8.1 8.7 9.3 10.0 10.7 330.6 3.8%
Average Fixed Pay Rate (4) ............... 3.8% 3.8% 3.8% 3.8% 3.8% 3.8%
|
(1) |
Rate refers to the weighted-average effective interest rate for our debt,
including the margin we pay on our floating-rate debt, as at December 31, 2005,
and the average fixed pay rate for our swap agreements, as applicable. The
average fixed pay rate for our interest rate swaps excludes the margin we pay on
our floating-rate debt, which as of December 31, 2005 ranged from 0.9% to 1.3%. |
|
(2) |
Interest payments on U.S. Dollar-denominated debt and interest rate swaps are
based on LIBOR. |
|
(3) |
During May 2005, we entered into an agreement with Teekay Shipping Corporation
to purchase its 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat, which owns three LNG
newbuildings and the related 20-year time charters. The purchase will occur upon
the delivery of the first newbuilding, which is scheduled during the fourth
quarter of 2006. As a result of this agreement, under current U.S. accounting
guidelines we are required to consolidate Teekay Nakilat even though we do not
yet have an ownership interest in Teekay Nakilat. As at December 31, 2005, the
assets of Teekay Nakilat included the three LNG newbuildings, which had a carrying
value of $316.9 million and other assets of $2.7 million. These assets have been
financed with $205.9 of term loans and $113.7 million of loans from Teekay Shipping Corporation
and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat). |
|
(4) |
Interest payments on Euro-denominated debt and interest rate swaps are based on
EURIBOR. |
|
(5) |
Euro-denominated amounts have been converted to U.S. Dollars using the
prevailing exchange rate as of December 31, 2005. |
|
(6) |
Excludes the capital lease obligations (present value of minimum lease payments)
of 244.0 million Euros ($289.2 million) on two of our LNG carriers. Under the
terms of these lease obligations, we are required to have on deposit with
financial institutions an amount of cash that, together with the interest earned
thereon, will fully fund the amount owing under the capital lease obligations,
including purchase obligations. Consequently, we are not subject to interest
rate risk from these obligations. |
|
(7) |
The amount of capital lease obligations represents the present value of minimum
lease payments together with our purchase obligation. |
|
(8) |
The average interest rate is the weighted-average interest rate implicit in the
capital lease obligations at the inception of the leases. |
|
(9) |
The average variable receive rate for our U.S. Dollar-denominated interest rate
swaps is set quarterly at 3-month LIBOR. |
|
(10) |
The average variable receive rate for our Euro-denominated interest rate swaps
is set monthly at 1-month EURIBOR or semi-annually at the 6-month EURIBOR. |
The following table sets forth
further information about our interest rate swap agreements, long-term debt and capital
lease obligations as at December 31, 2005 and 2004.
Contract Fair Value/
Amount Carrying Amount Rate(1)
------------- ------------- -------------
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
December 31, 2005
Interest Rate Swap Agreements:
U.S. Dollar-denominated........................... 234.0 (23.6) 6.2%
Euro-denominated.................................. 377.4 (10.1) 3.8%
Long-Term Debt: (2)
U.S. Dollar-denominated........................... 29.0 (29.0) 5.6%
U.S. Dollar-denominated (newbuildings) (3)........ 317.6 (317.6) 5.1%
Euro-denominated.................................. 377.4 (377.4) 3.6%
December 31, 2004
Interest Rate Swap Agreements:
U.S. Dollar-denominated........................... 328.5 (44.3) 6.7%
Euro-denominated.................................. 441.0 (90.6) 5.9%
Long-Term Debt: (2)
U.S. Dollar-denominated........................... 531.2 (531.2) 5.1%
Euro-denominated ................................. 443.7 (443.7) 3.4%
|
(1) |
Rate refers to the weighted-average effective interest rate for our debt and
capital lease obligations and average fixed pay rate for our swap agreements.
The average interest rate for our capital lease obligations is the
weighted-average interest rate implicit in our lease obligations at the
inception of the leases. The average fixed pay rate on our interest rate swap
agreements excludes the margin we pay on our floating-rate debt. |
|
(2) |
Includes capital lease obligations except for capital lease obligations of
$289.1 million (December 31, 2005) and $413.2 million (December 31, 2004) on two
of our LNG carriers. Under the terms of these lease obligations, we are required
to have on deposit with financial institutions an amount of cash that together
with the interest earned thereon, will fully fund the amount owing under the
capital lease obligations, including purchase obligations. |
|
(3) |
Please read Note 3 from previous table. |
Counterparties to these financial
instruments expose us to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance; however,
counterparties to these agreements are major financial institutions, and we consider the
risk of loss due to nonperformance to be minimal. We do not require collateral from these
institutions. We do not hold or issue interest rate swaps for trading purposes.
Foreign Currency
Fluctuation Risk
We are exposed to the impact of
changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Revenues generated from three of our time
charters are either partially or solely denominated in Euros. During 2005, we earned
approximately 47.5 million Euros ($59.5 million) in
Euro-denominated revenues from these three time charters. The Euro-denominated cash
received from these charters is used for payment of Euro-denominated expenditures,
including vessel operating expenses for our Spanish crew, general and administrative
expenses for our Madrid office and interest and principal repayments for our
Euro-denominated debt. Our Euro-denominated revenues currently approximate our
Euro-denominated expenses and Euro-denominated loan and interest payments. For this
reason, we have not entered into any forward contracts or similar arrangements to protect
against the currency risk of foreign currency-denominated revenues, expenses, monetary
assets or monetary liabilities. If our foreign currency-denominated revenues and expenses
become sufficiently disproportionate in the future, we may engage in hedging activities.
Item 12. Description of
Securities Other than Equity Securities
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 13. Defaults,
Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies
None.
Item 14. Material Modifications to the Rights of
Unitholders and Use of Proceeds
The Partnership completed its initial
public offering and a follow-on public offering during May 2005 and November 2005,
respectively. For information regarding the use of proceeds, please read Item 18
Financial Statements: Note 2 Public Offerings
Item 15. Controls and
Procedures
We conducted an evaluation of our
disclosure controls and procedures under the supervision and with the participation of our
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Based on the evaluation, our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures were effective as of December 31, 2005 to ensure that information required to
be disclosed by the Partnership in the reports we file or submit under the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934 is accumulated and communicated to the Partnerships management,
including our principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing
similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer does not expect that our disclosure controls or internal controls will
prevent all error and all fraud. Although our disclosure controls and procedures were
designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, a control system,
no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute,
assurance that the objectives of the system are met. Further, the design of a control
system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of
controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations
in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all
control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Partnership have been detected.
These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be
faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally,
controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two
or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of
controls also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future
events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated
goals under all potential future conditions.
Item 16A. Audit
Committee Financial Expert
The board of directors of our general
partner has determined that director, Robert E. Boyd, qualifies as an audit
committee financial expert and is independent under applicable NYSE and SEC standards.
Item 16B. Code of Ethics
We have adopted Standards of Business
Conduct that include a Code of Ethics for all our employees and the employees and
directors of our general partner. This document is available under Other Information
Corporate Governance in the Investor Centre of our web site
(www.teekaylng.com). We intend to disclose, under Other Information
Corporate Governance in the Investor Centre of our web site, any waivers to or
amendments of our Standards of Business Conduct or Code of Ethics for the benefit of any
directors and executive officers of our general partner.
Item 16C. Principal
Accountant Fees and Services
Our principal accountant for 2005 and
2004 was Ernst & Young LLP, Chartered Accountants. The following table shows the fees
we or our predecessor (Luxco and its subsidiaries) paid or accrued for audit services
provided by Ernst & Young LLP for 2005 and 2004.
Fees 2005 2004
------------------ ------------------
Audit Fees (1)..................... $293,225 $141,900
Audit-Related Fees (2)............. 86,350 252,545
------------------ ------------------
Total........................... $379,575 $394,445
================== ==================
|
(1) |
Audit fees represent fees for professional services provided in connection with
the audit of our consolidated financial statements and review of our quarterly
consolidated financial statements and audit services provided in connection with
other statutory or regulatory filings. |
|
(2) |
Audit-related fees consisted primarily of professional services in connection
with the review of our regulatory filings for our initial and follow-on public
offerings. |
The Audit Committee of our general
partners board of directors has the authority to pre-approve permissible
audit-related and non-audit services not prohibited by law to be performed by our
independent auditors and associated fees. Engagements for proposed services either may be
separately pre-approved by the Audit Committee or entered into pursuant to detailed
pre-approval policies and procedures established by the Audit Committee, as long as the
Audit Committee is informed on a timely basis of any engagement entered into on that
basis. The Audit Committee separately pre-approved all engagements and fees paid to our
principal accountant in 2005.
Item 16D. Exemptions
from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees
Not applicable.
Item 16E. Purchases of
Units by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 17. Financial
Statements
Not applicable.
Item 18. Financial Statements
The following financial statements
and schedule, together with the related report of Ernst & Young LLP, Chartered
Accountants, are filed as part of this Annual Report:
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm........................... F-1
Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).......................................... F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets....................................................... F-3
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows............................................. F-4
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Partners' Equity/Stockholder Deficit........ F-5
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.................................... F-7
All other schedules for which
provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations of the SEC are not required,
are inapplicable or have been disclosed in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial
Statements and therefore have been omitted.
Item 19. Exhibits
The following exhibits are filed as
part of this Annual Report:
1.1 Certificate of Limited Partnership of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (1)
1.2 First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (2)
1.3 Certificate of Formation of Teekay GP L.L.C. (1)
1.4 Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Teekay GP L.L.C. (3)
4.1 Agreement, dated February 21, 2001, for a U.S $100,000,000 Revolving Credit Facility between
Naviera Teekay Gas S.L. , J.P. Morgan plc and various other banks (5)
4.2 Contribution, Conveyance and Assumption Agreement (6)
4.3 Teekay LNG Partners L.P. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (5)
4.4 Omnibus Agreement (6)
4.5 Administrative Services Agreement with Teekay Shipping Limited (5)
4.6 Advisory, Technical and Administrative Services Agreement (5)
4.7 LNG Strategic Consulting and Advisory Services Agreement (5)
4.8 Granada Spirit Purchase Agreement (5)
4.9 Granada Spirit Charter (5)
4.10 Agreement to Purchase Nakilat Interest (5)
4.11 Syndicated Loan Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas III, S.L. (formerly Naviera F. Tapias
Gas III, S.A.) and Caixa de Aforros de Vigo Ourense e Pontevedra, as Agent,
dated as of October 2, 2000, as amended (5)
4.12 Bareboat Charter Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas III, S.L. (formerly Naviera F. Tapias
Gas III, S.A.) and Poseidon Gas AIE dated as of October 2, 2000 (5)
4.13 Credit Facility Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas IV, S.L.(formerly Naviera F. Tapias Gas IV, S.A.)
and Chase Manhattan International Limited, as Agent, dated as of December 21, 2001, as amended (5)
4.14 Bareboat Charter Agreement between Naviera Teekay Gas IV, S.L. (formerly Naviera F. Tapias Gas IV,
S.A.) and Pagumar AIE dated as of December 30, 2003 (5)
4.15 Agreement, dated December 7, 2005, for a U.S. $137,500,000 Secured Reducing Revolving Loan
Facility Agreement between Asian Spirit L.L.C., African Spirit L.L.C., European Spirit L.L.C.,
DNB Nor Bank ASA and other banks
8.1 List of Subsidiaries of Teekay LNG Partners L.P.
12.1 Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Teekay LNG Partners L.P.'s Chief Executive Officer
12.2 Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Teekay LNG Partners L.P.'s Chief Financial Officer
13.1 Teekay LNG Partners L.P. Certification of Peter Evensen, Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
15.1 Letter from Ernst & Young LLP, as independent chartered accountants, dated April 13, 2006,
regarding audited financial information.
|
(1) |
Previously filed as an exhibit to the Partnership's Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-120727), filed with
the SEC on November 24, 2004, and hereby incorporated by reference to such Annual Report. |
|
(2) |
Previously filed as Appendix A to the Partnership's Rule 424(b)(4) Prospectus filed with the SEC on May 6, 2005, and
hereby incorporated by reference to such Prospectus. |
|
(3) |
Previously filed as an exhibit to the Partnership's Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No.
333-120727), filed with the SEC on January 28, 2005, and hereby incorporated by reference to such Registration Statement. |
|
(4) |
Previously filed as an exhibit to the Partnership's Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No.
333-120727), filed with the SEC on April 1, 2005, and hereby incorporated by reference to such Registration Statement. |
|
(5) |
Previously filed as an exhibit to the Partnership's Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No.
333-120727), filed with the SEC on April 11, 2005, and hereby incorporated by reference to such Registration Statement. |
|
(6) |
Previously filed as an exhibit to the Partnership's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-124647), filed with
the SEC on May 5, 2005, and hereby incorporated by reference to such Registration Statement. |
SIGNATURE
The registrant hereby certifies that
it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and
authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.
April 13, 2006 |
TEEKAY
LNG PARTNERS L.P.
By: Teekay GP L.L.C., its general partner
By: /s/ Peter Evensen Peter
Evensen Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
|
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and
Unitholders of
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS L.P.
We have audited the accompanying
consolidated balance sheets of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.) and subsidiaries (or the Partnership) as of December
31, 2005 and 2004, and the related consolidated statements of income (loss) for the years
ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 aggregated as follows:
Year ended December 31, 2005
January 1 to May 9, 2005
May 10 to December 31, 2005
Year ended December 31, 2004
January 1 to April 30, 2004
May 1 to December 31, 2004
Year ended December 31, 2003
January 1 to December 31, 2003
We have also audited the consolidated
statements of the changes in partners equity/stockholder deficit and cash flows for
the three years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Partnerships management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance
with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about
whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to
perform an audit of the Partnerships internal control over financial reporting. Our
audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for
designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the
purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Partnerships internal
control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also
includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in
the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, based on our audits,
the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the
consolidated financial position of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. and subsidiaries at December
31, 2005 and 2004, and the consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows
for each of the three years ended December 31, 2005 in conformity with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles.
Vancouver, Canada
/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP
February 21, 2006
Chartered Accountants
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES (Note 1)
(Successor to Teekay Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data)
Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
2005 2004
January 1 May 10 January 1 May 1
to to to to Year Ended
May 9, December 31, April 30, December 31, December 31,
2005 2005 2004 2004 2003
$ $ $ $ $
-------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
VOYAGE REVENUES 50,129 95,330 40,718 83,115 86,709
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
OPERATING EXPENSES
Voyage expenses 251 407 1,842 3,090 4,911
Vessel operating expenses 10,771 18,034 10,302 20,315 26,440
Depreciation and amortization 14,751 28,420 8,585 26,275 23,390
General and administrative
(notes 13c and 13d) 2,928 7,029 2,103 4,375 8,799
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Total operating expenses 28,701 53,890 22,832 54,055 63,540
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Income from vessel operations 21,428 41,440 17,886 29,060 23,169
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
OTHER ITEMS
Interest expense (notes 5, 7 and 8) (35,679) (37,623) (21,475) (50,485) (34,862)
Interest income 9,098 14,084 8,692 13,519 8,431
Foreign currency exchange gain (loss)
(note 8) 52,295 29,524 18,010 (78,831) (71,502)
Other income (loss) - net (note 11) (17,927) 2,907 (6,949) 2,342 15,332
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Total other items 7,787 8,892 (1,722) (113,455) (82,601)
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Net income (loss) 29,215 50,332 16,164 (84,395) (59,432)
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
General partner's interest in net income - 9,665 - - -
Limited partners' interest (note 17)
Net income (loss) 29,215 40,667 16,164 (84,395) (59,432)
Net income (loss) per:
Common unit (basic and diluted) 1.24 1.45 0.69 (3.60) (2.53)
Subordinated unit (basic and diluted) 1.24 1.15 0.69 (3.60) (2.53)
Total unit (basic and diluted) 1.24 1.31 0.69 (3.60) (2.53)
---------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Weighted-average number of units
outstanding:
Common units (basic and diluted) 8,734,572 16,382,987 8,734,572 8,734,572 8,734,572
Subordinated units (basic and diluted) 14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572 14,734,572
Total units (basic and diluted) 23,469,144 31,117,559 23,469,144 23,469,144 23,469,144
======================================== ============== ============== ============== ============== ==============
The accompanying notes are an
integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES (Note 1)
(Successor to Teekay Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands of U.S. dollars)
As at As at
December 31, December 31,
2005 2004
$ $
---------------- ----------------
ASSETS
Current
Cash and cash equivalents 34,469 156,410
Restricted cash - current (note 5) 139,525 82,387
Accounts receivable 2,977 7,197
Prepaid expenses and other assets 3,972 3,449
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Total current assets 180,943 249,443
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Restricted cash - long-term (note 5) 158,798 352,725
Vessels and equipment (note 8)
At cost, less accumulated depreciation of $16,235 (2004 - $5,829) 507,825 366,334
Vessels under capital leases, at cost, less accumulated
depreciation of $32,266 (2004 - $9,597) (note 5) 677,686 629,569
Advances on newbuilding contracts (note 15) 316,875 49,165
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Total vessels and equipment 1,502,386 1,045,068
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Other assets 20,215 20,394
Intangible assets - net (note 6) 169,194 178,457
Goodwill (note 6) 39,279 39,279
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Total assets 2,070,815 1,885,366
================================================================= ================ ================
LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' EQUITY/STOCKHOLDER DEFICIT
Current
Accounts payable 5,885 11,411
Accrued liabilities 13,952 8,240
Current portion of long-term debt (note 8) 8,103 22,368
Current obligation under capital leases (note 5) 137,646 87,687
Advances from affiliate (note 7) 2,222 465,695
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Total current liabilities 167,808 595,401
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Long-term debt (note 8) 398,249 764,758
Long-term obligation under capital leases (note 5) 382,343 513,361
Long-term debt related to newbuilding vessels to be
acquired (note 15) 319,573 -
Other long-term liabilities (note 14) 33,703 134,848
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Total liabilities 1,301,676 2,008,368
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Commitments and contingencies (notes 13 and 15)
Partners' equity/Stockholder deficit
Partners' equity 841,642 -
Capital stock (note 10) - 180
Accumulated deficit - (79,504)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (note 12) (72,503) (43,678)
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Total partners' equity/stockholder deficit 769,139 (123,002)
----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ----------------
Total liabilities and partners' equity/stockholder deficit 2,070,815 1,885,366
================================================================= ================ ================
The accompanying notes are an integral
part of the consolidated financial statements.
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES (Note 1)
(Successor to Teekay Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands of U.S. dollars)
Year Ended Year Ended Year Ended
December 31, December 31, December 31,
2005 2004 2003
$ $ $
---------------- ---------------- ----------------
Cash and cash equivalents provided by (used for)
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income (loss) 79,547 (68,231) (59,432)
Non-cash items:
Depreciation and amortization 43,171 34,860 23,390
Gain on sale of vessels (186) (3,428) -
Gain on sale of marketable securities - (85) (1,576)
Loss on sale of other assets - 11,922 -
Deferred income tax expense (recovery) 3,682 (5,529) 1,634
Foreign currency exchange loss (gain) (87,198) 61,180 68,897
Interest rate swaps gain - (3,985) (14,715)
Loss from settlement of interest rate swaps 7,820 - -
Write-off of capitalized loan costs 7,462 - -
Accrued interest and other - net 10,215 (6,173) 4,594
Change in non-cash working capital items related to
operating activities (note 16) 4,694 8,630 237
Expenditures for drydocking (3,489) (4,085) (4,711)
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
Net operating cash flow 65,718 25,076 18,318
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from long-term debt 291,189 133,746 211,089
Capitalized loan costs (628) (19) -
Scheduled repayments of long-term debt (9,546) (70,543) (291,730)
Scheduled repayments of capital lease obligations (77,672) (66,727) (4,115)
Prepayments of long-term debt (399,307) (61,891) -
Proceeds from issuance of common stock - 180 -
Proceeds from issuance of common units 259,289 - -
Interest rate swap settlement costs (143,295) - -
Advances from affiliate 354,277 409,141 -
Advances to affiliate (252,929) - -
Proceeds from government grants - - 49,215
Decrease (increase) in restricted cash 80,365 19,370 (242,075)
Cash distributions paid (20,090) - -
Other - 4,046 -
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
Net financing cash flow 81,653 367,303 (277,616)
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Expenditures for vessels and equipment (222,582) (89,225) (133,628)
Purchase of three Suezmax tankers from Teekay
Shipping Corporation (notes 2 and 13i) (180,000) - -
Purchase of Teekay Shipping Spain S.L., net of
cash acquired of $11,191 (note 3) - (298,184) -
Purchase of Naviera F. Tapias Gas S.A., net of cash
acquired of $5,140 - - (4,515)
Proceeds from sale of vessels and equipment 133,270 123,689 399,234
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities - 899 3,929
Proceeds from sale of other assets - 6,251 -
Other - (727) (2,254)
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
Net investing cash flow (269,312) (257,297) 262,766
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (121,941) 135,082 3,468
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the year 156,410 21,328 17,860
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the year 34,469 156,410 21,328
========================================================= ================ ================ ================
Non-cash investing and financing
activities (note 16)
The accompanying notes are an integral
part of the consolidated financial statements.
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES (Note 1)
(Successor to Teekay Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS' EQUITY/STOCKHOLDER DEFICIT
(in thousands of U.S. dollars and units)
STOCKHOLDER DEFICIT (PREDECESSOR)
-----------------------------------
Accumulated
Other
Accumulated Comprehensive
Common Deficit Loss Total
Shares $ $ $ $
---------------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Balance as at December 31, 2002 18,425 1,580 (106,152) (1,533) (106,105)
Net loss (January 1 to December 31, 2003) - - (59,432) - (59,432)
Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities - - - (296) (296)
Reclassification adjustment for loss on available-
for-sale securities included in net loss - - - 1,024 1,024
---------------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Balance as at December 31, 2003 18,425 1,580 (165,584) (805) (164,809)
Net income (January 1 to December 31, 2004) - - 16,164 - 16,164
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale
securities - - - 467 467
Reclassification adjustment for gain on available-
for-sale securities included in net income - - - (55) (55)
Sale of unrelated businesses (note 1) - - 4,047 - 4,047
---------------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Balance as at April 30, 2004 18,425 1,580 (145,373) (393) (144,186)
Elimination of stockholder deficit upon
acquisition of Teekay Shipping Spain S.L.
(note 3) (18,425) (1,580) 145,373 393 144,186
---------------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Balance as at May 1, 2004 - - - - -
Issuance of common stock 1,500 180 - - 180
Net loss (May 1 to December 31, 2004) - - (84,395) - (84,395)
Unrealized loss on derivative instruments
(note 14) - - - (57,444) (57,444)
Reclassification adjustment for loss on
derivative instruments included in net income
(note 14) - - - 13,766 13,766
Sale of the Granada Spirit (note 13f) - - 4,891 - 4,891
---------------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Balance as at December 31, 2004 1,500 180 (79,504) (43,678) (123,002)
Net income (January 1 to May 9, 2005) - - 29,215 - 29,215
Unrealized loss on derivative instruments
(note 14) - - - (22,874) (22,874)
Reclassification adjustment for loss on
derivative instruments included in net income
(note 14) - - - 14,359 14,359
Sale of the Santiago Spirit (note 13g) - - (3,115) - (3,115)
---------------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Balance as at May 9, 2005 1,500 180 (53,404) (52,193) (105,417)
============================================== =========== =========== =========== =========== ===========
The accompanying notes are an
integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES (Note 1)
(Successor to Teekay Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS' EQUITY/STOCKHOLDER DEFICIT
(in thousands of U.S. dollars and units)
PARTNERS' EQUITY
-------------------------------------------------
Limited Partners
---------------------------------------
Accumulated
Stockholder Other
Deficit General Comprehensive
(Predecessor) Common Subordinated Partner Loss Total
$ Units $ Units $ $ $ $
-------------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Balance as at May 9, 2005 (105,417) - 1 - - - - (105,416)
Equity contribution by
Teekay Shipping Corporation
(note 1) 105,417 8,734 211,788 14,735 357,318 11,614 (52,194) 633,943
Proceeds from initial
public offering of limited
partnership interests, net
of offering costs
of $16,089 (note 2) - 6,900 135,711 - - - - 135,711
Proceeds from follow-on
public offering of limited
partnership interests, net
of offering costs
of $5,832 (note 2) - 4,600 120,208 - - 2,572 - 122,780
Issuance of units to
non-employee directors (note 2) - 4 - - - - - -
Net income (May 10
December 31, 2005) - - 23,716 - 16,951 9,665 - 50,332
Cash distributions - - (10,137) - (9,551) (402) - (20,090)
Unrealized loss on derivative
instruments (note 14) - - - - - - (26,622) (26,622)
Reclassification adjustment for
loss on derivative instruments
included in net income(note 14) - - - - - - 6,313 6,313
Purchase of three Suezmax
tankers from Teekay
Shipping Corporation
(note 13i) - - (15,773) - (11,483) (556) - (27,812)
-------------------------------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Balance as at December 31, 2005 - 20,238 465,514 14,735 353,235 22,893 (72,503) 769,139
================================ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
The accompanying notes are an integral
part of the consolidated financial statements.
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
1. Summary of
Significant Accounting Policies
Basis
of presentation
|
On
April 30, 2004, Teekay Shipping Corporation through its subsidiary, Teekay Luxembourg
S.a.r.l (or Luxco), acquired all of the outstanding shares of Naviera F. Tapias
S.A. and its subsidiaries (or Tapias) and renamed it Teekay Shipping Spain S.L. (or
Teekay Spain). Teekay Shipping Corporation acquired Teekay Spain for
$298.2 million in cash, plus the assumption of debt and remaining newbuilding
commitments. |
|
On
November 3, 2004, Teekay Shipping Corporation formed Teekay LNG Partners L.P., a
Marshall Islands limited partnership (or the Partnership), to own and operate the
liquefied natural gas (or LNG) and Suezmax crude oil marine transportation
businesses conducted by Luxco and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Predecessor).
On May 6, 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed all of the outstanding shares of
Luxco, all but $54.9 million of the notes receivable from Luxco, and all of the equity
interests of Granada Spirit L.L.C., which owned the Suezmax tanker, the Granada
Spirit, to the Partnership in connection with the Partnerships initial public
offering on May 10, 2005 of 6.9 million common units, which represent limited partner
interests in the Partnership. The Partnership subsequently repaid the $54.9 million note
receivable. |
|
In
exchange for these shares, equity interests and assets, Teekay Shipping Corporation
received 8,734,572 common units and 14,734,572 subordinated units, which represented a
75.7% limited partner interest in the Partnership. The Partnerships general partner,
Teekay GP L.L.C. (or the General Partner) received a 2% general partner interest
and all of the incentive distribution rights in the Partnership. Teekay GP L.L.C. is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Teekay Shipping Corporation. During November 2005, the
Partnership issued in a public offering an additional 4.6 million common units,
effectively reducing Teekay Shipping Corporations limited partnership interest to
65.8% (please see Note 2). |
|
The
consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States. They include the accounts of Teekay
Spain and its subsidiaries for periods prior to April 30, 2004 and include the accounts of
Luxco and its subsidiaries, which includes Teekay Spain, for periods subsequent to April
30, 2004 and prior to May 10, 2005. The results for the periods subsequent to April 30,
2004 reflect the comprehensive revaluation of all assets (including intangible assets and
goodwill) and liabilities of Teekay Spain at their fair values on the date of acquisition.
For periods subsequent to May 10, 2005, the consolidated financial statements include the
accounts of Teekay LNG Partners L.P., its subsidiaries (which include, among others, Luxco
and Teekay Spain), and Teekay Nakilat Corporation (or Teekay Nakilat), a variable
interest entity for which the Partnership is the primary beneficiary (please see Note 15).
The transfer to the Partnership of the shares of and notes receivable from Luxco and
equity interests of Granada Spirit L.L.C. represented a reorganization of entities under
common control and, consequently, was recorded at historical cost. The book value of these
assets on their transfer was $633.9 million. Significant intercompany balances and
transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. |
|
Prior
to the acquisition of Teekay Spain by Teekay Shipping Corporation on April 30, 2004,
Teekay Spain disposed of three businesses previously held in subsidiaries and unrelated to
the marine transportation operations purchased by Teekay Shipping Corporation. The
accompanying audited consolidated financial statements do not include the results of these
three unrelated businesses. Proceeds received by Teekay Spain from the sale of these
businesses have been accounted for as an equity contribution. In addition, immediately
preceding the closing of the acquisition, Teekay Spain sold to its then-controlling
stockholder marketable securities, real estate, a yacht and other assets. The accompanying
audited consolidated financial statements include results related to these assets. |
|
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual
results could differ from those estimates. |
|
Certain
of the comparative figures have been reclassified to conform with the presentation adopted
in the current period. |
Reporting
currency
|
The
consolidated financial statements are stated in U.S. Dollars because the Partnership
operates in international shipping markets, the Partnerships primary economic
environment, which typically utilize the U.S. Dollar as the functional currency.
Transactions involving other currencies during the year are converted into U.S. Dollars
using the exchange rates in effect at the time of the transactions. At the balance sheet
date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than the
U.S. Dollar are translated to reflect the year-end exchange rates. Resulting gains or
losses are reflected separately in the accompanying consolidated statement of income
(loss). |
Operating
revenues and expenses
|
The
Partnership recognizes revenues from time charters daily over the term of the charter as
the applicable vessel operates under the charter. The Partnership does not recognize
revenues during days that the vessel is off-hire. |
|
Prior
to 2005, the Partnerships Predecessor generated a portion of its revenues from
voyage charters. All voyage revenues from voyage charters were recognized on a percentage
of completion method. The Partnerships Predecessor used a discharge-to-discharge
basis in determining percentage of completion for all spot voyages, whereby it recognized
revenue ratably from when product was discharged (unloaded) at the end of one voyage
to when it was discharged after the next voyage. The Partnerships Predecessor did
not begin recognizing voyage revenue until a charter has been agreed to by the customer
and the Partnerships Predecessor, even if the vessel had discharged its cargo and
was sailing to the anticipated load port on its next voyage. Estimated losses on voyages
were provided for in full at the time such losses became evident. |
|
Voyage
expenses are all expenses unique to a particular voyage, including bunker fuel expenses,
port fees, cargo loading and unloading expenses, canal tolls, agency fees and commissions.
Vessel operating expenses include crewing, repairs and maintenance, insurance, stores, |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
lube oils and communication expenses.
Voyage expenses are recognized ratably over the duration of the voyage, and vessel operating expenses are recognized when incurred. |
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
The
Partnership classifies all highly-liquid investments with a maturity date of three months
or less when purchased as cash and cash equivalents. |
|
Cash
interest paid on long-term debt, advances from affiliates and capital lease obligations
during the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 totaled $79.1 million, $57.0
million, and $39.7 million, respectively. |
Vessels
and equipment
|
All
pre-delivery costs incurred during the construction of newbuildings, including interest
and supervision and technical costs, are capitalized. The acquisition cost (net of any
government grants received) and all costs incurred to restore used vessels purchased to
the standards required to properly service the Partnerships customers are
capitalized. Governmental grants relate to the purchase of certain vessels on the
condition that they are built in Spain. |
|
Depreciation
is calculated on a straight-line basis over a vessels estimated useful life, less an
estimated residual value. Depreciation is calculated using an estimated useful life of
25 years for Suezmax tankers and 35 years for LNG carriers from the date the
vessel is delivered from the shipyard, or a shorter period if regulations prevent the
Partnership from operating the vessels for 25 years or 35 years, respectively.
Depreciation of vessels and equipment for the periods from May 10, 2005 to December 31,
2005, January 1, 2005 to May 9, 2005, the eight months ended December 31, 2004, the four
months ended April 30, 2004 and the year ended December 31, 2003 aggregated $22.2 million,
$11.2 million, $19.0 million, $7.8 million and $21.4 million, respectively. Depreciation
and amortization includes depreciation on all owned vessels and vessels accounted for as
capital leases. |
|
Interest
costs capitalized to vessels and equipment for the periods from May 10, 2005 to December
31, 2005, January 1, 2005 to May 9, 2005, the eight months ended December 31, 2004, the
four months ended April 30, 2004 and the year ended December 31, 2003 aggregated $2.5
million, $0.0 million, $2.6 million, $2.6 million and $14.0 million, respectively. |
|
Gains
on vessels sold and leased back under capital leases are deferred and amortized over the
remaining estimated useful life of the vessel. Losses on vessels sold and leased back
under capital leases are recognized immediately when the fair value of the vessel at the
time of sale-leaseback is less than its book value. In such case, the Partnership would
recognize a loss in the amount by which book value exceeds fair value. |
|
Generally,
the Partnership drydocks each LNG carrier and Suezmax tanker every five years. In
addition, a shipping society classification intermediate survey is performed on the
Partnerships LNG carriers between the second and third year of the five-year
drydocking period. The Partnership capitalizes a substantial portion of the costs incurred
during drydocking and for the survey and amortizes those costs on a straight-line basis
from the completion of a drydocking or intermediate survey to the estimated completion of
the next drydocking. The Partnership expenses costs related to routine repairs and
maintenance incurred during drydocking that do not improve or extend the useful lives of
the assets. When significant drydocking expenditures occur prior to the expiration of the
original amortization period, the remaining unamortized balance of the original drydocking
cost and any unamortized intermediate survey costs are expensed in the month of the
subsequent drydocking. Amortization of drydocking expenditures for the periods from May
10, 2005 to December 31, 2005, January 1, 2005 to May 9, 2005, the eight months ended
December 31, 2004, the four months ended April 30, 2004 and the year ended December 31,
2003 aggregated $0.3 million, $0.2 million, $1.1 million, $0.8 million and $2.0 million,
respectively. |
|
The
Partnership reviews vessels and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.
Recoverability of these assets is measured by comparison of their carrying amount to
future undiscounted cash flows the assets are expected to generate over their remaining
useful lives. If vessels and equipment are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be
recognized will equal the amount by which the carrying value of the assets exceeds their
fair market value. |
Loan
costs
|
Loan
costs, including fees, commissions and legal expenses, which are presented as other
assets, are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the
relevant loan. Amortization of loan costs is included in interest expense. |
Goodwill
and intangible assets
|
Goodwill
and indefinite lived intangible assets are not amortized, but reviewed for impairment
annually or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. Intangible assets with finite
lives are amortized over their useful lives. |
|
The
Partnerships intangible assets, which consist of time-charter contracts acquired as
part of the purchase of Teekay Spain, are amortized on a straight-line basis over the
remaining term of the time charters. |
Derivative
instruments
|
The
Partnership utilizes derivative financial instruments to reduce interest rate risk and
does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (or SFAS) No. 133. Accounting for Derivative
Instruments and Hedging |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
Activities, which was amended in June 2000 by
SFAS No. 138 and in May 2003 by SFAS No. 149, establishes accounting
and reporting standards for derivatives instruments and hedging activities. |
|
Derivative
instruments are recorded as other assets or other long-term liabilities, measured at fair
value. Derivatives that are not hedges or are not designated as hedges are adjusted to
fair value through income. If the derivative is a hedge, depending upon the nature of the
hedge, changes in the fair value of the derivatives are either offset against the fair
value of assets, liabilities or firm commitments through income, or recognized in other
comprehensive income (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in income. The
ineffective portion of a derivatives change in fair value is immediately recognized
into income (please see Note 14). |
Income
taxes
|
The
income Teekay Spain receives with respect to its Spanish-flagged vessels is subject to tax
in Spain at a rate of 35% (please see Note 11). Teekay Spains Spanish-flagged
vessels are registered in the Canary Islands Special Ship Registry. Consequently, Teekay
Spain is allowed a credit, equal to 90% of the tax payable on income from the commercial
operation of these vessels, against the tax otherwise payable. This effectively results in
an income tax rate of approximately 3.5% on income from the operation of the
Spanish-flagged vessels. |
|
Included
in other assets are deferred income taxes of $3.7 million at December 31, 2005 and $7.9
million at December 31, 2004. Taxes paid during the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004
and 2003 totaled $6.5 million, $2.1 million, and $1.3 million, respectively. The
Partnership accounts for these taxes using the liability method pursuant to
SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes. The Partnership may also pay a
minimal amount of tax in Luxembourg, resulting from interest earned on
multi-jurisdictional inter-company loans. |
Comprehensive
income (loss)
|
The
Partnership follows SFAS No. 130, Reporting Comprehensive Income, which establishes
standards for reporting and displaying comprehensive income (loss) and its components in
the consolidated financial statements. |
2.
Public Offerings
|
On
May 10, 2005, the Partnership completed its initial public offering (or the IPO) of
6.9 million common units at a price of $22.00 per unit. During November 2005, the
Partnership issued in a follow-on public offering an additional 4.6 million common units
at a price of $27.40 per unit (or the Follow-On Offering). Concurrent with
the Follow-On Offering, the General Partner contributed $2.6 million to the Partnership to
maintain its 2% general partner interest. |
|
The
proceeds received by the Partnership from the public offerings and the use of those
proceeds are summarized as follows: |
Follow-On
IPO Offering Total
$ $ $
Proceeds received: ------------- ------------- -------------
Sale of 6,900,000 common units at $22.00 per unit........ 151,800 - 151,800
Sale of 4,600,000 common units at $27.40 per unit........ - 126,040 126,040
General Partner contribution............................. - 2,572 2,572
------------- ------------- -------------
151,800 128,612 280,412
------------- ------------- -------------
Use of proceeds from sale of common units:
Underwriting and structuring fees........................ 10,473 5,042 15,515
Professional fees and other offering expenses to third
parties................................................. 5,616 790 6,406
Repayment of advances from Teekay Shipping Corporation... 129,400 - 129,400
Purchase of three Suezmax tankers from Teekay Shipping
Corporation............................................. - 122,780 122,780
Working capital.......................................... 6,311 - 6,311
------------- ------------- -------------
151,800 128,612 280,412
============= ============= =============
|
Concurrently
with the IPO, the Partnership awarded 700 common units as compensation to each of the
Partnerships five non-employee directors. These common units reverse vest equally
over a three-year period. |
3. Acquisition of Teekay
Shipping Spain S.L.
|
On
April 30, 2004, the Predecessor acquired all of the outstanding shares of Tapias and
renamed it Teekay Shipping Spain S.L. The Predecessor acquired Teekay Spain for
$298.2 million in cash, plus the assumption of debt and remaining newbuilding
commitments. Management of the General Partner believes the acquisition of Teekay
Spains business has provided the Partnership with a strategic platform from which to
expand its presence in the LNG shipping sector and access to reputable LNG operations. The
Partnership anticipates this will benefit it in acquiring future LNG projects. These
benefits contributed to the recognition of goodwill. Teekay Spains results of
operations have been consolidated with the Partnerships results commencing
May 1, 2004. |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
As
at December 31, 2005, the Partnerships LNG fleet consisted of seven vessels,
including three vessels currently under construction which Teekay Shipping
Corporation has agreed to sell its 70% interest to the Partnership upon
delivery of the first vessel, which is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2006. (Please
see Note 15). All seven vessels are contracted under long-term, fixed-rate time charters
to international energy companies. As at December 31, 2005, the Partnerships
conventional crude oil tanker fleet consisted of eight Suezmax tankers that are contracted
under long-term, fixed-rate time charters with two international energy companies. |
|
The
following table summarizes the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities of Teekay
Spain at April 30, 2004. |
As at
April 30, 2004
$
------------
ASSETS
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term restricted cash....................... 85,092
Other current assets........................................................ 7,415
Vessels and equipment....................................................... 821,939
Restricted cash - long-term................................................. 311,664
Other assets - long-term.................................................... 15,355
Intangible assets subject to amortization:
Time-charter contracts (weighted-average useful life of 19.2 years)....... 183,052
Goodwill ($3.6 million Suezmax tanker segment, and $35.7
million LNG carrier segment) ............................................. 39,279
------------
Total assets acquired....................................................... 1,463,796
------------
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities......................................................... 98,428
Long-term debt ............................................................. 668,733
Obligations under capital leases............................................ 311,011
Other long-term liabilities................................................. 87,439
------------
Total liabilities assumed................................................... 1,165,611
------------
Net assets acquired (cash consideration).................................... 298,185
============
4. Segment Reporting
|
The
Partnership has two reportable segments: its LNG carrier segment and its Suezmax tanker
segment. The Partnerships LNG carrier segment consists of LNG carriers subject to
fixed-rate time charters. The Partnerships Suezmax tanker segment consists of
conventional crude oil tankers operating on fixed-rate time-charter contracts. Prior to
December 2004, it also included one Suezmax tanker operating on the spot market. Segment
results are evaluated based on income from vessel operations. The accounting policies
applied to the reportable segments are the same as those used in the preparation of the
Partnerships consolidated financial statements. |
|
The
following table presents voyage revenues and percentage of consolidated voyage revenues
for customers that accounted for more than 10% of the Partnerships consolidated
voyage revenues during the periods presented. Each of the customers is an international
energy company. |
Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
2005 2004
January 1 May 10 January 1 May 1
to to to to Year Ended
May 9, December 31, April 30, December 31, December 31,
2005 2005 2004 2004 2003
------------- ------------- -------------- ------------- --------------
(U.S. dollars in millions)
Compania Espanola de Petroleos, S.A.(1). $15.2 or 30% $29.1 or 31% $15.4 or 38% $29.7 or 36% $41.1 or 47%
Repsol YPF, S.A. (2).................... $16.8 or 34% $31.4 or 33% $7.5 or 18% $15.2 or 18% $22.8 or 26%
Gas Natural SDG, S.A. (2)............... $9.8 or 19% $16.5 or 17% $8.5 or 21% $17.3 or 21% $9.8 or 11%
Union Fenosa Gas, S.A. (2).............. $8.3 or 17% $14.9 or 16% (3) $10.8 or 13% (3)
|
(1) |
Suezmax Tanker segment. |
|
(3) |
Customer accounted for less than 10% of the Partnerships consolidated voyage
revenues. |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
The |
following tables include results for these segments for the interim periods presented in
these financial statements. |
Year Ended December 31, 2005
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 1 to May 9, 2005 May 10 to December 31, 2005
-------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
LNG Suezmax LNG Suezmax
Carrier Tanker Carrier Tanker
Segment Segment Total Segment Segment Total
$ $ $ $ $ $
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Voyage revenues..................... 34,883 15,246 50,129 62,762 32,568 95,330
Voyage expenses..................... 49 202 251 1 406 407
Vessel operating expenses........... 5,971 4,800 10,771 9,651 8,383 18,034
Depreciation and amortization....... 10,746 4,005 14,751 19,614 8,806 28,420
General and administrative (1)...... 1,464 1,464 2,928 3,225 3,804 7,029
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Income from vessel operations....... 16,653 4,775 21,428 30,271 11,169 41,440
============ ============ ============ ============ ============ ============
Total assets at December 31, 2005... 1,576,990 448,525 2,025,515
Expenditures for vessels and
equipment......................... - 43,962 43,962 209,220 220,158 429,378
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended December 31, 2004
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 1 to April 30, 2004 May 1 to December 31, 2004
--------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
LNG Suezmax LNG Suezmax
Carrier Tanker Carrier Tanker
Segment Segment Total Segment Segment Total
$ $ $ $ $ $
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Voyage revenues.................... 16,010 24,708 40,718 43,385 39,730 83,115
Voyage expenses.................... 33 1,809 1,842 221 2,869 3,090
Vessel operating expenses.......... 3,106 7,196 10,302 7,509 12,806 20,315
Depreciation and amortization...... 2,538 6,047 8,585 12,853 13,422 26,275
General and administrative (1) .... 526 1,577 2,103 1,436 2,939 4,375
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Income from vessel operations...... 9,807 8,079 17,886 21,366 7,694 29,060
============ ============ ============ ============ ============ ============
Total assets at December 31, 2004.. 1,423,191 287,058 1,710,249
Expenditures for vessels and
equipment....................... 483 5,039 5,522 34,714 49,989 83,703
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended December 31, 2003
-------------------------------------
LNG Suezmax
Carrier Tanker
Segment Segment Total
$ $ $
------------ ------------ -----------
Voyage revenues............................................................ 32,607 54,102 86,709
Voyage expenses............................................................ 123 4,788 4,911
Vessel operating expenses.................................................. 5,856 20,584 26,440
Depreciation and amortization.............................................. 5,630 17,760 23,390
General and administrative (1) ............................................ 1,683 7,116 8,799
------------ ------------ -----------
Income from vessel operations.............................................. 19,315 3,854 23,169
============ ============ ===========
Total assets at December 31, 2003.......................................... 791,259 209,329 1,000,588
Expenditures for vessels and equipment..................................... 126,408 7,220 133,628
|
(1) |
Includes direct general and administrative expenses and indirect general and
administrative expenses (allocated to each segment based on estimated use of
corporate resources). |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
|
A reconciliation of total segment assets to total assets presented in the consolidated balance sheets is
as follows: |
December 31, 2005 December 31, 2004
$ $
----------------- -----------------
Total assets of all segments........................... 2,025,515 1,710,249
Cash and cash equivalents.............................. 34,469 156,410
Accounts receivable and other assets................... 10,831 18,707
----------------- -----------------
Consolidated total assets............................ 2,070,815 1,885,366
================= =================
5. Capital Lease
Obligations and Restricted Cash
Capital Leases
|
LNG
Carriers. As at December 31, 2005, the Partnership was a party to capital leases on
two LNG carriers, which are structured as Spanish tax leases. Under the terms
of the Spanish tax leases, the Partnership will purchase these vessels at the end of their
respective lease terms in 2006 and 2011, both of which purchase obligations have been
fully funded with restricted cash deposits described below. As at December 31, 2005 and
2004, the weighted-average interest rate implicit in the Spanish tax leases was 5.7%. As
at December 31, 2005, the commitments under these capital leases, including the purchase
obligations, approximated 288.2 million Euros ($341.5 million), including
imputed interest of 44.2 million Euros ($52.3 million), repayable as follows: |
Year Commitment
2006........................................... 123.2 million Euros ($146.0 million)
2007........................................... 23.3 million Euros ($27.5 million)
2008........................................... 24.4 million Euros ($28.9 million)
2009........................................... 25.6 million Euros ($30.4 million)
2010........................................... 26.9 million Euros ($31.9 million)
Thereafter..................................... 64.8 million Euros ($76.8 million)
|
During
2003, these two LNG carriers were sold for aggregate proceeds of $399.2 million and leased
back on terms described above. The sale of these vessels resulted in a gain of $70.5
million, which has been deferred and is being amortized over the remaining estimated
useful lives of the vessels. |
|
Suezmax
Tankers. As at December 31, 2005, the Partnership was a party to capital leases on
five Suezmax tankers. Under the terms of the lease arrangements, which include the
Partnerships contractual right to full operation of the vessels pursuant to bareboat
charters, the Partnership is required to purchase these vessels after the end of their
respective lease terms for a fixed price. The weighted-average interest rate implicit in
these capital leases at the inception of the leases was 7.4%. These capital leases are
variable-rate capital leases; however, any change in our lease payments resulting from
changes in interest rates is offset by a corresponding change in the charter hire payments
received by the Partnership. As at December 31, 2005, the remaining commitments under
these capital leases, including the purchase obligations, approximated
$275.8 million, including imputed interest of $45.0 million, repayable as
follows: |
Year Commitment
2006............................................ $25.5 million
2007............................................ 145.1 million
2008............................................ 8.6 million
2009............................................ 8.5 million
2010............................................ 88.1 million
Restricted
Cash
|
Under
the terms of the Spanish tax leases for the two LNG carriers, the Partnership is required
to have on deposit with financial institutions an amount of cash that, together with
interest earned on the deposit, will equal the remaining amounts owing under the leases,
including the obligations to purchase the LNG carriers at the end of the lease periods.
This amount was 249.0 million Euros ($295.0 million) and 309.5 million Euros
($421.6 million) as at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. These cash deposits are
restricted to being used for capital lease payments and have been fully funded with term
loans (please see Note 8) and a Spanish government grant. The interest rates earned
on the deposits approximate the interest rates implicit in the Spanish tax leases. As at
December 31, 2005 and 2004, the weighted-average interest rates earned on the deposits
were 5.2% and 5.3%, respectively. |
|
The
Partnership also maintains restricted cash deposits relating to certain term loans, which
cash totaled $3.3 million and $13.5 million as at December 31, 2005 and 2004,
respectively. |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
6. Intangible Assets and Goodwill
|
As at December 31, 2005 and 2004, intangible assets consisted of time-charter contracts with a
weighted-average amortization period of 19.2 years. |
|
The carrying amount of intangible assets as at December 31, 2005 and 2004 is as follows: |
December 31, December 31,
2005 2004
$ $
---------------- ----------------
Gross carrying amount........................................... 182,552 182,552
Accumulated amortization........................................ (13,358) (4,095)
---------------- ----------------
Net carrying amount............................................. 169,194 178,457
================ ================
|
All intangible assets were recognized on April 30, 2004 (please see Note 3). Amortization expense of
intangible assets is as follows: |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended December 31, 2005 Year Ended December 31, 2004
January 1 May 10 January 1 May 1
to to to to
May 9, December 31, April 30, December 31, Year Ended
2005 2005 2004 2004 December 31, 2003
$ $ $ $ $
----------------- ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------
3,369 5,895 - 6,174 -
================= ================= ================= ================= =================
|
Amortization of intangible assets for the five fiscal years subsequent to December 31, 2005 is expected
to be $9.1 million per year for each of the years from 2006 to 2010. |
|
The carrying amount of goodwill as at December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004 for the Partnership's
reporting segments is as follows: |
LNG Suezmax
Carrier Tanker
Segment Segment Total
$ $ $
------------- ------------- -------------
Balance as at December 31, 2005 and 2004 (note 3)...... 35,631 3,648 39,279
============= ============= =============
7. Advances from Affiliate
December 31, 2005 December 31, 2004
$ $
------------------ ------------------
Euro-denominated Demand Promissory Notes................. - 371,073
Euro-denominated Participating Loan...................... - 94,622
Other (non-interest bearing and unsecured)............... 2,222 -
------------------ ------------------
Total.................................................... 2,222 465,695
================== ==================
|
During
the period from April 1, 2004 to May 10, 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation made loans, net
of repayments, to a subsidiary of the Partnership totaling 574.7 million Euros
($740.2 million) for the purchase of Teekay Spain (please see Note 3), for the
repayment of terms loans associated with two of the Partnerships LNG carriers
(please see Note 8) and to settle interest rate swaps (please see Note 14). These loans,
including 2.0 million Euros ($2.6 million) of unpaid accrued interest, were contributed by
Teekay Shipping Corporation to the Partnership in connection with the IPO. |
|
Interest
payments on the Euro-denominated loans were based on the 12-month EURIBOR plus margins
ranging from 1.7% to 2.5%. Interest payments on the Euro-denominated Participating Loan
were based on a fixed rate of 5.4%. For the periods from January 1, 2005 to May 10, 2005
and May 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004, total interest expense incurred on these loans were
$7.3 million and $10.1 million, respectively. |
8. Long-Term Debt
December 31, 2005 December 31, 2004
$ $
------------------ ------------------
U.S. Dollar-denominated Revolving Credit Facility due through 2009... 29,000 -
U.S. Dollar-denominated Term Loans due through 2022.................. - 343,390
Euro-denominated Term Loans due through 2023 ........................ 377,352 443,736
------------------ ------------------
406,352 787,126
Less current portion................................................. 8,103 22,368
------------------ ------------------
Total................................................................ 398,249 764,758
================== ==================
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
In
connection with the IPO, one of the Partnerships LNG carrier-owning subsidiaries
amended its term loan agreement to provide for a $100.0 million senior secured
revolving credit facility (or the Revolver), of which $71.0 million was undrawn at
December 31, 2005. Interest payments are based on LIBOR plus a margin. |
|
The
Revolver may be used by the Partnership for general partnership purposes and to fund cash
distributions. Under the Revolver, the Partnership is required to reduce all borrowings
used to fund cash distributions to zero for a period of at least 15 consecutive days
during any 12-month period. The Partnerships obligations under the Revolver are
secured by a first-priority mortgage on one of its LNG carriers, the Hispania
Spirit, and a pledge of certain shares of the subsidiary operating the carrier. The
Revolver is available to the Partnership until September 2009. |
|
During December 2005, the Partnership entered into a $137.5 million nine-year revolving credit facility, which was available
to the Partnership subsequent to year end. This facility bears interest at a rate of LIBOR plus a margin and may be used
by the Partnership for general partnership purposes. The Partnerships obligations under this facility are secured by a
first-priority mortgage on three of its Suezmax tankers and a pledge of certain shares of the subsidiaries operating the
Suezmax tankers. This facility contains covenants that require the maintenance of a minimum free liquidity, minimum tangible net
worth and a maximum leverage ratio. |
|
The
Partnership has term loans outstanding, which, as at December 31, 2005, totaled 318.5
million Euros ($377.4 million) of Euro-denominated loans. These loans were used to make
restricted cash deposits that fully fund payments under capital leases (please see Note
5). Prior to the IPO, the Partnership repaid $337.3 million of term loans associated with
two LNG carriers. Interest payments on the Euro-denominated term loans are based on
EURIBOR plus a margin. The term loans reduce in
monthly payments with varying maturities through 2023. All term loans of the Partnership
are collateralized by first-preferred mortgages on the vessels to which the loans relate,
together with certain other collateral and guarantees from Teekay Spain. |
|
At December 31, 2005 and 2004, the margins on our term loans and revolving credit facilities ranged from 0.5% and 1.3%. |
|
The
weighted-average effective interest rate for U.S. Dollar-denominated debt outstanding at
December 31, 2005 and 2004 was 5.6% and 3.7%, respectively. The weighted-average effective
interest rate for Euro-denominated debt outstanding at December 31, 2005 and 2004 was 3.6%
and 3.4%, respectively. These rates do not reflect the effect of related interest rate
swaps that the Partnership has used to hedge certain of its floating-rate debt (please see
Note 14). |
|
All
Euro-denominated term loans and Euro-denominated advances from affiliates (please see Note
7) are revalued at the end of each period using the then-prevailing Euro/U.S. Dollar
exchange rate. Due substantially to this revaluation, the Partnership recognized foreign
exchange gains (losses) during the periods presented as follows: |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended December 31, 2005 Year Ended December 31, 2004
January 1 May 10 January 1 May 1
to to to to
May 9, December 31, April 30, December 31, Year Ended
2005 2005 2004 2004 December 31, 2003
$ $ $ $ $
------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------
52,295 29,524 18,010 (78,831) (71,502)
================== ================== ================== ================== ==================
|
The
aggregate annual long-term debt principal repayments required for periods subsequent to
December 31, 2005 are $8.1 million (2006), $8.7 million (2007),
$9.3 million (2008), $39.0 million (2009), $10.7 million (2010), and
$330.6 million (thereafter). |
|
All of the Partnership's existing vessel financing is arranged on a vessel-by-vessel basis, and each financing is secured by
first-preferred mortgages on the applicable vessel. The Partnerships ship-owning subsidiaries may not, in addition to other
things, pay dividends or distributions if the Partnership is in default under the term loans and revolving credit facilities.
In addition, the Partnerships term loan for one of its LNG carriers, the Catalunya Spirit, contains covenants that require
the maintenance of a minimum liquidity of 5.0 million Euros and annual restricted cash deposits of 1.2 million Euros. The
Partnership's capital leases do not contain financial or restrictive covenants other than those relating to operation and
maintenance of the vessels. |
9. Fair Value of
Financial Instruments
Carrying
amounts of all financial instruments approximate fair market value at the applicable date.
The
estimated fair value of the Partnerships financial instruments is as follows:
December 31, 2005 December 31, 2004
Carrying Fair Carrying Fair
Amount Value Amount Value
$ $ $ $
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash............ 332,792 332,792 591,522 591,522
Long-term debt (including capital lease obligations)
(notes 5 and 8)......................................... (926,341) (926,341) (1,388,174) (1,388,174)
Long-term debt related to newbuilding vessels to be
acquired (note 15)..................................... (319,573) (319,573) - -
Derivative instruments (note 14):
Interest rate swap agreements ......................... (33,703) (33,703) (134,848) (134,848)
============ ============ ============ ============
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
The
Partnership transacts all of its derivative instruments through investment-grade-rated
financial institutions and requires no collateral from these institutions. |
10. Capital Stock
|
The authorized capital stock of the Partnership's Predecessor at December 31, 2004 was 1,500 shares of
common stock, with a par value of 100.00 Euros per share. As at December 31, 2004, the Partnership's
Predecessor had 1,500 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. |
11. Other Income (Loss) - Net
Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
2005 2004
January 1 May 10 January 1 May 1
to to to to Year Ended
May 9, December 31, April 30, December 31, December 31,
2005 2005 2004 2004 2003
$ $ $ $ $
-------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Interest rate swaps gain................ - - 3,985 - 14,715
Loss on cancellation of interest rate
swaps................................. (7,820) - - - -
Gain (loss) on sale of assets........... - 186 (11,922) 3,428 1,576
Write-off of capitalized loan costs..... (7,462) - - - -
Income tax recovery (expense)........... (2,648) 2,910 645 (967) (3,033)
Miscellaneous........................... 3 (189) 343 (119) 2,074
-------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Other income (loss) - net............... (17,927) 2,907 (6,949) 2,342 15,332
============== ============== ============== ============== ==============
12. Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
2005 2004
January 1 May 10 January 1 May 1
to to to to Year Ended
May 9, December 31, April 30, December 31, December 31,
2005 2005 2004 2004 2003
$ $ $ $ $
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Net income (loss)............................. 29,215 50,332 16,164 (84,395) (59,432)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized loss on derivative instruments..... (22,874) (26,622) - (57,444) -
Reclassification adjustment for loss on
derivative instruments included in net
income...................................... 14,359 6,313 - 13,766 -
Unrealized gain (loss) on
available-for-sale securities............... - - 467 - (296)
Reclassification adjustment for loss (gain)
on available-for-sale securities included
in net income............................... - - (55) - 1,024
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Comprehensive income (loss)................... 20,700 30,023 16,576 (128,073) (58,704)
============ ============ ============ ============ ============
13. Related Party Transactions
|
a) |
On May 6, 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation contributed all of the outstanding
shares of Luxco, all but $54.9 million of the notes receivable from Luxco, and
all of the outstanding equity interests of Granada Spirit L.L.C., which owns the
Suezmax tanker, the Granada Spirit, to the Partnership in connection with
the IPO on May 10, 2005 of common units, which represent limited partner
interests in the Partnership. The Partnership subsequently repaid the $54.9
million note receivable. |
|
b) |
The Partnership has entered into an omnibus agreement with Teekay Shipping
Corporation, the General Partner and others governing, among other things, when
the Partnership and Teekay Shipping Corporation may compete with each other and
certain rights of first offer on LNG carriers and Suezmax tankers. |
|
c) |
The Partnership and certain of its operating subsidiaries have entered into
services agreements with certain subsidiaries of Teekay Shipping Corporation
pursuant to which the Teekay Shipping Corporation subsidiaries provide the
Partnership with administrative, advisory, technical and strategic consulting
services for a reasonable, arms-length fee. During the period from May 10, 2005
to December 31, 2005, the Partnership incurred $1.1 million of these costs. |
|
d) |
The Partnership reimburses the General Partner for all expenses necessary or
appropriate for the conduct of the Partnerships business. During the
period from May 10, 2005 to December 31, 2005, the Partnership incurred $0.2
million of these costs. |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
e) |
The Partnership has agreed to acquire from Teekay Shipping Corporation its 100%
ownership interest in Teekay Nakilat Holdings Corporation (or Teekay Nakilat
Holdings). Teekay Nakilat Holdings owns 70% of Teekay Nakilat, which in
turns owns three subsidiaries, each of which has contracted to have built one of
three LNG newbuildings. The estimated purchase price for the 70% interest in
Teekay Nakilat is $92.8 million, plus the assumption of approximately $327.7
million of long-term debt. (Please see Note 18b). The purchase will occur
upon the delivery of the first carrier, which is scheduled for the fourth
quarter of 2006. The remaining two carriers are scheduled for delivery in the
first half of 2007. Upon their deliveries, these vessels will provide
transportation services under 20-year, fixed-rate time charters to Ras Laffan
Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Limited (II) (or RasGas II), a joint venture
between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil RasGas Inc., a subsidiary of ExxonMobil
Corporation, established for the purpose of expanding LNG production in Qatar.
As of December 31, 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation had advanced funds to
Teekay Nakilat to partially fund shipyard installment payments and other
construction costs for the three vessels. (Please see Note 15). |
|
f) |
In December 2004, Teekay Spain sold the Granada Spirit to a subsidiary of
Teekay Shipping Corporation for $26.5 million. The resulting gain on sale of
$4.9 million was accounted for as an equity contribution. This sale was done in
connection with a drydocking and re-flagging of the vessel. Teekay Spain
operated the vessel on the spot market until it was sold. |
|
Following
Teekay Shipping Corporations contribution of the Granada Spirit LLC to the
Partnership on the closing of the IPO, the Partnership entered into a short-term,
fixed-rate time charter and vessel sales agreement with a subsidiary of Teekay Shipping
Corporation for the Granada Spirit. |
|
On
May 26, 2005, the Partnership sold the Granada Spirit to a subsidiary of Teekay
Shipping Corporation for $20.6 million, resulting in a gain on sale of
$0.2 million. Net voyage revenues earned under the short-term time-charter contract
with Teekay Shipping Corporation were $0.5 million. |
|
g) |
In early 2005, the Partnership completed the sale of the Santiago Spirit
(a newly constructed, double-hulled Suezmax tanker delivered in March 2005) to a
subsidiary of Teekay Shipping Corporation for $70.0 million. The resulting
$3.1 million loss on sale, net of income taxes, has been accounted for as an
equity distribution. |
|
h) |
The Partnerships Suezmax tanker, the Toledo Spirit, which delivered
in July 2005, operates pursuant to a time-charter contract that increases or
decreases the fixed rate established in the charter, depending on the spot
charter rates that the Partnership would have earned had it traded the vessel in
the spot tanker market. The Partnership has entered into an agreement with
Teekay Shipping Corporation such that Teekay Shipping Corporation pays the
Partnership any amounts payable to the charter party as a result of spot rates
being below the fixed rate, and the Partnership pays Teekay Shipping Corporation
any amounts payable to the Partnership as a result of spot rates being in excess
of the fixed rate. During the period from May 10, 2005 to December 31, 2005,
$2.8 million was paid or payable by the Partnership to Teekay Shipping
Corporation as a result of this agreement. |
|
i) |
Concurrently with the closing of the Partnerships follow-on public
offering of common units in November 2005, the Partnership acquired three
Suezmax tankers and related long-term, fixed-rate time charter contracts from
Teekay Shipping Corporation for $180.0 million. The vessels are chartered to a
subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, an international, integrated energy company. Each
time charter has a remaining scheduled term of approximately 10 years, subject
to termination and vessel sale and purchase rights. In addition, ConocoPhillips
has the option to extend the charters for up to an additional six years. The
acquisition was funded with the net proceeds from the offering, together with
borrowings under the Partnerships Revolver and cash balances. If
ConocoPhillips declines to exercise its option to extend the terms of the
charters, the Partnership has granted Teekay Shipping Corporation the right to
charter the vessels for up to six years under the same pricing terms and
conditions as those in the time charters with ConocoPhillips. This transaction
was concluded between two entities under common control and, thus, the assets
acquired were recorded at their historical book values. The excess of the amount
paid over their historical book values was accounted for as an equity
distribution. |
14. Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities
|
The
Partnership uses derivatives only for hedging purposes. As at December 31, 2005, the
Partnership was committed to the following interest rate swap agreements related to its
EURIBOR and LIBOR-based debt, whereby certain of the Partnerships floating-rate debt
was swapped with fixed-rate obligations: |
Fair Value/ Weighted-
Carrying Average Fixed
Interest Principal Amount of Remaining Interest
Rate Amount Liability Term Rate
Index $ $ (years) (%)(1)
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
U.S. Dollar-denominated interest rate swaps(2).. LIBOR 234,000 23,565 12.0 6.2
Euro-denominated interest rate swaps(3)......... EURIBOR 377,352 10,138 18.5 3.8
|
(1) |
Excludes the margin the Partnership pays on its floating-rate debt. (Please see
Note 8). |
|
(2) |
Inception dates of swaps are December 2006 ($78.0 million), March 2007 ($78.0
million) and June 2007 ($78.0 million). |
|
(3) |
Principal amount reduces monthly to 70.1 million Euros ($83.1 million) by the
maturity dates of the swap agreements. |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
During
April 2005, the Predecessor repaid term loans of $337.3 million on two LNG carriers and
settled related interest rate swaps. The Predecessor recognized a loss of $7.8 million as
a result of these interest rate swap settlements. During April 2005, the Predecessor also
settled interest rate swaps associated with 322.8 million Euros ($390.5 million) of term
loans and entered into new swaps of the same amount with a lower fixed interest rate. A
loss of 39.2 million Euros ($50.4 million) relating to these interest rate swap
settlements has been deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income and is being
recognized over the remaining terms of the term loans. The cost to settle all of these
interest rate swaps was $143.3 million. |
|
The
interest rate swaps settled in April 2005 were not designated as hedges under current U.S.
accounting guidelines prior to April 30, 2004. Consequently, any change in fair value of
these swaps prior to April 30, 2004 was recorded in earnings of the period in which the
change in value occurred. During the year ended December 31, 2003 and the four months
ended April 30, 2004, the Partnership incurred gains of $14.7 million and $4.0 million,
respectively, due to the change in fair value of its interest rate swaps. Subsequent to
April 30, 2004, changes in the fair value of the designated interest rate swaps (cash flow
hedges) have been recognized in other comprehensive income until the hedged item is
recognized in income. The ineffective portion of a derivatives change in fair value
is immediately recognized into income and is presented as interest expense. During the year ended December 31, 2005, the
ineffective portion of the Partnerships interest rate swaps was nominal. |
|
The
Partnership is exposed to credit loss in the event of non-performance by the counter
parties to the interest rate swap agreements; however, counterparties to these agreements
are major financial institutions and the Partnership considers the risk of loss due to
non-performance to be minimal. The Partnership requires no collateral from these
institutions. |
|
As
at December 31, 2005, the Partnership estimates, based on current interest rates, that it
will reclassify approximately $9.2 million of net loss on derivative instruments from
accumulated other comprehensive income to income during the next 12 months due to the
payment of interest expense associated with the floating-rate debt and the amortization of
the April 2005 deferred loss on the settlement of interest rate swaps. |
15. Commitments and
Contingencies
|
The
Partnership has entered into an agreement with Teekay Shipping Corporation to purchase its
70% interest in Teekay Nakilat, which owns three LNG newbuildings and the related 20-year
time charters. The purchase will occur upon the delivery of the first newbuilding, which
is scheduled during the fourth quarter of 2006. The estimated purchase price for the 70%
interest in Teekay Nakilat is $92.8 million, plus the assumption of $327.7 million of
long-term debt. (Please see Note 18b). |
|
In
January 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (or FASB) issued FASB
Interpretation 46, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, an Interpretation of ARB
No. 51 (or FIN 46). In general, a variable interest entity (or VIE) is a
corporation, partnership, limited-liability corporation, trust, or any other legal
structure used to conduct activities or hold assets that either (1) has an insufficient
amount of equity to carry out its principal activities without additional subordinated
financial support, (2) has a group of equity owners that are unable to make significant
decisions about its activities, or (3) has a group of equity owners that do not have the
obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive returns generated by its operations.
If a party with an ownership, contractual or other financial interest in the VIE (a
variable interest holder) is obligated to absorb a majority of the risk of loss from the
VIEs activities, is entitled to receive a majority of the VIEs residual
returns (if no party absorbs a majority of the VIEs losses), or both, then FIN 46
requires that this party consolidate the VIE. The Partnership has consolidated Teekay
Nakilat in its consolidated financial statements, as Teekay Nakilat is a VIE and the
Partnership is its primary beneficiary. The assets and liabilities of Teekay Nakilat in
the Partnerships financial statements are recorded at historical cost as the
Partnership and Teekay Nakilat are under common control. |
|
As
at December 31, 2005, the assets of Teekay Nakilat included three LNG newbuildings, which
have a carrying value of $316.9 million. These assets have primarily been financed with
the following debt financing: |
December 31, 2005 December 31, 2004
$ $
------------------- -------------------
U.S. Dollar-denominated Term Loans due through 2019.......... 205,882 -
Interest-bearing Shareholder Loans of Teekay Nakilat......... 111,666 -
Non-interest bearing Shareholder Loans of Teekay Nakilat..... 2,025 -
------------------- -------------------
319,573 -
Less current portion......................................... - -
------------------- -------------------
Total........................................................ 319,573 -
=================== ===================
|
Teekay Nakilat has U.S. Dollar-denominated term loans outstanding, which, as at December 31, 2005, totaled $205.9 million.
Interest payments on these term loans are based on LIBOR plus margins. At December 31, 2005, these margins ranged between 0.9%
and 1.05%. The term loans reduce in quarterly payments commencing three months after delivery of each LNG newbuilding. Once
fully drawn, the loans have approximately $56.0 million per vessel in bullet repayments, due at maturity. All term loans are
collateralized by first-preferred mortgages on the vessels to which the loans relate, together with certain other collateral
and guarantees from Teekay Shipping Corporation. The creditors of Teekay Nakilat do not have recourse to the Partnership. |
|
During
December 2005, $111.7 million of equity in Teekay Nakilat of Teekay Shipping Corporation
($78.2 million) and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat) ($33.5 million) was converted to
interest-bearing shareholder loans. Interest payments on these loans are based on a fixed
interest rate of 4.84%, commencing a year after the delivery of the third LNG carrier.
These loans are unsecured and are repayable on demand. |
|
The
aggregate annual long-term debt principal repayments of Teekay Nakilat required for
periods subsequent to December 31, 2005 are $0.0 (2006), $6.4 million (2007),
$11.0 million (2008), $11.0 million (2009), $11.0 million (2010), and
$280.2 million (thereafter). |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
|
The
Partnerships maximum exposure to loss at December 31, 2005, as a result of its
commitment to purchase Teekay Shipping Corporations interest in Teekay Nakilat, is
limited to the purchase price of its 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat. |
16. Non-Cash Items
|
a) |
The changes in non-cash working capital items related to operating activities
for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 are as follows: |
Year Ended Year Ended Year Ended
December 31, December 31, December 31,
2005 2004 2003
$ $ $
--------------- --------------- ---------------
Accounts receivable................................ 4,220 (2,002) 825
Prepaid expenses and other assets.................. 337 (2,962) (186)
Accounts payable................................... (7,284) 7,016 (770)
Accrued liabilities................................ 7,421 6,578 368
--------------- --------------- ---------------
Total.............................................. 4,694 8,630 237
=============== =============== ===============
|
b) |
During the period from May 10, 2005 to September 30, 2005, two LNG newbuilding
construction payments relating to the RasGas II vessels and totaling $68.6
million were paid by the Partnerships affiliate, Teekay Shipping
Corporation, in exchange for equity interests in Teekay Nakilat. During December
2005, $111.7 million of equity in Teekay Nakilat of Teekay Shipping Corporation
and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat) was converted to interest-bearing shareholder
loans. Please see Note 15. |
17. Net Income (Loss)
Per Unit
|
Net
income (loss) per unit is determined by dividing net income (loss), after deducting the
amount of net income allocated to the General Partners interest from the issuance
date of the units of May 10, 2005, as described below, by the weighted-average number of
units outstanding during the period. For periods prior to May 10, 2005, such units are
deemed equal to the common and subordinated units received by Teekay Shipping Corporation
in exchange for net assets contributed to the Partnership, or 23,469,144 units. |
|
As
required by Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 03-6, Participating Securities and
Two-Class Method under FASB Statement No. 128, Earnings Per Share, the general
partners, common unit holders and subordinated unitholders interests in
net income are calculated as if all net income for periods subsequent to May 10, 2005 were
distributed according to the terms of the Partnership Agreement, regardless of whether
those earnings would or could be distributed. The Partnership Agreement does not provide
for the distribution of net income; rather, it provides for the distribution of available
cash, which is a contractually defined term that generally means all cash on hand at the
end of each quarter after establishment of cash reserves. Unlike available cash, net
income is affected by non-cash items. Net income for the period from May 10 to December
31, 2005 was $50.3 million, which included a $29.5 million foreign currency translation
gain relating primarily to long-term debt denominated in Euros. The limited partners
interest in net income for this period was $40.7 million. The actual cash distributions
paid to the limited partners for the period of May 10 to December 31, 2005 totaled $34.1
million. |
|
Under
the Partnership Agreement, the holder of the incentive distribution rights in the
Partnership, which is currently the General Partner, has the right to receive an
increasing percentage of cash distributions after the minimum quarterly distribution.
Assuming there are no cumulative arrearages on common unit distributions, the target
distribution levels entitle the General Partner to receive 2% of quarterly cash
distributions up to $0.4625 per unit, 15% of quarterly cash distributions between $0.4625
and $0.5375 per unit, 25% of quarterly cash distributions between $0.5375 and $0.65 per
unit, and 50% of quarterly cash distributions in excess of $0.65 per unit. During the
period from May 10 to June 30, 2005, net income exceeded $0.4625 per unit (prorated for
the first period) and, consequently, the assumed distribution of net income resulted in
the use of the increasing percentages to calculate the General Partners interest in
net income. During the periods from July 1 to September 30, 2005 and October 1 to December
31, 2005, net income did not exceed $0.4625 per unit and, consequently, the assumed
distributions of net income did not result in the use of the increasing percentages to
calculate the General Partners interest in net income. |
|
Under
the Partnership Agreement, during the subordination period the common units will have the
right to receive distributions of available cash from operating surplus in an amount equal
to the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.4125 per quarter, plus any arrearages in the
payment of the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units from prior quarters,
before any distributions of available cash from operating surplus may be made on the
subordinated units. During the period from May 10 to June 30, 2005, net income exceeded
the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.4125 per unit (prorated for this period) and,
consequently, the assumed distribution of net income did not result in an unequal
distribution of net income between the subordinated unit holders and common unit holders.
During the periods from July 1 to September 30, 2005 and October 1 to December 31, 2005,
net income did not exceed the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.4125 per unit and,
consequently, the assumed distributions of net income resulted in unequal distributions of
net income between the subordinated unit holders and common unit holders. |
TEEKAY LNG PARTNERS
L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Successor to Teekay
Luxembourg S.a.r.l.)
NOTES TO THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Contd)
(all
tabular amounts stated in thousands of U.S. dollars, except unit and per unit data or
unless otherwise indicated)
18. Subsequent Events
|
a) |
During December 2005, the Partnership entered into a $137.5 million nine-year revolving credit facility, which was
available to the Partnership subsequent to year end. This facility bears interest based on LIBOR plus a margin and
may be used by the Partnership for general partnership purposes. The Partnerships obligations under this facility are
secured by a first-priority mortgage on three of its Suezmax tankers and a pledge of certain shares of the subsidiaries
operating the Suezmax tankers. This facility contains covenants that require the maintenance of a minimum free liquidity, minimum
tangible net worth and a maximum leverage ratio. |
|
b) |
During January 2006, Teekay Shipping Corporation completed a 30-year U.K. lease
arrangement that will be used to finance the purchase of the three RasGas II LNG
newbuilding carriers owned by Teekay Nakilat. The tax benefits of this lease
arrangement are expected to reduce the equity portion of the Partnerships
purchase of Teekay Shipping Corporations 70% interest in Teekay Nakilat by
approximately $40 million, from approximately $93 million to approximately $53
million. Under the terms of the U.K. leases, the Partnership will be required to
have on deposit with financial institutions an amount of cash that, together
with interest earned on the deposits, will equal the remaining amounts owing
under the leases. These restricted cash deposits will be used for capital lease
payments and will be fully funded with term loans and loans from the joint
venture partners. (Please see Note 15). |
19. Other Information
|
a) |
In July 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation announced that it had been awarded
long-term, fixed-rate contracts to charter two LNG carriers to the Tangguh LNG
project in Indonesia. The carriers will be chartered for a period of
20 years to The Tangguh Production Sharing Contractors, a consortium led by
BP Berau Ltd., a subsidiary of BP plc. In connection with this award, Teekay Shipping
Corporation has exercised shipbuilding options with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.
Ltd. to construct two 155,000 cubic meter LNG carriers at a total delivered cost
of approximately $450 million. The charters will commence upon vessel
deliveries, which are scheduled for late 2008 and early 2009. Teekay Shipping
Corporation is entering into these transactions with an Indonesian partner that
has taken a 30% interest in the vessels and related contracts. In accordance
with an existing agreement, Teekay Shipping Corporation is required to offer to
the Partnership its 70% ownership interest in these vessels and related charter
contracts. |
|
b) |
In August 2005, Teekay Shipping Corporation announced that it had been awarded
long-term, fixed-rate contracts to charter four LNG carriers to Ras Laffan
Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Limited (3) (or RasGas 3), a joint venture
company between a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corporation and Qatar Petroleum. The
vessels will be chartered to RasGas 3 at fixed rates, with inflation
adjustments, for a period of 25 years (with options exercisable by the
customer to extend up to an additional 10 years). In connection with this
award, Teekay Shipping Corporation has entered into agreements with Samsung
Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. to construct four 217,000 cubic meter LNG carriers at
a total delivered cost of approximately $1.1 billion. The charters will
commence upon vessel deliveries, which are scheduled for the first half of 2008.
Teekay Shipping Corporation is entering into these transactions with Qatar Gas
Transport Company Ltd. (Nakilat), which has taken a 60% interest in the vessels and related
contracts. In accordance with an existing agreement, Teekay Shipping Corporation
is required to offer to the Partnership its 40% ownership interest in these
vessels and related charter contracts. |
EXHIBIT 8.1
LIST OF SIGNIFICANT
SUBSIDIARIES
The following is a list of Teekay LNG
Partners L.P.s significant subsidiaries as at December 31, 2005:
Proportion of
State or Ownership
Name of Significant Subsidiary Jurisdiction of Incorporation Interest
NAVIERA TEEKAY GAS, SL................................ SPAIN 100%
NAVIERA TEEKAY GAS II, SL............................. SPAIN 100%
NAVIERA TEEKAY GAS III, SL............................ SPAIN 100%
NAVIERA TEEKAY GAS IV, SL............................. SPAIN 100%
SINGLE SHIP LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES............... MARSHALL ISLANDS 100%
TEEKAY LUXEMBOURG SARL................................ LUXEMBOURG 100%
TEEKAY SHIPPING SPAIN SL.............................. SPAIN 100%
EXHIBIT 12.1
CERTIFICATION
I, Peter Evensen, certify
that:
|
1. |
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 20-F of Teekay LNG Partners, L.P.
(the Registrant); |
|
2. |
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
|
3. |
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
for, the periods presented in this report; |
|
4. |
I and the Registrants other certifying officer (which is also myself) are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Registrant and have: |
|
a) |
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated
subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
|
b) |
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrants disclosure controls and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation; and |
|
c) |
Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrants internal control
over financial reporting that occurred during the Registrants most recent
fiscal quarter (the fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that
has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Registrants internal control over financial reporting; and |
|
5. |
I and the Registrants other certifying officer (which is also myself) have disclosed, based on
our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
Registrants auditors and the audit committee of the board of directors of
the Registrants general partner (or persons performing the equivalent
functions): |
|
a) |
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation
of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect the Registrants ability to record, process, summarize and
report financial information; and |
|
b) |
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees
who have a significant role in the Registrants internal control over
financial reporting. |
Dated: April 13, 2006 |
By: /s/ Peter Evensen
Peter Evensen Chief Executive Officer
|
EXHIBIT 12.2
CERTIFICATION
I, Peter Evensen, certify
that:
|
1. |
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 20-F of Teekay LNG Partners, L.P.
( the Registrant); |
|
2. |
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
|
3. |
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
for, the periods presented in this report; |
|
4. |
I and the Registrants other certifying officer (which is also myself) are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Registrant and have: |
|
a) |
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated
subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
|
b) |
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrants disclosure controls and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation; and |
|
c) |
Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrants internal control
over financial reporting that occurred during the Registrants most recent
fiscal quarter (the fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that
has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Registrants internal control over financial reporting; and |
|
5. |
I and the Registrants other certifying officer (which is also myself) have disclosed, based on
our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
Registrants auditors and the audit committee of the board of directors of
the Registrants general partner (or persons performing the equivalent
functions): |
|
a) |
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation
of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect the Registrants ability to record, process, summarize and
report financial information; and |
|
b) |
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees
who have a significant role in the Registrants internal control over
financial reporting. |
Dated: April 13, 2006 |
By: /s/ Peter Evensen
Peter Evensen Chief Financial Officer
|
EXHIBIT 13.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY
ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report
of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (the Partnership) on Form
20-F for the year ended December 31, 2005 as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on the date hereof (the Form 20-F), I, Peter
Evensen, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Partnership, certify,
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to §906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, that:
(1) |
The Form 20-F fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)); and |
(2) |
The information contained in the Form 20-F fairly presents, in all material
respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Partnership. |
Dated: April 13,
2006
By: /s/ Peter Evensen
Peter Evensen
Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer
Exhibit 15.1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We are aware of the incorporation by
reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-124647) pertaining to Teekay LNG
Partners L.P. 2005 Long Term Incentive Plan of our report dated February 21, 2006, with
respect to the consolidated financial statements of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. and its
subsidiaries included in the Annual Report (Form 20-F) for the year ended December 31,
2005.
Pursuant to Rule 436(c) of the
Securities Act of 1933, our report is not a part of the registration statement prepared or
certified by accountants within the meaning of Section 7 or 11 of the Securities Act of
1933.
Vancouver, Canada April 13, 2006 |
/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP
Chartered Accountants
|