SEC Comment Letter for Hiland Partners, LP (CIK 0001306527) — Nov 24, 2004
Hiland Partners, LP (CIK 0001306527)
Date: Nov. 24, 2004 · CIK: 0001306527 · Accession: 0000000000-04-037910
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 333-119908
Show Raw Text
<DOCUMENT> <TYPE>LETTER <SEQUENCE>1 <FILENAME>filename1.txt <TEXT> November 24, 2004 via U.S. mail Mr. Ken Maples Chief Financial Officer Hiland Partners, LP 205 West Maple, Suite 1100 Enid, Oklahoma 73701 Re: Hiland Partners, LP Form S-1 filed October 22, 2004 File No. 333-119908 Dear Mr. Maples: We have completed our review of the above filing, and we have the following comments. Where indicated, we think you should revise your document in response to these comments. If you disagree, we will consider your explanation as to why our comment is inapplicable or a revision is unnecessary. Please be as detailed as necessary in your explanation. In some of our comments, we may ask you to provide us with supplemental information so we may better understand your disclosure. After reviewing this information, we may or may not raise additional comments. Please understand that the purpose of our review process is to assist you in your compliance with the applicable disclosure requirements and to enhance the overall disclosure in your filing. We look forward to working with you in these respects. We welcome any questions you may have about our comments or on any other aspect of our review. Feel free to call us at the telephone numbers listed at the end of this letter. General 1. To the extent comments on one section apply to similar disclosure elsewhere, please make corresponding revisions to all affected disclosure. This will minimize the need for us to issue repetitive comments. 2. Confirm that you considered Securities Act Release No. 33-6900 and Securities Act Industry Guide 5 when preparing this registration statement. Note that 33-6900 states that the requirements of Guide 5 "should be considered, as appropriate, in the preparation of [ ] limited partnership offerings." Refer to Sections II.A.3.n9, II.B.2, and II.B.3 of Securities Act Release No. 33-6900 for guidance. We may have additional comments. 3. Prior to printing and distribution of the preliminary prospectus, please provide us with copies of all artwork and any graphics you wish to include in the prospectus. Also provide accompanying captions, if any. We may have comments after reviewing these materials. In addition, please provide us with all sales materials for this offering. Pursuant to Release 33-6900, these materials are subject to our review and comment. 4. In connection with the minimum quarterly distribution disclosure, we refer you to the Commission`s policy on projections in Item 10(b) of Regulation S-K. 5. Ensure that your prospectus includes the latest and best information available. For example, update the disclosure regarding the status of the Bakken processing plant and gathering system. 6. We note that you omit information required by Regulation S-K. Revise your filing to provide all information other than that specified by Rule 430A under Regulation C. See pages 11, 123 and 138, for example. Where information may change prior to effectiveness, you may use brackets or another means to indicate this. 7. Tell us whether the underwriters will engage in any electronic offer, sale or distribution of the units and describe their procedures to us supplementally. If you become aware of any additional members of the underwriting syndicate that may engage in electronic offers, sales or distributions after you respond to this comment, promptly supplement your response to identify those members and provide us with a description of their procedures. Briefly describe any electronic distribution in the filing. Consult Releases 33-7233 and 33-7289 for guidance. Also, in your discussion of your procedures, tell us how your procedures ensure that the distribution complies with Section 5 of the Securities Act. In particular, address: * the communications used; * the availability of the preliminary prospectus; * the manner of conducting the distribution and sale, such as the use of indications of interest or conditional offers; and * the funding of an account and payment of the purchase price. Finally, tell us whether you or the underwriters have any arrangements with a third party to host or access your preliminary prospectus on the Internet. If so, identify the party and the website, describe the material terms of your agreement and provide us with a copy of any written agreement. Provide us also with copies of all information concerning your company or prospectus that has appeared on their website. Again, if you subsequently enter into any such arrangements, promptly supplement your response. We may comment further. 8. Please provide us with all sales materials for this offering. Pursuant to Release 33-6900, these materials are subject to our review and comment. 9. Where you provide cross-references, consider including page references to facilitate access to the referenced disclosure. 10. Please promptly file via EDGAR all omitted exhibits so that we may review and comment upon them. Ensure that you file as exhibits all documents Item 601(b) of Regulation S-K requires, such as any material contracts with suppliers or customers upon which you are substantially dependent. If you feel that such contracts do not need to be filed, provide us with your basis for not filing such contracts. 11. Provide brief contextual definitions for all industry or technical terms the first time you use them. You may include detailed definitions in your glossary. For example, briefly define the following terms: fractionating secondary recovery operations throughput shale formation greenfield projects fee-based arrangements forward sales contracts adjusted operating surplus discharge pressure feedstock refrigeration processing midstream isomerization blend stock Restricted Person air compression and water injection services oil field roustabout services "equitable apportionment" method incentive distribution rights non-economic managing member interest available cash 12. You include a number of subjective statements in your document, including your "proven" expertise and "efficient" facilities. Please provide objective supplemental support or revise accordingly. 13. Monitor your need to update your financial statements, as required by Rule 3-12 of Regulation S-X. 14. Tell us why you do not include quarterly financial information, as would normally be required. Refer to instructions for Form S-1, Item 11(g). Prospectus Cover Page 15. As appropriate, update the status of your application for listing of the common units on the Nasdaq National Market. 16. We suggest that you include each of the applicable risks cited at Section II.A.3.a of Securities Act Release No. 33-6900 in the bullet list of risk factors. Otherwise, explain to us why you omit any. 17. Disclose in footnote 1 the amount of the financial advisory fees paid to A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Table of Contents, page i 18. Expand your table so that it is reasonably detailed. For example, list each risk factor separately. Refer to Section II.A.3.b of Securities Act Release No. 33-6900. Also, revise the text at page iv to eliminate the last two sentences, which inappropriately suggest that your disclosure might not be current. Prospectus Summary, page 1 19. You include excess detail and unnecessarily repeat disclosure in the summary. For example, substantially reduce the disclosure under the subheadings "Overview" on pages 1-3, "Competitive Strengths" on page 4 and "Business Strategy" on pages 5-6. Identify only those aspects of the offering that are the most significant and highlight these points in clear, plain language. Item 503(a) of Regulation S-K requires only a "brief overview of the key aspects of the offering." Refer also to Section II.A.3.c of Securities Act Release 33-6900. In addition, consider providing specific cross-references to the more complete discussions that appear later in the document. 20. Provide more than a bullet point reference to highlight potential conflicts of interest and the limited fiduciary duties. Formation Transactions and Partnership Structure, page 7 21. Briefly identify the respects in which Harold Hamm and Continental Resources can compete with you. The Offering, page 9 Use of Proceeds, page 9 22. Quantify the amount designated for working capital purposes. Summary Historical and Pro Forma Financial and Operating Data, page 12 23. Please note that the following comments are also applicable to similar data presented elsewhere in your filing. 24. Remove your references to "EBITDA," or change your measure to define "earnings" as "net income" (after discontinued operations), or change the name of your measure to reflect the information presented. Note that we strictly define "EBITDA" in our FAQ at http://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/faqs/nongaapfaq.htm. 25. Please include "Predecessor" in the heading above the financial data from Continental Gas, Inc. Separate the historical data from the pro forma data with bold and double vertical lines. Also label columns "unaudited" where appropriate. 26. Here and in all similar schedules throughout your filing, including financial statements, lines describing costs of sales and general and administrative expense where depreciation expense is excluded must be renamed to indicate this exclusion. Refer to SAB Topic 11:B. 27. It appears to us that the "gross margin" data provided by you may represent non-GAAP measures. Demonstrate for us how these measures are calculated. Address whether they include depreciation and amortization expense. Refer to SAB Topic 11:B. 28. Please remove pro forma capital expenditure and sales volume information, as such information does not appear to be factually supportable. 29. Please expand the capital expenditures section so that the totals reconcile to the corresponding lines in the historical statements of cash flows. Risk Factors, page 15 30. All risk factors should be brief and concise, generally consisting of only one or two short paragraphs at the most. Identify the risk, include a cross-reference to more detailed disclosure elsewhere if appropriate, and eliminate all excess detail. Where you discuss multiple risks under one caption, break the discussion into separate factors and include appropriate captions for each. For example, we note the risk factor entitled "Our profitability is dependent upon prices." 31. Revise your Risk Factor subheadings to identify the risk to your business or your investors and to state the potential harm that could result. Refer to the risk "Because we handle" on page 19, for example. Also make sure that your captions are precise and concise. For example, you should reflect the likelihood of higher interest rates in the second caption on page 22 and the general partner`s absolute discretion in establishing cash reserves in the first caption on page 26. The first caption on page 27 likewise should make clear that the reference is to potential liability for any and all of your obligations. 32. Expand current risk factors or include new ones regarding: * the potential impact of terrorism, particularly terrorism targeting pipelines; * the impact of your reliance on affiliates for management personnel; * the risks of the general partner maintaining the discretion as to what expenses it can incur that you will have to reimburse; * the limited voting rights of common unit holders; * all of the risks associated with your cash distribution policy; * the risks of not currently owning all of the described properties; and * all matters for which you are unable to obtain a legal opinion due to the lack of authority on the matter. Dilution, page 33 33. Include a precise cross-reference in footnote 2 to a discussion of how and by whom the "fair value" was determined. Cash Distribution Policy, page 34 34. Make clear in each case whether the general partner has absolute discretion to determine the amount or is limited by standards of reasonableness or other restraints. Distributions of Available Cash, page 34 35. Summarize all material restrictions or limitations on the payment of distributions contained in your debt instruments or other agreements. Management`s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition, page 46 36. Revise your disclosure to provide the quantitative significance of any factor that has acted in conjunction with other factors to affect any line item of your results of operations. For example, specify the quantitative weight of the price changes as compared to the volume changes in affecting your revenues. Also briefly explain why you expect G&A expenses to increase 130%. 37. Instead of merely detailing to investors the specific changes in your results of operations, provide a more contextual explanation of your results by discussing the underlying trends affecting the changes. For example, instead of stating that you realized higher sales prices primarily as a result of higher index prices, explain to readers the underlying reasons for the higher index prices. Revise your disclosure throughout accordingly. Business, page 68 Midstream Assets, page 75 38. You state the wells surrounding your properties generally have long lives with predictable steady flow rates. You also state that you think that the higher level of exploration and development activity in the Matli gathering area will continue. Please provide us with objective supplemental support for such claims. Option to Purchase Bakken Gathering System, page 80 39. Please relocate to the beginning of this section your disclosure that the option will be contained in the omnibus agreement you will execute upon the closing of the offering. Environmental Matters, page 83 40. Discuss all the material environmental regulations, not just "certain" ones. 41. Disclose whether you are in substantial compliance with each of the identified regulations. Similarly, confirm that you are not a Potentially Responsible Party with respect to any of your properties. Management, page 87 42. As required by Section II.B.2.b of Securities Act Release No. 33- 6900, your compensation disclosure should give investors a clear understanding of the nature and amount of compensation that may be paid. Disclose how your general partner plans to compensate its executive officers. Quantify the amount of the annual retainer fees and the compensation for attending meetings for the board of directors of your general partner. Also disclose the maximum amount that may be paid to your general partner in each category of fees or compensation. If no such maximum exists, so state. Executive Compensation, page 88 43. Describe the contracts or the absence thereof in necessary detail. Long-Term Incentive Plan, page 89 44. With regard to the options you expect to grant to employees described on page 90, tell us how you intend to value and account for those options. Tell us how you expect the options to impact net earnings over the next year. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management, page 91 45. Provide actual street addresses rather than P.O. boxes. Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions, page 93 46. Disclose explicitly what the policy going forward will be with regard to ongoing or renewable contracts. For example, what does "comparable" mean for the purposes you use it at page 96? And how does it correspond to "at least as favorable" ? Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties, page 97 Fiduciary Duties, page 99 47. Discuss why you modified the State-law fiduciary duty standards in your limited partnership agreement. Discuss the specific benefits and detriments to your common units as a result of these changes. See Section II.B.2.d. of Securities Act Release 33-6900. 48. Why does the partnership agreement contain modified standards? Was or is there an expectation that there will be violations of the standards that otherwise would apply? Provi