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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-204609

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus dated December 11, 2015)

 

Holly Energy Partners, L.P.

Common Units

Representing Limited Partner Interests

Having an Aggregate Offering Price of Up to

$200,000,000

 

 

We have entered into an equity distribution agreement with Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated as our sales agents, relating to common units representing limited partner interests in Holly Energy Partners, L.P. offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the equity distribution agreement, we may, through our sales agents, offer and sell from time to time our common units having an aggregate offering price of up to $200,000,000.

Our common units trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “HEP.” The last reported trading price of our common units on May 6, 2016 was $33.30 per common unit.

Sales of common units, if any, under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus may be made in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be “at the market” offerings as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including sales made directly on the NYSE or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. Each of the sales agents will make all sales on a best efforts basis using reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, on mutually agreed terms between the sales agents and us.

The compensation of each sales agent for sales of common units shall be at fixed commission rates of up to 2% of the gross sales price per common unit. In connection with the sale of the common units on our behalf, each of the sales agents may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation of the sales agents may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We will use the net proceeds from any sales under this prospectus supplement as described herein under “Use of Proceeds.”

Under the terms of the equity distribution agreement, we also may sell common units to one or more of the sales agents as principal for its own account at a price agreed upon at the time of the sale. If we sell common units to one or more of the sales agents as principal, we will enter into a separate agreement with such sales agent, and we will describe that agreement in a separate prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.

 

 

Limited partnerships are inherently different from corporations, and investing in our securities involves risk. Before you make an investment in our securities, you should read “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-4 of this prospectus supplement and page 4 of the accompanying base prospectus and carefully read and consider the risk factors incorporated herein by reference.

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

 

 

 

Citigroup		BofA Merrill Lynch		Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Prospectus Supplement dated May 10, 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 

Summary			S-1
Risk Factors			S-4
Use of Proceeds			S-5
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations			S-6
Plan of Distribution			S-8
Legal Matters			S-11
Experts			S-11
Where You Can Find More Information			S-11
Documents Incorporated by Reference			S-11
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements			S-12

Prospectus

 

About This Prospectus			i
Where You Can Find More Information			i
Documents Incorporated By Reference			ii
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements			iii
Who We Are			1
The Subsidiary Guarantors			3
Risk Factors			4
Use of Proceeds			5
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges			6
Description of Debt Securities			7
Description of Our Common Units and Preferred Units			20
How We Make Cash Distributions			25
Description of Our Partnership Agreement			30
Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties			35
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences			40
Plan of Distribution			53
Selling Unitholders			55
Legal Matters			58
Experts			58

“Our,” “we,” “us” and “Holly Energy Partners” as used in this prospectus refer to Holly Energy Partners, L.P. or to Holly Energy Partners, L.P. and its subsidiaries collectively, as the context requires. References in this prospectus to our “general partner” refer to HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P. and/or Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., the general partner of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P., as appropriate.

This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering of common units and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. The second part is the accompanying base prospectus, which gives more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering of common units. Generally, when we refer only to the “prospectus,” we are referring to both parts combined. If the information about the common unit offering varies between this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, the information in this prospectus supplement will control.

Any statement made in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the

 

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extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus. Please read “Where You Can Find More Information.”

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

In making an investment decision, prospective investors must rely on their own examination of us and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. None of Holly Energy Partners, L.P., the sales agents or any of their respective representatives is making any representation to you regarding the legality of an investment in our common units by you under applicable laws. You should consult with your own advisors as to legal, tax, business, financial and related aspects of an investment in our common units.

The information in this prospectus supplement is not complete. You should review carefully all of the detailed information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents we have incorporated by reference before making any investment decision.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common units involves risks. Before you invest in our common units, you should carefully consider those risk factors included in Part I, Item IA. “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, incorporated herein by reference, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, and the documents we incorporate by reference when evaluating an investment in our common units. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please read “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the foregoing documents and the other information included in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus. If any of these risks occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected. In that case, we may be unable to pay distributions to our unitholders, the trading price of our common units could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general partnership purposes, which may include funding working capital, repayment of debt, acquisitions and capital expenditures.

As of March 31, 2016, approximately $765.0 million of borrowings were outstanding under our revolving credit facility. As of March 31, 2016, the borrowings under our revolving credit facility were subject to a weighted average interest rate of 2.81%. Our revolving credit facility matures in November 2018.

Affiliates of each of the sales agents are lenders under our revolving credit facility, and as such, may receive a portion of the proceeds from this offering if and to the extent any proceeds are used to repay borrowings under such facility. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The tax consequences to you of an investment in our common units will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. Although this section updates and adds information related to certain tax considerations, it should be read in conjunction with the risk factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and with “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the accompanying base prospectus, which provides a discussion of the principal federal income tax considerations associated with our operations and the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common units. The following discussion is limited as described under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the accompanying base prospectus.

All prospective unitholders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors about the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to their own circumstances. In particular, ownership of common units by tax-exempt entities, including employee benefit plans and IRAs, and non-U.S. investors raises issues unique to such persons. The relevant rules are complex, and the discussions herein and in the accompanying prospectus do not address tax considerations applicable to tax-exempt entities and non-U.S. investors, except as specifically set forth in the accompanying base prospectus. Please read “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors” in the accompanying base prospectus.

Partnership Status

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our common units may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial changes or differing interpretations at any time. For example, from time to time, members of Congress propose and consider substantive changes to the existing U.S. federal income tax laws that affect publicly traded partnerships. One such legislative proposal would have eliminated the qualifying income exception to the treatment of all publicly traded partnerships as corporations upon which we rely for our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

In addition, the Internal Revenue Service, on May 5, 2015, issued proposed regulations concerning which activities give rise to qualifying income within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. We do not believe the proposed regulations affect our ability to qualify as a publicly traded partnership. However, finalized regulations could modify the amount of our gross income that we are able to treat as qualifying income for the purposes of the qualifying income requirement and modify or revoke existing private letter rulings.

Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws may be applied retroactively and could make it more difficult or impossible for us to meet the exception for certain publicly traded partnerships to be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We are unable to predict whether any of these changes or other proposals will ultimately be enacted. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our common units.

Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees

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

Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be specifically authorized or permitted under

 

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existing Treasury Regulations. Recently, however, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued Treasury Regulations pursuant to which a publicly traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee unitholders for taxable years beginning on or after August 3, 2015. However, such regulations may not specifically authorize all aspects of our proration method. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of our method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor unitholders. If the IRS were to successfully challenge our proration method, our taxable income or losses could be reallocated among our unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor unitholders, as well as among unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under the new Treasury Regulations.

A unitholder who disposes of units prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to the month of disposition but will not be entitled to receive a cash distribution for that period.

Information Returns and Audit Procedures

Pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, if the Internal Revenue Service makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after 2017, it (and some states) may assess and collect taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from partnership-level federal income tax audits directly from us in the year in which the audit is completed. If we are required to make payments of taxes, penalties and interest resulting from audit adjustments, our cash available for distribution to our unitholders might be substantially reduced.

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, we are required to designate an eligible person to act as the “Partnership Representative” with exclusive authority to act on our behalf in connection with federal income tax audits, requests by us for administrative adjustments, and any judicial proceedings arising in connection with those matters. Actions taken by the Partnership Representative will be binding on us and all of our unitholders. We anticipate that our general partner or its designee will act as the Partnership Representative.

Nominee Reporting

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

 

(1)

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

 

(2)

a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:

 

(a)

a non-U.S. person;

 

(b)

a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or

 

(c)

a tax-exempt entity;

 

(3)

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

 

(4)

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

Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $250 per failure, up to a maximum of $3 million per calendar year, is imposed by the Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We have entered into an equity distribution agreement with Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated as sales agents, under which we are permitted to offer and sell common units having an aggregate offering price of up to $200,000,000 from time to time. We will file the equity distribution agreement as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement. The sales, if any, of common units made under the equity distribution agreement will be made by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions through the facilities of the NYSE, any other national securities exchange or facility thereof, a trading facility of a national securities association or an alternate trading system, to or through a market maker or directly on or through an electronic communication network, a “dark pool” or any similar market venue, at market prices, in block transactions, or as otherwise agreed upon by one or more of the sales agents and us.

The sales agents will not engage in any transactions that stabilize the price of our common units. Under the terms of the equity distribution agreement, we also may sell common units to one or more of our sales agents as principal for its own account at a price agreed upon at the time of sale. If we sell common units to one or more of our sales agents as principal, we will enter into a separate agreement with the sales agent and we will describe this agreement in a separate prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.

We will designate the maximum amount of common units to be sold through the sales agents on a daily basis or otherwise as we and the sales agents agree and the minimum price per common unit at which such common units may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions of the equity distribution agreement, the sales agents will use their reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the designated common units. We may instruct the sales agents not to sell any common units if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any such instruction. Subject to the terms and conditions in such agreement, we may sell such common units from to time to time under this prospectus while the registration statement of which it is a part remains effective. We or the sales agents may suspend the offering of common units at any time and from time to time by notifying the other party.

The sales agents will provide to us written confirmation following the close of trading on the NYSE each day on which common units are sold under the equity distribution agreement. Each confirmation will include the number of common units sold on that day, the gross sales proceeds and the net proceeds to us (before other expenses). We will report at least quarterly the number of common units sold through the sales agents under the equity distribution agreement, the net proceeds to us (before expenses) and the commissions of the sales agents in connection with the sales of the common units.

We will pay each sales agent a commission of up to 2% of the gross sales price per common unit sold through it as our agent under the equity distribution agreement. We have agreed to reimburse the sales agents for certain of their expenses incurred during the term of this offering.

Settlement for sales of common units will occur on the third business day following the date on which any sales were made in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

If we or any of the sales agents have reason to believe that our common units are no longer an “actively-traded security” as defined under Rule 101(c)(l) of Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that party will promptly notify the others and sales of common units pursuant to the equity distribution agreement or any terms agreement will be suspended until in our collective judgment Rule 101(c)(1) or another exemptive provision has been satisfied.

The offering of common units pursuant to the equity distribution agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (1) the sale of all common units subject to the equity distribution agreement or (2) the termination of the equity distribution agreement by us or by the sales agents.

 

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In connection with the sale of the common units on our behalf, each of the sales agents will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation paid to the sales agents may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the several sales agents against certain liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act.

Other Relationships

Each of the sales agents and/or affiliates of the sales agents perform, have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various financial advisory and commercial and investment banking services for us and our affiliates, for which they have received and in the future will receive customary compensation and expense reimbursement. Affiliates of the sales agents are lenders under our revolving credit facility and, as such, may receive a portion of the proceeds from this offering if and to the extent any proceeds are used to repay borrowings under such facility.

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

FINRA

Because FINRA views the common units offered hereby as interests in a direct participation program, this offering is being made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Conduct Rules. Investor suitability with respect to the common units should be judged similarly to the suitability with respect to other securities that are listed for trading on a national securities exchange.

Sales Outside the United States

No action has been taken in any jurisdiction (except in the United States) that would permit a public offering of the common units or the possession, circulation or distribution of this prospectus or any other material relating to us or the common units in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Accordingly, the common units may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, and neither this prospectus nor any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the common units may be distributed or published, in or from any country or jurisdiction, except in compliance with any applicable rules and regulations of any such country or jurisdiction.

The sales agents may arrange to sell our common units in certain jurisdictions outside the United States, either directly or through affiliates, where it is permitted to do so.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong

The common units may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the common units may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is

 

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directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to common units which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the common units may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the common units be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the common units are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is: (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares under Section 275 except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is given for the transfer; or (3) by operation of law.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan

The common units have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law) and each sales agent has agreed that it will not offer or sell any common units, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the common units offered hereby and certain tax matters are being passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Dallas, Texas. Certain legal matters in connection with the common units offered hereby are being passed upon for the sales agents by Latham & Watkins LLP, New York, New York.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Holly Energy Partners, L.P. appearing in Holly Energy Partners, L.P.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2015, and the effectiveness of Holly Energy Partners, L.P.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015 have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are, and audited consolidated financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon the reports of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015 given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, and other information with the Commission (File No. 001-32225). Our filings with the Commission are available to the public through the Internet at the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the Commission at the Commission’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the Commission at 1-800-732-0330. You can also obtain information about us at the offices of the NYSE, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

We make available free of charge on our Internet website at http://www.hollyenergypartners.com all of the documents that we file with the Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those documents with the Commission. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute part of this prospectus unless specifically so designated and filed with the Commission.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The Commission allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to the documents we file with it. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the Commission will automatically update and supersede information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the Commission. Therefore, before you decide to invest in a particular offering under this shelf registration, you should always check for reports we may have filed with the Commission after the date of this prospectus.

We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the Commission under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act before the filing of a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part that indicates that all securities offered hereunder have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold (other than information furnished and not filed with the Commission):

 

•

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed on February 24, 2016;

 

•

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016, filed on May 4, 2016;

 

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the Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 2, 2016, February 4, 2016 (as amended on February 16, 2016), February 22, 2016, March 11, 2016 and May 9, 2016; and

 

•

the description of our common units contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed on June 21, 2004, and any subsequent amendment thereto filed for the purpose of updating such description.

On March 31, 2016, we acquired crude oil tanks located at HFC’s Tulsa refinery from an affiliate of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (“Plains”) for $39.5 million. Previously in 2009, HFC sold these tanks to Plains and leased them back, and due to HFC’s continuing interest in the tanks, HFC accounted for the transaction as a financing arrangement. Accordingly, the tanks remained on HFC’s balance sheet and were depreciated for accounting purposes. As we are a consolidated variable interest entity of HFC, this transaction was recorded as a transfer between entities under common control and reflects HFC’s carrying basis in the net assets acquired of approximately $9.1 million. In connection with our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 4, 2016, we retrospectively adjusted our financial position, operating results, and cash flows as if these crude oil tanks were owned for all periods while we were under common control of HFC. However, we have not retrospectively revised our 2015 financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2016, as the impact to our balance sheet and operating results was not material.

We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any exhibit specifically incorporated by reference in those documents. Requests for such documents or exhibits should be directed to:

Holly Energy Partners, L.P.

Attn: Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

2828 N. Harwood, Suite 1300

Dallas, Texas 75201

Telephone number: (214) 871-3555

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and some of the documents we incorporate by reference contain various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are identified as any statement that does not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this prospectus or the documents we have incorporated herein or therein by reference, words such as “anticipate,” “project,” “expect,” “plan,” “goal,” “forecast,” “intend,” “should,” would,” “could,” “believe,” “may” and similar expressions and statements regarding our plans and objectives for future operations are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs and assumptions and those of our general partner, using currently available information and expectations as of the date on which such statements were made, are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Although we and our general partner believe that such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, neither we nor our general partner can give assurance that our expectations will prove to be correct. All statements concerning our expectations for future results of operations are based on forecasts for our existing operations and do not include the potential impact of any future acquisitions. Our forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or expected. Certain factors could cause actual results to differ materially from results anticipated in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:

 

•

risks and uncertainties with respect to the actual quantities of petroleum products and crude oil shipped on our pipelines and/or terminalled, stored or throughput in our terminals;

 

•

the economic viability of HollyFrontier, Alon and our other customers;

 

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the demand for refined petroleum products in markets we serve;

 

•

our ability to purchase and integrate future acquired operations;

 

•

our ability to complete previously announced or contemplated acquisitions;

 

•

the availability and cost of additional debt and equity financing;

 

•

the possibility of reductions in production or shutdowns at refineries utilizing our pipeline and terminal facilities;

 

•

the effects of current and future government regulations and policies;

 

•

our operational efficiency in carrying out routine operations and capital construction projects;

 

•

the possibility of terrorist attacks and the consequences of any such attacks;

 

•

general economic conditions; and

 

•

other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings with the Commission.

All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus and all subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Other factors described herein, or factors that are unknown or unpredictable, could also have a material adverse effect on future results. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Please read “Risk Factors” on page S-4 of this prospectus supplement and on page 4 of the accompanying base prospectus and the “Risk Factors” section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and, other than as required by securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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PROSPECTUS

 

Holly Energy Partners, L.P.

Holly Energy Finance Corp.

COMMON UNITS

PREFERRED UNITS

DEBT SECURITIES

GUARANTEES

 

 

We may from time to time, in one or more offerings, offer and sell (i) common units representing limited partner interests in Holly Energy Partners, L.P. (“common units”); (ii) preferred units representing limited partner interests in Holly Energy Partners, L.P. (“preferred units”); and (iii) debt securities of Holly Energy Partners, L.P., which may be co-issued by Holly Energy Finance Corp. and may be guaranteed by certain other subsidiaries of Holly Energy Partners, L.P. The aggregate initial offering price of all securities sold by us under this prospectus will not exceed $2,000,000,000.

The selling unitholders named in this prospectus may from time to time, in one or more offerings, offer and sell up to 22,380,030 common units. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of these common units by the selling unitholders. The selling unitholders, as affiliates of ours, may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), and, as a result, may be deemed to be offering securities, indirectly, on our behalf. For a more detailed discussion of the selling unitholders, please read “Selling Unitholders.”

We or the selling unitholders may offer and sell these securities in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions and other factors at the time of the offering. This prospectus provides you with only a general description of these securities and the manner in which we or the selling unitholders will offer these securities. The specific terms of any securities that we or the selling unitholders offer will, if not included in this prospectus or information incorporated by reference herein, be included in a supplement to this prospectus. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.

Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “HEP.” We will provide information in the prospectus supplement for the expected trading market, if any, for any preferred units or debt securities that we offer.

 

 

Limited partnerships are inherently different from corporations, and investing in our securities involves risk. Before you make an investment in our securities, you should read “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 and carefully read and consider the risk factors incorporated herein by reference.

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

The date of this prospectus is December 11, 2015.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

About This Prospectus			i
Where You Can Find More Information			i
Documents Incorporated By Reference			ii
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements			iii
Who We Are			1
The Subsidiary Guarantors			3
Risk Factors			4
Use of Proceeds			5
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges			6
Description of Debt Securities			7
Description of Our Common Units and Preferred Units			20
How We Make Cash Distributions			25
Description of Our Partnership Agreement			30
Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties			35
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences			40
Plan of Distribution			53
Selling Unitholders			55
Legal Matters			58
Experts			58

“Our,” “we,” “us” and “Holly Energy Partners” as used in this prospectus refer to Holly Energy Partners, L.P. or to Holly Energy Partners, L.P. and its subsidiaries collectively, including its subsidiary Holly Energy Finance Corp., as the context requires. References in this prospectus to our “general partner” refer to HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P. and/or Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., the general partner of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P., as appropriate.

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell from time to time up to $2,000,000,000 of our securities. In addition, the selling unitholders may from time to time offer and sell up to 22,380,030 of our common units.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that are registered hereunder that may be offered by us or the selling unitholders. Each time we offer securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that will describe, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of the securities being offered and the terms of the offering. Because the selling unitholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” under the Securities Act, each time a selling unitholder sells any common units offered by this prospectus, such selling unitholder is required to provide you with this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement containing specific information about the selling unitholder and the terms of the common units being offered in the manner required by the Securities Act.

Any prospectus supplement may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in any prospectus supplement. The information in this prospectus is accurate as of its date. Additional information, including our financial statements and the notes thereto, is incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our reports filed with the Commission. Therefore, before you invest in our securities, you should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating to the securities offered to you together with the additional information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement (including the documents described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” in both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement).

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we nor anyone acting on our behalf is making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, and other information with the Commission (File No. 001-32225). Our SEC filings are available to the public through the Internet at the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the Commission at the Commission’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the Commission at 1-800-732-0330. You can also obtain information about us at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

We make available free of charge on our Internet website at http://www.hollyenergypartners.com all of the documents that we file with the Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those documents with the Commission. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute part of this prospectus unless specifically so designated and filed with the Commission.

 

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The Commission allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to the documents we file with it. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the Commission will automatically update and supersede information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the Commission. Therefore, before you decide to invest in a particular offering under this shelf registration, you should always check for reports we may have filed with the Commission after the date of this prospectus.

We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made by us with the Commission under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) before the filing of a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part that indicates that all securities offered hereunder have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold (other than information furnished and not filed with the Commission):

 

•

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed on February 25, 2015;

 

•

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, filed on May 6, 2015;

 

•

the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 30, 2015;

 

•

the description of our common units contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed on June 21, 2004, and any subsequent amendment thereto filed for the purpose of updating such description.

We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any exhibit specifically incorporated by reference in those documents. Requests for such documents or exhibits should be directed to:

Holly Energy Partners, L.P.

Attn: Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

2828 N. Harwood, Suite 1300

Dallas, Texas 75201

Telephone number: (214) 871-3555

 

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and some of the documents we incorporate by reference contain various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are identified as any statement that does not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this prospectus or the documents we have incorporated herein or therein by reference, words such as “anticipate,” “project,” “expect,” “plan,” “goal,” “forecast,” “intend,” “should,” would,” “could,” “believe,” “may” and similar expressions and statements regarding our plans and objectives for future operations are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs and assumptions and those of our general partner, using currently available information and expectations as of the date on which such statements were made, are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Although we and our general partner believe that such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, neither we nor our general partner can give assurance that our expectations will prove to be correct. All statements concerning our expectations for future results of operations are based on forecasts for our existing operations and do not include the potential impact of any future acquisitions. Our forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or expected. Certain factors could cause actual results to differ materially from results anticipated in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:

 

•

risks and uncertainties with respect to the actual quantities of petroleum products and crude oil shipped on our pipelines and/or terminalled, stored or throughput in our terminals;

 

•

the economic viability of HollyFrontier Corporation (“HollyFrontier”), Alon USA, Inc. and our other customers;

 

•

the demand for refined petroleum products in markets we serve;

 

•

our ability to purchase and integrate future acquired operations;

 

•

our ability to complete previously announced or contemplated acquisitions;

 

•

the availability and cost of additional debt and equity financing;

 

•

the possibility of reductions in production or shutdowns at refineries utilizing our pipeline and terminal facilities;

 

•

the effects of current and future government regulations and policies;

 

•

our operational efficiency in carrying out routine operations and capital construction projects;

 

•

the possibility of terrorist attacks and the consequences of any such attacks;

 

•

general economic conditions; and

 

•

other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings with the Commission.

All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus and all subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Other factors described herein, or factors that are unknown or unpredictable, could also have a material adverse effect on future results. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Please read “Risk Factors” on page 4 of this prospectus and the “Risk Factors” section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and, other than as required by securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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WHO WE ARE

General

We are a Delaware limited partnership engaged principally in the business of operating a system of petroleum product and crude pipelines, storage tanks, distribution terminals and loading rack assets in West Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Washington. We generate revenues by charging tariffs for transporting petroleum products and crude oil through our pipelines and by charging fees for terminalling and storing refined products and other hydrocarbons, and providing other services at our storage tanks and terminals. We do not take ownership of products that we transport, terminal or store, and therefore, we are not directly exposed to changes in commodity prices. We serve HollyFrontier’s refining and marketing operations in the Mid-Continent, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States and Alon USA, Inc.’s (“Alon”) refinery in Big Spring, Texas. Additionally, we own a 75% interest in UNEV Pipeline, LLC (“UNEV”), which owns a 427-mile, 12-inch refined products pipeline running from Woods Cross, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada (the “UNEV Pipeline”), product terminals near Cedar City, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada and related assets; and a 25% joint venture interest in a 95-mile intrastate crude oil pipeline system (the “SLC Pipeline”) that serves refineries in the Salt Lake City, Utah area. The substantial majority of our business is devoted to providing transportation, storage and terminalling services to HollyFrontier. HollyFrontier currently controls our general partner and owns a 39% interest in us, including the 2% general partner interest. We operate our business as one business segment. Our assets include:

 

•

Pipelines:

 

•

approximately 810 miles of refined product pipelines, including 340 miles of leased pipelines, that transport gasoline, diesel and jet fuel principally from HollyFrontier’s Navajo refinery in New Mexico to its customers in the metropolitan and rural areas of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and northern Mexico;

 

•

approximately 510 miles of refined product pipelines that transport refined products from Alon’s Big Spring refinery in Texas to its customers in Texas and Oklahoma;

 

•

three 65-mile intermediate pipelines that transport intermediate feedstocks and crude oil from HollyFrontier’s Navajo refinery crude oil distillation and vacuum facilities in Lovington, New Mexico to its petroleum refinery facilities in Artesia, New Mexico;

 

•

approximately 910 miles of trunk, gathering and connection pipelines located in West Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma that deliver crude oil to HollyFrontier’s Navajo refinery;

 

•

approximately 8 miles of refined product pipelines that support HollyFrontier’s Woods Cross refinery located near Salt Lake City, Utah;

 

•

gasoline and diesel connecting pipelines located at HollyFrontier’s Tulsa East refinery facility;

 

•

five intermediate product and gas pipelines between HollyFrontier’s Tulsa East and West refinery facilities;

 

•

crude receiving assets located at HollyFrontier’s Cheyenne refinery;

 

•

a 75% interest in the UNEV Pipeline, a 427-mile refined products pipeline running from Woods Cross, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada;

 

•

a crude tank farm that serves HollyFrontier’s El Dorado refinery; and

 

•

a 25% joint venture interest in the SLC Pipeline, a 95-mile intrastate crude oil pipeline system that transports crude oil into the Salt Lake City, Utah area from the Utah terminus of the Frontier Pipeline, as well as crude oil flowing from Wyoming and Utah via Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.’s Rocky Mountain Pipeline.

 

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•

Refined Product Terminals and Refinery Tankage:

 

•

four refined product terminals, located in El Paso, Texas; Moriarty and Bloomfield, New Mexico; and Tucson, Arizona, with an aggregate capacity of approximately 1,200,000 barrels, that are integrated with our refined product pipeline system that serves HollyFrontier’s Navajo refinery;

 

•

one refined product terminal located in Spokane, Washington, with a capacity of approximately 400,000 barrels, that serves third-party common carrier pipelines;

 

•

one refined product terminal near Mountain Home, Idaho with a capacity of approximately 120,000 barrels, that serves a nearby United States Air Force Base;

 

•

two refined product terminals, located in Wichita Falls and Abilene, Texas, and one tank farm in Orla, Texas with aggregate capacity of approximately 500,000 barrels, that are integrated with our refined product pipelines that serve Alon’s Big Spring refinery;

 

•

a refined product loading rack facility at each of HollyFrontier’s refineries, heavy product / asphalt loading rack facilities at HollyFrontier’s Navajo refinery Lovington facility, Tulsa refinery East facility and the Cheyenne refinery, liquefied petroleum gas loading rack facilities at HollyFrontier’s Tulsa refinery West facility, Cheyenne refinery and El Dorado refinery, lube oil loading racks at HollyFrontier’s Tulsa refinery West facility and crude oil Leased Automatic Custody Transfer units located at HollyFrontier’s Cheyenne refinery;

 

•

on-site crude oil tankage at HollyFrontier’s Navajo, Woods Cross, Tulsa and Cheyenne refineries having an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 1,300,000 barrels;

 

•

on-site refined and intermediate product tankage at HollyFrontier’s Tulsa, Cheyenne and El Dorado refineries having an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 8,100,000 barrels; and

 

•

a 75% interest in UNEV Pipeline’s product terminals near Cedar City, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada with an aggregate capacity of approximately 615,000 barrels.

Partnership Structure and Management

As is common with publicly traded limited partnerships and in order to maximize operational flexibility, we conduct our operations through subsidiaries. We have four direct subsidiaries: (i) Holly Energy Finance Corp. (“Holly Energy Finance”), (ii) Holly Energy Partners—Operating, L.P., a limited partnership that conducts all of our operations through itself and its subsidiaries, (iii) HEP Logistics GP, L.L.C., the general partner of Holly Energy Partners—Operating, L.P. , and (iv) HEP UNEV Holdings LLC, a limited liability company that serves as a holding company of HEP UNEV Pipeline LLC, which holds our interests in the UNEV Pipeline. Holly Energy Partners—Operating, L.P. owns directly or indirectly 100% of the membership or partnership interests in its subsidiaries, other than SLC Pipeline LLC in which it indirectly owns a 25% interest. HEP UNEV Holdings LLC owns directly or indirectly 100% of the membership or partnership interests in its subsidiaries, other than UNEV Pipeline, LLC in which it indirectly owns a 75% interest. Holly Energy Finance was organized for the sole purpose of co-issuing certain of our debt securities, does not have any operations of any kind, and does not generate any revenue other than as may be incidental to its activities as a co-issuer of any of our debt securities.

Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., as the general partner of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P., our general partner, manages our operations and activities. Neither our general partner nor the board of directors of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. are elected by our unitholders. Unlike shareholders in a publicly traded corporation, our unitholders are not entitled to elect the directors of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C.

The address and phone number of our principal executive offices is 2828 N. Harwood, Suite 1300, Dallas, Texas 75201; telephone number (214) 871-3555. Our website is located at http://www.hollyenergypartners.com. Information on our website or any other website, is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus unless specifically so designated and filed with the Commission.

 

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THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS

Throughout this prospectus, we refer to each of the following subsidiaries of Holly Energy Partners as the “Subsidiary Guarantors”: Cheyenne Logistics LLC, El Dorado Logistics LLC, HEP El Dorado LLC, HEP Fin-Tex/Trust-River, L.P., HEP Logistics GP, L.L.C., HEP Mountain Home, L.L.C., HEP Navajo Southern, L.P., HEP Pipeline Assets, Limited Partnership, HEP Pipeline GP, L.L.C., HEP Pipeline, L.L.C., HEP Refining Assets, L.P., HEP Refining GP, L.L.C., HEP Refining, L.L.C., HEP SLC, LLC, HEP Tulsa LLC, HEP UNEV Holdings LLC, HEP UNEV Pipeline LLC, HEP Woods Cross, L.L.C., Holly Energy Partners—Operating, L.P, Holly Energy Storage—Lovington LLC, Lovington-Artesia, L.L.C. and Roadrunner Pipeline, L.L.C. Each of the Subsidiary Guarantors may jointly and severally and unconditionally guarantee our payment obligations under any series of debt securities offered by this prospectus and any prospectus supplement.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves risks. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider those risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, and those risk factors that may be included in the applicable prospectus supplement together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference in evaluating an investment in our securities. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please read “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the foregoing documents and the other information included in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus. If any of these risks occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected. In that case, we may be unable to pay distributions to our unitholders, or to pay interest on, or the principal of, any debt securities. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. When we offer and sell any securities pursuant to a prospectus supplement, we may include additional risk factors relevant to such securities in the prospectus supplement.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from any sale of securities described in this prospectus for general partnership purposes, which may include, among other things, funding acquisitions of assets or businesses, working capital, capital expenditures, investments in subsidiaries, the repayment or retirement of existing debt and/or the repurchase of common units or other securities. The prospectus supplement for any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will disclose the actual use of the net proceeds from the sale of such securities. The exact amounts to be used and when the net proceeds will be applied to partnership purposes will depend on a number of factors, including our funding requirements and the availability of alternative funding sources.

We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of common units by the selling unitholders.

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

For purposes of calculating the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings represent income before income tax expense before deducting fixed charges. Fixed charges include interest and 30% of the total operating lease rental expense, which is the portion deemed to be interest. Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated is as follows:

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,				Years Ended December 31,
		2015				2014				2013				2012				2011				2010
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges			4.67				3.81				2.71				2.83				2.84				2.53

Because we have no preferred units issued (and have not had any issued during the fiscal years or periods shown below), we have not presented a ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred distributions.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

Holly Energy Partners may issue debt securities in one or more series, and Holly Energy Finance may be a co-issuer of one or more series of such debt securities. When used in this section, references to “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Holly Energy Partners and, if Holly Energy Finance co-issues any debt securities, Holly Energy Finance. References to an “Indenture” refer to the particular Indenture under which we issue a series of debt securities.

The following description sets forth the general terms and provisions that will apply to any of our debt securities. Each prospectus supplement will state the particular terms that will apply to any debt securities included in the supplement.

General

The Indentures

We will issue our debt securities under either a Senior Indenture or a Subordinated Indenture, among us, a trustee that we will name in the related prospectus supplement and, as applicable, any Subsidiary Guarantors. The term “Trustee” as used in this prospectus shall refer to the trustee under any Indenture. Any debt securities will be governed by the applicable provisions of the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. We, the Trustee and, as applicable, the Subsidiary Guarantors, may enter into supplements to the applicable Indenture from time to time. The debt securities will be either senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities.

Neither Indenture contains provisions that would afford holders of debt securities protection in the event of a sudden and significant decline in our credit quality or a takeover, recapitalization or highly leveraged or similar transaction. Accordingly, we could in the future enter into transactions that could increase the amount of indebtedness outstanding at that time or otherwise adversely affect our capital structure or credit rating.

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

The Debt Securities

Any series of debt securities that we issue:

 

•

will be the general obligations of Holly Energy Partners and Holly Energy Finance, if Holly Energy Finance co-issues such debt securities;

 

•

will be general obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors, if guaranteed by them; and

 

•

may be subordinated to our Senior Indebtedness and that of any Subsidiary Guarantors.

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

Specific Terms of Each Series of Debt Securities to be Described in the Prospectus Supplement

We will prepare a prospectus supplement and either a supplemental indenture, or authorizing resolutions of the board of directors of our general partner’s general partner, accompanied by the officers’ certificate, relating to any series of debt securities that we offer, which will include specific terms relating to some or all of the following:

 

•

the form and title of the debt securities;

 

•

the total principal amount of the debt securities;

 

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•

the date or dates on which the debt securities may be issued;

 

•

whether the debt securities are senior or subordinated debt securities;

 

•

the currency or currencies in which principal and interest will be paid, if not in U.S. dollars;

 

•

the portion of the principal amount which will be payable if the maturity of the debt securities is accelerated;

 

•

any right we may have to defer payments of interest by extending the dates payments are due and whether interest on those deferred amounts will be payable;

 

•

the dates on which the principal and premium, if any, of the debt securities will be payable;

 

•

the interest rate or rates which the debt securities will bear, or by which the debt securities will accrete in value, and the interest payment dates for the debt securities;

 

•

any conversion or exchange provisions;

 

•

any optional redemption provisions;

 

•

any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to repurchase or otherwise redeem the debt securities;

 

•

whether the debt securities are (i) to be co-issued by Holly Energy Finance and (ii) entitled to the benefits of any guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantors;

 

•

whether the debt securities may be issued in amounts other than $1,000 each or multiples thereof;

 

•

any changes to or additional events of default or covenants;

 

•

any changes to the defeasance or discharge provisions of the Indenture;

 

•

the subordination, if any, of the debt securities and any changes to the subordination provisions of the Subordinated Indenture; and

 

•

any other terms of the debt securities.

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

The prospectus supplement also will describe any material United States federal income tax consequences or other special considerations regarding the applicable series of debt securities, including, without limitation, those relating to:

 

•

debt securities with respect to which payments of principal, premium or interest are determined with reference to an index or formula, including changes in prices of particular securities, currencies or commodities;

 

•

debt securities with respect to which payments of interest may be made in kind in lieu of, or in addition to, cash;

 

•

debt securities with respect to which principal, premium or interest is payable in a foreign or composite currency;

 

•

debt securities that are issued at a discount below their stated principal amount, bearing no interest or interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below market rates; and

 

•

variable rate debt securities that are exchangeable for fixed rate debt securities.

At our option, we may make cash interest payments by check mailed to the registered holders of debt securities or, if so stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, at the option of a holder by wire transfer to an account designated by the holder.

 

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

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

The Subsidiary Guarantees

Our payment obligations under any series of debt securities may be jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any of the Subsidiary Guarantors. If a series of debt securities is so guaranteed, the Subsidiary Guarantors will execute a notation of guarantee as further evidence of their guarantee. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any guarantee by the Subsidiary Guarantors.

The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor under its guarantee of the debt securities will be limited to the maximum amount that will not result in the obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantor under the guarantee constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law, after giving effect to:

 

•

all other contingent and fixed liabilities of the Subsidiary Guarantor; and

 

•

any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantors in respect of the obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantor under its guarantee.

The guarantee of any Subsidiary Guarantor may be released under certain circumstances. If we exercise our legal or covenant defeasance option with respect to debt securities of a particular series, or satisfy and discharge the Indenture with respect to that series, as described below under “—Defeasance and Discharge,” then any Subsidiary Guarantor will be released with respect to that series. Further, if no default has occurred and is continuing under the Indenture, and to the extent not otherwise prohibited by the Indenture, a Subsidiary Guarantor will be unconditionally released and discharged from its guarantee:

 

•

automatically upon any sale, exchange or transfer, whether by way of merger or otherwise, to any person that is not our affiliate, of all of our direct or indirect limited partnership or other equity interests in the Subsidiary Guarantor;

 

•

automatically upon the merger of the Subsidiary Guarantor into us or any other Subsidiary Guarantor or the liquidation and dissolution of the Subsidiary Guarantor; or

 

•

following delivery of a written notice by us to the Trustee, upon the discharge or release of all guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantor of any debt of ours under any credit facility, except discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such guarantee.

If a series of debt securities is guaranteed by the Subsidiary Guarantors and is designated as subordinate to our Senior Indebtedness, then the guarantees by the Subsidiary Guarantors will be subordinated to the Senior Indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantors to substantially the same extent as the series is subordinated to our Senior Indebtedness. See “—Subordination.”

Specific Covenants

The prospectus supplement applicable to any particular series of debt securities will contain a description of the important financial and other covenants that apply to us and our subsidiaries that are added to the Indenture specifically for the benefit of holders of a particular series.

 

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The Indenture will contain the following covenants for the benefit of the holders of all series of debt securities:

Reports

So long as any debt securities are outstanding, we will:

 

•

for as long as we are required to file information with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, file with the Trustee, within 30 days after we file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports which we are required to file with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act;

 

•

if we are not required to file information with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, file with the Trustee, within 30 days after we would have been required to file the same with the Commission, financial statements and a Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, both comparable to what we would have been required to file with the Commission had we been subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act; and

 

•

if we are required to furnish annual or quarterly reports to our unitholders pursuant to the Exchange Act, file with the Trustee and mail to the holders any annual report or other reports sent to unitholders generally.

The availability to the public of the foregoing materials on the Commission’s website or on our website shall be deemed to satisfy the foregoing delivery obligations.

Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets

We may, without the consent of the holders of any of the debt securities, consolidate with or sell, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to, or merge with or into, any partnership, limited liability company or corporation if:

 

•

the entity surviving any such consolidation or merger or to which such assets shall have been transferred (the “successor”) is us or the successor is a domestic partnership, limited liability company or corporation and expressly assumes all of our obligations and liabilities under the Indenture and the debt securities; provided that Holly Energy Finance may not consolidate with or merge into any entity other than a domestic corporation so long as we are not a corporation;

 

•

immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no default or Event of Default (as defined below) has occurred and is continuing;

 

•

if we are not the continuing entity, then any Subsidiary Guarantor has confirmed that its guarantee will continue to apply to the debt securities; and

 

•

we have delivered to the Trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or disposition complies with the Indenture.

The successor will be substituted for us in the Indenture with the same effect as if it had been an original party to the Indenture. Thereafter, the successor may exercise the rights and powers of us under the Indenture, in our name or in its own name. If we dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, we will be released from all liabilities and obligations under the Indenture and under the debt securities except that no such release will occur in the case of a lease of all or substantially all of our assets.

 

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Events of Default, Remedies and Default

Events of Default

Each of the following events will be an “Event of Default” under the Indenture with respect to a series of debt securities, except as set forth in any prospectus supplement:

 

•

default in any payment of interest on any debt securities of that series when due that continues for 60 days;

 

•

default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any debt securities of that series when due at its stated maturity, upon redemption, upon required repurchase or otherwise;

 

•

default in the payment of any sinking fund payment on any debt securities of that series when due;

 

•

failure by us or, if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by any Subsidiary Guarantor, by such Subsidiary Guarantor, for 60 days (or 180 days in the case of a failure to deliver to the Trustee the reports described under “—Specific Covenants—Reports” above) after written notice to comply with any of the other agreements contained in the Indenture, any supplement to the Indenture or any board resolution authorizing the issuance of that series;

 

•

certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of us or, if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by any Subsidiary Guarantor, of any such Subsidiary Guarantor that is a Significant Subsidiary Guarantor (as defined below) or any group of Subsidiary Guarantors that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary Guarantor; or

 

•

if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by any Subsidiary Guarantor:

 

•

any of the guarantees ceases to be in full force and effect, except as otherwise provided in the Indenture;

 

•

any of the guarantees is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding; or

 

•

any Subsidiary Guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under the Indenture or its guarantee.

A “Significant Subsidiary Guarantor” means any Subsidiary Guarantor that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Regulation is in effect on the date of the Indenture.

Exercise of Remedies

If an Event of Default, other than an Event of Default described in the fifth bullet point above, occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may declare the entire principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately.

A default under the fourth bullet point above will not constitute an Event of Default until the Trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series notify us and, if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by any Subsidiary Guarantor, any such Subsidiary Guarantor, of the default and such default is not cured within 60 days (or 180 days in the case of a failure to deliver to the Trustee the reports described under “—Specific Covenants—Reports” above) after receipt of notice.

If an Event of Default described in the fifth bullet point above occurs and is continuing, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all outstanding debt securities of all series will become immediately due and payable without any declaration of acceleration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any holders.

 

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

 

•

rescinding the declaration of acceleration would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction; and

 

•

all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived, other than the nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the debt securities of that series that has become due solely by the declaration of acceleration.

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

 

•

such holder has previously given the Trustee notice that an Event of Default with respect to that series is continuing;

 

•

holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have requested that the Trustee pursue the remedy;

 

•

such holders have offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity or security against any cost, liability or expense;

 

•

the Trustee has not complied with such request within 60 days after the receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity or security; and

 

•

the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have not given the Trustee a direction that, in the opinion of the Trustee, is inconsistent with such request within such 60-day period.

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

 

•

conflicts with law;

 

•

is inconsistent with any provision of the Indenture;

 

•

the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other holder;

 

•

would involve the Trustee in personal liability.

Notice of an Event of Default

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

If a default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee must mail to each holder a notice of the default by the later of 90 days after the default occurs or 30 days after the Trustee knows of the default. Except in the case of a default in the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest with respect to any debt securities, the Trustee

 

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may withhold such notice, but only if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a committee of directors or responsible officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding such notice is in the interests of the holders.

Amendments and Waivers

Without the consent of any holder of debt securities affected, we, the Trustee and any Subsidiary Guarantors, as applicable, may amend or supplement the Indenture to:

 

•

cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

 

•

convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the Trustee;

 

•

provide for the assumption by a successor of our obligations under the Indenture;

 

•

add any Subsidiary Guarantor with respect to the debt securities;

 

•

change or eliminate any restriction on the payment of principal of, or premium, if any, on, any debt securities;

 

•

add covenants for the benefit of the holders or surrender any right or power conferred upon us or any Subsidiary Guarantor;

 

•

make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder;

 

•

add or appoint a successor or separate Trustee;

 

•

comply with any requirement of the Commission in connection with the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939; or

 

•

establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series to be issued under the Indenture.

In addition, we, the Trustee and any Subsidiary Guarantors, may amend the Indenture if the holders of a majority in principal amount of all debt securities of each series that would be affected then outstanding under such Indenture consent to it. We, the Trustee and any Subsidiary Guarantors, as applicable, may not, however, without the consent of each holder of outstanding debt securities of each series that would be affected, amend the Indenture to:

 

•

reduce the percentage in principal amount of debt securities of any series whose holders must consent to an amendment;

 

•

reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on any debt securities;

 

•

reduce the principal of or extend the stated maturity of any debt securities;

 

•

reduce the premium payable upon the redemption of any debt securities or change the time at which any debt securities may or shall be redeemed;

 

•

make any debt securities payable in other than U.S. dollars;

 

•

impair the right of any holder to receive payment of premium, principal or interest with respect to such holder’s debt securities on or after the applicable due date;

 

•

impair the right of any holder to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment with respect to such holder’s debt securities;

 

•

in the case of any subordinated debt securities, make any changes to the subordination provisions that adversely affects any holder of such securities;

 

•

release any security that has been granted in respect of the debt securities, other than in accordance with the Indenture;

 

•

make any change in the amendment provisions which require each holder’s consent;

 

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•

make any change in the waiver provisions; or

 

•

except as provided in the Indenture, release any Subsidiary Guarantor or modify the guarantee of any Subsidiary Guarantor in any manner adverse to the holders.

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

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

 

•

compliance by us or a Subsidiary Guarantor with certain restrictive provisions of the Indenture; and

 

•

any past default or Event of Default under the Indenture;

 

•

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

 

•

in the payment of principal, premium or interest; or

 

•

in respect of a provision that under the Indenture cannot be amended without the consent of all holders of the series of debt securities that is affected.

Defeasance and Discharge

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

 

•

relating to the defeasance trust;

 

•

to register the transfer or exchange of the debt securities;

 

•

to replace mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities; or

 

•

to maintain a registrar and paying agent in respect of the debt securities.

At any time we may also effect a “covenant defeasance,” which means we have elected to terminate our obligations under:

 

•

covenants applicable to a series of debt securities, including any covenant that is added specifically for such series and is described in a prospectus supplement;

 

•

the bankruptcy provisions with respect to any Significant Subsidiary Guarantor or group of Subsidiary Guarantors that, taken together, constitute a Significant Subsidiary Guarantor; and

 

•

the guarantee provision described under “—Events of Default, Remedies and Notices—Events of Default” above with respect to a series of debt securities, if applicable, and any Events of Default that is added specifically for such series and described in a prospectus supplement.

We may exercise our legal defeasance option notwithstanding our prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option. If we exercise our legal defeasance option, payment of the affected series of debt securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default with respect to that series. If we exercise our covenant defeasance option, payment of the defeased series of debt securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default with respect to that series specified in the fourth, fifth (with respect only to a Subsidiary Guarantor (if any)) or sixth bullet points under “—Events of Default, Remedies and Notices—Events of Default” above or an Event of Default that is added specifically for such series and described in a prospectus supplement.

 

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In order to exercise either defeasance option, we must:

 

•

irrevocably deposit in trust with the Trustee money or certain U.S. government obligations for the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the series of debt securities to redemption or stated maturity, as the case may be;

 

•

comply with certain other conditions, including that no default has occurred and is continuing after the deposit in trust; and

 

•

deliver to the Trustee of an opinion of counsel to the effect that holders of the series of debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred. In the case of legal defeasance only, such opinion of counsel must be based on a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or other change in applicable federal income tax law.

If we exercise either our legal defeasance option or our covenant defeasance option, any guarantee by a Subsidiary Guarantor will terminate with respect to the defeased series of debt securities.

In addition, we may satisfy and discharge all our obligations under the Indenture with respect to debt securities of a particular series, other than our obligation to register the transfer of and exchange such debt securities, provided that we either:

 

•

deliver all outstanding debt securities of such series to the Trustee for cancellation; or

 

•

all such debt securities not so delivered for cancellation have either become due and payable or will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year or are called for redemption within one year, and in the case of this bullet point, we have deposited with the Trustee in trust an amount of cash sufficient to pay the entire indebtedness of such debt securities, including interest to the stated maturity or applicable redemption date.

No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Unitholders

No past, present or future director, officer, partner, member, employee, incorporator, manager or unitholder or other owner of any equity interest in us, our general partner or any Subsidiary Guarantors, as applicable, will have any liability for any obligations of us or any Subsidiary Guarantors under any debt securities, any Indenture, any guarantee of any debt securities or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each holder of any debt security accepting such debt security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of any debt securities and any guarantee. The waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws.

Subordination

Debt securities of a series may be subordinated to our “Senior Indebtedness,” which we define generally to include any obligation created or assumed by us (or, if the series is guaranteed, any Subsidiary Guarantors) for the repayment of borrowed money and any guarantee thereof, whether outstanding or hereafter issued, unless, by the terms of the instrument creating or evidencing such obligation, it is provided that such obligation is subordinate or not superior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities (or, if the series is guaranteed, the guarantee of any Subsidiary Guarantor), or to other obligations which are pari passu with or subordinated to the subordinated debt securities (or, if the series is guaranteed, the guarantee of any Subsidiary Guarantor). Subordinated debt securities will be subordinate in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner set forth in the Indenture and the prospectus supplement relating to such series, to the prior payment of all of our indebtedness and that of any Subsidiary Guarantor that is designated as “Senior Indebtedness” with respect to the series.

 

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The holders of Senior Indebtedness of ours or, if applicable, any Subsidiary Guarantor, will receive payment in full of the Senior Indebtedness before holders of any subordinated debt securities will receive any payment of principal, premium or interest with respect to the subordinated debt securities upon any payment or distribution of our assets or, if applicable to any series of outstanding debt securities, the Subsidiary Guarantors’ assets, to creditors:

 

•

upon a liquidation or dissolution of us or, if applicable to any series of outstanding debt securities, the Subsidiary Guarantors; or

 

•

in a bankruptcy, receivership or similar proceeding relating to us or, if applicable to any series of outstanding debt securities, to the Subsidiary Guarantors.

Until the Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, any distribution to which holders of subordinated debt securities would otherwise be entitled will be made to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, except that the holders of subordinated debt securities may receive units representing limited partner interests and any debt securities that are subordinated to Senior Indebtedness to at least the same extent as the subordinated debt securities.

If we do not pay any principal, premium or interest with respect to Senior Indebtedness within any applicable grace period (including at maturity), or any other default on Senior Indebtedness occurs and the maturity of the Senior Indebtedness is accelerated in accordance with its terms, we may not:

 

•

make any payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest with respect to subordinated debt securities;

 

•

make any deposit for the purpose of defeasance or discharge of the subordinated debt securities; or

 

•

repurchase, redeem or otherwise retire any subordinated debt securities, except that in the case of subordinated debt securities that provide for a mandatory sinking fund, we may deliver subordinated debt securities to the Trustee in satisfaction of our sinking fund obligation, unless, in any case,

 

•

the default has been cured or waived and any declaration of acceleration has been rescinded;

 

•

the Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in cash; or

 

•

we and the Trustee receive written notice approving the payment from the representative of each issue of “Designated Senior Indebtedness.”

During the continuance of any default, other than a default described in the immediately preceding paragraph, that may cause the maturity of any Designated Senior Indebtedness to be accelerated immediately without further notice, other than any notice required to effect such acceleration, or the expiration of any applicable grace periods, we may not pay the subordinated debt securities for a period called the “Payment Blockage Period.” Generally, “Designated Senior Indebtedness” will include:

 

•

any specified issue of Senior Indebtedness of at least $100 million; and

 

•

any other Senior Indebtedness that we may designate in respect of any series of subordinated debt securities.

A Payment Blockage Period will commence on the receipt by us and the Trustee of written notice of the default, called a “Blockage Notice,” from the representative of any Designated Senior Indebtedness specifying an election to effect a Payment Blockage Period and will end 179 days thereafter.

The Payment Blockage Period may be terminated before its expiration:

 

•

by written notice from the person or persons who gave the Blockage Notice;

 

•

by repayment in full in cash of the Designated Senior Indebtedness with respect to which the Blockage Notice was given; or

 

•

if the default giving rise to the Payment Blockage Period is no longer continuing.

 

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Unless the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness have accelerated the maturity of the Designated Senior Indebtedness, we may resume payments on the subordinated debt securities after the expiration of the Payment Blockage Period.

Generally, not more than one Blockage Notice may be given in any period of 360 consecutive days. The total number of days during which any one or more Payment Blockage Periods are in effect, however, may not exceed an aggregate of 179 days during any period of 360 consecutive days.

After all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full and until the subordinated debt securities are paid in full, holders of the subordinated debt securities shall be subrogated to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive distributions applicable to Senior Indebtedness.

As a result of the subordination provisions described above, in the event of insolvency, the holders of Senior Indebtedness, as well as certain of our general creditors, may recover more, ratably, than the holders of the subordinated debt securities.

Book-Entry System

We may issue debt securities of a series in the form of one or more global certificates, each of which we refer to as a global security, registered in the name of a depositary or a nominee of a depositary. We expect that The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, (“DTC”), will act as depositary. If we issue debt securities of a series in book-entry form, we will issue one or more global certificates that will be deposited with or on behalf of DTC and will not issue physical certificates to each holder. A global security may not be transferred unless it is exchanged in whole or in part for a certificated security, except that DTC, its nominees and their successors may transfer a global security as a whole to one another.

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

DTC has advised us as follows:

 

•

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law, a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act.

 

•

DTC holds and provides asset servicing for securities that its participants (known as direct participants) deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the post-trade settlement among direct participants of sales and other securities transactions in deposited securities, through electronic computerized book-entry transfers and pledges between direct participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates.

 

•

Direct participants in DTC include both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations.

 

•

Access to the DTC system is also available to others, known as indirect participants, such as U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly.

 

•

The rules applicable to DTC participants are on file with the Commission.

Any purchases of debt securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the debt securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of each actual purchaser of debt securities is in turn to be recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of the debt securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchase, but beneficial

 

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owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of the transaction, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which the beneficial owner entered into the transaction. Transfers of ownership interests in the debt securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of direct and indirect participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the debt securities, except in the event that use of the book-entry system for the debt securities is discontinued.

Because DTC can only act on behalf of direct participants, who in turn act on behalf of indirect DTC participants and certain banks, the ability of a person having a beneficial interest in a security held in DTC to transfer or pledge that interest to persons or entities that do not participate in the DTC system, or otherwise take actions in respect of that interest, may be affected by the lack of a physical certificate of that interest. The laws of some states of the United States require that certain persons take physical delivery of securities in definitive form in order to transfer or perfect a security interest in those securities. Consequently, the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a security held in DTC to those persons may be limited.

DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of debt securities (including, without limitation, the presentation of debt securities for exchange) only at the direction of one or more of the participants to whose accounts with DTC interests in the relevant debt securities are credited, and only in respect of the portion of the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities as to which that participant or those participants has or have given the direction. However, in certain circumstances, DTC will exchange the global securities held by it for certificated debt securities, which it will distribute to its participants.

To facilitate subsequent transfers of ownership interests in the debt securities, all debt securities deposited by direct participants with DTC are registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of debt securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee do not effect any change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the debt securities; DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts such debt securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The direct and indirect participants will remain responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by, direct participants to indirect participants, and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time.

Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (nor any other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the global securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC mails an omnibus proxy to the issuer as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns Cede & Co.’s consenting or voting rights to those direct participants to whose accounts the debt securities are credited on the record date (identified in the listing attached to the omnibus proxy).

All payments on the global securities will be made to Cede & Co., as holder of record, or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us or the Trustee on payment dates in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC’s records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such participant and not of DTC, us, the Trustee or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as applicable, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time. Payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest to Cede & Co. (or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC) shall be the responsibility of us or the Trustee. Disbursement of such payments to direct participants shall be the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of such payments to the beneficial owners shall be the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.

 

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Neither we, the Trustee nor any Subsidiary Guarantor, as applicable, will have any responsibility or obligation to direct or indirect participants, or the persons for whom they act as nominees, with respect to the accuracy of the records of DTC, its nominee, any other depositary or its nominee, or any participant with respect to any ownership interest in any debt securities, or payments to, or the providing of notice to participants or beneficial owners.

The Trustee

We may appoint a separate trustee for any series of debt securities. We may maintain banking and other commercial relationships with the Trustee and its affiliates in the ordinary course of business, and the Trustee may own debt securities.

Governing Law

The Indenture and any series of debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF OUR COMMON UNITS AND PREFERRED UNITS

Common Units

Our common units represent limited partner interests that entitle the holders to participate in our cash distributions and to exercise the rights and privileges available to limited partners under our partnership agreement. For a description of the relative rights and preferences of holders of our common units and our general partner in and to cash distributions, please carefully review this section and the section titled “How We Make Cash Distributions” in this prospectus.

Our outstanding common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “HEP.” Any additional common units we issue will also be listed on the NYSE.

The transfer agent and registrar for our common units is Wells Fargo Shareowner Services.

Number of Units

As of May 28, 2015, we have 58,657,048 common units outstanding.

Status as Limited Partner or Assignee

Except as described below under “—Limited Liability,” our common units will be fully paid, and unitholders will not be required to make additional capital contributions to us.

Limited Liability

Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the “Delaware Act”) and that he otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of our partnership agreement, his liability under the Delaware Act will be limited, subject to some possible exceptions, generally to the amount of capital he is obligated to contribute to us in respect of his units plus his share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it were determined, however, that the right of, or exercise of the right by, the limited partners as a group:

 

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to remove or replace our general partner;

 

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to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement; or

 

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to take other action under our partnership agreement;

constituted “participation in the control” of our business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the laws of Delaware to the same extent as our general partner. This liability would additionally extend to persons who transact business with us who reasonably believe that the limited partner is a general partner. Neither our partnership agreement nor the Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against our general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited liability through any fault of our general partner.

Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a distribution to a partner to the extent that at the time of the distribution, after giving effect to the distribution, all liabilities of the partnership, other than liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of the partnership, exceed the fair value of the assets of the limited partnership.

For the purposes of determining the fair value of the assets of a limited partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of the property subject to liability of which recourse of creditors is limited shall be included in the assets of the limited partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the

 

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nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was in violation of the Delaware Act is liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years from the date of the distribution.

We currently own property and conduct business in Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Washington. We may own property or conduct business in other states in the future. Maintenance of our limited liability as a limited partner of our operating partnership may require compliance with legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which our operating partnership owns property or conducts business, including qualifying our subsidiaries to do business there.

Limitations on the liability of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partnership have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. If, by virtue of our limited partner interest in our operating partnership or otherwise, it were determined that we were conducting business in any state without compliance with the applicable limited partnership or limited liability company statute, or that the right of, or exercise of the right by, the limited partners as a group, to remove or replace our general partner, to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement, or to take other action under our partnership agreement constituted “participation in the control” of our business for purposes of the statutes of any relevant jurisdiction, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the law of that jurisdiction to the same extent as our general partner under the circumstances. We will operate in a manner that our general partner considers reasonable and necessary or appropriate to preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.

Voting Rights

Our general partner manages and operates us. Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, our unitholders have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business and, therefore, limited ability to influence management’s decisions regarding our business. Our unitholders did not elect our general partner or the board of directors of our general partner’s general partner and have no right to elect our general partner or the board of directors of our general partner’s general partner on an annual or other continuing basis. The board of directors of our general partner’s general partner is chosen by the members of our general partner’s general partner. Furthermore, if unitholders are dissatisfied with the performance of our general partner, they will have little ability to remove our general partner. As a result of these limitations, the price at which the common units trade could be diminished because of the absence or reduction of a takeover premium in the trading price.

The vote of the holders of at least 66 ²/₃% of all outstanding units voting together as a single class is required to remove the general partner. Our unitholders will be unable to remove the general partner without its consent because the general partner and its affiliates own sufficient units to prevent its removal. Our unitholders’ voting rights are further restricted by the partnership agreement provision providing that any units held by a person that owns 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, other than the general partner, its affiliates, their transferees, and persons who acquired such units with the prior approval of the board of directors of the general partner’s general partner, cannot vote on any matter. Our partnership agreement also contains provisions limiting the ability of unitholders to call meetings or to acquire information about our operations, as well as other provisions limiting the unitholders’ ability to influence the manner or direction of management.

In voting its common units, the general partner and its affiliates will have no fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners.

 

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Our unitholders will not have voting rights except with respect to the following matters which require the unitholder vote specified below:

 

Issuance of additional units		No approval required.
Amendment of the partnership agreement		Certain amendments may be made by the general partner without the approval of the unitholders. Other amendments generally require the approval of a majority of the outstanding units.
Merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets		Approval of a majority of the outstanding units.
Amendment of the partnership agreement of our operating partnership and other action taken by us as a limited partner of the operating partnership		Approval of a majority of the outstanding units if such amendment or other action would adversely affect our limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect.
Dissolution of our partnership		Approval of a majority of the outstanding units.
Reconstitution of our partnership upon dissolution		Approval of a majority of the outstanding units.
Withdrawal of the general partner		No approval right. Please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement—Withdrawal or Removal of our General Partner.”
Removal of the general partner		Not less than 66 2⁄3% of the outstanding units, voting as a single class, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates.
Transfer of the general partner interest		No approval right. Please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement—Transfer of General Partner Interests.”
Transfer of incentive distribution rights		No approval right. Please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement—Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights.”
Transfer of ownership interests in the general partner		No approval required at any time.

Transfer of Common Units

The purchase of any of our common units offered by this prospectus and any prospectus supplement is accomplished through the completion, execution and delivery of a transfer application. Additionally, any later transfers of our common units will not be recorded by the transfer agent or recognized by us unless the transferee executes and delivers a transfer application. By executing and delivering a transfer application, a purchaser or transferee of our common units:

 

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becomes the record holder of our common units and is an assignee until admitted into our partnership as a substituted limited partner;

 

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automatically requests admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership;

 

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agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of, and executes, our partnership agreement;

 

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represents that such transferee has the capacity, power and authority to enter into the partnership agreement;

 

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grants powers of attorney to officers of our general partner and any liquidator of us as specified in the partnership agreement; and

 

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gives the consents and approvals contained in our partnership agreement.

 

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An assignee will become a substituted limited partner of our partnership for the transferred common units upon admission by our general partner and the recording of the name of the assignee on our books and records. Our general partner intends to admit assignees as substituted limited partners on a quarterly basis.

A transferee’s broker, agent or nominee may complete, execute and deliver a transfer application. We are entitled to treat the nominee holder of a common unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder’s rights are limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.

Common units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfer of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to request admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units. A purchaser or transferee of our common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application obtains only:

 

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the right to assign the common unit to a purchaser or other transferee; and

 

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the right to transfer the right to seek admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units.

Thus, a purchaser or transferee of our common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application:

 

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will not receive cash distributions or federal income tax allocations, unless the common units are held in a nominee or “street name” account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application; and may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of our common units.

The transferor of our common units has a duty to provide the transferee with all information that may be necessary to transfer the common units. The transferor does not have a duty to insure the execution of the transfer application by the transferee and has no liability or responsibility if the transferee neglects or chooses not to execute and forward the transfer application to the transfer agent. Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.

Reports and Records

As soon as practicable, but in no event later than 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, our general partner will furnish or make available to each unitholder of record (as of a record date selected by our general partner) an annual report containing our audited financial statements and a report on those financial statements by our independent public accountants. These financial statements will be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish or make available summary financial information within 90 days after the close of each quarter.

We will also furnish each unitholder of record with information reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within 90 days after the close of each calendar year. This information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that some complex calculations normally required of partners can be avoided. Our ability to furnish this summary information to unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders in supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will receive information to assist such unitholder in determining his federal and state tax liability and filing his federal and state income tax returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with information.

A limited partner can, for a purpose reasonably related to the limited partner’s interest as a limited partner, upon reasonable demand and at his own expense, have furnished to such unitholder:

 

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a current list of the name and last known address of each partner;

 

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a copy of our tax returns;

 

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•

information as to the amount of cash and a description and statement of the agreed value of any other property or services, contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on which each became a partner;

 

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copies of our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited partnership, amendments to either of them and powers of attorney which have been executed under our partnership agreement;

 

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information regarding the status of our business and financial condition; and

 

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any other information regarding our affairs as is just and reasonable.

Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from the limited partners trade secrets and other information the disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith is not in our best interest or which we are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.

Preferred Units

Except as set forth below, our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional limited partner interests and other equity securities for the consideration and with the rights, preferences and privileges established by our general partner in its sole discretion without the approval of any of our limited partners. In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership interests that, in the sole discretion of our general partner, have special voting rights to which our common units are not entitled. As of the date of this prospectus, we have no preferred units outstanding.

Should we offer preferred units under this prospectus, a prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of preferred units offered will include the specific terms of those preferred units, including the following:

 

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the designation, stated value and liquidation preference of the preferred units and the number of preferred units offered;

 

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the initial public offering price at which the preferred units will be issued;

 

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the conversion or exchange provisions of the preferred units;

 

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any redemption or sinking fund provisions of the preferred units;

 

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the distribution rights of the preferred units, if any;

 

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a discussion of material federal income tax considerations, if any, regarding the preferred units; and

 

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any additional rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions of the preferred units.

 

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HOW WE MAKE CASH DISTRIBUTIONS

We have not issued any preferred units and the discussion below assumes that no preferred units are outstanding. A description of the material terms of our cash distribution policy as it applies to any preferred units will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of such preferred units.

Distributions of Available Cash

General

Our partnership agreement provides that we will distribute all of our available cash to unitholders of record on the applicable record date within 45 days after the end of each quarter.

Definition of Available Cash

Available cash generally means, for each fiscal quarter, all cash on hand at the end of the quarter:

 

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less the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to:

 

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provide for the proper conduct of our business;

 

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comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments, or other agreements; or

 

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provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and to our general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters;

 

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plus all cash on hand on the date of determination of available cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter. Working capital borrowings are generally borrowings that are made under our credit facility and in all cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay distributions to partners.

Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus

General

All cash distributed to unitholders will be characterized as either “operating surplus” or “capital surplus.” We distribute available cash from operating surplus differently than available cash from capital surplus.

Definition of Operating Surplus

Operating surplus for any period generally means:

 

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our cash balance on the closing date of our initial public offering, which was $12.1 million; plus

 

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$10.0 million (as described below); plus

 

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all of our cash receipts after the closing of our initial public offering, excluding cash from borrowings that are not working capital borrowings, sales of equity and debt securities and sales or other dispositions of assets outside the ordinary course of business; plus

 

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working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but before the date of determination of operating surplus for the quarter; less

 

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all of our operating expenditures after the closing of our initial public offering, including the repayment of working capital borrowings, but not the repayment of other borrowings, and including maintenance capital expenditures; less

 

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the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to provide funds for future operating expenditures.

 

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Definition of Capital Surplus

Capital surplus is defined in our partnership agreement as any distribution of cash in excess of our cumulative operating surplus. Generally, capital surplus will be generated only by:

 

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borrowings other than working capital borrowings;

 

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sales of debt and equity securities; and

 

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sales or other disposition of assets for cash, other than inventory, accounts receivable and other current assets sold in the ordinary course of business or as part of normal retirements or replacements of assets.

Characterization of Cash Distributions

We will treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since we began operations equals the operating surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available cash. We will treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus. As reflected above, operating surplus includes $10.0 million in addition to our cash balance on July 13, 2004, the closing date of our initial public offering, cash receipts from our operations and cash from working capital borrowings. This amount does not reflect actual cash on hand at closing that is available for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, it is a provision that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to $10.0 million of cash we receive in the future from non-operating sources, such as asset sales, issuances of securities, and long-term borrowings, that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus.

Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus

We make distributions of available cash from operating surplus for any quarter in the following manner:

 

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First, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% the general partner, until we distribute for each outstanding unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter; and

 

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Thereafter, in the manner described in “—Incentive Distribution Rights” below.

Incentive Distribution Rights

Incentive distribution rights represent the right to receive an increasing percentage of quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus 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.

If for any quarter we have distributed available cash from operating surplus to the common unitholders in an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.25 per unit for that quarter, then, we will distribute any additional available cash from operating surplus for that quarter among the unitholders and the general partner in the following manner:

 

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First, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.275 per unit for that quarter (the “first target distribution”);

 

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Second, 85% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to the general partner, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.3125 per unit for that quarter (the “second target distribution”);

 

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Third, 75% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to the general partner, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.375 per unit for that quarter (the “third target distribution”); and

 

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Thereafter, 50% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to the general partner.

 

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The percentage interests set forth above for our general partner include its 2% general partner interest and assume the general partner has not transferred its incentive distribution rights.

On July 12, 2012, our general partner agreed to forego its right to incentive distributions of up to $1.25 million per quarter over twelve consecutive quarterly periods beginning with the third quarter of 2012 and up to an additional four quarters in certain circumstances.

Percentage Allocations of Available Cash from Operating Surplus

The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of the additional available cash from operating surplus between 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 our general partner and the unitholders in any available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and including the corresponding amount in the column “Total Quarterly Distribution,” until available cash from operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target distribution level, if any. The percentage interests shown for the unitholders and the 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 set forth below for our general partner include its 2% general partner interest and assume the general partner has not transferred its incentive distribution rights.

 

		Total Quarterly Distribution		Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions
		Target Amount		Unitholders				General Partner
Minimum Quarterly Distribution		$0.25			98	%			2	%
First Target Distribution		up to $0.275			98	%			2	%
Second Target Distribution		above $0.275 up to $0.3125			85	%			15	%
Third Target Distribution		above $0.3125 up to $0.375			75	%			25	%
Thereafter		above $0.375			50	%			50	%

Distributions from Capital Surplus

How Distributions from Capital Surplus Are Made

We will make distributions of available cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner:

 

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First, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, until we distribute for each common unit, an amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to the public offering price from our initial public offering; and

 

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Thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.

Effect of a Distribution from Capital Surplus

The partnership agreement treats a distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial unit price from our initial public offering, which is a return of capital. The initial public offering price less any distributions of capital surplus per unit is referred to as the “unrecovered initial unit price.” Each time a distribution of capital surplus is made, the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels are reduced in the same proportion as the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered initial unit price. Because distributions of capital surplus will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution, after any of these distributions are made, it may be easier for the general partner to receive incentive distributions.

Once we distribute capital surplus on a unit equal to the initial unit price, we will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels to zero. We will then make all future distributions from

 

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operating surplus, with 50% being paid to the holders of units and 50% to the general partner. 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.

Adjustment to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels

In addition to adjusting the minimum quarterly distribution and target distribution levels to reflect a distribution of capital surplus, if we combine our units into fewer units or subdivide our units into a greater number of units, we will proportionately adjust:

 

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the minimum quarterly distribution;

 

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target distribution levels;

 

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the unrecovered initial unit price.

For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should occur, the minimum quarterly distribution, the target distribution levels and the unrecovered initial unit price would each be reduced to 50% of its initial level. We will not make any adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional units for cash or property.

In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is modified or interpreted by a governmental taxing authority, so that we become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax purposes, we will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels for each quarter by multiplying each distribution level by a fraction, the numerator of which is available cash for that quarter and the denominator of which is the sum of available cash for that quarter plus the general partner’s estimate of our aggregate liability for the quarter for such income taxes payable by reason of such legislation or interpretation. To the extent that the actual tax liability differs from the estimated tax liability for any quarter, the difference will be accounted for in subsequent quarters.

Distributions of Cash upon Liquidation

General

If we dissolve in accordance with the partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any remaining proceeds to the unitholders and the general partner, in accordance with their capital account balances, as adjusted to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of our assets in liquidation. Any further net gain recognized upon liquidation will be allocated in a manner that takes into account the incentive distribution rights of the general partner.

Manner of Adjustments for Gain

The manner of the adjustment for gain is set forth in the partnership agreement. We will allocate any gain to the partners in the following manner:

 

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First, to the general partner and the holders of units who have negative balances in their capital accounts to the extent of and in proportion to those negative balances;

 

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Second, 98% to the common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, until the capital account for each common unit is equal to the sum of: (1) the unrecovered initial unit price; and (2) the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter during which our liquidation occurs;

 

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Third, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the first target distribution per unit over the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less (2) the

 

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cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution per unit that we distributed 98% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, for each quarter of our existence;

 

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Fourth, 85% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to the general partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the second target distribution per unit over the first target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less (2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the first target distribution per unit that we distributed 85% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to the general partner for each quarter of our existence;

 

•

Fifth, 75% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to the general partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: (1) the sum of the excess of the third target distribution per unit over the second target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less (2) the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the second target distribution per unit that we distributed 75% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to the general partner for each quarter of our existence; and

 

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Thereafter, 50% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to the general partner.

The percentage interests set forth above for our general partner include its 2% general partner interest and assume the general partner has not transferred the incentive distribution rights.

Manner of Adjustments for Losses

We will generally allocate any loss to the general partner and the unitholders in the following manner:

 

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First, 98% to the holders of common units in proportion to the positive balances in their capital accounts and 2% to the general partner, until the capital accounts of the common unitholders have been reduced to zero; and

 

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Thereafter, 100% to the general partner.

Adjustments to Capital Accounts

We will make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In doing so, we will allocate any unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and the general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation. In the event that we make positive adjustments to the capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units, we will allocate any later negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting from the issuance of additional units or upon our liquidation in a manner which results, to the extent possible, in the general partner’s capital account balances equaling the amount which they would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to the capital accounts had been made.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

The following is a summary of the material provisions of our partnership agreement. Our amended and restated partnership agreement, as amended, has been filed with the Commission. The following provisions of our partnership agreement are summarized elsewhere in this prospectus:

 

•

distributions of our available cash are described under “How We Make Cash Distributions;”

 

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allocations of taxable income and other matters are described under “Material U.S. Federal Tax Consequences;”

 

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rights of holders of our common units are described under “Description of Our Common Units;” and

 

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fiduciary duties of our general partner are described under “Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties.”

Purpose

Our purpose under our partnership agreement is to serve as the limited partner of our operating partnership and to engage in any business activities that may be engaged in by our operating partnership or that are approved by our general partner. The partnership agreement of our operating partnership provides that the operating partnership may, directly or indirectly, engage in (i) its operations as conducted immediately before our initial public offering, (ii) any other activity approved by the general partner but only to the extent that the general partner determines that, as of the date of the acquisition or commencement of the activity, the activity generates “qualifying income” as this term is defined in Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or (iii) any activity that enhances the operations of an activity that is described in clause (i) or (ii).

Power of Attorney

Each limited partner, and each person who acquires a unit from a unitholder and executes and delivers a transfer application, grants to our general partner and, if appointed, a liquidator, a power of attorney to, among other things, execute and file documents required for our qualification, continuance or dissolution. The power of attorney also grants the authority for the amendment of, and to make consents and waivers under, our partnership agreement.

Reimbursements of Our General Partner

Our general partner does not receive any compensation for its services as our general partner. It is, however, entitled to be reimbursed for all of its costs incurred in managing and operating our business. Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner will determine the expenses that are allocable to us in any reasonable manner determined by our general partner in its sole discretion.

Issuance of Additional Securities

Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional partnership securities and rights to buy partnership securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our general partner in its sole discretion without the approval of the unitholders. It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional common units or other equity securities. Holders of any additional common units or other equity securities we issue may be entitled to share with the then-existing holders of our common units or other equity securities in our cash distributions. In addition, the issuance of additional partnership interests may dilute the value of the interests of the then-existing holders of common units in our net assets. In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership interests that, in the sole discretion of our general partner, may have special voting rights to which common units are not entitled.

 

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Upon issuance of additional partnership securities, the general partner will be required to make additional capital contributions to the extent necessary to maintain its 2% general partner interest in us. Moreover, the general partner will have the right, which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates, to purchase common units or other equity securities whenever, and on the same terms that, we issue those securities to persons other than the general partner and its affiliates, to the extent necessary to maintain its and its affiliates percentage interest, including its interest represented by common units, that existed immediately prior to each issuance. The holders of common units do not have preemptive rights to acquire additional common units or other partnership securities.

Amendments to Our Partnership Agreement

Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by our general partner, which consent may be given or withheld at its option. Any amendment that materially and adversely affects the rights or preferences of any type or class of limited partner interests in relation to other types or classes of limited partner interests or our general partner interest will require the approval of at least a majority of the type or class of limited partner interests or general partner interests so affected. However, in some circumstances, more particularly described in our partnership agreement, our general partner may make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of our limited partners or assignees.

Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner

Our general partner may withdraw as general partner without first obtaining approval of any unitholder by giving 90 days’ written notice, and that withdrawal will not constitute a violation of the partnership agreement.

Upon withdrawal of our general partner under any circumstances, other than as a result of a transfer by the general partner of all or a part of its general partner interest in us, the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units may select a successor to that withdrawing general partner. If a successor is not elected, or is elected but an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters cannot be obtained, we will be dissolved, wound up, and liquidated, unless within a specified period of time after that withdrawal, the holders of a unit majority agree in writing to continue our business and to appoint a successor general partner.

Our general partner may not be removed unless that removal is approved by the vote of the holders of not less than 66 ²⁄₃% of our outstanding units, voting together as a single class, including units held by the general partner and its affiliates, and we receive an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. Any removal of our general partner is also subject to the approval of a successor general partner by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units.

Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general partner is removed as our general partner under circumstances where cause does not exist and units held by the general partner and its affiliates are not voted in favor of that removal, the general partner will have the right to convert its general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests based on the fair market value of the interests at the time.

In the event of removal of our general partner under circumstances where cause exists or withdrawal of the general partner where that withdrawal violates the partnership agreement, a successor general partner will have the option to purchase the general partner interest and incentive distribution rights of the departing general partner for a cash payment equal to the fair market value of those interests. Under all other circumstances where the general partner withdraws or is removed by the limited partners, the departing general partner will have the option to require the successor general partner to purchase the general partner interest of the departing general partner and its incentive distribution rights for their fair market value. In each case, this fair market value will be determined by agreement between the departing general partner and the successor general partner. If no agreement is reached, an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected by the

 

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departing general partner and the successor general partner will determine the fair market value. Or, if the departing general partner and the successor general partner cannot agree upon an expert, then an expert chosen by agreement of the experts selected by each of them will determine the fair market value.

If the option described above is not exercised by either the departing general partner or the successor general partner, the departing general partner’s general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights will automatically convert into common units equal to the fair market value of those interests as determined by an investment banking firm or other independent expert selected in the manner described in the preceding paragraph.

In addition, we will be required to reimburse the departing general partner for all amounts due the departing general partner, including, without limitation, all employee-related liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred for the termination of any employees employed by the departing general partner or its affiliates for our benefit.

Liquidation and Distribution of Proceeds

Upon our dissolution, unless we are reconstituted and continued as a new limited partnership, the person authorized to wind up our affairs (the liquidator) will, acting with all the powers of our general partner that the liquidator deems necessary or desirable in its good faith judgment, liquidate our assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as provided in “How We Make Cash Distributions—Distributions of Cash upon Liquidation.” The liquidator may defer liquidation or distribution of our assets for a reasonable period or distribute assets to partners in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the partners.

Transfer of General Partner Interests

At any time, our general partner may transfer all or any part of its general partner interest in us to another person without the approval of our common unitholders. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must, among other things, assume the rights and duties of the general partner, agree to be bound by the provisions of the partnership agreement, and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters.

Our general partner and its affiliates may at any time transfer units to one or more persons, without unitholder approval.

Transfer of Ownership Interests in Our General Partner and in Our General Partner’s General Partner

At any time, the partners of our general partner and the members of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., the general partner of our general partner, may sell or transfer all or part of their respective partnership or membership interests in our general partner or Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. to an affiliate or a third party without the approval of our unitholders.

Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights

At any time, our general partner may sell or transfer all or part of its incentive distribution rights to an affiliate or a third party without the approval of our unitholders.

Change of Management Provisions

Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to remove HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P. as our general partner or otherwise change management. If any person or group other than the general partner and its affiliates acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units, that person or group loses voting rights on all of its units. This loss of

 

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voting rights does not apply to any person or group that acquires the units from our general partner or its affiliates and any transferees of that person or group approved by our general partner or to any person or group who acquires the units with the prior approval of the board of directors.

The partnership agreement also provides that if the general partner is removed under circumstances where cause does not exist and units held by the general partner and its affiliates are not voted in favor of that removal, the general partner will have the right to convert its general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests.

Limited Call Right

If at any time the general partner and its affiliates hold more than 80% of the then-issued and outstanding partnership securities of any class, the general partner will have the right, which it may assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the remaining partnership securities of the class held by unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by the general partner, on at least ten but not more than 60 days notice. The purchase price in the event of this purchase is the greater of: (1) the highest cash price paid by either of the general partner or any of its affiliates for any partnership securities of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which the general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those partnership securities; and (2) the current market price as of the date three days before the date the notice is mailed.

As a result of the general partner’s right to purchase outstanding partnership securities, a holder of partnership securities may have his partnership securities purchased at an undesirable time or price. The tax consequences to a unitholder of the exercise of this call right are the same as a sale by that unitholder of his common units in the market. Please read “Material U.S. Federal Tax Consequences—Disposition of Common Units.”

Indemnification

Under our partnership agreement, in most circumstances, we will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages, or similar events:

 

•

our general partner;

 

•

the general partner of our general partner;

 

•

any departing general partner;

 

•

any person who is or was an affiliate of our general partner or the general partner of our general partner or any departing general partner;

 

•

any person who is or was a member, partner, officer, director, fiduciary or trustee of any entity described above;

 

•

any person who is or was serving as a director, officer, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person at the request of our general partner, the general partner of our general partner or any departing general partner; or

 

•

any person designated by our general partner.

Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, the general partner will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable us to effectuate, indemnification. We may purchase insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons for our activities, regardless of whether we would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under the partnership agreement.

 

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Registration Rights

Under our partnership agreement, we have agreed to register for resale under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws any common units or other partnership securities proposed to be sold by our general partner or any of its affiliates or their assignees if an exemption from the registration requirements is not otherwise available. These registration rights continue for two years following any withdrawal or removal of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P. as our general partner. We are obligated to pay all expenses incidental to the registration, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FIDUCIARY DUTIES

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest exist and may arise in the future as a result of the relationships between our general partner and its affiliates, including HollyFrontier, on the one hand, and us and our limited partners, on the other hand. The directors and officers of the general partner of our general partner, Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., have fiduciary duties to manage the general partner in a manner beneficial to its owners, which are affiliates of HollyFrontier. At the same time, our general partner has a fiduciary duty to manage us in a manner beneficial to us and our unitholders.

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that modify and limit our general partner’s fiduciary duties to the unitholders. Our partnership agreement also restricts the remedies available to unitholders for actions taken that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

Our general partner will not be in breach of its obligations under the partnership agreement or its duties to us or our unitholders if the resolution of the conflict is:

 

•

approved by the conflicts committee, although our general partner is not obligated to seek such approval;

 

•

approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding any common units owned by our general partner or any of its affiliates;

 

•

on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or

 

•

fair and reasonable to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us.

Our general partner may, but is not required to, seek the approval of such resolution from the conflicts committee of the board of directors of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., the general partner of our general partner. If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee and the board of directors of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the third and fourth bullet points above, then the resolution or course of action taken by the general partner will be permitted and deemed approved by the unitholders and will not constitute a breach of its obligations under the partnership agreement or its duties to us or the unitholders. Unless the resolution of a conflict is specifically provided for in our partnership agreement, our general partner or the conflicts committee may consider any factors it determines in good faith to consider when resolving a conflict. When our partnership agreement requires someone to act in good faith, it requires that person to reasonably believe that he is acting in the best interests of the partnership, unless the context otherwise requires.

Conflicts of interest could arise in the situations described below, among others.

Actions taken by our general partner may affect the amount of cash available for distribution to unitholders.

The amount of cash that is available for distribution to unitholders is affected by decisions of our general partner regarding such matters as:

 

•

amount and timing of asset purchases and sales;

 

•

cash expenditures;

 

•

borrowings;

 

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•

issuance of additional units; and

 

•

the creation, reduction, or increase of reserves in any quarter.

For example, in the event we have not generated sufficient cash from our operations to pay the minimum quarterly distribution on our common units, our partnership agreement permits us to borrow funds, which would enable us to make this distribution on all outstanding units.

Our partnership agreement provides that we and our subsidiaries may borrow funds from our general partner and its affiliates. Our general partner and its affiliates may not borrow funds from us, our operating partnership, or its operating subsidiaries, other than in connection with HollyFrontier’s centralized cash management program.

We do not have any officers or employees and rely solely on officers and employees of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. and its affiliates.

Affiliates of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. conduct businesses and activities of their own in which we have no economic interest. If these separate activities are significantly greater than our activities, there could be material competition for the time and effort of the officers and employees who provide services to Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. Several of the officers of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. do not work full time on our affairs. These officers are required to devote time to the affairs of HollyFrontier or its affiliates and are compensated by them for the services rendered to them.

We will reimburse the general partner and its affiliates for expenses.

We will reimburse the general partner and its affiliates for costs incurred in managing and operating us, including costs incurred in rendering corporate staff and support services to us. Our partnership agreement provides that the general partner will determine the expenses that are allocable to us in good faith.

Our general partner intends to limit its liability regarding our obligations.

Our general partner intends to limit its liability under contractual arrangements so that the other party has recourse only to our assets and not against the general partner or its assets or any affiliate of the general partner or its assets. Our partnership agreement provides that any action taken by our general partner to limit its or our liability is not a breach of the general partner’s fiduciary duties, even if we could have obtained terms that are more favorable without the limitation on liability.

Unitholders will have no right to enforce obligations of our general partner and its affiliates under agreements with us.

Any agreements between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, will not grant to the unitholders, separate and apart from us, the right to enforce the obligations of our general partner and its affiliates in our favor.

Contracts between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, may not be the result of arm’s-length negotiations.

Our partnership agreement allows our general partner to determine, in good faith, any amounts to pay itself or its affiliates for any services rendered to us. Our general partner may also enter into additional contractual arrangements with any of its affiliates on our behalf. Neither our partnership agreement nor any of the other agreements, contracts, and arrangements between us and the general partner and its affiliates are or will be the result of arm’s-length negotiations. However, any of these transactions are to be on terms that are fair and reasonable to us.

 

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Our general partner and its affiliates will have no obligation to permit us to use any facilities or assets of the general partner and its affiliates, except as may be provided in contracts entered into specifically dealing with that use. There is no obligation of our general partner and its affiliates to enter into any contracts of this kind.

Our units are subject to our general partner’s limited call right.

Our general partner may exercise its right to call and purchase our units as provided in the partnership agreement or assign this right to one of its affiliates or to us. Our general partner may use its own discretion, free of fiduciary duty restrictions, in determining whether to exercise this right. As a result, a common unitholder may have his common units purchased from him at an undesirable time or price.

We may not choose to retain separate counsel for ourselves or for unitholders.

The attorneys, independent accountants, and others who perform services for us have been retained by our general partner. Attorneys, independent accountants, and others who perform services for us are selected by our general partner or the conflicts committee and may perform services for our general partner and its affiliates. We may retain separate counsel for ourselves or the unitholders in the event of a conflict of interest between our general partner and its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or the unitholders, on the other, depending on the nature of the conflict. We do not intend to do so in most cases.

Our general partner’s affiliates may compete with us.

Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner will be restricted from engaging in any business activities other than those incidental to its ownership of interests in us and certain services the employees of our general partner are currently providing to HollyFrontier and its affiliates. Except as provided in our partnership agreement and the omnibus agreement among us, HollyFrontier and our general partner, affiliates of our general partner are not prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with us.

Fiduciary Duties

Our general partner is accountable to us and our unitholders as a fiduciary. Fiduciary duties owed to unitholders by our general partner are prescribed by law and the partnership agreement. The Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, which we refer to in this prospectus as the Delaware Act, provides that Delaware limited partnerships may, in their partnership agreements, restrict or eliminate the fiduciary duties owed by a general partner to limited partners and the partnership.

Our partnership agreement contains various provisions replacing the fiduciary duties that might otherwise be owed by our general partner. These modifications are detrimental to the unitholders because they restrict the remedies available to unitholders for actions that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty, as described below. The following is a summary of the material restrictions of the fiduciary duties owed by our general partner to the limited partners:

 

State law fiduciary duty standards		Fiduciary duties are generally considered to include an obligation to act in good faith and with due care and loyalty. The duty of care, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally require a general partner to act for the partnership in the same manner as a prudent person would act on his own behalf. The duty of loyalty, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally require that any action taken or transaction engaged in where a conflict of interest is present be entirely fair to the partnership.

 

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		The Delaware Act generally provides that a limited partner may institute legal action on behalf of the partnership to recover damages from a third party where a general partner has refused to institute the action or where an effort to cause a general partner to do so is not likely to succeed. In addition, the statutory or case law of some jurisdictions may permit a limited partner to institute legal action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated limited partners to recover damages from a general partner for violations of its fiduciary duties to the limited partners.
Partnership agreement modified standards		Our partnership agreement contains provisions that waive or consent to conduct by our general partner and its affiliates that might otherwise raise issues as to compliance with fiduciary duties or applicable law. For example, our partnership agreement provides that when our general partner is acting in its capacity as our general partner, as opposed to in its individual capacity, it must act in “good faith” and will not be subject to any other standard under applicable law. In addition, when our general partner is acting in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner, it may act without any fiduciary obligation to us or the unitholders whatsoever. These standards reduce the obligations to which the general partner would otherwise be held.   Our partnership agreement generally provides that affiliated transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not involving a vote of unitholders and that are not approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner’s general partner must be:   •       on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or   •       “fair and reasonable” to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us).   If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee and the board of directors of our general partner’s general partner determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the bullet points above, then the resolution or course of action taken by the general partner will be permitted and deemed approved by the unitholders and will not constitute a breach of its obligations under the partnership agreement or its duties to us or the unitholders. These standards reduce the obligations to which our general partner would otherwise be held.   In addition to the other more specific provisions limiting the obligations of our general partner, our partnership agreement further provides that our general partner, its general partner and its officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us, our limited partners, or assignees for errors of judgment or for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that the general partner or its officers and directors acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence.

 

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In order to become one of our limited partners, a common unitholder is required to agree to be bound by the provisions in the partnership agreement, including the provisions discussed above. This is in accordance with the policy of the Delaware Act favoring the principle of freedom of contract and the enforceability of partnership agreements. The failure of a limited partner or assignee to sign a partnership agreement does not render the partnership agreement unenforceable against that person.

We must indemnify our general partner and the general partner of our general partner, Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., and their officers, directors, and managers, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by the general partner, Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. or these other persons. We must provide this indemnification unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that these persons acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence. We also must provide this indemnification for criminal proceedings unless our general partner, Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. or these other persons acted with knowledge that their conduct was unlawful. Thus, our general partner and Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C. could be indemnified for their negligent acts if they met requirements set forth above. To the extent that these provisions purport to include indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is contrary to public policy and therefore unenforceable.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES

This section summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective unitholders and is based upon current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations thereunder (the “Treasury Regulations”), and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Changes in these authorities may cause the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a prospective unitholder to vary substantially from those described below, possibly on a retroactive basis. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “us” or “we” are references to Holly Energy Partners, L.P. and our operating partnership.

Legal conclusions contained in this section, unless otherwise noted, are the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. insofar as they relate to matters of U.S. federal income tax law and are based on the accuracy of representations made by us to them for this purpose. However, this section does not address all federal income tax matters that affect us or our unitholders and does not describe the application of the alternative minimum tax that may be applicable to certain unitholders. Furthermore, this section focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States (for federal income tax purposes), who have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency, who use the calendar year as their taxable year, and who hold common units as capital assets (generally, property that is held for investment). This section has limited applicability to corporations, partnerships, entities treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes, estates, trusts, non-resident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, non-U.S. persons, individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), employee benefit plans, real estate investment trusts or mutual funds. Accordingly, we encourage each prospective unitholder to consult such unitholder’s own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences that are particular to that unitholder resulting from ownership or disposition of its common units and potential changes in applicable tax laws.

We are relying on opinions and advice of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. with respect to the matters described herein. An opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any such contest of the matters described herein may materially and adversely impact the market for our common units and the prices at which such common units trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by the general partner and our unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution. Furthermore, the tax consequences of an investment in us may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions, which may be retroactively applied.

For the reasons described below, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a unitholder whose common units are the subject of a securities loan (e.g., a loan to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units) (please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Treatment of Securities Loans”); (2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); and (3) whether our method for taking into account Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” and “—Uniformity of Common Units”).

Taxation of the Partnership

We are treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, generally will not be liable for entity-level federal income taxes. Instead, as described below, each of our unitholders will take into account its respective share of our items of income, gain, loss and deduction in computing its federal income tax liability as if the unitholder had earned such income directly, even if no cash distributions are made to the unitholder.

 

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Section 7704 of the Code generally provides that publicly traded partnerships will be treated as corporations for federal income tax purposes. However, if 90% or more of a partnership’s gross income for every taxable year it is publicly traded consists of “qualifying income,” the partnership may continue to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes (the “Qualifying Income Exception”). Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from the transportation, storage, refining, processing and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof. 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. We estimate that less than 3% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time.

Based upon factual representations made by us and our general partner, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that we will be treated as a partnership and our operating partnership will be disregarded as an entity separate from us for federal income tax purposes. The representations made by us and our general partner upon which Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied in rendering its opinion include, without limitation:

 

(a)

Neither we, the general partner of the operating partnership nor the operating partnership has elected or will elect to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes; and

 

(b)

For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income of a character that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has opined is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Code.

We believe that these representations are true and will be true in the future.

If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as transferring all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation and then distributing that stock to our unitholders in liquidation of their units. This deemed contribution and liquidation should not result in the recognition of taxable income by our unitholders or us so long as our liabilities do not exceed the tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.

The present federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our common units may be modified by administrative or legislative action or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, the Obama administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2016 recommends that certain publicly traded partnerships earning income from activities related to fossil fuels be taxed as corporations beginning in 2021. From time to time, members of the U.S. Congress propose and consider such substantive changes to the existing federal income tax laws that affect publicly traded partnerships. If successful, the Obama administration’s proposal or other similar proposals could eliminate the Qualifying Income Exception to the treatment of all publicly-traded partnerships as corporations upon which we rely for our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We are unable to predict whether any of these changes or other proposals will ultimately be enacted. However, it is possible that a change in law could affect us and may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our units.

If for any reason we are taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be taken into account by us in determining the amount of our liability for federal income tax, rather than being passed through to our unitholders. Accordingly, our taxation as a corporation would materially reduce our cash available for distribution to unitholders and thus would likely substantially reduce the value of our common units. In addition, any distribution made to a unitholder at a time we are treated as a corporation would be (i) taxable dividend income to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, then (ii) a nontaxable return of capital to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in our common units, and thereafter (iii) taxable capital gain.

 

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The remainder of this discussion is based on the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. that we will be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership

Limited Partner Status

Unitholders who are admitted as limited partners of Holly Energy Partners as well as unitholders whose common units are held in street name or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of their common units, will be treated as partners of Holly Energy Partners for federal income tax purposes. For a discussion related to the risks of losing partner status as a result of securities loans, please read “—Treatment of Securities Loans.” Unitholders who are not treated as partners in us as described above are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences applicable to them under their particular circumstances.

Flow-Through of Taxable Income

Subject to the discussion below under “—Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes” with respect to payments we may be required to make on behalf of our unitholders, we will not pay any federal income tax. Rather, each unitholder will be required to report on its federal income tax return each year its share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year or years ending with or within its taxable year. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if that unitholder has not received a cash distribution.

Basis of Common Units

A unitholder’s federal income tax basis in its common units initially will be the amount paid for those common units plus the unitholder’s initial allocable share of our liabilities. That basis generally will be (i) increased by the unitholder’s share of our income and by any increases in such unitholder’s share of our liabilities, and (ii) decreased, but not below zero, by the amount of all distributions to the unitholder, the unitholder’s share of our losses, and any decreases in the unitholder’s share of our liabilities. The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all of those interests.

Treatment of Distributions

Distributions made by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder, unless such distributions exceed the unitholder’s tax basis in its common units, in which case the unitholder will generally recognize gain taxable in the manner described below under “—Disposition of Common Units.”

Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our “liabilities” will be treated as a distribution by us of cash to that unitholder. A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional common units may decrease the unitholder’s share of our liabilities. For purposes of the foregoing, a unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities (liabilities for which no partner bears the economic risk of loss) generally will be based upon that unitholder’s share of the unrealized appreciation (or depreciation) in our assets, to the extent thereof, with any excess liabilities allocated based on the unitholder’s share of our profits. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units.”

A non-pro rata distribution of money or property (including a deemed distribution as a result of the reallocation of our liabilities described above) may cause a unitholder to recognize ordinary income, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation recapture and substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Code (“Section 751 Assets”). To the extent of such reduction, the unitholder would be deemed to receive its proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and exchange such assets with us in return for an allocable portion of the non-pro rata

 

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distribution. This deemed exchange generally will result in the unitholder’s recognition of ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of (i) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (ii) the unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) in the Section 751 Assets deemed to be relinquished in the exchange.

Limitations on Deductibility of Losses

A unitholder may not be entitled to deduct the full amount of loss we allocate to it because its share of our losses will be limited to the lesser of (i) the unitholder’s tax basis in its common units, and (ii) in the case of a unitholder who is an individual, estate, trust or certain types of closely-held corporations, the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities. In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of its tax basis in its common units, reduced by (1) any portion of that basis attributable to the unitholder’s share of our liabilities, (2) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or similar arrangement and (3) any amount of money the unitholder borrows to acquire or hold its common units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to another unitholder or can look only to the common units for repayment.

A unitholder subject to the at risk limitation must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions (including distributions deemed to result from a reduction in a unitholder’s share of nonrecourse liabilities) cause the unitholder’s at risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of the basis or at risk limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction in a later year to the extent that the unitholder’s tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased. Upon a taxable disposition of common units, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at risk limitation but not losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any loss previously suspended by the at risk limitation in excess of that gain can no longer be used, and will not be available to offset a unitholder’s salary or active business income.

In addition to the basis and at risk limitations, passive activity loss limitations generally limit the deductibility of losses incurred by individuals, estates, trusts, some closely held corporations and personal service corporations from “passive activities” (generally, trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate). The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly-traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will be available to offset only our passive income. Passive losses that exceed a unitholder’s share of passive income we generate may be deducted in full when the unitholder disposes of all of its common units in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive activity loss rules are generally applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk and basis limitations.

Limitations on Interest Deductions

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

 

•

interest on indebtedness allocable to property held for investment;

 

•

interest expense allocated against portfolio income; and

 

•

the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent allocated against portfolio income.

The computation of a unitholder’s investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a common unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than interest, directly connected with the production of investment income.

 

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Net investment income generally does not include qualified dividend income (if applicable) or gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment. A unitholder’s share of a publicly-traded partnership’s portfolio income and, according to the IRS, net passive income will be treated as investment income for purposes of the investment interest expense limitation.

Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes

If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state, local or non-U.S. tax on behalf of any current or former unitholder, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution of cash to the relevant unitholder. Where the tax is payable on behalf of all unitholders or the relevant unitholder’s identity cannot be determined, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of our units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of a unitholder, in which event the unitholder may be entitled to claim a refund of the overpayment amount. Unitholders are urged to consult their tax advisors to determine the consequences to them of any tax payment we make on their behalf.

Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction

In general, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that incentive distributions are made to our general partner, gross income will be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these distributions. Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated under Section 704(c) of the Code (or the principles of Section 704(c) of the Code) to account for any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time such assets are contributed to us and any time we issue additional common units (a “Book-Tax Disparity”). As a result, the federal income tax burden associated with any Book-Tax Disparity immediately prior to an offering generally will be borne by our partners holding interests in us prior to such offering. In addition, items of recapture income will be specially allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to that recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by other unitholders.

An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by the Code to eliminate a Book-Tax Disparity, will generally be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has “substantial economic effect” as determined under Treasury Regulations. If an allocation does not have substantial economic effect, it will be reallocated to our unitholders on the basis of their interests in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including

 

•

the partner’s relative contributions to us;

 

•

the interests of all the partners in profits and losses;

 

•

the interest of all the partners in cash flow; and

 

•

the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation.

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “—Section 754 Election” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations of income, gain, loss or deduction under our partnership agreement will have substantial economic effect.

Treatment of Securities Loans

A unitholder whose common units are the subject of a securities loan (for example, a loan to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of common units) may be treated as having disposed of those common units. If so, such

 

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unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those common units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period (i) any of our income, gain, loss or deduction allocated to those common units would not be reportable by the lending unitholder, and (ii) any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those common units may be treated as ordinary taxable income.

Due to a lack of controlling authority, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder that enters into a securities loan with respect to its common units. Unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of income recognition from a loan of their units are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and lending their common units. The IRS has announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Tax Rates

Under current law, the highest marginal federal income tax rates for individuals applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains (generally, gains from the sale or exchange of certain investment assets held for more than one year) are 39.6% and 20%, respectively. These rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.

In addition, a 3.8% net investment income tax applies to certain net investment income earned by individuals, estates and trusts. For these purposes, net investment income generally includes a unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gain realized by a unitholder from a sale of common units. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) the unitholder’s net investment income from all investments, or (ii) the amount by which the unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the unitholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the unitholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (if the unitholder is unmarried or in any other case). In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income, or (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins.

Section 754 Election

We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Code that permits us to adjust the tax bases in our assets as to specific purchasers of our common units under Section 743(b) of the Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The Section 743(b) adjustment separately applies to each unitholder who purchases common units from another unitholder based upon the values and bases of our assets at the time of the relevant common unit purchase, and the adjustment will reflect the purchase price paid. The Section 743(b) adjustment does not apply to a person who purchases common units directly from us.

Under our partnership agreement, we are authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of common units even if that position is not consistent with applicable Treasury Regulations. A literal application of Treasury Regulations governing a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to properties depreciable under Section 167 of the Code may give rise to differences in the taxation of unitholders purchasing units from us and unitholders purchasing from other unitholders. If we have any such properties, we intend to adopt methods employed by other publicly traded partnerships to preserve the uniformity of units, even if inconsistent with existing Treasury Regulations, and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not opined on the validity of this approach. Please read “—Uniformity of Common Units.”

The IRS may challenge our position with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of common units due to lack of controlling authority. Because a unitholder’s tax basis for its common units is reduced by its share of our items of deduction or loss, any position

 

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we take that understates deductions will overstate a unitholder’s basis in its common units, and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such common units. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.” If a challenge to such treatment were sustained, the gain from the sale of common units may be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.

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

Tax Treatment of Operations

Accounting Method and Taxable Year

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

Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization

The tax basis of our assets will be used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of those assets. If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation previously taken, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of its interest in us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”

The costs we incur in offering and selling our common units (called “syndication expenses”) must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. While there are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us, the underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated as syndication expenses. Please read “Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties

The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of common units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values and the initial tax bases of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates and determinations of tax basis are subject to challenge

 

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and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deduction previously reported by unitholders could change, and unitholders could be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.

Disposition of Common Units

Recognition of Gain or Loss

A unitholder will be required to recognize gain or loss on a sale of common units equal to the difference between the unitholder’s amount realized and tax basis in the common units sold. A unitholder’s amount realized will generally equal the sum of the cash and the fair market value of other property it receives plus its share of our liabilities with respect to such common units sold. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder’s share of our liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of common units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.

Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder on the sale or exchange of a common unit held for more than one year generally will be taxable as long-term capital gain or loss. However, gain or loss recognized on the disposition of common units will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Code to the extent attributable to Section 751 Assets, primarily depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to Section 751 Assets may exceed net taxable gain realized on the sale of a common unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a common unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital gain or loss upon a sale of common units. Net capital loss may offset capital gains and, in the case of individuals, up to $3,000 of ordinary income per year.

For purposes of calculating gain or loss on the sale of units, the unitholder’s adjusted tax basis will be adjusted by its allocable share of our income or loss in respect of its units for the year of the sale. Furthermore, as described above, the IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all of those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in its entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership.

Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify common units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the common units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed in the paragraph above, a unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis common units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, it may designate specific common units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of the common units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of common units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of our common units. A unitholder considering the purchase of additional common units or a sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult its tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.

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

 

•

a short sale;

 

•

an offsetting notional principal contract; or

 

•

a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property.

 

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

Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees

In general, our taxable income or loss will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the unitholders in proportion to the number of common units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month (the “Allocation Date”). However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets or, in the discretion of the general partner, any other extraordinary item of income, gain, loss or deduction will be allocated among the unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which such income, gain, loss or deduction is recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring common units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.

Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations. Recently, however, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued proposed Treasury Regulations that provide a safe harbor pursuant to which a publicly traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee unitholders, although such tax items must be prorated on a daily basis. Nonetheless, the proposed regulations do not specifically authorize the use of the proration method we have adopted. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor unitholders. If this method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of the unitholder’s interest, our taxable income or losses might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor unitholders, as well as among unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under future Treasury Regulations.

A unitholder who disposes of common units prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to the month of disposition but will not be entitled to receive a cash distribution for that period.

Notification Requirements

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

Constructive Termination

We will be considered to have “constructively” terminated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes upon the sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For purposes of measuring whether the 50% threshold is reached, multiple sales of the same common unit are counted only once. A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than the calendar year, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in such unitholder’s taxable income for the year of termination.

 

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A constructive termination occurring on a date other than December 31 would generally require that we file two tax returns for one fiscal year thereby increasing our administration and tax preparation costs. However, pursuant to an IRS relief procedure, the IRS may allow a constructively terminated partnership to provide a single Schedule K-1 for the calendar year in which a termination occurs. Following a constructive termination, we would be required to make new tax elections, including a new election under Section 754 of the Code, and the termination would result in a deferral of our deductions for depreciation. A termination could also result in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a termination may either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination that would not otherwise have been applied to us as a continuing as opposed to a terminating partnership.

Uniformity of Common Units

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of common units and for other reasons, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the common units to a purchaser of these common units. In the absence of uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements. Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the common units. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”

Our partnership agreement permits our general partner to take positions in filing our tax returns that preserve the uniformity of our common units. These positions may include reducing for some unitholders the depreciation, amortization or loss deductions to which they would otherwise be entitled or reporting a slower amortization of Section 743(b) adjustments for some unitholders than that to which they would otherwise be entitled. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine as to the validity of such filing positions. A unitholder’s basis in common units is reduced by its share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual income tax return) so that any position that we take that understates deductions will overstate the unitholder’s basis in its common units, and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such common units. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss” above and “—Tax Consequences of Common Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” above. The IRS may challenge one or more of any positions we take to preserve the uniformity of common units. If such a challenge were sustained, the uniformity of common units might be affected, and, under some circumstances, the gain from the sale of common units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.

Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors

Ownership of common units by employee benefit plans and other tax-exempt organizations as well as by non-resident alien individuals, non-U.S. corporations and other non-U.S. persons (collectively, “Non-U.S. Unitholders”) raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantial adverse tax consequences to them. Prospective unitholders who are tax-exempt entities or Non-U.S. Unitholders should consult their tax advisor before investing in our common units. Employee benefit plans and most other tax-exempt organizations, including IRAs and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to a tax-exempt unitholder.

Non-U.S. Unitholders are taxed by the United States on income effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business (“effectively connected income”) and on certain types of U.S.-source non-effectively connected income (such as dividends), and, unless exempted or further limited by an income tax treaty, will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of their ownership of our common units. Furthermore, it is probable that they will be deemed to conduct such activities through permanent establishments in the United States within the meaning of applicable tax treaties. Consequently, they will be required to file federal tax returns to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our net income or gain in a manner similar to a taxable U.S. unitholder. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, distributions to Non-U.S. Unitholders are subject to

 

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withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each Non-U.S. Unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes.

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

A Non-U.S. Unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a common unit will be subject to federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that common unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the Non-U.S. Unitholder. Under a ruling published by the IRS, interpreting the scope of “effectively connected income,” gain recognized by a non-U.S. person from the sale of its interest in a partnership that is engaged in a trade or business in the United States will be considered to be effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. Thus, part or all of a Non-U.S. Unitholder’s gain from the sale or other disposition of its units may be treated as effectively connected with a unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business constituted by its investment in us. Moreover, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, a Non-U.S. Unitholder generally will be subject to federal income tax upon the sale or disposition of a common unit if (i) it owned (directly or constructively applying certain attribution rules) more than 5% of our common units at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of such disposition and (ii) 50% or more of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests and our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business consisted of U.S. real property interests which include U.S. real estate (including land, improvements, and certain associated personal property) and interests in certain entities holding U.S. real estate at any time during the shorter of the period during which such unitholder held the common units or the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition. Currently, more than 50% of our assets consist of U.S. real property interests and we do not expect that to change in the foreseeable future. Therefore, Non-U.S. Unitholders may be subject to federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of their common units.

Administrative Matters

Information Returns and Audit Procedures

We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each taxable year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes its share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine each unitholder’s share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure our unitholders that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Code, the Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS.

The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Neither we nor Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully challenge the positions we adopt, and such a challenge could negatively affect the value of our common units. The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability, and possibly may result in an audit of its own return. Any audit of a unitholder’s return could result in adjustments not related to our returns.

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proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings of the partners. The Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes, and our partnership agreement designates our general partner.

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

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

Nominee Reporting

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

 

(1)

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

 

(2)

a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:

 

(a)

a non-U.S. person;

 

(b)

a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or

 

(c)

a tax-exempt entity;

 

(3)

the amount and description of common units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and

 

(4)

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

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

Accuracy-Related Penalties

Certain penalties may be imposed on taxpayers as a result of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of any such underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for the underpayment of that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding the underpayment of that portion. Penalties may also be imposed for engaging in transactions without economic substance. We do not anticipate engaging in transactions without economic substance or otherwise participating in transactions that would subject our unitholders to accuracy-related penalties.

 

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State, Local, Foreign and Other Tax Considerations

In addition to federal income taxes, a unitholder will likely be subject to other taxes, including state, local and foreign income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangibles taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property or in which a unitholder is a resident. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on its investment in us. We currently own property or do business in Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Washington. Each of these states, other than Texas, Nevada, Washington and Wyoming, currently imposes a personal income tax on individuals. Most of these states also impose an income tax on corporations and other entities. We may also own property or do business in other states or foreign jurisdictions in the future. Unitholders may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in some states because their income from that state falls below the filing and payment requirement. Unitholders will be required, however, to file state income tax returns and to pay state income taxes in many of the states in which we do business or own property, and unitholders may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. Some of the states may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the state. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder’s income tax liability to the state, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return.

It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of its investment in us. We strongly recommend that each prospective unitholder consult, and depend on, its own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. Further, it is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all state, local, foreign., as well as U.S. federal tax returns that may be required of it. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion on the state, local, foreign or alternative minimum tax consequences of an investment in us.

Tax Consequences of Ownership of Preferred Units or Debt Securities

A description of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of preferred units or debt securities will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of any preferred units or debt securities, as applicable.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or the selling unitholders may sell the common units, preferred units and debt securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement directly, through agents or to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers. We may distribute the common units, preferred units or debt securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement from time to time in one or more transactions at: a fixed price; market prices prevailing at the time of sale; prices related to prevailing market prices; at varying prices determined at the time of sale; or negotiated prices. The selling unitholders may act independently of us in making decisions with respect to the timing, manner and size of each of its sales. The selling unitholders may make sales of our common units on the NYSE or otherwise at prices and under terms prevailing at the time of sale, or at prices related to the then-current market price, at fixed prices, or in privately negotiated transactions.

We, or agents designated by us, may directly solicit, from time to time, offers to purchase the securities. Any such agent may be deemed to be an underwriter as that term is defined in the Securities Act. We will name any agents involved in the offer or sale of the securities and describe any commissions payable by us to these agents in the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, these agents will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment. The agents may be entitled under agreements which may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against specific civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The agents may also be our customers or may engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

If we or the selling unitholders utilize any underwriters in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we and, if applicable, the selling unitholders, will enter into an underwriting agreement with those underwriters at the time of sale to them. We will set forth the names of these underwriters and the terms of the transaction in the prospectus supplement, which will be used by the underwriters to make resales of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered to the public. We or the selling unitholders may indemnify the underwriters under the relevant underwriting agreement against specific liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The underwriters or their affiliates may also be our or our affiliates’ customers or may engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

If we or the selling unitholders utilize a dealer in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we or the selling unitholders, as applicable, will sell those securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. We or the selling unitholders may indemnify the dealers against specific liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The dealers or their affiliates may also be our customers or may engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

Common units, preferred units and debt securities may also be sold directly by us. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We may use electronic media, including the Internet, to sell offered securities directly.

We or the selling unitholders may offer the common units covered by this prospectus into an existing trading market on terms described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto. Underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in any at-the-market offerings will be described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto.

A prospectus and accompanying prospectus supplement in electronic form may be made available on the web sites maintained by the underwriters. The underwriters may agree to allocate a number of securities for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Such allocations of securities for internet distributions will be made on the same basis as other allocations. In addition, securities may be sold by the underwriters to securities dealers who resell securities to online brokerage account holders.

 

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The aggregate maximum compensation the underwriters will receive in connection with the sale of any securities under this prospectus and the registration statement of which it forms a part will not exceed 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale.

Because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) views our common units as interests in a direct participation program, any offering of common units under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will be made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Conduct Rules.

Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, each series of the securities will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than the common units which are currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “HEP.” We may elect to list any series of debt securities or preferred units on an exchange, but are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a series of the securities, but underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Therefore, we can give no assurance about the liquidity of the trading market for any of the securities.

We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the offered securities. In addition, we make no representation that the representatives of any underwriters will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution.

 

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SELLING UNITHOLDERS

In addition to covering our offering of securities, this prospectus covers the offering for resale, from time to time, in one or more offerings, of up to 22,380,030 common units owned by the selling unitholders. These common units were obtained by the selling unitholders as partial consideration for their contribution of certain assets to us. In particular,

 

(i)

HollyFrontier obtained 70,000 common units on July 8, 2005 as partial consideration for our acquisition of certain of HollyFrontier’s intermediate feedstock pipelines and related assets;

 

(ii)

Holly Logistics Limited LLC obtained 7,000,000 common units on December 17, 2010 from HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P., which had obtained such common units on August 18, 2009 upon conversion of 7,000,000 subordinated units obtained on July 13, 2004 as partial consideration for HollyFrontier’s contribution of certain assets to us in connection with our initial public offering;

 

(iii)

Navajo Pipeline Co., L.P. obtained 127,440 common units on February 29, 2008 as partial consideration for our acquisition of certain of its pipeline and tankage assets pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated February 25, 2008 (the “2008 PSA”);

 

(iv)

Holly Refining & Marketing Company—Woods Cross LLC obtained 30,213 common units on May 31, 2011 as a result of a merger between it and Woods Cross Refining Company, L.L.C., which had obtained 30,213 common units on February 29, 2008 as partial consideration for our acquisition of certain of its pipeline and tankage assets pursuant to the 2008 PSA;

 

(v)

Navajo Refining Company, L.L.C. obtained 59,844 common units on February 29, 2008 as partial consideration for our acquisition of certain of its pipeline and tankage assets pursuant to the 2008 PSA;

 

(vi)

HollyFrontier obtained 2,503 common units for cash in connection with the transactions pursuant to the 2008 PSA; and

 

(vii)

Holly Logistics Limited LLC obtained 3,807,615 common units on November 9, 2011 from Frontier Refining LLC and Frontier El Dorado Refining, LLC, which had obtained such common units as partial consideration for our acquisition of certain of their pipeline and tankage assets pursuant to the LLC Interest Purchase Agreement, dated November 1, 2011.

 

(viii)

HollyFrontier Holdings LLC obtained 1,029,900 common units on July 12, 2012 as partial consideration for the equity interests we acquired in HEP UNEV Pipeline LLC pursuant to the LLC Interest Purchase Agreement, dated effective July 12, 2012.

 

(ix)

On January 16, 2013, our common units split two-for-one, resulting in the selling unitholders ownership of additional common units. Following this split,

 

•

HollyFrontier owned 145,006 common units;

 

•

HollyFrontier Holdings LLC owned 2,059,800 common units;

 

•

Holly Logistics Limited LLC owned 21,615,230 common units;

 

•

Navajo Pipeline Co., L.P. owned 254,880 common units;

 

•

Navajo Refining Company, L.L.C. owner 119,688 common units;

 

•

Holly Refining & Marketing Company—Woods Cross LLC owned 60,426 common units

 

(x)

On March 22, 2013, HollyFrontier Holdings LLC sold 1,875,000 common units pursuant to that certain Registration Statement on Form S-3ASR, File No. 333-187337, filed with the Commission on March 18, 2013, leaving it with direct holdings of 184,800 common units.

In addition to holding common units, HollyFrontier also owns our 2% general partner interest. See “Who We Are” for additional information regarding our relationship with the selling unitholders. As used in this

 

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prospectus, “selling unitholders” includes HollyFrontier, Holly Logistics Limited LLC, Navajo Pipeline Co., L.P., Holly Refining & Marketing Company—Woods Cross LLC, Navajo Refining Company, L.L.C. and HollyFrontier Holdings LLC and any of their donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest who sell units received after the date of this prospectus from them as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other non-sale related transfer.

The selling unitholders may sell all, some or none of the common units covered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution.” We will bear all costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the common units offered by this prospectus. Brokerage commissions and similar selling expenses, if any, attributable to the sale of the units will be borne by the selling unitholders.

None of the selling unitholders is a broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act or an affiliate of a broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act.

The following table sets forth information relating to the selling unitholders as of May 28, 2015, based on information supplied to us by the selling unitholders on or prior to that date. We have not sought to verify such information. Information concerning the selling unitholders may change over time, including by addition of additional selling unitholders, and if necessary, we will supplement this prospectus accordingly. The selling unitholders may at any time hold or acquire common units in addition to those offered by this prospectus and may have acquired additional common units since the date on which the information reflected herein was provided to us. In addition, the selling unitholders may have sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of some or all of their common units since the date on which the information reflected herein was provided to us and may in the future sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of some or all of its common units in private placement transactions exempt from or not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Because the selling unitholders are not obligated to sell the offered securities, we cannot state with certainty the amount of our securities that the selling unitholders will hold upon consummation of any such sales. Assuming the sale of all common units registered hereby, however, the selling unitholders will hold no common units upon completion of such sale.

 

Selling Unitholder		Number and Percentage of Outstanding Common Units Beneficially Owned Prior to Completion of Offering(1)
HollyFrontier Corporation(2)			145,006				*
Holly Logistics Limited LLC(2)(3)			21,615,230				36.9	%
Navajo Pipeline Co., L.P.(3)			254,880				*
Holly Refining & Marketing Company—Woods Cross LLC(3)			60,426				*
Navajo Refining Company, L.L.C.(3)			119,688				*
HollyFrontier Holdings LLC			184,800				*

 

*	Less than 1%.

(1)	Percentage is based on 58,657,048 common units outstanding on May 28, 2015.

(2)

Any determination regarding the disposition of common units by the selling unitholders pursuant to this prospectus will be made by the board of directors of HollyFrontier. As of the date of this prospectus, the following are the directors of HollyFrontier: Douglas Y. Bech, Leldon E. Echols, R. Kevin Hardage, Michael C. Jennings, Robert J. Kostelnik, James H. Lee, Franklin Myers, Michael E. Rose, and Tommy A. Valenta.

(3)

Holly Logistics Limited LLC, Holly Refining & Marketing Company—Woods Cross LLC, Navajo Pipeline Co., L.P., Navajo Refining Company L.L.C. and HollyFrontier Holdings LLC are indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of HollyFrontier. HollyFrontier may, therefore, be deemed to beneficially own the common units held of record by such entities.

 

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Any prospectus supplement reflecting a sale of common units hereunder will set forth, with respect to any selling unitholder:

 

•

the name of the selling unitholder;

 

•

the nature of any material relationships that the selling unitholder has had within the prior three years with us or any of our affiliates;

 

•

the number of common units owned by the selling unitholder prior to the offering;

 

•

the amount of common units to be offered for the selling unitholder’s account; and

 

•

the amount and (if one percent or more) the percentage of common units to be owned by the selling unitholder after the completion of the offering.

No offer or sale may occur unless the registration statement that includes this prospectus has been declared effective by the SEC and remains effective at the time any selling unitholder offers or sells common units. We are required, under certain circumstances, to update, supplement or amend this prospectus to reflect material developments in our business, financial position and results of operations and may do so by an amendment to this prospectus, a prospectus supplement or a future filing with the SEC incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters in connection with the securities will be passed upon by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Dallas, Texas, as our counsel. Any underwriter will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by its own legal counsel.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Holly Energy Partners, L.P. appearing in Holly Energy Partners, L.P.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and the effectiveness of Holly Energy Partners, L.P.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are, and audited financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the reports of Ernst &Young LLP pertaining to such financial statements and the effectiveness of Holly Energy Partners, L.P.’s internal control over financial reporting as of the respective dates (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Commission) given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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Holly Energy Partners, L.P.

 

Common Units

Representing Limited Partner Interests

Having an Aggregate Offering Price of Up to

$200,000,000

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

Citigroup

BofA Merrill Lynch

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

 

 

May 10, 2016