We are a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership that owns, operates and acquires a geographically diverse portfolio of complementary pipeline, terminalling, and crude oil acquisition and marketing assets. The principal executive offices of Sunoco Partners LLC, our general partner, are located at 1818 Market Street, Suite 1500, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 (telephone (215) 977-3000). Our website address is www.sunocologistics.com.
Sunoco, Inc., and its wholly-owned subsidiaries including Sunoco, Inc. (R&M), own approximately 33.2 percent of our partnership interests, including a 2 percent general partner interest. Sunoco, Inc. and Sunoco, Inc. (R&M) are collectively referred to as “Sunoco”.
We are principally engaged in the transport, terminalling and storage of refined products and crude oil and the purchase and sale of crude oil in 13 states located in the northeast, midwest and southwest United States. Sunoco accounted for approximately 13.1 percent of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2009.
On January 1, 2009 we re-aligned our reporting segments. Prior to this date, the reporting segments were designated by geographic region. We determined it more meaningful to functionally align our reporting segments. As such, the updated reporting segments as of January 1, 2009 are Refined Products Pipeline System, Terminal Facilities, and Crude Oil Pipeline System. The primary difference in the new reporting is the consolidation of approximately 120 miles of a crude oil pipeline formerly in the eastern pipeline system with the formerly western pipeline system. For comparative purposes all prior period amounts have been recast to reflect the new segment reporting and do not impact consolidated net income.
The Refined Products Pipeline System serves the United States operations of Sunoco and selected other third parties and consists of: approximately 2,200 miles of refined product pipelines, including a two-thirds undivided interest in the 80-mile refined product Harbor pipeline, and 60 miles of interrefinery pipelines between two of Sunoco’s refineries; a 9.4 percent interest in Explorer Pipeline Company, a joint venture that owns a 1,880-mile refined product pipeline; a 31.5 percent interest in Wolverine Pipe Line Company, a joint venture that owns a 720-mile refined product pipeline; a 12.3 percent interest in West Shore Pipe Line Company, a joint venture that owns a 650-mile refined product pipeline; and a 14.0 percent interest in Yellowstone Pipe Line Company, a joint venture that owns a 690-mile refined product pipeline.
The Terminal Facilities consist of 41 active refined product terminals with an aggregate storage capacity of 7.0 million shell barrels, primarily serving our Refined Product Pipeline System; the Nederland Terminal, a 19.6 million barrel marine crude oil terminal on the Texas Gulf Coast; a 2.0 million barrel refined product terminal serving Sunoco’s Marcus Hook refinery near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; one inland and two marine crude oil terminals with a combined capacity of 3.4 million barrels, and related pipelines, which serve Sunoco’s Philadelphia refinery and; a 1.0 million barrel liquefied petroleum gas (“LPG”) terminal near Detroit, Michigan.
The Crude Oil Pipeline System gathers, purchases, sells, and transports crude oil principally in Oklahoma, Texas and Michigan and consists of approximately 3,350 miles of crude oil trunk pipelines, including a 37.0 percent undivided interest in the 80-mile Mesa Pipe Line system, and approximately 500 miles of crude oil gathering lines that supply the trunk pipelines; approximately 110 crude oil transport trucks; approximately 100 crude oil truck unloading facilities; a 55.3 percent economic interest (50 percent voting interest) in the Mid-Valley Pipeline Company, a joint venture that owns a 990-mile crude pipeline and a 43.8 percent interest in West Texas Gulf Pipe Line Company, a joint venture that owns a 580-mile crude oil pipeline.
Our primary business strategies are to generate stable cash flows, increase pipeline and terminal throughput, pursue strategic and accretive acquisitions and pursue economically accretive organic growth opportunities that complement our existing asset base and improve operating efficiencies. We also utilize our pipeline system to take advantage of market dislocations. We believe that these strategies will result in continuing increases in distributions to our unitholders.
For the year ended December 31, 2009, Sunoco accounted for approximately 61 percent of the Refined Product Pipeline segment’s total revenues, approximately 52 percent of the Terminal Facilities segment’s total revenues, and approximately 10 percent of the Crude Oil Pipeline System segment’s total revenues.
Refined Products Pipeline System
Refined Products Pipelines
We own and operate approximately 2,200 miles of refined products pipelines in selected areas of the United States. The refined products pipelines transport refined products from refineries in the northeast, midwest and southwest United States to markets in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Texas. The refined products transported in these pipelines include multiple grades of gasoline, middle distillates (such as heating oil, diesel and jet fuel) and liquefied petroleum gas (“LPGs”) (such as propane and butane). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) regulates the rates for interstate shipments on the Refined Products Pipeline System and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (“PA PUC”) regulates the rates for intrastate shipments in Pennsylvania. We also lease to Sunoco three bi-directional, 18-mile interrefinery pipelines carrying feedstocks and jet fuel and a four-mile pipeline spur extending to the Philadelphia International Airport.
Our Refined Products Pipeline System includes the following assets acquired since December 31, 2006:
MagTex Refined Products Pipeline Acquisition. In November 2008, we acquired a refined products pipeline system and certain other real and personal property interests and assets located in Texas from an affiliate of Exxon Mobil Corporation. The system consists of approximately 480 miles of refined products pipelines originating in Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas and terminating in Hearne and Waskom, Texas. The refined products transported in these pipelines include multiple grades of gasoline and middle distillates (such as diesel and jet fuel). The Texas Railroad Commission regulates the rates for intrastate shipments in Texas and the FERC regulates the rates for interstate shipments.
The following table details the total shipments on the refined products pipelines in each of the years presented. Total shipments represent the total average daily pipeline throughput multiplied by the number of miles of pipeline through which each barrel has been shipped. Our management believes that total shipments is a better performance indicator for the Refined Products Pipeline System than barrels transported as certain refined product pipelines such as transfer pipelines transport large volumes over short distances and generate minimal revenues. The following excludes amounts attributable to the interrefinery pipelines and equity ownership interests in the corporate joint ventures:
The mix of refined products delivered varies seasonally, with gasoline demand peaking during the summer months, and demand for heating oil and other distillate fuels peaking in the winter. In addition, weather conditions in the areas served by the Refined Products Pipeline System affect both the demand for, and the mix of, the refined products delivered through the Refined Products Pipeline System, although historically any overall impact on the total volume shipped has been short-term.
Explorer Pipeline
We own a 9.4 percent interest in Explorer Pipeline Company (“Explorer”), a joint venture that owns a 1,880-mile common carrier refined product pipeline. The system, which is operated by Explorer employees, originates from the refining centers of Lake Charles, Louisiana and Beaumont, Port Arthur and Houston, Texas, and extends to Chicago, Illinois, with delivery points in the Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Chicago areas. Explorer charges market-based rates for all its tariffs.
Wolverine Pipe Line
We own a 31.5 percent interest in Wolverine Pipe Line Company (“Wolverine”), a joint venture that owns a 720-mile common carrier pipeline that transports primarily refined products. The system, which is operated by Wolverine employees, originates from Chicago, Illinois and extends to Detroit, Grand Haven, and Bay City, Michigan with delivery points along the way. Wolverine charges market-based rates for tariffs at the Detroit, Jackson, Niles, Hammond, and Lockport destinations.
West Shore Pipe Line
We own a 12.3 percent interest in West Shore Pipe Line Company (“West Shore”), a joint venture that owns a 650-mile common carrier refined product pipeline. The system, which is operated by CITGO, originates from the Chicago, Illinois refining center and extends to Madison and Green Bay, Wisconsin with delivery points along the way. West Shore charges market-based tariff rates in the Chicago area.
Yellowstone Pipe Line
We own a 14.0 percent interest in Yellowstone Pipe Line Company (“Yellowstone”), a joint venture that owns a 690-mile common carrier refined product pipeline. The system, which is operated by ConocoPhillips, originates from the Billings, Montana refining center and extends to Moses Lake, Washington with delivery points along the way. Tariff rates are regulated by the FERC for interstate shipments and the Montana Public Service Commission for intrastate shipments in Montana.