As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 4, 2010
Registration No. 333-164253
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 1
to
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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| Delaware | 20-5116532 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 300
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
(610) 687-8900
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Nancy M. Snyder
PVG GP, LLC
Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 300
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
(610) 687-8900
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Allan D. Reiss
Catherine S. Gallagher
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
666 Fifth Avenue, 26th Floor
New York, New York 10103-0040
(212) 237-0000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement as determined by market conditions and other factors.
If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. x
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
If this form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
Indicate by a check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
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| Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer x | |
| Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company o |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to Section 8(a) may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The selling unitholders may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective.
Subject to completion, dated February 4, 2010
Prospectus
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Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P.
20,077,429 Common Units
Representing Limited Partner Interests
The securities to be offered and sold using this prospectus are currently issued and outstanding common units representing limited partner interests in us. These common units may be offered and sold by the selling unitholders named in this prospectus or in any supplement to this prospectus from time to time in accordance with the provisions set forth under “Plan of Distribution.”
The selling unitholders may sell the common units offered by this prospectus from time to time on any exchange on which the common units are listed on terms to be negotiated with buyers. They may also sell the common units in private sales or through dealers or agents. The selling unitholders may sell the common units at prevailing market prices or at prices negotiated with buyers. The selling unitholders will be responsible for any underwriting fees, discounts and commissions due to brokers, dealers or agents. We will be responsible for all other offering expenses. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the selling unitholders of the common units offered by this prospectus.
You should carefully read this prospectus and any supplement before you invest. You also should read the documents we have referred you to in the “Where You Can Find More Information” and the “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” sections of this prospectus for information on us and our financial statements. This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “PVG.”
Investing in our common units involves substantial risks. Limited partnerships are inherently different from corporations. You should carefully read “Risk Factors” beginning on page 2 of this prospectus as well as the risk factors set forth in the documents incorporated by reference herein and in any applicable prospectus supplement before you make an investment in our common units.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2010.
In making your investment decision, you should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Neither we nor the selling unitholders have authorized anyone to provide you with any other information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it.
You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of this prospectus. You should not assume that the information contained in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates of those documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, the selling unitholders named in this prospectus or in any supplement to this prospectus may, from time to time, sell the common units described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the common units the selling unitholders may offer. Each time they sell common units, the selling unitholders will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and the prospectus supplement relating to the common units offered to you together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”
As used in this prospectus:
| • | “we,” “us,” “our” and “PVG” mean Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. and its wholly owned subsidiaries; |
| • | “PVG GP” means PVG GP, LLC, the general partner of PVG; |
| • | “PVR” means Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P. and its consolidated subsidiaries; |
| • | “PVR GP” means Penn Virginia Resource GP, LLC, the general partner of PVR, and |
| • | “Penn Virginia” means Penn Virginia Corporation. |
PENN VIRGINIA GP HOLDINGS, L.P.
Penn Virginia GP Holdings, LP (NYSE: PVG) is a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership formed in June 2006. We own 100% of the membership interest in PVR GP, which is the general partner of Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P., a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership (NYSE: PVR). Our only cash-generating assets are our ownership interests in PVR, which consist of the following:
| • | a 2% general partner interest in PVR, which we hold through our 100% ownership interest in PVR GP; |
| • | all of the incentive distribution rights in PVR, which we hold through our 100% ownership interest in PVR GP; and |
| • | 19,587,049 common units of PVR, representing an approximate 37% limited partner interest in PVR. |
Our general partner, PVG GP, is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Penn Virginia. Penn Virginia owns an approximate 51% limited partner interest in us as of the date of this prospectus through its wholly owned subsidiaries. Two of Penn Virginia’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Penn Virginia Resource GP Corp. and Penn Virginia Resource LP Corp., are selling unitholders under this prospectus. See “Selling Unitholders.”
Our principal executive offices are located at Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 300, 100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087 and our phone number is (610) 867-8900. Our website is www.pvgpholdings.com. Information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus.
PENN VIRGINIA RESOURCE PARTNERS, L.P.
PVR is a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership formed by Penn Virginia Corporation (NYSE: PVA) in 2001 that is principally engaged in the management of coal and natural resource properties and the gathering and processing of natural gas in the United States. Both in its current limited partnership form and in its previous corporate form, PVR has managed coal properties since 1882. PVR currently conducts operations in two business segments: (i) coal and natural resource management and (ii) natural gas midstream. We consolidate PVR’s results into our financial statements because we control PVR’s general partner.
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RISK FACTORS
Limited partner interests are inherently different from capital stock of a corporation, although many of the business risks to which we and PVR are subject are similar to those that would be faced by a corporation engaged in a similar business. You should carefully consider those risk factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, or our 2008 Annual Report, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, or our Third Quarter 2009 Quarterly Report, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the information that we have incorporated by reference, before investing in the common units.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the information included in this prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference contains forward-looking statements. These statements use forward-looking words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “achievable,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project” or other words and phrases of similar meaning. These statements discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future trends, plans, events, results of operations or financial condition or state other “forward-looking” information. A forward-looking statement may include a statement of the assumptions or bases underlying the forward-looking statements. We believe we have chosen these assumptions or bases in good faith and that they are reasonable. However, we caution you that assumed facts or bases almost always vary from actual results, and the differences between assumed facts or bases and actual results can be material, depending on the circumstances. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this prospectus and the documents we have incorporated by reference. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited, to the following:
| • | PVR’s ability to generate sufficient cash from its natural gas midstream and coal and natural resource management businesses to maintain and pay the quarterly distribution to its general partner and its unitholders; |
| • | the volatility of commodity prices for natural gas, natural gas liquids, referred to as NGLs, crude oil and coal; |
| • | the relationship between natural gas, NGL and coal prices; |
| • | the projected demand for, and supply of, natural gas, NGLs and coal; |
| • | competition among producers in the coal industry generally and among natural gas midstream companies; |
| • | the extent to which the amount and quality of actual production of PVR’s coal differ from its estimated recoverable proved coal reserves; |
| • | the experience and financial condition of PVR’s coal lessees and natural gas midstream customers, including the lessees’ ability to satisfy their royalty, environmental, reclamation and other obligations to PVR and others; |
| • | operating risks, including unanticipated geological problems, incidental to PVR’s coal and natural resource management or natural gas midstream business; |
| • | PVR’s ability to acquire new coal reserves or natural gas midstream assets and new sources of natural gas supply and connections to third-party pipelines on satisfactory terms; |
| • | PVR’s ability to retain existing or acquire new natural gas midstream customers and coal lessees; |
| • | the ability of PVR’s lessees to produce sufficient quantities of coal on an economic basis from PVR’s reserves and obtain favorable contracts for such production; |
| • | the occurrence of unusual weather or operating conditions including force majeure events; |
| • | delays in anticipated start-up dates of PVR’s lessees’ mining operations and related coal infrastructure projects and new processing plants in PVR’s natural gas midstream business; |
| • | environmental risks affecting the mining of coal reserves and the production, gathering and processing of natural gas; |
| • | the timing of receipt of necessary governmental permits by PVR or PVR’s lessees; |
| • | hedging results; |
| • | PVR’s ability to access external sources of capital; |
| • | any impairment writedowns of PVR’s assets; |
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| • | accidents; |
| • | changes in governmental regulation or enforcement practices, especially with respect to environmental, health and safety matters, including with respect to emissions levels applicable to coal-burning power generators; |
| • | uncertainties relating to the outcome of current and future litigation regarding mine permitting; |
| • | risks and uncertainties relating to general domestic and international economic (including inflation, interest rates and financial market) and political conditions (including the impact of potential terrorist attacks); |
| • | uncertainties relating to Penn Virginia’s continued ownership of partner interests in us; and |
| • | other risks set forth in Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2008 Annual Report, our Third Quarter 2009 Quarterly Report and the other documents incorporated herein by reference. |
All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in this paragraph and elsewhere in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated herein by reference. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in this prospectus, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus. We will not update these statements unless the securities laws require us to do so.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
The common units to be offered and sold using this prospectus will be offered and sold by the selling unitholders named in this prospectus or in any supplement to this prospectus. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of such common units.
DESCRIPTION OF OUR COMMON UNITS
Generally, our common units represent limited partner interests in us 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 rights and privileges of limited partners under our partnership agreement, including voting rights, please read “Material Provisions of the Partnership Agreement of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P.” For a description of our distribution policy, please read “Cash Distribution Policy.”
Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “PVG.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company serves as registrar and transfer agent for our common units. We pay all fees charged by the transfer agent for transfers of our common units, except the following that must be paid by unitholders:
| • | surety bond premiums to replace lost or stolen certificates, taxes and other governmental charges; |
| • | special charges for services requested by a holder of a common unit; and |
| • | other similar fees or charges. |
There is no charge to unitholders for disbursements of our cash distributions. We indemnify the transfer agent, its agents and each of their stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity.
The transfer agent may resign, by notice to us, or be removed by us. The resignation or removal of the transfer agent will become effective upon our appointment of a successor transfer agent and registrar and its acceptance of the appointment. If no successor has been appointed and has accepted the appointment within 30 days after notice of the resignation or removal, our general partner may act as the transfer agent and registrar until a successor is appointed.
Transfer of Common Units
By transfer of our common units in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of our common units will be admitted as a unitholder with respect to the common units transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our books and records. Additionally, each transferee of our common units:
| • | represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and authority to become bound by our partnership agreement; |
| • | automatically agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of, and is deemed to have executed, our partnership agreement; and |
| • | gives the consents and approvals contained in our partnership agreement, such as the approval of all transactions and agreements that we entered into in connection with our formation and initial public offering. |
A transferee will become a substituted limited partner for the transferred common units automatically upon the recording of the transfer on our books and records. Our general partner will cause any transfers to be recorded on our books and records no less frequently than quarterly.
We may, at our discretion, 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.
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Common units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfers of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to become a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units.
Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, may treat the record holder of the common unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.
Comparison of Rights of Holders of PVR’s Common Units and Our Common Units
It is not likely that our common units and PVR’s common units will trade in simple relation or proportion to one another. Instead, while the trading prices of our common units and PVR’s common units are likely to follow generally similar broad trends, the trading prices may diverge because, among other things:
| • | with respect to PVR’s distributions, PVR’s common unitholders have a priority over our incentive distribution rights in PVR; |
| • | we participate in PVR’s general partner’s distributions and the incentive distribution rights, and PVR’s common unitholders do not; and |
| • | we may enter into other businesses separate from PVR or any of its affiliates. |
The following table compares certain features of PVR’s common units and our common units:
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| PVR’s Common Units | Our Common Units | |||
| Taxation of Entity and Entity Owners | PVR is a flow-through entity that is not subject to an entity-level federal income tax. | Similarly, we are a flow-through entity that is not subject to an entity-level federal income tax. | ||
| PVR expects that holders of its common units will benefit for a period of time from tax basis adjustments and remedial allocations of deductions. | We also expect that holders of our common units will benefit for a period of time from tax basis adjustments and remedial allocations of deductions as a result of our ownership of common units of PVR. However, incentive distribution rights do not benefit from such adjustments and allocations. Therefore, we expect the ratio of our taxable income to the distributions you will receive to be higher than the ratio of taxable income to the distributions received by the common unitholders of PVR. Moreover, if PVR is successful in increasing its distributable cash flow over time, we expect the ratio of our taxable income to distributions will increase. | |||
| PVR common unitholders receive Schedule K-1s from PVR reflecting the unitholders’ share of PVR’s items of income, gain, loss and deduction at the end of each fiscal year. | Our common unitholders also receive Schedule K-1s from us reflecting the unitholders’ share of our items of income, gain, loss and deduction at the end of each fiscal year. |
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| PVR’s Common Units | Our Common Units | |||
| Distributions and Incentive Distribution Rights | PVR pays its limited partners and general partner quarterly distributions equal to the cash it receives from its operations, less certain reserves for expenses and other uses of cash. PVR’s general partner owns the incentive distribution rights in PVR. | We pay our limited partners quarterly distributions equal to the cash we receive from PVR, less certain reserves for expenses and other uses of cash. Our general partner is not entitled to any distributions. | ||
| Sources of Cash Flow | PVR currently generates its cash flow from managing coal and natural resource properties and the gathering and processing of natural gas and related services. | Our cash-generating assets consist of our partnership interests, including the incentive distribution rights, in PVR, and we currently have no independent operations. Accordingly, our financial performance and our ability to pay cash distributions to our unitholders is currently completely dependent upon the performance of PVR. | ||
| Limitation on Issuance of Additional Units | PVR may issue an unlimited number of additional partnership interests and other equity securities without obtaining unitholder approval. | Similarly, we may issue an unlimited number of additional partnership interests and other equity securities without obtaining unitholder approval. |
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CASH DISTRIBUTION POLICY
Set forth below is a summary of the significant provisions of our partnership agreement that relate to cash distributions.
General
Our partnership agreement requires that, within 55 days after the end of each quarter, we distribute all of our available cash to the holders of record of our common units on the applicable record date. Available cash is defined in our partnership agreement and generally means, with respect to any calendar quarter, all cash on hand at the date of determination of available cash for the distribution in respect of such quarter less the amount of cash reserves necessary or appropriate, as determined in good faith by our general partner, to:
| • | satisfy general, administrative and other expenses and any debt service requirements; |
| • | permit PVR’s general partner to make capital contributions to PVR to maintain its 2.0% general partner interest upon the issuance of additional partnership securities by PVR; |
| • | comply with applicable law or any debt instrument or other agreement; |
| • | provide funds for distributions to unitholders and our general partner in respect of any one or more of the next four quarters; and |
| • | otherwise provide for the proper conduct of our business. |
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 partners’ capital account balances equaling the amount which they would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to the capital accounts had been made.
Distributions of Cash upon Liquidation
If we dissolve in accordance with the partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called a liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of our creditors in the order of priority provided in the partnership agreement and by law and, thereafter, we will distribute any remaining proceeds to the unitholders and our general partner in accordance with their respective capital account balances, as adjusted to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of our assets in liquidation.
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MATERIAL PROVISIONS OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF
PENN VIRGINIA GP HOLDINGS, L.P.
The following is a summary of the material provisions of our partnership agreement. Our partnership agreement is included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part.
We summarize the following provisions of our partnership agreement elsewhere in this prospectus:
| • | with regard to distributions of available cash, please read “Cash Distribution Policy,” |
| • | with regard to the rights of holders of common units, please read “Description of Our Common Units;” and |
| • | with regard to allocations of taxable income and taxable loss, please read “Material Tax Consequences.” |
Organization and Duration
We were formed on June 14, 2006 and have a perpetual existence.
Purpose
Under our partnership agreement we are permitted to engage, directly or indirectly, in any business activity that is approved by our general partner and that lawfully may be conducted by a limited partnership organized under Delaware law; provided, however, that our general partner may not cause us to engage, directly or indirectly, in any business activity that our general partner determines would cause us to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes.
Although our general partner has the ability to cause us, our affiliates or our subsidiaries to engage in activities other than the ownership of partnership interests in PVR, our general partner has no current plans to do so and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interest of us or our limited partners. Our general partner is authorized in general to perform all acts it determines to be necessary or appropriate to carry out our purposes and to conduct our business.
Power of Attorney
Each limited partner, and each person who acquires a unit from a unitholder by accepting a unit, automatically 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 our general partner the authority to amend, and to grant consents and waivers under, our partnership agreement.
Capital Contributions
Our unitholders are not obligated to make additional capital contributions, except as described below under “—Limited Liability.”
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, or 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 possible exceptions, to the amount of capital he is obligated to contribute to us for his common units plus his share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it were determined, however, that the right, 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 the purposes of the Delaware Act, then our limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the laws of Delaware, to the same
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extent as our general partner. This liability would 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. While this does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal recourse, we know of no precedent for this type of a claim in Delaware case law.
Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a distribution to a partner if, after the distribution, all liabilities of the limited 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, would exceed the fair value of the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose of determining the fair value of the assets of a limited partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is limited will be included in the assets of the limited partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the 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 will be liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years. Under the Delaware Act, a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of his assignor to make contributions to the partnership, except that such person is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at the time he became a limited partner and that could not be ascertained from the partnership agreement.
Limitations on the liability of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partner have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. While we currently have no operations distinct from PVR, if in the future, by our ownership in an operating company 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 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.
Limited Voting Rights
Our general partner will manage and operate us. Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, you will have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business. You will not have the right to elect our general partner or its directors on an annual or other continuing basis.
The following is a summary of the unitholder vote required for the matters specified below. The holders of a majority of the outstanding units, represented in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum unless any action by the unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of the units, in which case the quorum will be the greater percentage. In voting their units, our general partner and its affiliates will have no fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners.
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| Issuance of additional units | No approval right. | |
| Amendment of our partnership agreement | Certain amendments may be made by our general partner without the approval of our unitholders. Other amendments generally require the approval of a majority of our outstanding units. Please read “—Amendments to Our Partnership Agreement.” | |
| Merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets | A majority of our outstanding units in certain circumstances. Please read “—Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets.” |
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| Dissolution | A majority of our outstanding units. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution.” | |
| Reconstitution upon dissolution | A majority of our outstanding units. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution.” | |
| Withdrawal of our general partner | Under most circumstances, the approval of a majority of our outstanding units, excluding units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required for the withdrawal of the general partner prior to December 31, 2016 in a manner that would cause our dissolution. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner.” | |
| Removal of our general partner | Not less than 66 2/3% of our outstanding units, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner.” | |
| Transfer of the general partner interest | Our general partner may transfer all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest in us without a vote of our unitholders to (i) an affiliate (other than an individual) or (ii) another entity in connection with its merger or consolidation with or into, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets to, such entity. The approval of a majority of the units, excluding units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required in other circumstances for a transfer of the general partner interest to a third party prior to December 31, 2016. Please read “—Transfer of General Partner Interest.” |
Transfer of Ownership Interests in Our General Partner
At any time, Penn Virginia Resource GP Corp., as the sole member of our general partner, may sell or transfer all or part of its ownership interest in our general partner without the approval of our unitholders.
Issuance of Additional Securities
Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional limited partner interests and other equity securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our general partner in its sole discretion without the approval of our unitholders.
It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional units or other equity securities. Holders of any additional units we issue will be entitled to share equally with the then-existing holders of units 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 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 have special voting rights to which the common units are not entitled.
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Amendments to Our Partnership Agreement
General
Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of our general partner. However, our general partner will have no duty or obligation to propose any amendment and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners. To adopt a proposed amendment, other than the amendments discussed below, our general partner must seek written approval of the holders of the number of units required to approve the amendment or call a meeting of the limited partners to consider and vote upon the proposed amendment. Except as described below, an amendment must be approved by a majority of our outstanding units.
Prohibited Amendments
No amendment may be made that would:
| (1) | enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or class of limited partner interests so affected; or |
| (2) | enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable by us to our general partner or any of its affiliates without the consent of our general partner, which may be given or withheld in its sole discretion. |
The provision of our partnership agreement preventing the amendments having the effects described in clauses (1) or (2) above can be amended upon the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units.
No Unitholder Approval
Our general partner may generally make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee to reflect:
| (1) | a change in our name, the location of our principal place of business, our registered agent or its registered office; |
| (2) | the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners in accordance with our partnership agreement; |
| (3) | a change that our general partner determines is necessary or appropriate for us to qualify or to continue our qualification as a limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that we will not be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes; |
| (4) | an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of our counsel, to prevent us or our general partner or its directors, officers, agents or trustees, from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, whether or not substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed; |
| (5) | an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the authorization of additional partnership securities or rights to acquire partnership securities; |
| (6) | any amendment expressly permitted in our partnership agreement to be made by our general partner acting alone; |
| (7) | an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger agreement that has been approved under the terms of our partnership agreement; |
| (8) | an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the formation by us, or our investment in, any corporation, partnership or other entity, as otherwise permitted by our partnership agreement; |
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| (9) | a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and related changes; |
| (10) | a merger with or conveyance to another limited liability entity that is newly formed and has no assets, liabilities or operations at the time of the merger or conveyance other than those it receives by way of the merger or conveyance; |
| (11) | an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by an amendment to PVR’s partnership agreement that requires PVR unitholders to provide a statement, certificate or other proof of evidence to PVR regarding whether such unitholder is subject to United States federal income tax on the income generated by PVR; or |
| (12) | any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters described in (1) through (11) above. |
In addition, our general partner may make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee if those amendments, in the discretion of our general partner:
| (1) | do not adversely affect our limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect; |
| (2) | are necessary or appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute; |
| (3) | are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the trading of our limited partner interests or to comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any securities exchange on which our limited partner interests are or will be listed for trading; |
| (4) | are necessary or appropriate for any action taken by our general partner relating to splits or combinations of units under the provisions of our partnership agreement; or |
| (5) | are required to effect the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or are otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement. |
Finally, our partnership agreement specifically permits our general partner to authorize PVR GP, the general partner of PVR, to limit or modify its incentive distribution rights if our general partner determines that such limitation or modification does not adversely affect our limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect.
Opinion of Counsel and Unitholder Approval
Our general partner will not be required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will not result in a loss of limited liability to the limited partners or result in PVR or our being treated as an entity for federal income tax purposes if one of the amendments described above under “—No Unitholder Approval” should occur. No other amendments to our partnership agreement will become effective without the approval of holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units, unless we obtain an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment will not affect the limited liability under applicable law of any of our limited partners.
In addition to the above restrictions, any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any type or class of outstanding units in relation to other classes of units will require the approval of at least a majority of the type or class of units so affected. Any amendment that reduces the voting percentage required to take any action must be approved by the affirmative vote of limited partners whose aggregate outstanding units constitute not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced.
Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
Our partnership agreement generally prohibits our general partner, without the prior approval of a majority of our outstanding units, from causing us to, among other things, sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination, or approving on our behalf the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of PVR and its subsidiaries in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination. Our general partner
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may, however, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of our assets without that approval. Our general partner may also sell all or substantially all of our assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon those encumbrances without that approval.
A merger, consolidation or conversion of us requires the prior consent of the general partner. In addition, our partnership agreement provides that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, our general partner will have no duty or obligation to consent to any merger, consolidation or conversion of us and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us, or any of our unitholders. Further, in declining to consent to a merger, consolidation or conversion, our general partner will not be required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by our partnership agreement, any other agreement, under the Delaware Act or any other law, rule or regulation or at equity.
If conditions specified in our partnership agreement are satisfied, our general partner may merge us or any of our subsidiaries into, or convey some or all of our assets to, a newly formed entity if the sole purpose of that merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in our legal form into another limited liability entity. Our unitholders are not entitled to dissenters’ rights or appraisal rights (and, therefore, will not be entitled to demand payment of a fair price for their units) under our partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of a merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially all of our assets or any other transaction or event.
Termination and Dissolution
We will continue as a limited partnership until terminated under our partnership agreement. We will dissolve upon:
| (1) | the election of our general partner to dissolve us, if approved by a majority of our outstanding units; |
| (2) | there being no limited partners, unless we are continued without dissolution in accordance with applicable Delaware law; |
| (3) | the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of us; or |
| (4) | the withdrawal or removal of our general partner or any other event that results in its ceasing to be our general partner other than by reason of a transfer of its general partner interest in accordance with our partnership agreement or withdrawal or removal of our general partner following approval and admission of a successor. |
Upon a dissolution under clause (4) above, the holders of a majority of our outstanding units may also elect, within specific time limitations, to continue our business on the same terms and conditions described in our partnership agreement by appointing as a successor general partner an entity approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding units, subject to our receipt of an opinion of counsel to the effect that:
| (1) | the action would not result in the loss of limited liability of any limited partner; and |
| (2) | neither our partnership nor PVR would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue. |
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 of the powers of our general partner that the liquidator deems necessary or desirable in its judgment, liquidate our assets. The proceeds of the liquidation will be applied as follows:
| • | first, towards the payment of all of our creditors and the settlement of or creation of a reserve for contingent liabilities; and |
| • | then, to all partners in accordance with the positive balance in the respective capital accounts. |
If the liquidator determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause a loss to our partners, it may defer liquidation of our assets for a reasonable period of time or distribute assets to partners in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the partners.
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Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner
Except as described below, our general partner has agreed not to withdraw voluntarily as our general partner prior to December 31, 2016 without obtaining the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding units, excluding units held by our general partner, its owner Penn Virginia and its affiliates, voting as a single class, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. On or after December 31, 2016, our general partner may not withdraw as general partner without first giving 90 days’ written notice to unitholders, and that withdrawal will not constitute a violation of our partnership agreement. In addition, our general partner may withdraw without unitholder approval upon 90 days’ notice to our limited partners if at least 50% of our outstanding common units are held or controlled by one person and its affiliates other than our general partner and its affiliates.
Upon the voluntary withdrawal of our general partner, the holders of a majority of our outstanding units, may elect 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 180 days after that withdrawal, the holders of a majority of the outstanding units, agree in writing to continue our business and to appoint a successor general partner. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution” above.
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, including units held by our 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 units. The ownership of more than 33 1/3% of our outstanding units by our general partner and its affiliates would give it the practical ability to prevent its removal. As of the date of this prospectus, Penn Virginia beneficially owns approximately 51% of our outstanding units. 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.
Transfer of General Partner Interest
Except for a transfer by our general partner of all, but not less than all, of its general partner interests in us to:
| • | an affiliate of the general partner (other than an individual); or |
| • | another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of the general partner with or into another entity or the transfer by the general partner of all or substantially all of its assets to another entity, |
our general partner may not transfer all or any part of its general partner interest in us to another person prior to December 31, 2016 without the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding units, excluding units held by our general partner and its affiliates. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must assume the rights and duties of the general partner to whose interest that transferee has succeeded, agree to be bound by the provisions of our partnership agreement and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters.
On or after December 31, 2016, our general partner may transfer all or any of its general partner interest in us without obtaining approval of any unitholder.
Change of Management Provisions
Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to remove our general partner as general partner or otherwise change management. If any person or group other than our general partner and its affiliates acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of our units, that person or group loses voting rights on all of its units. This loss of voting rights does not apply to (i) any person or group that acquires the units from our general partner or its affiliates, (ii) any transferees of that person or group approved by our general partner or (iii) any person or group that acquires 20% of any class of units with the prior approval of the board of directors of our general partner.
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Limited Call Right
If at any time not more than 10% of the then-issued and outstanding limited partner interests of any class are held by persons other than our general partner and its affiliates, our 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 limited partner interests of the class held by unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by our general partner, on at least ten but not more than 60 days’ notice. The purchase price in the event of such a purchase will be the greater of:
| • | the highest price paid by our general partner or any of its affiliates for any limited partner interests of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date that notice is mailed; and |
| • | the current market price of the limited partner interests of the class as of the date three days prior to the date that notice is mailed. |
As of the date of this prospectus, Penn Virginia beneficially owns approximately 51% of our common units.
As a result of our general partner’s right to purchase outstanding limited partner interests, a holder of limited partner interests may have his limited partner interests 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 units in the market. Please read “Material Tax Consequences—Disposition of Units.”
Meetings; Voting
Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20% or more of units then outstanding, unitholders on the record date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited. Common units that are owned by non-citizen assignees will be voted by our general partner on behalf of non-citizen assignees and our general partner will distribute the votes on those common units in the same ratios as the votes of limited partners on other units are cast.
Our general partner does not anticipate that any meeting of unitholders will be called in the foreseeable future. Any action that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken are signed by holders of the number of units as would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting. Meetings of the unitholders may be called by our general partner or by unitholders owning at least 20% of the outstanding units. Unitholders may vote either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a majority of the outstanding units, represented in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum unless any action by the unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of the units, in which case the quorum will be the greater percentage.
Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to his percentage interest in us, although additional limited partner interests having special voting rights could be issued. Please read “—Issuance of Additional Securities” above. However, if at any time any person or group, other than our general partner and its affiliates, or a direct or subsequently approved transferee of our general partner or its affiliates, acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, that person or group will lose voting rights on all of its units and the units may not be voted on any matter and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of unitholders, calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes. For more information on persons and groups to which this loss of voting rights does not apply, please read “—Change of Management Provisions” above. Common units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and his nominee provides otherwise.
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required or permitted to be given or made to record holders of common units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the record holder by us or by the transfer agent.
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Status as Limited Partner
By transfer of common units in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of common units shall be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the common units transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our books and records. Except as described under “—Limited Liability” above, the common units will be fully paid, and unitholders will not be required to make additional contributions.
Non-Citizen Assignees; Redemption
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner, we may redeem the units held by the limited partner or assignee at their current market price. To avoid any cancellation or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited partner or assignee to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or related status. If a limited partner or assignee fails to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or other related status within 30 days after a request for the information or our general partner determines after receipt of the information that the limited partner or assignee is not an eligible citizen, the limited partner or assignee may be treated as a non-citizen assignee. In addition to other limitations on the rights of an assignee that is not a substituted limited partner, a non-citizen assignee does not have the right to direct the voting of his units and may not receive distributions in kind upon our liquidation.
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; |
| • | any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was an affiliate of our general partner or any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was a member, partner, officer, director, employee, fiduciary or trustee of our general partner or any departing general partner or any affiliate of our general partner or any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was serving at the request of our general partner or any departing general partner or any affiliate of our general partner or any departing general partner as an officer, director, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person; or |
| • | any person designated by our general partner. |
Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, our general partner will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable it 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 our partnership agreement.
Reimbursement of Expenses
Our partnership agreement requires us to reimburse our general partner for all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or payments it makes on our behalf and all other expenses allocable to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner in connection with operating our business. These expenses include salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons who perform services for us or on our behalf and expenses allocated to our general partner by its affiliates. Our general partner is entitled to determine in good faith the expenses that are allocable to us.
Books and Reports
Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our business at our principal offices. The books will be maintained for both tax and financial reporting purposes on an accrual basis. For fiscal reporting and tax reporting purposes, our year ends on December 31 each year.
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We furnish or make available to record holders of units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, an annual report containing audited financial statements and a report on those financial statements by our independent public accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we also furnish or make available summary financial information within 90 days after the close of each quarter.
We furnish each record holder of a unit with information reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within 90 days after the close of each calendar year. This information is furnished in summary form so that some complex calculations normally required of partners can be avoided. Our continued 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 him 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.
Right to Inspect Our Books and Records
Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can, for a purpose reasonably related to his interest as a limited partner, upon reasonable written demand and at his own expense, have furnished to him:
| • | a current list of the name and last known address of each partner; |
| • | a copy of our tax returns; |
| • | 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; |
| • | copies of our partnership agreement, the certificate of limited partnership of the partnership, related amendments and powers of attorney under which they have been executed; |
| • | information regarding the status of our business and financial condition; and |
| • | 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 or other information the disclosure of which our general partner believes is not in our best interests or which we are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.
Registration Rights
Under our partnership agreement, we have agreed to register for resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and applicable state securities laws any 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. We are obligated to pay all expenses incidental to the registration, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions.
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MATERIAL PROVISIONS OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF
PENN VIRGINIA RESOURCE PARTNERS, L.P.
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the partnership agreement of Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P., which could impact our results of operations and those of PVR. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to the “PVR partnership agreement,” constitute references to the partnership agreement of Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P.
We summarize provisions of the PVR partnership agreement relating to allocations of taxable income and taxable loss in “Material Tax Consequences.”
Organization and Duration
PVR was organized on July 9, 2001 and has perpetual existence.
Purpose
PVR’s purpose is to engage in any business activities that may be engaged in by its subsidiaries or that are approved by PVR’s general partner.
PVR’s general partner is authorized in general to perform all acts deemed necessary to carry out PVR’s purposes and to conduct its business.
Power of Attorney
Each PVR limited partner, and each person who acquires a unit from a unitholder and executes and delivers a transfer application, grants to PVR’s general partner and, if appointed, a liquidator, a power of attorney to, among other things, execute and file documents required for PVR’s qualification, continuance or dissolution. The power of attorney also grants PVR’s general partner the authority to make certain amendments, and consents and waivers under, the PVR partnership agreement.
Cash Distribution Policy
General
PVR’s partnership agreement requires it to distribute its available cash to its unitholders within 45 days after the end of each quarter. Distributions are made concurrently to all record holders on the record date set for purposes of such distribution. Available cash generally means, for each fiscal quarter all cash on hand at the end of the quarter, 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 (generally borrowings that are made under PVR’s credit facility for working capital purposes or to pay distributions to PVR’s unitholders), less the amount of cash reserves that PVR’s general partner determines in its reasonable discretion is necessary or appropriate to:
| • | provide for the proper conduct of PVR’s business; |
| • | comply with applicable law, any of PVR’s debt instruments, or other agreements; or |
| • | provide funds for distributions to PVR’s unitholders and to PVR’s general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters. |
Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus
All cash distributed to PVR unitholders is characterized either as operating surplus or capital surplus. PVR distributes available cash from operating surplus differently than available cash from capital surplus.
Definition of Operating Surplus. For any period, operating surplus generally means:
| • | PVR’s cash balance on the closing date of PVR’s initial public offering in 2001; plus |
| • | $15.0 million (as described below); plus |
| • | all of PVR’s cash receipts since the closing of PVR’s 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 that quarter; less |
| • | all of PVR’s operating expenses since the closing of PVR’s initial public offering, including the repayment of working capital borrowings, but not the repayment of other borrowings, and including maintenance capital expenditures; less |
| • | the amount of cash reserves that PVR’s general partner deems necessary or advisable to provide funds for future operating expenditures. |
Definition of Capital Surplus. Capital surplus will generally be generated only by:
| • | borrowings other than working capital borrowings; |
| • | sales of debt and equity securities; and |
| • | 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. PVR treats all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since it began operations equals the operating surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available cash. PVR treats any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus. PVR does not anticipate that it will make any distributions from capital surplus. As reflected above, operating surplus includes $15.0 million in addition to PVR’s cash balance on the closing date of PVR’s initial public offering, cash receipts from PVR’s operations and cash from working capital borrowings. This amount does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to its unitholders. Rather, it is a provision that will enable PVR, if it chooses, to distribute as operating surplus up to $15.0 million of cash PVR receives 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. PVR has not made, and does not anticipate that it will make, any distributions from capital surplus.
Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
PVR’s partnership agreement provides that distributions of available cash from operating surplus for any quarter will be made in the following manner:
| • | first, 98% to all unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to PVR’s general partner until PVR distributes for each outstanding unit an amount equal to $0.275 for that quarter; and |
| • | thereafter, in the manner described in “—Incentive Distribution Rights” below. |
Incentive Distribution Rights
PVR’s partnership agreement provides that if a quarterly cash distribution to PVR’s limited partnership units exceeds a target of $0.275 per limited partner unit, PVR will pay PVR GP, our wholly owned subsidiary, for each outstanding limited partner unit, incentive distributions equal to:
| • | first, 98% to all unitholders, and 2% to the general partner, until each unitholder has received a total of $0.275 per unit for that quarter; |
| • | second, 85% to all unitholders, and 15% to the general partner, until each unitholder has received a total of $0.325 per unit for that quarter; |
| • | third, 75% to all unitholders, and 25% to the general partner, until each unitholder has received a total of $0.375 per unit for that quarter; and |
| • | thereafter, 50% to all unitholders and 50% to the general partner. |
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Distributions of Available Cash from Capital Surplus
PVR will make distributions of available cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner:
| • | first, 98% to all unitholders of PVR, pro rata, and 2% to the general partner, until PVR distributes for each common unit that was issued in the initial public offering, an amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to the initial public offering price; and |
| • | thereafter, PVR will make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus. |
Under the terms of the PVR partnership agreement, a distribution of capital surplus is treated as repayment of the initial unit price from the PVR initial public offering, which is a return of capital. The initial public offering price per PVR common unit 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 will be 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 PVR’s general partner to receive incentive distributions. However, any distribution of capital surplus before the unrecovered initial unit price is reduced to zero cannot be applied to the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution or any arrearages.
Once PVR distributes capital surplus on a unit in an amount equal to the initial unit price, PVR will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels to zero and PVR will make all future distributions from operating surplus, with 50% being paid to the holders of units, and 50% to PVR’s general partner.
Adjustment to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels
In addition to adjustments made upon a distribution of available cash from capital surplus, PVR will adjust the following proportionately upward or downward, as appropriate, if any combination or subdivision of units should occur:
| • | the minimum quarterly distribution; |
| • | the target distribution levels; and |
| • | the unrecovered initial unit price. |
In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner that causes PVR to become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax purposes, PVR will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels by multiplying the same by one minus the sum of the highest marginal federal corporate income tax rate that could apply and any increase in the effective overall state and local income tax rates.
Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation
If PVR dissolves in accordance with its partnership agreement, PVR will sell or otherwise dispose of its assets in a process called liquidation. PVR will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of its creditors. PVR will distribute any remaining proceeds to its 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 PVR’s assets in liquidation.
Adjustments to Capital Accounts Upon the Issuance of Additional Units
PVR will make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In doing so, PVR will allocate any gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and PVR’s general partner in the same manner as PVR allocates gain or loss upon liquidation. In the event that PVR makes positive interim adjustments to the capital accounts, PVR will allocate any later negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting from the issuance of additional units or distributions of property or upon liquidation in a manner
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which results, to the extent possible, in the capital account balance of PVR’s general partner equaling the amount which would have been in its capital account if no earlier positive adjustments to the capital accounts had been made.
Issuance of Additional Securities
The PVR partnership agreement authorizes PVR to issue an unlimited number of additional limited partner interests and other equity securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by PVR’s general partner in its sole discretion without the approval of any limited partners.
It is possible that PVR will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional limited partner units or other equity securities. Holders of any additional limited partner units issued by PVR will be entitled to share equally with the then-existing holders of limited partner units, the general partner interest and other securities in PVR’s distributions of available cash. In addition, the issuance of additional partnership interests may dilute the value of the interests of the then-existing holders of limited partner units in PVR’s net assets.
In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of the PVR partnership agreement, PVR may also issue additional partnership interests that, in the sole discretion of PVR’s general partner, have special voting rights to which the limited partner units are not entitled.
Amendment of the PVR Partnership Agreement
General
Amendments to the PVR partnership agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of PVR’s general partner. To adopt a proposed amendment, other than the amendments discussed below, PVR’s general partner must seek written approval of the holders of the number of units required to approve the amendment or call a meeting of the limited partners to consider and vote upon the proposed amendment. Except as described below, an amendment must be approved by a majority of the common units. These voting provisions are referred to in this “Material Provisions of the Partnership Agreement of Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P.” section as a “unit majority.”
Prohibited Amendments
Without the consent of the holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units voting together as a single class (including units owned by PVR’s general partner and its affiliates), PVR’s partnership agreement may not be amended to:
| • | enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or class of limited partner interests so affected; |
| • | enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable by PVR to its general partner or any of its affiliates without the consent of PVR’s general partner, which may be given or withheld in its sole discretion; |
| • | change the term of the PVR partnership; |
| • | provide that the PVR partnership is not dissolved upon an election to dissolve the partnership by PVR’s general partner that is approved by a unit majority; or |
| • | give any person the right to dissolve the PVR partnership other than PVR’s general partner’s right to dissolve the PVR partnership with the approval of a unit majority. |
No Unitholder Approval
PVR’s general partner may generally make amendments to the PVR partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee to reflect:
| • | a change in PVR’s name, the location of its principal place of business, the registered agent or registered office; |
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| • | the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners in accordance with PVR’s partnership agreement; |
| • | a change that, in the sole discretion of PVR’s general partner, is necessary or advisable to qualify or continue PVR’s qualification as a limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that neither PVR nor its operating company nor any of their subsidiaries will be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes; |
| • | an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of PVR’s counsel, to prevent PVR or its general partner or its directors, officers, agents or trustees, from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, whether or not substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed; |
| • | subject to the limitations on the issuance of additional common units or other limited or general partner interests described above, an amendment that in the discretion of PVR’s general partner is necessary or advisable for the authorization of additional limited or general partner interests; |
| • | any amendment expressly permitted in PVR’s partnership agreement to be made by PVR’s general partner acting alone; |
| • | an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger agreement that has been approved under the terms of PVR’s partnership agreement; |
| • | any amendment that, in the discretion of PVR’s general partner, is necessary or advisable for the formation by PVR of, or PVR’s investment in, any corporation, partnership or other entity, as otherwise permitted by PVR’s partnership agreement; |
| • | a change in PVR’s fiscal year or taxable year and related changes; and |
| • | any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters described in the clauses above. |
In addition, PVR’s general partner may make amendments to the PVR partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee if those amendments, in the discretion of PVR’s:
| • | do not adversely affect the PVR limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect; |
| • | are necessary or advisable to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute; |
| • | are necessary or advisable to facilitate the trading of PVR limited partner interests or to comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any securities exchange on which the PVR limited partner interests are or will be listed for trading, compliance with any of which PVR’s general partner deems to be in the best interests of PVR and PVR’s limited partners; |
| • | are necessary or advisable for any action taken by PVR’s general partner relating to splits or combinations of units under the provisions of PVR’s partnership agreement; or |
| • | are required to effect the intent of the provisions of PVR’s partnership agreement or are otherwise contemplated by PVR’s partnership agreement. |
Furthermore, PVR’s general partner, with our consent, may limit or modify the incentive distributions we are entitled to receive in order to facilitate PVR’s growth strategy. Our general partner’s board of directors can give this consent without a vote of our unitholders. We own PVR’s general partner, which owns the incentive distribution rights in PVR that entitle us to receive increasing percentages, up to a maximum of 48% of any cash distributed to PVR as certain target distribution levels are reached in excess of $0.375 per PVR unit in any quarter. Because of the high percentage of PVR’s incremental cash flow that is distributed to the incentive distribution rights, certain potential acquisitions might not increase cash available for distribution per PVR
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unit. In order to facilitate such acquisitions by PVR, the board of directors of PVR’s general partner may elect to reduce the incentive distribution rights payable to us with our consent, which we may provide without the approval of our unitholders if our general partner determines that such reduction does not adversely affect our limited partners in any material respect. Such a reduction in the incentive distribution rights payable to us may not be materially adverse to our unitholders if, for example, our general partner determines that the acquisition by PVR would ultimately result in an increase in distributions to PVR’s unitholders. More than half of the total distributions we receive on our partnership interests in PVR are derived from distributions on the limited partner units of PVR that we own. Therefore, it may not be materially adverse to our unitholders if distributions in respect of the incentive distribution rights were reduced, because such acquisition may result in an overall increase in distributions payable to PVR’s unitholders.
Opinion of Counsel and Unitholder Approval
PVR’s general partner will not be required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will not result in a loss of limited liability to the limited partners of PVR or result in PVR being treated as an entity for federal income tax purposes if one of the amendments described above under “—No Unitholder Approval” should occur. No other amendments to PVR’s partnership agreement will become effective without the approval of holders of at least 90% of the units unless PVR obtains an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment will not affect the limited liability under applicable law of any limited partner in PVR’s partnership or cause PVR, PVR’s operating company or PVR’s subsidiaries to be taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not previously taxed as such).
Any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any type or class of outstanding PVR units in relation to other classes of PVR units will require the approval of at least a majority of the type or class of units so affected. Any amendment that reduces the voting percentage required to take any action is required to be approved by the affirmative vote of limited partners constituting not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced.
Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
The PVR partnership agreement generally prohibits PVR’s general partner, without the prior approval of the holders of a unit majority, from causing PVR to, among other things, sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination, or approving on PVR’s behalf the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of PVR’s assets or the assets of its subsidiaries; provided that PVR’s general partner may mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of PVR’s assets without that approval. PVR’s general partner may also sell all or substantially all of PVR’s assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon the encumbrances above without that approval. Furthermore, provided that conditions specified in the partnership agreement are satisfied, PVR’s general partner may merge the partnership or any of its subsidiaries into, or convey some or all of their assets to, a newly formed entity if the sole purpose of that merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in PVR’s legal form into another limited liability entity. PVR unitholders are not entitled to dissenters’ rights of appraisal under the partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of a merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially all of PVR’s assets or any other transaction or event.
Without the approval of a unit majority, PVR’s general partner is prohibited from consenting on PVR’s behalf to any amendment to the limited liability company agreement of PVR’s operating company or taking any action on PVR’s behalf permitted to be taken by a member of PVR’s operating company, in each case that would adversely affect PVR’s limited partners (or any particular class of PVR limited partners) in any material respect.
Termination and Dissolution
PVR will continue as a limited partnership until terminated under the PVR partnership agreement. PVR will dissolve upon:
| • | the election of PVR’s general partner to dissolve PVR, if approved by the holders of a unit majority; |
| • | the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets and properties of PVR and the subsidiaries; |
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| • | the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of PVR; or |
| • | the withdrawal or removal of PVR’s general partner or any other event that results in its ceasing to be PVR’s general partner other than by reason of a transfer of its general partner interest in accordance with PVR’s partnership agreement or withdrawal or removal following approval and admission of a successor. |
Upon a dissolution under the last clause above, the holders of a majority of the outstanding PVR common units may also elect, within specific time limitations, to reconstitute PVR’s partnership and continue its business on the same terms and conditions described in PVR’s partnership agreement by forming a new limited partnership on terms identical to those in PVR’s partnership agreement and having as general partner an entity approved by a unit majority, subject to receipt by PVR of an opinion of counsel to the effect that:
| • | the action would not result in the loss of limited liability of any PVR limited partner; and |
| • | neither the partnership, the reconstituted limited partnership, nor the operating company would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue. |
Liquidation and Distribution of Proceeds
Upon dissolution of PVR, unless PVR is reconstituted and continued as a new limited partnership, the liquidator authorized to wind up PVR’s affairs will, acting with all of the powers of PVR’s general partner that the liquidator deems necessary or desirable in its judgment, liquidate PVR’s assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as provided in “—Cash Distribution Policy—Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation.” The liquidator may defer liquidation or distribution of PVR’s assets for a reasonable period of time or distribute assets to partners in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to PVR’s partners.
Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner
Except as described below, PVR’s general partner has agreed not to withdraw voluntarily as general partner of PVR prior to September 30, 2011 without obtaining the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by the general partner and its affiliates, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. On or after September 30, 2011, PVR’s 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 PVR’s partnership agreement. Notwithstanding the information above, PVR’s general partner may withdraw without unitholder approval upon 90 days’ notice to the limited partners if at least 50% of the outstanding common units are held or controlled by one person and its affiliates other than PVR’s general partner and its affiliates. In addition, PVR’s partnership agreement permits PVR’s general partner in some instances to sell or otherwise transfer all of its general partner interests in PVR without the approval of the unitholders. See “—Transfer of General Partner Interest.”
Upon the withdrawal of PVR’s general partner under any circumstances, other than as a result of a transfer by PVR’s general partner of all or a part of its general partner interest in PVR, the holders of a majority of the outstanding PVR 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, PVR will be dissolved, wound up and liquidated, unless within 180 days after that withdrawal, the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units agree in writing to continue the business of PVR and to appoint a successor general partner. See “—Termination and Dissolution.”
PVR’s 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 the outstanding PVR units, including units held by PVR’s general partner and its affiliates, and PVR receives an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. Any removal of PVR’s 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.
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PVR’s partnership agreement also provides that if PVR GP is removed as PVR’s 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:
| • | any existing arrearages in payment of the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units will be extinguished; and |
| • | PVR’s 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. |
In the event of removal of a general partner under circumstances where cause exists or withdrawal of a general partner where that withdrawal violates PVR’s 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 a 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 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 departing general partner and the successor general partner will determine the fair market value. 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 above-described option 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, PVR 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 for PVR’s benefit.
Transfer of PVR’s General Partner Interests
Except for a transfer by PVR’s general partner of all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest in PVR to:
| • | an affiliate of PVR’s general partner (other than an individual); or |
| • | another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of PVR’s general partner with or into another entity or the transfer by PVR’s general partner of all or substantially all of its assets to another entity, |
PVR’s general partner may not transfer all or any part of its general partner interest in PVR to another person prior to September 30, 2011 without the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by PVR’s general partner and its affiliates. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must assume the rights and duties of PVR’s general partner, agree to be bound by the provisions of the PVR partnership agreement, and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. PVR’s general partner and its affiliates may at any time, however, transfer units to one or more persons, other than PVR, without unitholder approval.
Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights
PVR’s general partner or a later holder of the incentive distribution rights may transfer the incentive distribution rights to an affiliate of the holder (other than an individual) or to another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of such holder with or into such other entity or the transfer by such holder or its affiliates, of all or substantially all of its assets to another entity, without the prior approval of the unitholders;
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provided that the transferee agrees to be bound by the provisions of the PVR partnership agreement. Prior to September 30, 2011, other transfers of incentive distribution rights will require the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by the general partner or its affiliates. On or after September 30, 2011, the incentive distribution rights will be freely transferable.
Limited Call Right
If at any time persons other than PVR’s general partner and its affiliates do not own more than 20% of the then-issued and outstanding PVR limited partner interests of any class, PVR’s general partner will have the right, which it may assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates or to PVR, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the remaining limited partner interests of the class held by unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by PVR’s general partner, on at least 10 but not more than 60 days’ notice. The purchase price in the event of this purchase is the greater of:
| • | the highest cash price paid by either of PVR’s general partner or any of its affiliates for any limited partner interests of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which PVR’s general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those limited partner interests; and |
| • | the current market price as of the date three days before the date the notice is mailed. |
As a result of PVR’s general partner’s right to purchase outstanding PVR limited partner interests, a holder of PVR limited partner interests may have his limited partner interests purchased at an undesirable time or price. The tax consequences to a PVR unitholder of the exercise of this call right are the same as a sale by that unitholder of his common units in the market.
Indemnification
Under the PVR partnership agreement, in most circumstances, PVR will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages or similar events:
| • | PVR’s general partner; |
| • | any departing general partner of PVR; |
| • | any person who is or was an affiliate of a general partner or any departing general partner of PVR; |
| • | any person who is or was a member, partner, officer, director, employee, agent or trustee of a general partner or any departing general partner of PVR or any affiliate of a general partner or any departing general partner of PVR; or |
| • | any person who is or was serving at the request of a general partner or any departing general partner of PVR or any affiliate of a general partner or any departing general partner of PVR as an officer, director, employee, member, partner, agent or trustee of another person. |
Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of PVR’s assets. PVR’s general partner shall not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan funds or assets to PVR to enable PVR to effectuate indemnification. PVR is authorized to purchase insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons for PVR’s activities, regardless of whether PVR would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under the PVR partnership agreement.
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MATERIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES
This section is a discussion of the material tax considerations that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and, unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., tax counsel to our general partner and us, insofar as it relates to matters of United States federal income tax law and legal conclusions with respect to those matters. This section is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Internal Revenue Code, existing and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated under the Internal Revenue Code, or the Treasury Regulations, and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Later changes in these authorities may cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “us” or “we” are references to Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P.
The following discussion does not comment on all federal income tax matters affecting us or the unitholders. Moreover, the discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and has only limited application to corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, foreign persons, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), real estate investment trusts (REITs) or mutual funds. Accordingly, we urge each prospective unitholder to consult, and depend on, his own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to him of the ownership or disposition of units.
All statements as to matters of law and legal conclusions, but not as to factual matters, contained in this section, unless otherwise noted, are the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. and are based on the accuracy of the representations made by us.
No ruling has been or will be requested from the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, regarding any matter affecting us or prospective unitholders. Instead, we will rely on opinions of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. Unlike a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for the units and the prices at which units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with the IRS, principally legal, accounting and related fees, will result in a reduction in cash available for distribution to our unitholders and our general partner and thus will be borne indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner. Furthermore, the tax treatment of us, or of an investment in us, may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions. Any modifications may or may not be retroactively applied.
For the reasons described below, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following specific federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a unitholder whose units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of units (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales”); (2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); and (3) whether our method for depreciating Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election”).
Partnership Status
A partnership is not a taxable entity and incurs no federal income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is required to take into account his share of items of income, gain, loss and deduction of the partnership in computing his federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash distributions are made to him by the partnership. Distributions by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable to the partnership or the partner unless the amount of cash distributed to him is in excess of the partner’s adjusted basis in his partnership interest.
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that publicly traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be taxed as corporations. However, an exception, referred to in this discussion as the “Qualifying Income Exception,” exists with respect to publicly traded partnerships of which 90% or more of the gross income for every taxable year consists of “qualifying income.” Qualifying income includes income and gains derived
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from the transportation, storage, processing and marketing of natural resources, including coal, timber, crude oil, natural gas and products thereof, including our allocable share of such income from PVR. 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 income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate that less than 5% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time. Based upon and subject to this estimate, the factual representations made by us and the general partner and a review of the applicable legal authorities, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that at least 90% of our current gross income constitutes qualifying income. The portion of our income that is qualifying income may change from time to time.
No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS and the IRS has made no determination as to our status for federal income tax purposes or whether our operations generate “qualifying income” under Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. Moreover, no ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS and the IRS has made no determination as to PVR’s status for federal income tax purposes or whether its operations generate “qualifying income” under Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. on such matters. It is the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. that, based upon the Internal Revenue Code, its regulations, published revenue rulings and court decisions and the representations described below, we and PVR will be classified as a partnership.
In rendering its opinion, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied on factual representations made by us and the our general partner. The representations made by us and our general partner upon which Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied are:
| • | Neither we, PVR, nor PVR’s subsidiaries will elect to be treated as a corporation; and |
| • | For each taxable year, more than 90% of the gross income recognized by each of us and PVR will be income that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has opined or will opine is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. |
We believe that these representations have been true in the past and expect that these representations will be true in the future.
If we or PVR fails 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 or PVR to make adjustments with respect to our respective unitholders or pay other amounts), then we or PVR (as relevant, the “failing partnership”) will be treated as if it had transferred all of its assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which it failed to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation, and then distributed that stock to the unitholders of the failing partnership in liquidation of their interests therein. This deemed contribution and liquidation should be tax-free to unitholders and the failing partnership so long as the partnership, at that time, does not have liabilities in excess of the tax basis of its assets. Thereafter, the failing partnership would be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.
If we were treated as an association taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, either as a result of a failure to meet the Qualifying Income Exception or otherwise, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be reflected only on our tax return rather than being passed through to the unitholders, and our net income would be taxed to us at corporate rates. Moreover, if PVR were taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, our share of PVR’s items of income, gain, loss and deduction would not be passed through to us and PVR would pay tax on its income at corporate rates. If we or PVR were taxable as a corporation, losses recognized by such an entity taxable as a corporation would not flow through to us or our unitholders. In addition, any distribution made by us to a unitholder (or by PVR to us) would be treated as either taxable dividend income, to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in his units (or our tax basis in our aggregate interest in PVR), or taxable capital gain, after the unitholder’s tax basis in his units (or our tax basis in our aggregate interest in PVR) is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation of either us or PVR as a corporation could result in a material reduction in a unitholder’s cash flow and after-tax return and thus could result in a substantial reduction of the value of the units.
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The discussion below is based on Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.’s opinion that we and PVR will be classified as partnerships for federal income tax purposes.
Limited Partner Status
Unitholders who have become limited partners of us will be treated as partners in us for federal income tax purposes. Also, unitholders whose 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 units will be treated as partners in us for federal income tax purposes.
A beneficial owner of units whose units have been transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale generally may lose his status as a partner with respect to those units for federal income tax purposes. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales.” Income, gains, deductions or losses generally are not reportable only by a unitholder who is a partner for federal income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes would therefore appear to be fully taxable as ordinary income. Unitholders engaging in short sales are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to their status as partners in us for federal income tax purposes.
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Flow-Through of Taxable Income
We do not pay any federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be required to report on his income tax return his share of our income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether corresponding cash distributions are received by him. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if he has not received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his allocable share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year ending with or within his taxable year. Our taxable generally year ends on December 31. However, please read “Disposition of Units—Constructive Termination” for a description of circumstances in which we may have two or more taxable years during a single calendar year and the implications thereof.
Treatment of Distributions
Distributions by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder for federal income tax purposes except to the extent the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds his tax basis in his units immediately before the distribution. Our cash distributions in excess of a unitholder’s tax basis generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or exchange of the units, taxable in accordance with the rules described under “—Disposition of Units” below. Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our liabilities for which no partner, including the general partner, bears the economic risk of loss, known as “nonrecourse liabilities,” will be treated as a distribution by us of cash to that unitholder. To the extent our distributions cause a unitholder’s “at risk” amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, he must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please read “—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses.”
A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional units will decrease his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. This deemed distribution may constitute a non-pro rata distribution. A non-pro rata distribution of money or property may result in ordinary income to a unitholder, regardless of his tax basis in his units, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation recapture, and/or substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively, “Section 751 Assets.” To that extent, he will be treated as having been distributed his proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and having exchanged those assets with us in return for the non-pro rata portion of the actual distribution made to him. This latter deemed exchange will generally result in the unitholder’s realization of ordinary income, which will equal the excess of (1) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) in the share of Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.
Basis of Units
A unitholder’s initial tax basis for his units will be the amount he paid for the units plus his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. That basis will be increased by his share of our income and by any increases in his
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share of our nonrecourse liabilities. That basis will be decreased, but not below zero, by distributions from us, by the unitholder’s share of our losses, by any decreases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities and by his share of our expenditures that are not deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to be capitalized. A unitholder will have no share of our debt that is recourse to our general partner, but will have a share, generally based on his share of profits, of our nonrecourse liabilities. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses
The deduction by a unitholder of his share of our losses will be limited to the tax basis in his units and, in the case of an individual unitholder or a corporate unitholder, if more than 50% of the value of the corporate unitholder’s stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals or some tax-exempt organizations, to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities, if that is less than his tax basis. A unitholder subject to these limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions cause his 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 these limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction to the extent that his at-risk amount is subsequently increased, provided such losses do not exceed such unitholders’ tax basis in his units. Upon the taxable disposition of a unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at risk limitation but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any excess loss above that gain previously suspended by the at risk or basis limitations is no longer utilizable.
In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the tax basis of his units, excluding any portion of that basis attributable to his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, reduced by (i) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or other similar arrangement and (ii) any amount of money he borrows to acquire or hold his units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us or PVR, is related to the unitholder or can look only to the units for repayment. A unitholder’s at risk amount will increase or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholder’s units increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or decreases attributable to increases or decreases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities.
In addition to the basis and at-risk limitations on the deductibility of losses, the passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals, estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations can deduct losses from passive activities, which are generally trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of the taxpayer’s income from those activities. The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly traded partnership. However, the application of the passive loss limitations to tiered publicly traded partnerships is uncertain. We will take the position that any passive losses we generate that are reasonably allocable to our investment in PVR will only be available to offset our passive income generated in the future that is reasonably allocable to our investment in PVR and will not be available to offset income from other passive activities or investments, including other investments in private businesses or investments we may make in other publicly traded partnerships. Moreover, because the passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly traded partnership, any passive losses we generate will not be available to offset your income from other passive activities or investments, including your investments in other publicly traded partnerships, such as PVR, or salary or active business income. Further, your share of our net income may be offset by any suspended passive losses from your investment in us, but may not be offset by your current or carryover losses from other passive activities, including those attributable to other publicly traded partnerships. Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we generate may be deducted in full when he disposes of his entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party.
The IRS could take the position that for purposes of applying the passive loss limitation rules to tiered publicly traded partnerships, such as PVR and us, the related entities are treated as one publicly traded partnership. In that case, any passive losses we generate would be available to offset income from your investments in PVR. However, in that case, passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we and PVR generate would not be deductible in full until a unitholder disposes of his entire investment in both us and PVR in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party.
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The passive loss rules are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk rules and the basis limitation.
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 properly allocable to property held for investment; |
| • | our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and |
| • | the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to 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 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, but generally does not include gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment or qualified dividend income. The IRS has indicated that the net passive income earned by a publicly traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its unitholders for the purposes of the investment interest deduction limitation. In addition, the unitholder’s share of our portfolio income will be treated as investment income.
Entity Level Collections
If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state, local or foreign income tax on behalf of any unitholder or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the unitholder on whose behalf the payment was made. If the payment is made on behalf of a person whose 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 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 an individual unitholder in which event the unitholder would be required to file a claim in order to obtain a credit or refund.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction
In general, if we have a net profit, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. If we have a net loss for the entire year, that loss will be allocated to the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us to the extent of their positive capital accounts.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated to account for (i) any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time of an offering and (ii) any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of any property contributed to us that exists at the time of such contribution, together, referred to in this discussion as the “Contributed Property.” The effect of these allocations, referred to as Section 704(c) Allocations, to a unitholder purchasing units from us in an offering will be essentially the same as if the tax bases of our assets were equal to their fair market value at the time of such offering. In the event we issue additional units or engage in certain other transactions following such an offering “reverse Section 704(c) Allocations,” similar to the Section 704(c) Allocations described above, will be made our unitholders immediately prior to such issuance or other transactions to account for the difference between the “book” basis for purposes of maintaining capital accounts and the fair market value of all property held by us at the time of such issuance the future transaction. In addition, items of recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by
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some unitholders. Finally, although we do not expect that our operations will result in the creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will be allocated in an amount and manner sufficient to eliminate the negative balance as quickly as possible.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the difference between a partner’s “book” capital account, credited with the fair market value of Contributed Property, and “tax” capital account, credited with the tax basis of Contributed Property, referred to in this discussion as the “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. In any other case, a partner’s share of an item will be determined on the basis of his interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including:
| • | his 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 “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” and “—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations under our partnership agreement will be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.
Treatment of Short Sales
A unitholder whose units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those units. If so, he would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period:
| • | any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those units would not be reportable by the unitholder; |
| • | any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those units would be fully taxable; and |
| • | all of these distributions would appear to be ordinary income. |
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder where units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of units; therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and loaning their units. The IRS has previously announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please also read “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
Alternative Minimum Tax
Each unitholder will be required to take into account his distributive share of any items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for noncorporate taxpayers is 26% on the first $175,000 of alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors as to the impact of an investment in units on their liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Tax Rates
Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is 35% and the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains (generally, capital gains on certain assets held for more than one year) of individuals is 15%. However, absent new legislation extending the current rates, beginning January 1, 2011, the highest marginal U.S. federal
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income tax rate applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains of individuals will increase to 39.6% and 20%, respectively. Moreover, these rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.
Section 754 Election
We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The election will generally permit us to adjust a unit purchaser’s tax basis in our assets, or the inside basis, under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to reflect his purchase price of units acquired from another unitholder. This election does not apply to a person who purchases units directly from us, but is expected to apply to units purchased in an offering by the selling unitholders. The Section 743(b) adjustment belongs to the purchaser and not to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a unitholder’s inside basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (1) his share of our tax basis in our assets, or the common basis and (2) his Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.
Where the remedial allocation method is adopted (which we have adopted as to our properties), the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code require a portion of the Section 743(b) adjustment that is attributable to recovery property subject to depreciation under Section 168 of the Internal Revenue Code whose book basis is in excess of its tax basis to be depreciated over the remaining cost recovery period for the Section 704(c) built-in gain. Under Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue Code, rather than cost recovery deductions under Section 168, is generally required to be depreciated using either the straight-line method or the 150% declining balance method. Under our partnership agreement, the general partner is authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with these Treasury Regulations. Please read “—Uniformity of Units.”
Although Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine as to the validity of this approach because there is no direct or indirect controlling authority on this issue, we intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, or treat that portion as non-amortizable to the extent attributable to property which is not amortizable. This method is consistent with the methods employed by other publicly traded partnerships but is arguably inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets, and Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3). To the extent this Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken, we may take a depreciation or amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would receive depreciation or amortization, whether attributable to common basis or a Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in our assets. This kind of aggregate approach may result in lower annual depreciation or amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to some unitholders. Please read “—Uniformity of Units.” A unitholder’s tax basis for his units is reduced by his share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual’s income tax return) so that any position we take that understates deductions will overstate the unitholder’s basis in his units, which may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “— Disposition of Units – Recognition of Gain or Loss.” The IRS may challenge our position with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of the units. If such a challenge were sustained, the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.
A Section 754 election is advantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in his units is higher than the units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of the election, the transferee would have, among other items, a greater amount of depreciation and depletion deductions and his share of any gain or loss on a sale of our assets would be less. Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in his units is lower than those units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value of the units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by the election. A basis adjustment is required regardless of whether a Section 754 election is made in the case of a transfer of an interest in us if we have a substantial
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built–in loss immediately after the transfer, or if we distribute property and have a substantial basis reduction. Generally a built–in loss or a basis reduction is substantial if it exceeds $250,000.
The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the value of our assets and other matters. For example, the allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our assets must be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment allocated by us to our tangible assets or the tangible assets owned by PVR to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is generally nonamortizable or amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure you that the determinations we make will not be successfully challenged by the IRS and that the deductions resulting from them will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different 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 units may be allocated more income than he 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 income his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending within or with his 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 his units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of his taxable year must include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be required to include in income for his taxable year his share of more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”
Initial Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization
The tax basis of our assets and PVR’s assets will be used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the difference between the fair market value of our assets and their tax basis immediately prior to an offering will be borne by the unitholders immediately prior to such offering. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”
To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation and cost recovery methods that will result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets subject to these allowances are placed in service. Property we subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using accelerated methods permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.
If we or PVR disposes of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature of the property, 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 or PVR owns will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of his interest in us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction” and “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
The costs incurred in selling our units, which is referred to as syndication expenses, must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. 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.
Coal Income
Section 631 of the Internal Revenue Code provides special rules by which gains or losses on the sale of coal may be treated, in whole or in part, as gains or losses from the sale of property used in a trade or
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business under Section 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code. Specifically, Section 631(c) provides that if the owner of coal held for more than one year disposes of that coal under a contract by virtue of which the owner retains an economic interest in the coal, the gain or loss realized will be treated under Section 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code as gain or loss from property used in a trade or business. Section 1231 gains and losses may be treated as capital gains and losses. Please read “—Sales of Coal Reserves or Timberland.” In computing such gain or loss, the amount realized is reduced by the adjusted depletion basis in the coal, determined as described in “—Coal Segment Depletion.” For purposes of Section 631(c), the coal generally is deemed to be disposed of on the day on which the coal is mined. Further, Treasury Regulations promulgated under Section 631 provide that advance royalty payments may also be treated as proceeds from sales of coal to which Section 631 applies and, therefore, such payment may be treated as capital gain under Section 1231. However, if the right to mine the related coal expires or terminates under the contract that provides for the payment of advance royalty payments or such right is abandoned before the coal has been mined, we may, pursuant to the Treasury Regulations, file an amended return that reflects the payments attributable to unmined coal as ordinary income and not as received from the sale of coal under Section 631.
Our royalties from coal leases generally will be treated as proceeds from sales of coal to which Section 631 applies. Accordingly, the difference between the royalties paid to us by the lessees and the adjusted depletion basis in the extracted coal generally will be treated as gain from the sale of property used in a trade or business, which may be treated as capital gain under Section 1231. Please read “—Sales of Coal Reserves or Timberland.” Our royalties that do not qualify under Section 631(c) generally will be taxable as ordinary income in the year of sale.
Coal Depletion
In general, we are entitled to depletion deductions with respect to coal mined from the underlying mineral property. We generally are entitled to the greater of cost depletion limited to the basis of the property or percentage depletion. The percentage depletion rate for coal is 10%. If Section 631(c) applies to the disposition of the coal, however, we are not eligible for percentage depletion. Please read “—Coal Segment Income.”
Depletion deductions we claim generally will reduce the tax basis of the underlying mineral property. Depletion deductions can, however, exceed the total tax basis of the mineral property. The excess of our percentage depletion deductions over the adjusted tax basis of the property at the end of the taxable year is subject to tax preference treatment in computing the alternative minimum tax. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Alternative Minimum Tax.” In addition, a corporate unitholder’s allocable share of the amount allowable as a percentage depletion deduction for any property will be reduced by 20% of the excess, if any, of that partner’s allocable share of the amount of the percentage depletion deductions for the taxable year over the adjusted tax basis of the mineral property as of the close of the taxable year.
Oil and Natural Gas Depletion
Subject to the limitations on deductibility of losses discussed above (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses”), unitholders may be entitled to depletion deductions with respect to PVR’s oil and natural gas royalty interests. The deduction is equal to the greater of cost depletion limited to the basis of the property or (if otherwise allowable) percentage depletion.
Percentage depletion is generally available with respect to unitholders who qualify under the independent producer exemption contained in Section 613A(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. For this purpose, an independent producer is a person not directly or indirectly involved in the retail sale of oil, natural gas or derivative products or the operation of a major refinery. Percentage depletion is calculated as an amount generally equal to 15% of the unitholder’s gross income from the oil and gas property for the taxable year. A unitholder may deduct percentage depletion only to the extent the unitholder’s average daily production of domestic crude oil, or the natural gas equivalent, does not exceed 1,000 barrels. A limitation equal to the lower of 65% of taxable income or 100% of taxable income from the property further limits the deduction for the taxable year.
All or a portion of any gain recognized by a unitholder as a result of either the disposition by PVR of some or all of its oil and natural gas interests or the disposition by the unitholder of some or all of his units may be taxed as ordinary income to the extent of recapture of oil and gas depletion.
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Although the Internal Revenue Code requires each unitholder to compute his own depletion allowance and maintain records of his share of the adjusted tax basis of the underlying property for depletion and other purposes, we intend to furnish each of our unitholders with information relating to this computation for federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder, however, remains responsible for calculating his own depletion allowance and maintaining records of his share of the adjusted tax basis of the underlying property for depletion and other purposes.
Timber Income
Section 631 of the Internal Revenue Code provides special rules by which gains or losses on the sale of timber may be treated, in whole or in part, as gains or losses from the sale of property used in a trade or business under Section 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code. Specifically, Section 631(b) provides that if the owner of timber (including a holder of a contract right to cut timber) held for more than one year disposes of that timber under any contract by virtue of which the owner retains an economic interest in the timber, the gain or loss realized will be treated under Section 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code as gain or loss from property used in a trade or business. Section 1231 gains and losses may be treated as capital gains and losses. Please read “—Sales of Coal Reserves or Timberland.” In computing such gain or loss, the amount realized is reduced by the adjusted basis in the timber, determined as described in “—Timber Depletion.” For purposes of Section 631(b), the timber generally is deemed to be disposed of on the day on which the timber is cut (which is generally deemed to be the date when, in the ordinary course of business, the quantity of the timber cut is first definitely determined).
Proceeds we receive from standing timber sales generally will be treated as sales of timber to which Section 631 applies. Accordingly, the difference between those proceeds and the adjusted basis in the timber sold generally will be treated as gain from the sale of property used in a trade or business, which may be treated as capital gain under Section 1231. Please read “—Sales of Coal Reserves and Timberland.” Gains from sale of timber by the Partnership that do not qualify under Section 631 generally will be taxable as ordinary income in the year of sale.
Timber Depletion
Timber is subject to cost depletion and is not subject to accelerated cost recovery, depreciation or percentage depletion. Timber depletion is determined with respect to each separate timber account (containing timber located in a timber “block”) and is equal to the product obtained by multiplying the units of timber cut by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate adjusted basis of all timber included in such account and the denominator of which is the total number of timber units in such timber account. The depletion allowance so calculated represents the adjusted tax basis of such timber for purposes of determining gain or loss on disposition. The tax basis of timber in each timber account is reduced by the depletion allowance for such account.
Sales of Coal Reserves or Timberland
If any coal reserves or timberland are sold or otherwise disposed of in a taxable transaction, we will recognize gain or loss measured by the difference between the amount realized (including the amount of any indebtedness assumed by the purchaser upon such disposition or to which such property is subject) and the adjusted tax basis of the property sold. Generally, the character of any gain or loss recognized upon that disposition will depend upon whether our coal reserves or the particular tract of timberland sold are held by us:
| • | for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business (i.e., we are a “dealer” with respect to that property); |
| • | for use in a trade or business within the meaning of Section 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code; or |
| • | as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code. |
In determining dealer status with respect to coal reserves, timberland and other types of real estate, the courts have identified a number of factors for distinguishing between a particular property held for sale in the ordinary course of business and one held for investment. Any determination must be based on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular property and sale in question.
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We intend to hold our coal reserves and timberland for the purposes of generating cash flow from coal royalties and periodic harvesting and sale of timber and achieving long-term capital appreciation. Although our general partner may consider strategic sales of coal reserves and timberland consistent with achieving long-term capital appreciation, our general partner does not anticipate frequent sales, nor significant marketing, improvement or subdivision activity in connection with any strategic sales. Thus, the general partner does not believe we will be viewed as a dealer. In light of the factual nature of this question, however, there is no assurance that our purposes for holding our properties will not change and that our future activities will not cause us to be a “dealer” in coal reserves or timberland.
If we are not a dealer with respect to our coal reserves or our timberland and we have held the disposed property for more than a one year period primarily for use in our trade or business, the character of any gain or loss realized from a disposition of the property will be determined under Section 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code. If we have not held the property for more than one year at the time of the sale, gain or loss from the sale will be taxable as ordinary income.
A unitholder’s distributive share of any Section 1231 gain or loss generated by us will be aggregated with any other gains and losses realized by that unitholder from the disposition of property used in the trade or business, as defined in Section 1231(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, and from the involuntary conversion of such properties and of capital assets held in connection with a trade or business or a transaction entered into for profit for the requisite holding period. If a net gain results, all such gains and losses will be long-term capital gains and losses; if a net loss results, all such gains and losses will be ordinary income and losses. Net Section 1231 gains will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of prior net Section 1231 losses of the taxpayer or predecessor taxpayer for the five most recent prior taxable years to the extent such losses have not previously been offset against Section 1231 gains. Losses are deemed recaptured in the chronological order in which they arose.
If we are not a dealer with respect to our coal reserves or a particular tract of timberland, and that property is not used in a trade or business, the property will be a “capital asset” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code. Gain or loss recognized from the disposition of that property will be taxable as capital gain or loss, and the character of such capital gain or loss as long-term or short-term will be based upon our holding period in such property at the time of its sale. The requisite holding period for long-term capital gain is more than one year.
Upon a disposition of coal reserves or timberland, a portion of the gain, if any, equal to the lesser of (i) the depletion deductions that reduced the tax basis of the disposed mineral property plus deductible development and mining exploration expenses or (ii) the amount of gain recognized on the disposition, will be treated as ordinary income to us.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties
The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values, and the initial tax bases, of our assets and PVR’s 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 basis are subject to challenge 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 deductions previously reported by unitholders might change, and unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.
Disposition of Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss
Gain or loss will be recognized on a sale of units equal to the difference between the amount realized and the unitholder’s tax basis for the units sold. A unitholder’s amount realized will be measured by the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property received by him plus his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.
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Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable income for a unit that decreased a unitholder’s tax basis in that unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the unit is sold at a price greater than the unitholder’s tax basis in that unit, even if the price received is less than his original cost.
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder, other than a “dealer” in units, on the sale or exchange of a unit held for more than one year will generally be taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an individual on the sale of units held more than 12 months will generally be taxed at a maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 15% through December 31, 2010 and 20% thereafter (absent new legislation extending or adjusting the current rate). However, a portion (which will likely be substantial) of this gain or loss will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent attributable to assets giving rise to depreciation recapture or other “unrealized receivables” or to “inventory items” we own or PVR owns. The term “unrealized receivables” includes potential recapture items, including depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized upon the sale of a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units. Net capital losses may offset capital gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income, in the case of individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gains in the case of corporations.
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 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 his 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 Internal Revenue Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed above, a unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, may designate specific units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of units. A unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a sale of units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult his tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.
Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an “appreciated” partnership interest, one in 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. |
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 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 and losses 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, which
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we refer to in this prospectus as the “Allocation Date.” However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business will be allocated among the unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss 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 Internal Revenue 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. Existing publicly traded partnerships are entitled to rely on these proposed Treasury Regulations; however, they are not binding on the IRS and are subject to change until final Treasury Regulations are issued. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferor and transferee unitholders, although we believe the method is reasonable and have been advised by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. that the decision to use this method is a reasonable interpretation of the Treasury Regulations. 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 transferor and transferee unitholders, as well as unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under future Treasury Regulations.
A unitholder who owns units at any time during a quarter and who disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to that quarter but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.
Notification Requirements
A unitholder who sells any of his units is generally required to notify us in writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the sale). A purchaser of units who purchases units from another unitholder is also generally required to notify us in writing of that purchase within 30 days after the purchase. 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 purchase 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 or exchange through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.
Constructive Termination
We will be considered to have been terminated for tax purposes if there are sales or exchanges which, in the aggregate, constitute 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 has been reached, multiple sales of the same interest 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 a fiscal year ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. A constructive termination could result in an increase in the amount of taxable income to be allocated to our unitholders if our termination results in a termination of PVR. Although the amount of increase cannot be estimated because it depends upon numerous factors including the time of the termination, the amount could be material. A constructive termination occurring on a date other than December 31 will result in us filing two tax returns (and may result in unitholders receiving two Schedules K-1) for one fiscal year and the cost of the preparation of these returns will generally be borne by all unitholders. We would be required to make new tax elections after a termination, including a new election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code, and a 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 might either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination. A termination currently would not affect our classification as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, but instead, we would be treated as a new partnership for tax purposes.
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Uniformity of Units
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and regulatory. A lack of uniformity can result from a literal application of Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6) and Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3). Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the units. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”
We intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, or treat that portion as nonamortizable, to the extent attributable to property the common basis of which is not amortizable, consistent with the regulations under Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code, even though that position may be inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets, and Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3). Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership— Section 754 Election.” To the extent that the Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken, we may adopt a depreciation and amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would receive depreciation and amortization deductions, whether attributable to a common basis or Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same applicable methods and lives as if they had purchased a direct interest in our property. If this position is adopted, it may result in lower annual depreciation and amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to some unitholders and risk the loss of depreciation and amortization deductions not taken in the year that these deductions are otherwise allowable. This position will not be adopted if we determine that the loss of depreciation and amortization deductions will have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. If we choose not to utilize this aggregate method, we may use any other reasonable depreciation and amortization method to preserve the uniformity of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any units that would not have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. The IRS may challenge any method of depreciating the Section 743(b) adjustment described in this paragraph. If this challenge were sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors with Special Circumstances
Ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt organizations, non-resident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign persons raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them. If you are a tax-exempt entity or a non-U.S. person, you should consult your tax advisor before investing in our units.
Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income less certain allowable deductions allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.
Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, trusts or estates that own units will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of the ownership of units. As a consequence, 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. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, distributions to non-U.S. unitholders will be subject to withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each foreign unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require us to change these procedures.
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In addition, because a foreign corporation that owns units will be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the United States branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax, on its share of our after-tax earnings, as adjusted for changes in the foreign corporation’s “U.S. net equity,” which are effectively connected with the conduct of a United States trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a “qualified resident.” In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue Code.
A foreign unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the foreign unitholder. Under a ruling published by the IRS, interpreting the scope of “effectively connected income,” a foreign unitholder would be considered to be engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. by virtue of the U.S. activities of the partnership, and part or all of that unitholder’s gain would be effectively connected with that unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business. Moreover, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, a foreign unitholder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon the sale or disposition of a unit if (i) he owned (directly or constructively applying certain attribution rules) more than 5% of our 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 all of our assets consisted of U.S. real property interests at any time during the shorter of the period during which such unitholder held the 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, foreign unitholders may be subject to federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of their units.
Administrative Matters
Information Returns and Audit Procedures
We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each calendar year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes his 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 you that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS. Neither we nor Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court that those positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS could negatively affect the value of the 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 his return. Any audit of a unitholder’s return could result in adjustments not related to our returns as well as those related to our returns.
Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners. The Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes. The partnership agreement names our general partner as our Tax Matters 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 will go forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate.
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A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on his 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:
| • | the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee; |
| • | whether the beneficial owner is: |
| • | a person that is not a United States person; |
| • | a foreign government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or |
| • | a tax-exempt entity; |
| • | the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and |
| • | 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 United States persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $50 per failure, up to a maximum of $100,000 per calendar year, is imposed by the Internal Revenue 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.
Accuracy-Related Penalties
An additional tax equal to 20% of the amount of any portion 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, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding that portion.
For individuals, a substantial understatement of income tax in any taxable year exists if the amount of the understatement exceeds the greater of 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year or $5,000. The amount of any understatement subject to penalty generally is reduced if any portion is attributable to a position adopted on the return:
| • | for which there is, or was, “substantial authority;” or |
| • | as to which there is a reasonable basis and the pertinent facts of that position are disclosed on the return. |
If any item of income, gain, loss or deduction included in the distributive shares of unitholders for a given year might result in an “understatement” of income for which no “substantial authority” exists, we will disclose the pertinent facts on our return. In addition, we will make a reasonable effort to furnish sufficient information for unitholders to make adequate disclosure on their returns and to take other actions as may be appropriate to permit unitholders to avoid liability for this penalty. More stringent rules apply to “tax shelters,” which we do not believe includes us or any of our investments, plans or arrangements.
A substantial valuation misstatement exists if (i) the value of any property, or the tax basis of any property, claimed on a tax return is 150% or more of the amount determined to be the correct amount of the valuation or tax basis, (ii) the price for any property or services (or for the use of property) claimed on any such return with respect to any transaction between persons described in Internal Revenue Code Section 482 is 200% or more (or 50% or less) of the amount determined under Section 482 to be the correct amount of such price or (iii) the net Internal Revenue Code Section 482 transfer price adjustment for the taxable year exceeds the lesser of $5 million or 10% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts. No penalty is imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 for a
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corporation other than an S Corporation or a personal holding company). The penalty is increased to 40% in the event of a gross valuation misstatement.
Reportable Transactions
If we were to engage in a “reportable transaction,” we (and possibly you and others) would be required to make a detailed disclosure of the transaction to the IRS. A transaction may be a reportable transaction based upon any of several factors, including the fact that it is a type of tax avoidance transaction publicly identified by the IRS as a “listed transaction” or that it produces certain kinds of losses for partnerships, individuals, S corporations, and trusts in excess of $2 million in any single year, or $4 million in any combination of 6 successive tax years. Our participation in a reportable transaction could increase the likelihood that our federal income tax information return (and possibly your tax return) would be audited by the IRS. Please read “—Information Returns and Audit Procedures.”
Moreover, if we were to participate in a reportable transaction with a significant purpose to avoid or evade tax, or in any listed transaction, you may be subject to the following provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004:
| • | accuracy-related penalties with a broader scope, significantly narrower exceptions, and potentially greater amounts than described above at “—Accuracy-Related Penalties;” |
| • | for those persons otherwise entitled to deduct interest on federal tax deficiencies, nondeductibility of interest on any resulting tax liability; and |
| • | in the case of a listed transaction, an extended statute of limitations. |
We do not expect to engage in any “reportable transactions.”
State, Local, Foreign and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income taxes, you likely will be subject to other taxes, such as state, local and foreign income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we or PVR do business or own property or in which you are a resident. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on his investment in us. We or PVR currently own property or may be deemed to do business in the following states: Kentucky, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. Each of those states, except Texas, currently impose a personal income tax. Each of those states, except Texas, currently impose a personal income tax. We or PVR may also own property or do business in other jurisdictions in the future. Although you may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in some jurisdictions because your income from that jurisdiction falls below the filing and payment requirement, you will be required to file income tax returns and to pay income taxes in many other jurisdictions in which we may do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. In some jurisdictions, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable years. Some jurisdictions 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 jurisdiction. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder’s income tax liability to the jurisdiction, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld will be treated as if distributed to unitholders for purposes of determining the amounts distributed by us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Entity Level Collections.” Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, our general partner anticipates that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.
It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of his investment in us. Accordingly, each prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend upon, his tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. Further, it is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all state, local and foreign, as well as United States federal tax returns, that may be required of him. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion on the state, local or foreign tax consequences of an investment in us.
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SELLING UNITHOLDERS
The table below sets forth certain information regarding the selling unitholders’ beneficial ownership of our common units as of January 1, 2010. The information presented below is based solely on our review of the Schedule 13D Statement of Beneficial Ownership filed by such persons with the Securities and Exchange Commission or information otherwise provided by the selling unitholders. Each selling unitholder has advised us that it is not a registered broker-dealer or an affiliate of a registered broker-dealer.
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| Number of Common Units Beneficially Owned Before the Offering |
Percentage of Common Units Beneficially Owned(1) |
Number of Common Units That May Be Sold |
Number of Common Units Beneficially Owned after Offering(2) |
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| Penn Virginia Resource GP Corp.(3) | 1,279,925 | 3.3 | % | 1,279,925 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Penn Virginia Resource LP Corp.(3) | 18,797,504 | 48.1 | 18,797,504 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| (1) | Based on 39,074,500 common units issued and outstanding on January 1, 2010. There are approximately 8,500 holders of our common units as of January 1, 2010. |
| (2) | Because the selling unitholders may sell all, a portion or none of the common units registered hereby, we cannot estimate the number or percentage of common units that the selling unitholder will hold upon completion of an offering. Accordingly, the information presented in this table assumes that the selling unitholder will sell all of its common units registered pursuant hereto. |
| (3) | Penn Virginia is the ultimate parent company of Penn Virginia Resource GP Corp. and Penn Virginia Resource LP Corp. As such, Penn Virginia may be deemed to beneficially own the common units held by Penn Virginia Resource GP Corp. and Penn Virginia Resource LP Corp., which together own 51% of our common units. Penn Virginia has the sole voting power and sole investment power over the common units owned by each of the selling unitholders. The address for each of Penn Virginia Resource GP Corp. and Penn Virginia Resource LP Corp. is c/o Penn Virginia Corporation, Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 300, 100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087. |
The selling unitholders, Penn Virginia and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents who participate in the distribution of the common units may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. To the extent any of the selling unitholders are broker-dealers, they are, according to SEC interpretation, “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. Underwriters are subject to the prospectus delivery requirements under the Securities Act. If a selling unitholder is deemed to be an underwriter, that selling unitholder may be subject to certain statutory liabilities under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Selling unitholders under this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus, or their partners, pledgees, donees (including charitable organizations), transferees or other successors in interest, may from time to time offer their common units for sale either directly or through underwriters, dealers or agents or on any exchange on which the units may from time to time be traded, in the over-the-counter market, in independently negotiated transactions or otherwise. The methods by which the common units may be sold include:
| • | a block trade (which may involve crosses) in which the broker or dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the securities as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| • | purchases by a broker or dealer as principal and resale by such broker or dealer for its own account pursuant to this prospectus; |
| • | exchange distributions and/or secondary distributions; |
| • | sales in the over-the-counter market; |
| • | underwritten transactions; |
| • | short sales; |
| • | broker-dealers may agree with the selling unitholders to sell a specified number of such common units at a stipulated price per unit; |
| • | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker solicits purchasers; |
| • | privately negotiated transactions; |
| • | a combination of any such methods of sale; and |
| • | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
Such transactions may be effected by the selling unitholders at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at negotiated prices. The selling unitholders may effect such transactions by selling the common units to underwriters or to or through broker-dealers, and such underwriters or broker-dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts or commissions from the selling unitholders and may receive commissions from the purchasers of the common units for whom they may act as agent. The selling unitholders may agree to indemnify any underwriter, broker-dealer or agent that participates in transactions involving sales of the units against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act. We have agreed to register the units for sale under the Securities Act and to indemnify the selling unitholders and each person who participates as an underwriter in the offering of the units against certain civil liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.
In connection with sales of the common units under this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus, the selling unitholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers, who may in turn engage in short sales of the common units in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling unitholders also may sell common units short and deliver them to close out the short positions, or loan or pledge the common units to broker-dealers that in turn may sell them.
The selling unitholders, Penn Virginia and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents who participate in the distribution of the common units may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. To the extent any of the selling unitholders are broker-dealers, they are, according to SEC interpretation, “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. Underwriters are subject to the prospectus delivery requirements under the Securities Act. If the selling unitholders are deemed to be underwriters, the selling unitholders may be subject to certain statutory liabilities under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
The maximum compensation to be paid to any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority member or independent broker dealer will not be greater than 8% for the sale of any securities being registered hereby.
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There can be no assurances that the selling unitholders will sell any or all of the common units offered under this prospectus.
LEGAL MATTERS
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., New York, New York, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered in this registration statement. Any underwriter will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by its own legal counsel.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and for each of the years in the three year period ended December 31, 2008, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus, including any documents incorporated herein by reference, constitutes a part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act. This prospectus does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. You should refer to the registration statement and its related exhibits and schedules, and the documents incorporated herein by reference, for further information about our company and the securities offered in this prospectus. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning the provisions of any document are not necessarily complete and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of that document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC, and each such statement is qualified by this reference. The registration statement and its exhibits and schedules, and the documents incorporated herein by reference, are on file at the offices of the SEC and may be inspected without charge.
We file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtain information about the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website that contains information we file electronically with the SEC, which you can access over the Internet at www.sec.gov.
Our home page is located at www.pvgpholdings.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the SEC are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports or filings are electronically filed or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
We are incorporating by reference in this prospectus information we file with the SEC, which means that we are disclosing important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information we incorporate by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the SEC automatically will update and supersede this information. The following documents, which have previously been filed by us with the SEC under the Exchange Act, are incorporated herein by reference:
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008; |
| • | our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended September 30, 2009, June 30, 2009 and March 31, 2009; |
| • | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on September 14, 2009, August 11, 2009, July 24, 2009, March 31, 2009 and February 24, 2009; and |
| • | the description of our common units contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed on November 27, 2006, and including any other amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
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An audited balance sheet of our general partner, PVG GP, is not presented in this prospectus because (a) PVG GP has a non-economic interest in PVG and (b) PVG GP has nominal net assets and thus is not expected nor has any commitment to fund cash flow deficits or furnish other direct or indirect financial assistance to PVG.
All documents filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 on any current report on Form 8-K) after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement and after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of this offering shall be deemed to be incorporated in this prospectus by reference and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained herein, or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
This prospectus incorporates documents by reference that are not delivered herewith. You may request a copy of these filings, which we will provide to you at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address and telephone number:
Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P.
Three Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 300
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
Attention: General Counsel
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the estimated expenses in connection with the distribution of the securities covered by this registration statement. We will bear all of these expenses.
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| Registration fee under the Securities Act | $ | 24,358 | ||
| Printing and engraving expenses* | 5,000 | |||
| Legal fees and expenses* | 30,000 | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses* | 25,000 | |||
| Miscellaneous* | 10,000 | |||
| Total | $ | 94,358 | ||
| * | Estimated solely for the purpose of this Item. Actual expenses may be more or less. |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
As provided in our partnership agreement, which is incorporated herein by this reference, we will generally indemnify our general partner, officers, directors and affiliates of our general partner to the fullest extent permitted by the law against all losses, claims, damages or similar events. Subject to any terms, conditions or restrictions set forth in our partnership agreement, Section 17-108 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act empowers a Delaware limited partnership to indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other persons from and against all claims and demands whatsoever.
Item 16. Exhibits.
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| Exhibit Number | Description | |
| 1.1** | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 3.1 | Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 26, 2007). | |
| 3.2 | Amendment No.1 to Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 24, 2009). | |
| 4.1 | Form of our Common Unit Certificate (included as Exhibit A to the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P.). | |
| 5.1* | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. regarding the legality of the common units. | |
| 8.1 | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. regarding tax matters (previously filed with this registration statement on January 8, 2010). | |
| 23.1* | Consent of KPMG LLP. | |
| 23.2* | Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 23.3 | Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 8.1) (previously filed with this registration statement on January 8, 2010). | |
| 24.1 | Powers of Attorney (contained on signature pages) (previously filed with this registration statement on January 8, 2010). |
| * | Filed herewith. |
| ** | To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K of the registrant. |
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Item 17. Undertakings
| A. | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (a) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; |
| (b) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of the prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; |
| (c) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to the information in this registration statement; |
provided, however, that paragraphs A(1)(a), A(1)(b) and A(1)(c) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each of the post-effective amendments shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| (4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser: |
| (a) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
| (b) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. |
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| B. | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of its annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| C. | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 15 above, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC that indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against any liability (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by a director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of the issue. |
| D. | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus or any prospectus supplement filed as part of this registration statement in reliance on Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus or prospectus supplement filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
| (2) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Radnor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 4th day of February, 2010.
PENN VIRGINIA GP HOLDINGS, L.P.
| By: | PVG GP, LLC, its general partner |
| By: | /s/ A. James Dearlove |
| Name: | A. James Dearlove |
| Title: | Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and the dates indicated.
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| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ A. James DearloveA. James Dearlove |
Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | February 4, 2010 | ||
| *Robert Garrett |
Director | February 4, 2010 | ||
| *Robert J. Hall |
Director | February 4, 2010 | ||
| /s/ Frank A. PiciFrank A. Pici |
Director and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | February 4, 2010 | ||
| *Forrest W. McNair |
Vice President and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) | February 4, 2010 | ||
| /s/ Nancy M. SnyderNancy M. Snyder |
Director and Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel | February 4, 2010 | ||
| *John C. van Roden, Jr. |
Director | February 4, 2010 | ||
| *Jonathan B. Weller |
Director | February 4, 2010 | ||
*By: /s/ A. James Dearlove |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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| Exhibit Number | Description | |
| 1.1** | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 3.1 | Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 26, 2007). | |
| 3.2 | Amendment No.1 to Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 24, 2009). | |
| 4.1 | Form of our Common Unit Certificate (included as Exhibit A to the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P.). | |
| 5.1* | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. regarding the legality of the common units. | |
| 8.1 | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. regarding tax matters (previously filed with this registration statement on January 8, 2010). | |
| 23.1* | Consent of KPMG LLP. | |
| 23.2* | Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 23.3 | Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 8.1) (previously filed with this registration statement on January 8, 2010). | |
| 24.1 | Powers of Attorney (contained on signature pages) (previously filed with this registration statement on January 8, 2010). |
| * | Filed herewith. |
| ** | To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K of the registrant. |
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