UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
     
Form 10-Q
     
xQUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 For the quarterly period ended March 31,
September 30, 2019
or
¨TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 For the Transition Period from                    to                    
Commission File No. 001-36567
     
Westlake Chemical Partners LP
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
     


Delaware 32-0436529
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
2801 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 600
Houston, Texas77056
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(713) (713) 585-2900
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common units representing limited partnership interestsWLKPThe New York Stock Exchange
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     YesxNo¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).     YesxNo¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer", "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):
Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer x
Non-accelerated filer 
¨
 Smaller reporting company ¨
    Emerging growth company ¨
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)     Yes¨Nox

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common units representing limited partnership interestsWLKPThe New York Stock Exchange

The registrant had 35,188,189 common units outstanding as of April 25,October 30, 2019.




INDEX


  
ItemPage
 
  
 
2) Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
5) Other Information







PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
 March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
 September 30,
2019
 December 31,
2018
        
 (in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts) (in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts)
ASSETS        
Current assets        
Cash and cash equivalents $84,615
 $19,744
 $18,647
 $19,744
Receivable under the Investment Management Agreement—Westlake Chemical
Corporation ("Westlake")
 276,501
 148,956
 164,888
 148,956
Accounts receivable, net—Westlake 47,626
 57,280
 35,001
 57,280
Accounts receivable, net—third parties 15,495
 16,404
 14,543
 16,404
Inventories 4,171
 4,388
 3,698
 4,388
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 251
 370
 559
 370
Total current assets 428,659
 247,142
 237,336
 247,142
Property, plant and equipment, net 1,138,434
 1,148,265
 1,113,010
 1,148,265
Goodwill 5,814
 5,814
 5,814
 5,814
Deferred charges and other assets, net 58,366
 60,904
 50,896
 60,904
Total assets $1,631,273
 $1,462,125
 $1,407,056
 $1,462,125
LIABILITIES        
Current liabilities        
Accounts payable—Westlake $19,344
 $27,477
 $13,330
 $27,477
Accounts payable—third parties 7,481
 5,045
 4,644
 5,045
Accrued and other liabilities 20,433
 16,250
 22,964
 16,250
Total current liabilities 47,258
 48,772
 40,938
 48,772
Long-term debt payable to Westlake 601,119
 477,608
 399,674
 477,608
Deferred income taxes 1,677
 1,664
 1,631
 1,664
Operating lease liabilities 1,272
 
 2,082
 
Total liabilities 651,326
 528,044
 444,325
 528,044
Commitments and contingencies (Note 12) 

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 13) 


 


EQUITY        
Common unitholders—publicly and privately held (21,065,959 and 18,125,141 units issued and outstanding at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively) 473,119
 409,608
Common unitholder—Westlake (14,122,230 and 14,122,230 units issued and outstanding at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively) 49,195
 48,774
Common unitholders—publicly and privately held (21,065,959 and 18,125,141 units issued
and outstanding at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively)
 470,977
 409,608
Common unitholder—Westlake (14,122,230 and 14,122,230 units issued and outstanding at
September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively)
 47,940
 48,774
General partner—Westlake (242,572) (242,572) (242,572) (242,572)
Total Westlake Chemical Partners LP partners' capital 279,742
 215,810
 276,345
 215,810
Noncontrolling interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo LP ("OpCo") 700,205
 718,271
 686,386
 718,271
Total equity 979,947
 934,081
 962,731
 934,081
Total liabilities and equity $1,631,273
 $1,462,125
 $1,407,056
 $1,462,125
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

1






WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
 Three Months Ended March 31, Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019
2018 2019
2018 2019 2018
            
 (in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data) (in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)
Revenue            
Net sales—Westlake $257,040
 $235,031
 $216,678
 $313,381
 $703,765
 $802,085
Net co-product, ethylene and other sales—third parties 42,046
 49,241
 33,247
 50,269
 115,308
 147,812
Total net sales 299,086
 284,272
 249,925
 363,650
 819,073
 949,897
Cost of sales 208,432
 191,767
 156,706
 269,743
 543,242
 666,367
Gross profit 90,654
 92,505
 93,219
 93,907
 275,831
 283,530
Selling, general and administrative expenses 6,973
 7,133
 6,822
 5,909
 21,434
 20,417
Income from operations 83,681
 85,372
 86,397
 87,998
 254,397
 263,113
Other income (expense)            
Interest expense—Westlake (5,900) (4,866) (4,411) (5,639) (15,436) (16,052)
Other income, net 815
 491
 565
 668
 2,533
 1,742
Income before income taxes 78,596
 80,997
 82,551
 83,027
 241,494
 248,803
Income tax provision 200
 283
Income tax provision (benefit) 72
 (772) 509
 (186)
Net income 78,396
 80,714
 82,479
 83,799
 240,985
 248,989
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest in OpCo 63,441
 68,419
 67,557
 71,387
 197,375
 211,525
Net income attributable to Westlake Chemical Partners LP $14,955
 $12,295
 $14,922
 $12,412
 $43,610
 $37,464
Net income per limited partner unit attributable to Westlake Chemical Partners LP (basic
and diluted)
            
Common units $0.46
 $0.36
 $0.42
 $0.38
 $1.27
 $1.14
Weighted average limited partner units outstanding (basic and diluted)            
Common units—publicly and privately held 18,223,168
 18,115,036
 21,065,959
 18,119,980
 20,128,775
 18,116,433
Common units—Westlake 14,122,230
 14,122,230
 14,122,230
 14,122,230
 14,122,230
 14,122,230
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

2






WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
(Unaudited)
  Partnership    
  
Common Unitholders
Public and Privately Held
 
Common Unitholder
Westlake
 
General
Partner
Westlake
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive 
Income (Loss)
 
Noncontrolling
Interests
in OpCo
 Total
             
 (in thousands of dollars)
Balances at December 31, 2017 $411,228
 $50,265
 $(241,958) $279
 $778,935
 $998,749
Net income 6,498
 5,064
 733
 
 68,419
 80,714
Net effect of cash flow hedge 
 
 
 19
 
 19
Units issued for vested phantom units 60
 
 
 
 
 60
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (7,000) (5,457) (614) 
 
 (13,071)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (91,148) (91,148)
Balances at March 31, 2018 $410,786
 $49,872
 $(241,839) $298
 $756,206
 $975,323
             
Balances at December 31, 2018 $409,608
 $48,774
 $(242,572) $
 $718,271
 $934,081
Net income 8,422
 6,533
 
 
 63,441
 78,396
Proceeds from private placement of common units 62,934
 
 
 
 
 62,934
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (7,845) (6,112) 
 
 
 (13,957)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (81,507) (81,507)
Balances at March 31, 2019 $473,119
 $49,195
 $(242,572) $
 $700,205
 $979,947
  Partnership    
  
Common Unitholders
Public and Privately Held
 
Common Unitholder
Westlake
 
General
Partner
Westlake
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive 
Income (Loss)
 
Noncontrolling
Interests
in OpCo
 Total
             
 (in thousands of dollars)
Balance at December 31, 2018 $409,608
 $48,774
 $(242,572) $
 $718,271
 $934,081
             
Net income 8,422
 6,533
 
 
 63,441
 78,396
Net proceeds from private placement of common units 62,934
 
 
 
 
 62,934
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (7,845) (6,112) 
 
 
 (13,957)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (81,507) (81,507)
Balance at March 31, 2019 473,119
 49,195
 (242,572) 
 700,205
 979,947
             
Net income 8,222
 5,511
 
 
 66,377
 80,110
Offering costs related to private placement of common units (18) 
 
 
 
 (18)
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (9,379) (6,287) 
 
 
 (15,666)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (72,259) (72,259)
Balance at June 30, 2019 471,944
 48,419
 (242,572) 
 694,323
 972,114
             
Net income 8,934
 5,988
 
 
 67,557
 82,479
Offering costs related to private placement of common units (255) 
 
 
 
 (255)
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (9,646) (6,467) 
 
 
 (16,113)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (75,494) (75,494)
Balance at September 30, 2019 $470,977
 $47,940
 $(242,572)
$
 $686,386
 $962,731




3




WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
(Unaudited)
  Partnership    
  
Common Unitholders—
Public and Privately Held
 
Common Unitholder—
Westlake
 
General
Partner—
Westlake
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive 
Income (Loss)
 
Noncontrolling
Interests
in OpCo
 Total
             
 (in thousands of dollars)
Balance at December 31, 2017 $411,228
 $50,265
 $(241,958) $279
 $778,935
 $998,749
             
Net income 6,498
 5,064
 733
 
 68,419
 80,714
Net effect of cash flow hedge 
 
 
 19
 
 19
Units issued for vested phantom units 60
 
 
 
 
 60
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (7,000) (5,457) (614) 
 
 (13,071)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (91,148) (91,148)
Balance at March 31, 2018 410,786
 49,872
 (241,839) 298
 756,206
 975,323
             
Net income 7,168
 5,589
 
 
 71,719
 84,476
Net effect of cash flow hedge 
 
 
 (176) 
 (176)
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (7,200) (5,613) (733) 
 
 (13,546)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (81,610) (81,610)
Balance at June 30, 2018 410,754
 49,848
 (242,572) 122
 746,315
 964,467
             
Net income 6,975
 5,437
 
 
 71,387
 83,799
Net effect of cash flow hedge 
 
 
 (122) 
 (122)
Units issued for vested phantom units 232
 
 
 
 
 232
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (7,406) (5,774) (1) 
 
 (13,181)
Quarterly distribution to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake 
 
 
 
 (86,066) (86,066)
Balance at September 30, 2018 $410,555
 $49,511
 $(242,573) $
 $731,636
 $949,129

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

4






WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
 Three Months Ended March 31, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018
        
 (in thousands of dollars) (in thousands of dollars)
Cash flows from operating activities        
Net income $78,396
 $80,714
 $240,985
 $248,989
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities        
Depreciation and amortization 26,844
 27,698
 80,382
 82,176
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts (786) 498
Loss from disposition of property, plant and equipment 458
 567
 458
 593
Other losses (gains), net (180) 357
 (33) (594)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities        
Accounts receivable—third parties 1,102
 (1,239) 2,647
 (4,959)
Net accounts receivable—Westlake 1,479
 737
 8,217
 5,088
Inventories (587) 419
 (88) 586
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 119
 153
 (189) (177)
Accounts payable 2,497
 (2,835) (662) (4,267)
Accrued and other liabilities 3,472
 (487) 4,869
 2,279
Other, net (101) 138
 (646) (208)
Net cash provided by operating activities 113,499
 106,222
 335,154
 330,004
Cash flows from investing activities        
Additions to property, plant and equipment (12,144) (9,679) (30,028) (30,047)
Maturities of investments with Westlake under the Investment Management Agreement 80,000
 112,000
 405,445
 270,050
Investments with Westlake under the Investment Management Agreement (207,512) (110,000) (421,445) (285,000)
Other 46
 
 46
 
Net cash used for investing activities (139,610) (7,679) (45,982) (44,997)
Cash flows from financing activities        
Proceeds from private placement of common units 62,934
 
Net proceeds from private placement of common units 62,661
 
Proceeds from debt payable to Westlake 123,512
 3,648
 123,511
 3,648
Repayment of debt payable to Westlake (201,445) 
Quarterly distributions to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake (81,507) (91,148) (229,260) (258,824)
Quarterly distributions to unitholders (13,957) (13,071) (45,736) (39,798)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities 90,982
 (100,571)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 64,871
 (2,028)
Net cash used for financing activities (290,269) (294,974)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (1,097) (9,967)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 19,744
 27,008
 19,744
 27,008
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $84,615
 $24,980
 $18,647
 $17,041
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


45

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)




1.Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
Description of Business
Westlake Chemical Partners LP (the "Partnership") is a Delaware limited partnership formed in March 2014 to operate, acquire and develop ethylene production facilities and related assets. On August 4, 2014, the Partnership completed its initial public offering (the "IPO") of 12,937,500 common units representing limited partner interests. On September 29, 2017, the Partnership completed a secondary offering of 5,175,000 common units at a price of $22.00 per unit. On March 29, 2019, the Partnership completed the issuance and sale of 2,940,818 common units at a price of $21.40 per unit through a private placement. ProceedsNet proceeds to Westlake Partners from the sale of the units were approximately $62,934.$62,661.
In connection with the IPO, the Partnership acquired a 10.6% interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo LP ("OpCo") and a 100% interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo GP LLC ("OpCo GP"), which is the general partner of OpCo. On April 29, 2015, the Partnership purchased an additional 2.7% newly-issued limited partner interest in OpCo for approximately $135,341, resulting in an aggregate 13.3% limited partner interest in OpCo, effective April 1, 2015. On September 29, 2017, the Partnership purchased an additional 5.0% newly-issued limited partner interest in OpCo for approximately $229,207, resulting in an aggregate 18.3% limited partner interest in OpCo, effective as of July 1, 2017. On March 29, 2019, the Partnership purchased an additional 4.5% newly-issued limited partner interest in OpCo for approximately $201,445, resulting in an aggregate 22.8% limited partner interest in OpCo, effective January 1, 2019. The remaining 77.2% limited partner interest in OpCo is owned by Westlake Chemical Corporation.
OpCo owns three3 ethylene production facilities and a common carrier ethylene pipeline.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements were prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for interim periods. Accordingly, certain information and footnotes required for complete financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") have not been included. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of the Partnership included in the annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 (the "2018 Form 10-K"), filed with the SEC on March 1, 2019. These financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the accounting principles and practices as disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements of the Partnership for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 with the exceptions of those accounting standards adopted in 2019 as discussed in Note 1.
References to "Westlake" refer collectively to Westlake Chemical Corporation and its subsidiaries, other than the Partnership, OpCo and OpCo GP.
The Partnership holds a 22.8% limited partner interest and the entire non-economic general partner interest in OpCo. The remaining 77.2% limited partner interest in OpCo is owned by Westlake, which has no rights to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of OpCo. As a result of the fact that substantially all of OpCo's activities are conducted on behalf of Westlake, and the fact that OpCo exhibits disproportionality of voting rights to economic interest, OpCo was deemed to be a variable interest entity. The Partnership, through its ownership of OpCo's general partner, has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of OpCo, and it also has the obligation or right to absorb losses or receive benefits from OpCo that could potentially be significant to OpCo. As such, the Partnership was determined to be OpCo's primary beneficiary and therefore consolidates OpCo's results of operations and financial position. Westlake's retained interest of 77.2% is recorded as noncontrolling interest in the Partnership's consolidated financial statements.
In the opinion of the Partnership's management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that are necessary for a fair statement of the Partnership's financial position as of March 31,September 30, 2019, its results of operations for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018 and the changes in its cash position for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018.


56

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)


Results of operations and changes in cash position for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that will be realized for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019 or any other interim period. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Credit Losses (ASU No. 2016-13)
In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update providing new guidance for the accounting for credit losses on loans and other financial instruments. The new guidance introduces an approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments. The standard also modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities and provides for a simplified accounting model for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. The accounting standard will be effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and is not expected to have a material impact on the Partnership's consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Fair Value Measurement (ASU No. 2018-13)
In August 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to modify the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. The amendments are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. An entity is permitted to early adopt any removed or modified disclosures and delay adoption of the additional disclosures until the effective date. Most amendments should be applied retrospectively but certain amendments should be applied prospectively. The Partnership is in the process of evaluating the impact that the new accounting guidance will have on the Partnership's consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
Leases (ASU No. 2016-02)
In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update on lease accounting that supersedes the previously issued lease guidance. The new standard requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for all long-term operating leases. An asset is recognized for the right to use an underlying leased asset and a liability is recognized for the obligation to make payments over the lease term. The standard also requires expanded lease disclosures. The standard requires a modified retrospective adoption approach and allows for the election of certain transition expedients.
The Partnership adopted the standard effective January 1, 2019 using the optional transition method, which allows entities to recognize a cumulative adjustment to the opening balance sheet in the period of adoption. The Partnership elected the package of optional transition expedients and was not required to reassess (1) whether any existing contracts are or contain leases, (2) classification of existing leases as operating or capital or (3) whether initial direct costs for existing leases qualify for capitalization under the new accounting standard. The Partnership did not elect the use of hindsight to determine the lease term when considering lease renewal or termination options. Adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on the Partnership's consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
2.Accounts Receivable—Third Parties
Accounts receivable—third parties consist of the following:
  September 30,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Trade customers $14,614
 $17,325
Allowance for doubtful accounts (134) (921)
  14,480
 16,404
Other 63
 
Accounts receivable, net—third parties $14,543
 $16,404

  March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Trade customers $14,455
 $17,325
Allowance for doubtful accounts (728) (921)
  13,727
 16,404
Other 1,768
 
Accounts receivable, net—third parties $15,495
 $16,404


67

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)


3.Inventories
Inventories consist of the following:


September 30,
2019

December 31,
2018
Finished products
$3,377

$3,876
Feedstock, additives and chemicals
321

512
Inventories
$3,698

$4,388


March 31,
2019

December 31,
2018
Finished products
$3,741

$3,876
Feedstock, additives and chemicals
430

512
Inventories
$4,171

$4,388

4.Property, Plant and Equipment
Depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment of $22,214$22,313 and $22,157$21,960 is included in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment of $66,754 and $66,161 is included in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
5.Deferred Charges and Other Assets
Amortization expense on other assets of $4,630$4,368 and $5,541$4,932 is included in costs of sales in the consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Amortization expense on other assets of $13,628 and $16,015 is included in costs of sales in the consolidated statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
6.Distributions and Net Income Per Limited Partner Unit
On April 30,October 31, 2019, the board of directors of Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC ("Westlake GP"), the Partnership's general partner, declared a quarterly cash distribution for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 of $0.4452$0.4646 per unit. This distribution is payable on May 28,November 26, 2019 to the unitholders of record as of May 13,November 12, 2019.
The distributions are declared subsequent to quarter end; therefore, the table below represents total distributions declared from earnings of the related periods pertaining to such distributions.


Three Months Ended March 31,
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018
Net income attributable to the Partnership
$14,955
 $12,295

$14,922
 $12,412
 $43,610
 $37,464
Less:            
Limited partners' distributions declared on common units
15,666
 12,814

16,348
 13,566
 48,127
 39,559
Distributions declared with respect to the incentive distribution rights 
 733
 
 
 
 733
Net income in excess of distribution (distribution in excess of net income)
$(711) $(1,252)
Distribution in excess of net income
$(1,426) $(1,154) $(4,517) $(2,828)
Net income per unit applicable to common limited partner units is computed by dividing the respective limited partners' interest in net income by the weighted-average number of common units outstanding for the period. Because the Partnership has more than one class of participating securities, it uses the two-class method when calculating the net income per unit applicable to limited partners. The classes of participating securities include common units and incentive distribution rights. Net income attributable to the Partnership is allocated to the unitholders in accordance with their respective ownership percentages in preparation of the consolidated statement of equity. However, when distributions related to the incentive distribution rights are made, net income equal to the amount of those distributions is first allocated to the general partner before the remaining net income is allocated to the unitholders based on their respective ownership percentages. Basic and diluted net income per unit is the same because the Partnership does not have any potentially dilutive units outstanding for the periods presented.


78

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)


 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
 Limited Partners' Common Units Incentive Distribution Rights Total Limited Partners' Common Units Incentive Distribution Rights Total
Net income attributable to the Partnership:            
Distribution declared $15,666
 $
 $15,666
 $16,348
 $
 $16,348
Distribution in excess of net income (711) 
 (711) (1,426) 
 (1,426)
Net income $14,955
 $
 $14,955
 $14,922
 $
 $14,922
Weighted average units outstanding:            
Basic and diluted 32,345,398
   32,345,398
 35,188,189
   35,188,189
Net income per limited partner unit:            
Basic and diluted $0.46
     $0.42
    
 Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
 Limited Partners' Common Units Incentive Distribution Rights Total Limited Partners' Common Units Incentive Distribution Rights Total
Net income attributable to the Partnership:            
Distribution declared $12,814
 $733
 $13,547
 $13,566
 $
 $13,566
Distribution in excess of net income (1,252) 
 (1,252) (1,154) 
 (1,154)
Net income $11,562
 $733
 $12,295
 $12,412
 $
 $12,412
Weighted average units outstanding:            
Basic and diluted 32,236,449
   32,236,449
 32,242,210
   32,242,210
Net income per limited partner unit:            
Basic and diluted $0.36
     $0.38
    
  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
  Limited Partners' Common Units Incentive Distribution Rights Total
Net income attributable to the Partnership:      
Distribution declared $48,127
 $
 $48,127
Distribution in excess of net income (4,517) 
 (4,517)
Net income $43,610
 $
 $43,610
Weighted average units outstanding:      
Basic and diluted 34,251,005
   34,251,005
Net income per limited partner unit:      
Basic and diluted $1.27
    
  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
  Limited Partners' Common Units Incentive Distribution Rights Total
Net income attributable to the Partnership:      
Distribution declared $39,559
 $733
 $40,292
Distribution in excess of net income (2,828) 
 (2,828)
Net income $36,731
 $733
 $37,464
Weighted average units outstanding:      
Basic and diluted 32,238,663
   32,238,663
Net income per limited partner unit:      
Basic and diluted $1.14
    


9

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)

The amended Partnership Agreement provides that the Partnership will distribute cash each quarter to all the unitholders, pro rata, until each unit has received a distribution of $1.2938. If cash distributions to the Partnership's unitholders exceed $1.2938 per unit in any quarter, the Partnership's unitholders and Westlake, as the holder of the Partnership's incentive distribution rights, will receive distributions according to the following percentage allocations:
  Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions
Total Quarterly Distribution Per Unit Unitholders IDR Holders
Above $1.2938 up to $1.4063 85.0% 15.0%
Above $1.4063 up to $1.6875 75.0% 25.0%
Above $1.6875 50.0% 50.0%
The Partnership's distribution for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 did not exceed the $1.2938 per unit threshold, and, as a result, no distribution was made with respect to the Partnership's incentive distribution rights to Westlake, as the holder of the Partnership's incentive distribution rights.
Distribution Per Common Unit
Distributions per common unit for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:
  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2019 2018 2019 2018
Distributions per common unit $0.4579
 $0.4088
 $1.3359
 $1.1927

  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2019 2018
Distributions per common unit $0.4328
 $0.3864

8

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)

7.Partners' Equity
On October 4, 2018, the Partnership and Westlake GP, the general partner of the Partnership, entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement with UBS Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC to offer and sell the Partnership's common units, from time to time, up to an aggregate offering amount of $50,000. No common units had been issued under this program as of March 31,September 30, 2019.
On March 29, 2019, the Partnership completed the issuance and sale of 2,940,818 common units at a price of $21.40 per unit through a private placement. ProceedsNet proceeds to the Partnership from the sale of the units were approximately $62,934.$62,661. TTWF LP, Westlake's principal stockholder and a related party, acquired 1,401,869 common units out of 2,940,818 common units issued in the private placement.
8.Related Party Transactions
The Partnership and OpCo regularly enter into related party transactions with Westlake. See below for a description of transactions with related parties.
Sales to Related Parties
OpCo sells ethylene to Westlake under the Ethylene Sales Agreement. Additionally, the Partnership and OpCo from time to time provide other services or products for which each charges Westlake a fee.
Sales to related parties were as follows:
  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2019 2018 2019 2018
Net sales—Westlake $216,678
 $313,381
 $703,765
 $802,085


10

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)
  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2019 2018
Net sales—Westlake $257,040
 $235,031

Cost of Sales from Related Parties
Charges for goods and services purchased by the Partnership and OpCo from Westlake and included in cost of sales relate primarily to feedstock purchased under the Feedstock Supply Agreement and services provided under the Services and Secondment Agreement.
Charges from related parties in cost of sales were as follows:
  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2019 2018 2019 2018
Feedstock purchased from Westlake and included in cost of sales $73,813
 $178,493
 $285,567
 $403,833
Other charges from Westlake and included in cost of sales 25,990
 28,693
 81,026
 83,636
Total $99,803
 $207,186
 $366,593
 $487,469
  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2019 2018
Feedstock purchased from Westlake and included in cost of sales $122,155
 $105,415
Other charges from Westlake and included in cost of sales 27,572
 28,406
Total $149,727
 $133,821

9

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)


Services from Related Parties Included in Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Charges for services purchased by the Partnership from Westlake and included in selling, general and administrative expenses primarily relate to services Westlake performs on behalf of the Partnership under the Omnibus Agreement, including the Partnership's finance, legal, information technology, human resources, communication, ethics and compliance and other administrative functions.
Charges from related parties included within selling, general and administrative expenses were as follows:
  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2019 2018 2019 2018
Services received from Westlake and included in selling, general and administrative expenses $6,525
 $4,655
 $19,875
 $17,947
  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2019 2018
Services received from Westlake and included in selling, general and administrative
   expenses
 $6,603
 $6,251

Goods and Services from Related Parties Capitalized as Assets
Charges for goods and services purchased by the Partnership and OpCo from Westlake which were capitalized as assets relate primarily to the services of Westlake employees under the Services and Secondment Agreement.
Charges from related parties for goods and services capitalized as assets were as follows:
  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2019 2018 2019 2018
Goods and services purchased from Westlake and capitalized as assets $634
 $846
 $1,918
 $1,988


11

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)
  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2019 2018
Goods and services purchased from Westlake and capitalized as assets $643
 $351

Receivable under the Investment Management Agreement
On August 1, 2017, the Partnership, OpCo and Westlake executed an investment management agreement (the "Investment Management Agreement") that authorized Westlake to invest the Partnership's and OpCo's excess cash with Westlake for a term of up to a maximum of nine months. Per the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, the Partnership earns a market return plus five basis points and Westlake provides daily availability of the invested cash to meet any liquidity needs of the Partnership or OpCo. Accrued interest of $34$716 and $496 was included in the receivable under the Investment Management Agreement balance at March 31,September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Total interest earned related to the Investment Management Agreement was $818$716 and $540$703 for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $2,688 and $1,861 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
The Partnership's receivable under the Investment Management Agreement was as follows:
  September 30,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Receivable under the Investment Management Agreement $164,888
 $148,956
  March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Receivable under the Investment Management Agreement $276,501
 $148,956

10

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)


Accounts Receivables
The Partnership's accounts receivable from Westlake result primarily from ethylene sales to Westlake under the Ethylene Sales Agreement.
The Partnership's accounts receivable from Westlake were as follows:
  September 30,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Accounts receivable—Westlake $35,001
 $57,280
  March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Accounts receivable—Westlake $47,626
 $57,280

Accounts Payable to Related Parties
The Partnership's accounts payable to Westlake result primarily from feedstock purchases under the Feedstock Supply Agreement and services provided under the Services and Secondment Agreement and the Omnibus Agreement.
The related party accounts payable balances were as follows:


September 30,
2019

December 31,
2018
Accounts payable—Westlake
$13,330
 $27,477


March 31,
2019

December 31,
2018
Accounts payable—Westlake
$19,344
 $27,477

Related Party Leases
OpCo is obligated to Westlake under various rail cars leases. Operating lease rentals paid to Westlake for such leases were $514$597 and $318$687 for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $1,673 and $1,705 for nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and reflected in other charges from Westlake that are included in cost of sales.
OpCo has two2 site lease agreements with Westlake, each of which has a term of 50 years. Pursuant to the site lease agreements, OpCo pays Westlake one dollar per site per year.

12

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)

Debt Payable to Related Parties
See Note 9 for a description of related party debt payable balances. Interest on related party debt payable balances for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $5,900$4,411 and $4,866,$5,639, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $15,436 and $16,052, respectively. Interest on related party debt payable is presented as interest expense—Westlake in the consolidated statements of operations. Interest capitalized as a component of property, plant and equipment on related party debt was zero$0 and $15$63 for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was 0 and $109, respectively. At March 31,September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, accrued interest on related party debt was $5,852$4,411 and $5,448, respectively, and is reflected as a component of accrued liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.
Debt payable to related parties was as follows:
  September 30,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Long-term debt payable to Westlake $399,674
 $477,608
  March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Long-term debt payable to Westlake $601,119
 $477,608

Major Customer and Concentration of Credit Risk
During the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 and 2018, Westlake accounted for approximately 86.7% and 86.2%, respectively, of the Partnership's net sales. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, Westlake accounted for approximately 85.9% and 82.7%84.4%, respectively, of the Partnership's net sales.
Other
See Note 7 above for an additional related party transaction.


11

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)

9.Long-term Debt Payable to Westlake
Long-term debt payable to Westlake consists of the following:
  September 30,
2019
 December 31,
2018
OpCo Revolver (variable interest rate of LIBOR plus 2.0%, scheduled maturity of September 25, 2023)
$22,619
 $224,064
MLP Revolver (variable interest rate of LIBOR plus 2.0%, scheduled maturity of April 29, 2021) 377,055
 253,544
  $399,674
 $477,608

  March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
OpCo Revolver (variable interest rate of LIBOR plus 2.0%, scheduled maturity of
September 25, 2023)

$224,064
 $224,064
MLP Revolver (variable interest rate of LIBOR plus 2.0%, scheduled maturity of
April 29, 2021)
 377,055
 253,544
  $601,119
 $477,608
On April 30, 2019, the Partnership repaid $201,445 of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver.
On March 29, 2019, the Partnership borrowed $123,512$123,511 under the MLP Revolver to partially fund the purchase of the additional 4.5% interest in OpCo.
The weighted average interest rate on all long-term debt was 4.8%4.3% and 4.4%, respectively, at March 31,September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018.
As of March 31,September 30, 2019, the Partnership was in compliance with all of the covenants under the OpCo Revolver and the MLP Revolver.

13

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)

10.Derivative Commodity Instruments
From time to time, the Partnership uses derivative instruments to reduce price volatility risk on commodities, primarily ethane and ethylene. The Partnership does not use derivative instruments to engage in speculative activities.
The Partnership had no derivatives that were designated as fair value hedges during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.
Gains and losses from changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments were included in net sales and cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. There were no non-hedge designated derivative instruments for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
The exposure on commodity derivatives used for price risk management includes the risk that the counterparty will not pay if the market price declines below the established fixed price. In such case, the Partnership would lose the benefit of the derivative differential on the volume of the commodities covered. In any event, the Partnership would continue to receive the market price on the actual volume hedge. The Partnership also bears the risk that it could lose the benefit of market improvements over the fixed derivative price for the term and volume of the derivative instruments (as such improvements would accrue to the benefit of the counterparty). The Partnership had non-hedge designated derivatives covering approximately 49.4 million gallons and 117.5 million pounds of commodities as of September 30, 2019.
At September 30, 2019, the fair value of these non-hedge designated derivatives recorded as accrued liabilities, other liabilities and deferred charges and other assets, net were $7,160, $172 and $274, respectively. At December 31, 2018, the fair value of these derivative instruments recorded as accrued liabilities and accounts receivable, net were $315 and $253, respectively. The losses related to these derivatives recognized in net sales and cost of sales were $6,801 and $1,294, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2019, and $4,375 and $2,678, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.
The Partnership's commodity contracts are measured using forward curves supplied by industry recognized sources and unrelated third-party services and classified as Level 2 under the fair value measurement guidance.
11.Fair Value Measurements
The Partnership reports certain assets and liabilities at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). Under the accounting guidance for fair value measurements, inputs used to measure fair value are classified in one of three levels:
Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2: Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.
The Partnership has financial assets and liabilities subject to fair value measures. These financial assets and liabilities include accounts receivable, net, accounts payable and long-term debt payable to Westlake, all of which are recorded at carrying value. The amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets for accounts receivable, net and accounts payable approximate their fair value due to the short maturities of these instruments. The carrying and fair values of the Partnership's long-term debt at March 31,September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 are summarized in the table below. The Partnership's long-term debt includes the OpCo Revolver and the MLP Revolver at March 31,September 30, 2019. The fair value of debt is determined based on the present value of expected future cash flows using a discounted cash flow methodology. Because the Partnership's valuation methodology used for long-term debt requires the use of significant unobservable inputs, the inputs used to measure the fair value of the Partnership's long-term debt are classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. Inputs used to estimate the fair values of the Partnership's long-term debt include the selection of an appropriate discount rate.
  September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
  
Carrying
Value
 
Fair
Value
 
Carrying
Value
 
Fair
Value
OpCo Revolver $22,619
 $23,209
 $224,064
 $221,002
MLP Revolver 377,055
 378,618
 253,544
 249,747


14
  March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018
  
Carrying
Value
 
Fair
Value
 
Carrying
Value
 
Fair
Value
OpCo Revolver $224,064
 $225,253
 $224,064
 $221,002
MLP Revolver 377,055
 375,365
 253,544
 249,747

11.
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)

12.Supplemental Information
Accrued Liabilities
Accrued liabilities were $20,433$22,964 and $16,250 at March 31,September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Accrued interest,Commodity derivative related accrual, accrued maintenance, capital expenditurestaxes and accrued taxes,interest, which are components of accrued liabilities, were $5,852, $3,850, $2,827$7,160, $4,918, and $2,931,$4,411, respectively, at March 31,September 30, 2019, and $5,448, $2,688, $2,818$315, $1,564, and $1,564,$5,448, respectively, at December 31, 2018. No other component of accrued liabilities was more than five percent of total current liabilities.

12

Table of Contents
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSContinued
(Unaudited)
(in thousands of dollars, except unit amounts and per unit data)

Non-cash Investing Activity
The change in capital expenditure accrual resulted in an increase in additions to property, plant and equipment by $52$1,213 for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2019. The change in capital expenditure accrual resulted in a decrease in additions to property, plant and equipment by $117$1,380 for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018.
12. 13.Commitments and Contingencies
The Partnership is subject to environmental laws and regulations that can impose civil and criminal sanctions and that may require the Partnership to mitigate the effects of contamination caused by the release or disposal of hazardous substances into the environment. These laws include the federal Clean Air Act, the federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ("RCRA"), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("CERCLA"), the Toxic Substances Control Act and various other federal, state and local laws and regulations. Under CERCLA, an owner or operator of property may be held strictly liable for remediating contamination without regard to whether that person caused the contamination, and without regard to whether the practices that resulted in the contamination were legal at the time they occurred. Because the Partnership's production sites have a history of industrial use, it is impossible to predict precisely what effect these legal requirements will have on the Partnership. Westlake will indemnify the Partnership for liabilities that occurred or existed prior to August 4, 2014.
The Partnership is involved in various legal proceedings incidental to the conduct of its business. The Partnership does not believe that any of these legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
13. Subsequent Events
In April 2019, the Partnership repaid $201,445 of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver.
Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto and the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Westlake Chemical Partners LP's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 (the "2018 Form 10-K"), as filed with the SEC on March 1, 2019. Unless otherwise indicated, references in this report to "we," "our," "us" or like terms, refer to Westlake Chemical Partners LP (the "Partnership"), Westlake Chemical OpCo LP ("OpCo") and Westlake Chemical OpCo GP LLC ("OpCo GP"). References to "Westlake" refer to Westlake Chemical Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries other than the Partnership, OpCo GP and OpCo. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements. Please read "Forward-Looking Statements" for a discussion of limitations inherent in such statements.
Partnership Overview
We are a Delaware limited partnership formed by Westlake to operate, acquire and develop ethylene production facilities and related assets. On August 4, 2014, we closed our initial public offering (the "IPO") of 12,937,500 common units. In connection with the IPO, we acquired a 10.6% interest in OpCo and a 100% interest in OpCo GP, which is the general partner of OpCo. On April 29, 2015, we purchased an additional 2.7% newly-issued limited partner interest in OpCo, resulting in an aggregate 13.3% limited partner interest in OpCo, effective April 1, 2015. The 12,686,115 subordinated units of the Partnership, all of which were previously owned by Westlake, were converted into common units of the Partnership on August 30, 2017. On September 29, 2017, we completed a secondary public offering of 5,175,000 common units and purchased an additional 5.0% newly-issued limited partner interest in OpCo, resulting in an aggregate 18.3% limited partner interest in OpCo, effective July 1, 2017. On March 29, 2019, we completed a private placement of 2,940,818 common units and used the net proceeds to purchase an additional 4.5% interest in OpCo, effective January 1, 2019, resulting in us owning an aggregate 22.8% limited partner interest in OpCo.



15




Currently, our sole revenue generating asset is our 22.8% limited partner interest in OpCo, a limited partnership formed by Westlake and us in anticipation of the IPO to own and operate an ethylene production business. We control OpCo through our ownership of its general partner. Westlake retains the remaining 77.2% limited partner interest in OpCo as well as a significant interest in us through its ownership of our general partner, 40.1% of our limited partner units (consisting of 14,122,230 common units) and our incentive distribution rights. OpCo's assets include (1) two ethylene production facilities ("Petro 1" and "Petro 2" and, collectively, "Lake Charles Olefins") at Westlake's Lake Charles, Louisiana site; (2) one ethylene production facility ("Calvert City Olefins") at Westlake's Calvert City, Kentucky site; and (3) a 200-mile common carrier ethylene pipeline (the "Longview Pipeline") that runs from Mont Belvieu, Texas to Westlake's Longview, Texas facility.
How We Generate Revenue
We generate revenue primarily by selling ethylene and the resulting co-products we produce. OpCo and Westlake have entered into an ethylene sales agreement (the "Ethylene Sales Agreement") pursuant to which we generate a substantial majority of our revenue. The Ethylene Sales Agreement is a long-term, fee-based agreement with a minimum purchase commitment and includes variable pricing based on OpCo's actual feedstock and natural gas costs and estimated other costs of producing ethylene (including OpCo's estimated operating costs and a five-year average of OpCo's expected future maintenance capital expenditures and other turnaround expenditures based on OpCo's planned ethylene production capacity for the year), plus a fixed margin per pound of $0.10 less revenue from co-products sales. Pursuant to the Ethylene Sales Agreement, Westlake's obligation to pay for the annual minimum commitment (95% of OpCo's budgeted ethylene production), which is measured at the end of the year, is generally not reduced for the first 45 days of a force majeure event, but is reduced for the portion of a force majeure event extending beyond the 45th day.
Westlake has an option to take 95% of volumes in excess of the minimum commitment on an annual basis under the Ethylene Sales Agreement if we produce more than our planned production. Under the Ethylene Sales Agreement, the price for the sale of such excess ethylene to Westlake is based on a formula similar to that used for the minimum purchase commitment, with the exception of certain fixed costs. In addition, under the Ethylene Sales Agreement, if production costs billed to Westlake on an annual basis are less than 95% of the actual production costs incurred by OpCo during the contract year, OpCo is entitled to recover the shortfall in such production costs (proportionate to the volume sold to Westlake) in the subsequent year ("Shortfall"). The Shortfall is recognized during the period in which the related operating, maintenance or turnaround activities occur.
Operating Expenses, Maintenance Capital Expenditures and Turnaround Costs
Our management seeks to maximize the profitability of our operations by effectively managing operating expenses, maintenance capital expenditures and turnaround costs. Our operating expenses are comprised primarily of feedstock costs and natural gas, labor expenses (including contractor services), utility costs (other than natural gas) and turnaround and maintenance expenses. With the exception of feedstock, including natural gas, and utilities-related expenses, operating expenses generally remain relatively stable across broad ranges of production volumes but can fluctuate from period to period depending on the circumstances, particularly maintenance and turnaround activities. Our maintenance capital expenditures and turnaround costs are comprised primarily of maintenance of our ethylene production facilities and the amortization of capitalized turnaround costs. These capital expenditures relate to the maintenance and integrity of our facilities. We capitalize the costs of major maintenance activities, or turnarounds, and amortize the costs over the period until the next planned turnaround of the affected facility.
Operating expenses, maintenance capital expenditures and turnaround costs are built into the price per pound of ethylene charged to Westlake under the Ethylene Sales Agreement. Because the expenses other than feedstock costs and natural gas are based on forecasted amounts and remain a fixed component of the price per pound of ethylene sold under the Ethylene Sales Agreement for any given 12-month period, our ability to manage operating expenses, maintenance expenditures and turnaround cost may directly affect our profitability and cash flows. The impact on profitability is partially mitigated by the fact that we recognize any Shortfall as revenue in the period such costs and expenses are incurred. We seek to manage our operating and maintenance expenses on our ethylene production facilities by scheduling maintenance and turnarounds over time to avoid significant variability in our operating margins and minimize the impact on our cash flows, without compromising our commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. In addition, we reserve cash on an annual basis from what we would otherwise distribute to minimize the impact of turnaround costs in the year of incurrence. The purchase price under the Ethylene Sales Agreement is not designed to cover capital expenditures for expansions.



16




MLP Distributable Cash Flow and EBITDA
The body of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States is commonly referred to as "GAAP." For this purpose, a non-GAAP financial measure is generally defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as a numerical measure of a registrant's historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that (1) excludes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding amounts, that are included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in the statement of income, balance sheet or statement of cash flows (or equivalent statements) of the registrant; or (2) includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of including amounts, that are excluded from the most directly comparable measure so calculated and presented. The non-GAAP financial measures described in this Form 10-Q are not substitutes for the GAAP measures of earnings and cash flows. We use each of MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA to analyze our performance. We define distributable cash flow as net income plus depreciation, amortization and disposition of property, plant and equipment, less contributions for turnaround reserves, maintenance capital expenditures and mark-to-market adjustment on derivative contracts. We define MLP distributable cash flow as distributable cash flow less distributable cash flow attributable to Westlake's noncontrolling interest in OpCo and distributions attributable to the incentive distribution rights holder. MLP distributable cash flow does not reflect changes in working capital balances. We define EBITDA as net income before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. The non-GAAP financial measures described in this Form 10-Q are not substitutes for the GAAP measures of earnings and cash flows. We use each of MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA to analyze our performance. MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA are non-GAAP supplemental financial measures that management and external users of our consolidated financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, lenders and rating agencies, may use to assess:
our operating performance as compared to other publicly traded partnerships;
our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures; and
the viability of acquisitions and other capital expenditure projects and the returns on investment of various investment opportunities.
We believe that the presentation of MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA provides useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. Theis not substitute for the GAAP measures most directly comparable to MLP distributable cash flow areof net income and net cash provided by operating activities. MLP distributable cash flow should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP net income or net cash provided by operating activities. MLP distributable cash flow has important limitations as an analytical tool because it excludes some but not all items that affect net income and net cash provided by operating activities. TheEBITDA is not substitute for the GAAP measures most directly comparable to EBITDA areof net income, income from operations and net cash provided by operating activities, butactivities. In addition, it should be noted that companies calculate EBITDA shoulddifferently and, therefore, EBITDA as presented for us may not be considered an alternativecomparable to such GAAP measures.EBITDA reported by other companies. EBITDA has importantmaterial limitations as an analytical toola performance measure because it excludes (1) interest expense, which is a necessary element of our costsdepreciation and ability to generate revenues because we have borrowed money to finance our operations, (2) depreciation, which is a necessary element of our costsamortization, and ability to generate revenues because we use capital assets and (3) income taxes, which is a necessary element of our operations in the jurisdictions we operate in. MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. See reconciliationstaxes. Reconciliations for each of MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA underare included in the "Results of Operations" section below.
Recent Developments
In April 2019, the Partnership repaid $201.4 million of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver.
In March 29, 2019, we completed a private placement of 2,940,818 common units at a price of $21.40 per unit, resulting in aggregate proceeds to the Partnership of approximately $62.9 million. We used these net proceeds, along with borrowings under the MLP Revolver, to purchase an additional 4.5% limited partner interest in OpCo for approximately $201.4 million, effective January 1, 2019, resulting in us owning an aggregate 22.8% limited partner interest in OpCo.

17





Results of Operations
 Three Months Ended March 31, Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018
            
 (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
Revenue            
Net sales—Westlake $257,040
 $235,031
 $216,678
 $313,381
 $703,765
 $802,085
Net co-product, ethylene and other sales—third parties 42,046
 49,241
 33,247
 50,269
 115,308
 147,812
Total net sales 299,086
 284,272
 249,925
 363,650
 819,073
 949,897
Cost of sales 208,432
 191,767
 156,706
 269,743
 543,242
 666,367
Gross profit 90,654
 92,505
 93,219
 93,907
 275,831
 283,530
Selling, general and administrative expenses 6,973
 7,133
 6,822
 5,909
 21,434
 20,417
Income from operations 83,681
 85,372
 86,397
 87,998
 254,397
 263,113
Other income (expense)            
Interest expense—Westlake (5,900) (4,866) (4,411) (5,639) (15,436) (16,052)
Other income, net 815
 491
 565
 668
 2,533
 1,742
Income before income taxes 78,596
 80,997
 82,551
 83,027
 241,494
 248,803
Income tax provision 200
 283
Income tax provision (benefit) 72
 (772) 509
 (186)
Net income 78,396
 80,714
 82,479
 83,799
 240,985
 248,989
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest in OpCo 63,441
 68,419
 67,557
 71,387
 197,375
 211,525
Net income attributable to Westlake Chemical Partners LP $14,955
 $12,295
 $14,922
 $12,412
 $43,610
 $37,464
MLP distributable cash flow (1)
 $17,555
 $14,510
 $20,452
 $15,024
 $54,429
 $45,500
EBITDA (2)
 $111,340
 $113,561
 $113,643
 $115,558
 $337,312
 $347,031
____________            
(1) See "Reconciliation of MLP Distributable Cash Flow to Net Income and Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities" below.(2) See "Reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Income, Income from Operations and Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities" below.
 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
 Average
Sales Price
 Volume Average
Sales Price
 Volume 
Average
Sales Price
 Volume
Product sales prices and volume percentage change from prior-year period +4.6% +0.6% -29.6 % -1.7 % -14.0 % +0.2%
            
 Three Months Ended March 31, Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018
Average industry prices (1)
            
Ethane (cents/lb) 10.0
 8.5
 5.8
 14.3
 7.6
 10.8
Propane (cents/lb) 15.7
 20.2
 10.3
 23.5
 13.0
 21.5
Ethylene (cents/lb) (2)
 17.0
 23.6
 20.7
 17.3
 17.1
 18.6
_____________
(1)Industry pricing data was obtained through IHS Markit ("IHS"). We have not independently verified the data.
(2)Represents average North American spot prices of ethylene over the period as reported by IHS.



18




Reconciliation of MLP Distributable Cash Flow to Net Income and Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
The following table presents reconciliations of MLP distributable cash flow to net income and net cash provided by operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, for each of the periods indicated.
 Three Months Ended March 31, Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018
 (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
Net cash provided by operating activities $113,499
 $106,222
 $121,482
 $109,433
 $335,154
 $330,004
Loss from disposition of fixed assets (458) (567) 
 (26) (458) (593)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and other (34,645) (24,941) (39,003) (25,608) (93,711) (80,422)
Net Income 78,396
 80,714
 82,479
 83,799
 240,985
 248,989
Add:  
   
     
Depreciation, amortization and disposition of property, plant and equipment 27,302
 28,265
 26,582
 26,918
 80,787
 82,769
Mark-to-market adjustment gain on derivative contracts (715) 
Mark-to-market adjustment loss on derivative contracts 7,195
 
 6,996
 
Less:            
Contribution to turnaround reserves (3,848) (4,148) (3,932) (4,250) (11,669) (12,602)
Maintenance capital expenditures (11,320) (7,979) (5,568) (8,380) (28,613) (22,184)
Incentive distribution rights 
 (733) 
 
 
 (733)
Distributable cash flow attributable to noncontrolling interest in OpCo (72,260) (81,609) (86,304) (83,063) (234,057) (250,739)
MLP distributable cash flow $17,555
 $14,510
 $20,452
 $15,024
 $54,429
 $45,500
Reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Income, Income from Operations and Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
The following table presents reconciliations of EBITDA to net income, income from operations and net cash provided by operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, for each of the periods indicated.
 Three Months Ended March 31, Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018
 (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
Net cash provided by operating activities $113,499
 $106,222
 $121,482
 $109,433
 $335,154
 $330,004
Loss from disposition of fixed assets (458) (567) 
 (26) (458) (593)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and other (34,645) (24,941) (39,003) (25,608) (93,711) (80,422)
Net Income 78,396
 80,714
 82,479
 83,799
 240,985
 248,989
Less:            
Other income, net 815
 491
 565
 668
 2,533
 1,742
Interest expense (5,900) (4,866) (4,411) (5,639) (15,436) (16,052)
Provision for income taxes (200) (283)
(Provision)/Benefit for income taxes (72) 772
 (509) 186
Income from operations 83,681
 85,372
 86,397
 87,998
 254,397
 263,113
Add:            
Depreciation and amortization 26,844
 27,698
 26,681
 26,892
 80,382
 82,176
Other income, net 815
 491
 565
 668
 2,533
 1,742
EBITDA $111,340
 $113,561
 $113,643
 $115,558
 $337,312
 $347,031



19




Summary
For the quarter ended March 31,September 30, 2019, net income was $78.4of $82.5 million on net sales of $299.1 million. This represents a decrease in$249.9 million was comparable to net income of $2.3 million as compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2018 net income of $80.7$83.8 million on net sales of $284.3 million. Net income$363.7 million for the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the first quarter of 2018 was lower primarily as a result of lower margins on third party ethylene sales resulting from lower ethylene sales prices and higher feedstock costs.ended September 30, 2018. Net income attributable to Westlake Chemical Partners LP for the third quarter ended March 31,of 2019 was $15.0$14.9 million as compared to $12.3$12.4 million for the third quarter ended March 31,of 2018, an increase of $2.7$2.5 million, which was primarily due to a 4.5% increase in the Partnership's interest in OpCo, effective as of January 1, 2019. Net sales for the third quarter of 2019 decreased by $113.8 million as compared to net sales for the third quarter of 2018 mainly due to lower sales prices to Westlake per the terms of the Ethylene Sales Agreement. Income from operations was $86.4 million for the third quarter of 2019 as compared to $88.0 million for the third quarter of 2018. Income from operations for the third quarter of 2019 decreased slightly, mainly as a result of higher selling, general and administrative expenses, as compared to the third quarter of 2018.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2019, net income was $241.0 million on net sales of $819.1 million. This represents a decrease in net income of $8.0 million as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2018 net income of $249.0 million on net sales of $949.9 million. The decrease in net income in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was primarily due to lower average third party sales prices, derivative loss positions and expenses associated with the acquisition of the incremental interest in OpCo, partially offset by higher third party sales volumes and lower feedstock costs, as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Net income attributable to Westlake Chemical Partners LP for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $43.6 million as compared to $37.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of $6.1 million, which was primarily due to a 4.5% increase in the Partnership's interest in OpCo, effective as of January 1, 2019, and higher ethylene sales margins, partially offset by lower margins on third party sales.higher selling, general and administrative expenses. Net sales for the first quarter ofnine months ended September 30, 2019 increaseddecreased by $14.8$130.8 million as compared to net sales for the first quarter ofnine months ended September 30, 2018 mainly due to increaseddecreased sales prices for ethylene to Westlake per the terms of the Ethylene Sales Agreement and higherlower third party sales volume, partially offset by lower sales price to third parties.prices. Income from operations was $83.7$254.4 million for the first quarter ofnine months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to $85.4$263.1 million for the first quarter ofnine months ended September 30, 2018. Income from operations for the first quarter ofnine months ended September 30, 2019 decreased mainly as a result of lower third party sales prices and derivative loss positions, partially offset by higher third party ethylene sales marginsvolumes and lower feedstock costs as compared to the first quarter ofnine months ended September 30, 2018.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
FirstThird Quarter 2019 Compared with FirstThird Quarter 2018
Net Sales. Total net sales increaseddecreased by $14.8$113.8 million, or 5.2%31.3%, to $299.1$249.9 million in the firstthird quarter of 2019 from $284.3$363.7 million in the firstthird quarter of 2018. The overall average sales price in the firstthird quarter of 2019 contributed to a 4.6% increase29.6% decrease in net sales, primarily due to increasedlower ethylene sales prices to Westlake per the terms of the Ethylene Sales Agreement, partially offset by lower third party sales prices, compared to the firstthird quarter of 2018. The overall increase inOverall sales volumes was a result of higher sales to third parties for the firstthird quarter of 2019 were comparable to the third quarter of 2018.
Gross Profit. Gross profit was $93.2 million for the third quarter of 2019, which was comparable to $93.9 million for the third quarter of 2018.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $0.9 million, or 15.3%, to $6.8 million in the third quarter of 2019 as compared to $5.9 million in the first quarter of 2018.
Gross Profit. Gross profit decreased to $90.7 million for the first quarter of 2019 from $92.5 million for the firstthird quarter of 2018. The gross profit marginincrease in the first quarter of 2019 was 30.3%, as compared to 32.5% for the first quarter of 2018. The first quarter of 2019 gross profit margin was lower mainly due to lower third party sales prices and higher feedstock costs, as compared to the first quarter of 2018.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $0.1 million, or 1.4%, to $7.0 million in the first quarter of 2019 as compared to $7.1 million in the first quarter of 2018. The decrease in the first quarter of 2019 was mainly attributable to an increase in general and administrative expense allocations, partially offset by a decrease in allowanceprovision for doubtful accounts as compared to the firstthird quarter of 2018.
Interest Expense. Interest expense increaseddecreased by $1.0$1.2 million to $5.9$4.4 million in the firstthird quarter of 2019 from $4.9$5.6 million in the firstthird quarter of 2018, largely due to a lower average debt balance resulting from the partial repayment of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver in April 2019 and a decrease in the applicable margin on the OpCo Revolver from 3% to 2% effective September 25, 2018, partially offset by a higher interest rate on debt due to an increase in the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), partially offset by a decrease.
Other Income, net. Other income, net in the applicable margin onthird quarter of 2019 was comparable to the OpCo Revolver from 3% to 2% effective September 25,third quarter of 2018.
Other Income. The increase in otherProvision for Income Taxes. Provision for income taxes was $0.1 million in the firstthird quarter of 2019 as compared to a benefit of $0.8 million in the firstthird quarter of 20182018. The increase was primarilymainly attributable to a tax benefit in 2018 due to an increasea revaluation of the state deferred income tax liability arising from a decrease in interest income.state tax apportionment.

20




MLP Distributable Cash Flow. MLP distributable cash flow increased by $3.1$5.5 million to $17.6$20.5 million in the firstthird quarter of 2019 from $14.5$15.0 million in the firstthird quarter of 2018. The increase inincreased MLP distributable cash flow in the firstthird quarter of 2019, as compared to the prior-year period, was primarily a result of the 4.5% increase in the Partnership's interest in OpCo, effective as of January 1, 2019, and the elimination of the Partnership's distributions to Westlake as the holder of the Partnership's incentive distribution rights per the July 2018 amendment to the Partnership's target distribution tiers. These increases were partially offset by lower margins onhigher third party sales volume and higher maintenance capital expenditures at OpCo.margins.
EBITDA. EBITDA decreased by $2.3$2.0 million to $111.3$113.6 million in the firstthird quarter of 2019 from $113.6$115.6 million in the firstthird quarter of 2018. The decreased EBITDA as compared to the prior-year period was primarily due to derivative losses, partially offset by higher third party ethylene sales prices and margins.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Compared with Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
Net Sales. Total net sales decreased by $130.8 million, or 13.8%, to $819.1 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from $949.9 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The overall decreased sales price for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 contributed to a 14.0% decrease in net sales, as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2018, which was mainly due to lower sales prices to Westlake per the terms of the Ethylene Sales Agreement as well as lower third party sales prices. Overall sales volumes in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were comparable to the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
Gross Profit. Gross profit decreased to $275.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from $283.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The nine months ended September 30, 2019 gross profit was lower mainly due to lower third party sales prices and derivative loss positions, partially offset by higher third party ethylene sales volume and lower feedstock costs, as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses remained relatively comparable to the prior-year period with a slight increase of $1.0 million, or 4.9%, to $21.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to $20.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase was mainly attributable to expenses associated with the acquisition of an incremental interest in OpCo and increased general and administrative expense allocations, partially offset by a decrease in provision for doubtful accounts in the nine months ended September 30, 2019, as compared to the prior-year period.
Interest Expense. Interest expense decreased by $0.7 million to $15.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from $16.1 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 due to a lower average debt balance resulting from the partial repayment of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver in April 2019 and a decrease in the applicable margin on the OpCo Revolver from 3% to 2% effective September 25, 2018, partially offset by a higher interest rate on debt due to an increase in the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") in the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The lower debt balance was due to the partial repayment of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver during the second quarter of 2019, using funds generated from the private placement of common units.
Other Income, net. Other income, net increased by $0.8 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2018, primarily due to an increase in interest income earned under the Investment Management Agreement.
Provision for Income Taxes. Provision for income taxes was $0.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to a benefit of $0.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase was mainly attributable to a tax benefit in 2018 due to a revaluation of the state deferred income tax liability arising from a decrease in state tax apportionment.
MLP Distributable Cash Flow. MLP distributable cash flow increased by $8.9 million to $54.4 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from $45.5 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increased MLP distributable cash flow in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to the prior-year period was primarily due to the 4.5% increase in the Partnership's interest in OpCo, effective as of January 1, 2019. The increase was partially offset by the timing of maintenance capital expenditures and one-time costs associated with the acquisition of the incremental interest in OpCo.
EBITDA. EBITDA decreased by $9.7 million to $337.3 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from $347.0 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The decreased EBITDA as compared to the prior-year period was primarily due to lower third party sales prices and derivative loss positions, partially offset by higher third party ethylene sales prices.volume and lower feedstock costs.



21




CASH FLOW DISCUSSION FOR THE THREENINE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31,SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 AND 2018
Operating Activities
Operating activities provided cash of $113.5$335.2 million in the first threenine months of 2019 compared to cash provided by operating activities of $106.2$330.0 million in the first threenine months of 2018. The $7.3$5.2 million increase in cash flows from operating activities was mainly due to an increase in cash provided by working capital during the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 as compared to the prior-year period.period, partially offset by a decrease in income from operations. Changes in components of working capital, which we define for the purposes of this cash flow discussion as accounts receivable—Westlake, accounts receivable, net—third parties, inventories, prepaid expenses and other current assets less accounts payable—Westlake, accounts payable—third parties and accrued liabilities, provided cash of $8.1$14.7 million in the first threenine months of 2019 as compared to $3.2$1.5 million of cash used in the first threenine months of 2018, resulting in an overall favorable change of $11.3$16.2 million. The favorable change in working capital was mainly attributable to favorable changes in thethird party and Westlake accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities balances. The favorable change in accounts receivable was due to a decline in third party sales prices, and the favorable changes in accounts payable and accrued liabilities were due to the timing of payments to suppliers.other liabilities.
Investing Activities
Net cash used for investing activities during the first threenine months of 2019 was $139.6$46.0 million as compared to net cash used for investing activities of $7.7$45.0 million in the first threenine months of 2018, mainly due to increased net cash investmentsused under our investment management agreement with Westlake and higher capital expenditures at our facilitiesthe Investment Management Agreement in the first threenine months of 2019, as compared to the prior-year period. Capital expenditures during the first threenine months of 2019 and 2018 were primarily related to projects to improve production capacity or reduce costs, maintenance and safety and environmental projects at our facilities.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided fromused for financing activities during the first threenine months of 2019 was $91.0$290.3 million as compared to net cash used for financing activities of $100.6$295.0 million in the first threenine months of 2018. The cash inflows during the first threenine months of 2019 were a result of borrowings under the MLP Revolver of $123.5 million and net proceeds from the private placement of common units of approximately $62.9$62.7 million. The outflows during the first threenine months of 2019 were related to partial repayments of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver of $201.4 million and the distribution of $81.5$229.3 million to Westlake and of $14.0$45.7 million to other unitholders by the Partnership. The cash outflows during the first threenine months of 2018 were related to the distribution of $91.1$258.8 million to Westlake and of $13.1$39.8 million to other unitholders by the Partnership. The distributions in the first threenine months of 2018 were partially offset by borrowings under the OpCo Revolver of $3.6 million.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Liquidity and Financing Arrangements
On March 29, 2019, we completed the private placement of 2,940,818 common units at a price of $21.40 per unit. ProceedsNet proceeds from the issuance of these common units were approximately $62.9$62.7 million. The Partnership believes that, with the net proceeds from this private placement, there will be no further need for the Partnership to access the equity capital markets during the remainder of 2019.
Pursuant to the terms of the ATM Agreement, the Partnership may offer and sell the Partnership's common units from time to time to or through the Managers, as the Partnership's sales agents or as principals, having an aggregate offering amount of up to $50.0 million. The Partnership intends to use the net proceeds of sales of the common units, if any, for general partnership purposes, including the funding of potential drop-downs and other acquisitions. No common units had been issued under this program as of March 31,September 30, 2019.
Based on the terms of our cash distribution policy, we expect that we will distribute to our partners most of the excess cash generated by our operations. To the extent we do not generate sufficient cash flow to fund capital expenditures, we expect to fund them primarily from external sources, including borrowing directly from Westlake, as well as future issuances of equity and debt interests.


The Partnership maintains separate bank accounts, but Westlake continues to provide treasury services on our behalf under the Services and Secondment Agreement. Our sources of liquidity include cash generated from operations, the OpCo Revolver, the MLP Revolver and, if necessary and possible under then current market conditions, the issuance of additional common units representing limited partner interests of the Partnership, other classes of units representing limited partners interests of the Partnership or debt securities. We believe that cash generated from these sources will be sufficient to meet our short-term working capital requirements and long-term capital expenditure requirements and to make quarterly cash distributions. Westlake may also provide other direct and indirect financing to us from time to time, although it is not required to do so.

22




In order to fund non-annual turnaround expenditures, we cause OpCo to reserve approximately $30.0 million during each twelve-month period for turnaround activities. Each of OpCo's ethylene production facilities requires turnaround maintenance approximately every five years. By reserving additional cash annually, we intend to reduce the variability in OpCo's cash flow. Westlake's purchase price for ethylene purchased under the Ethylene Sales Agreement includes a component (adjusted annually) designed to cover, over the long term, substantially all of OpCo's turnaround expenditures.
Our cash is generated from cash distributions from OpCo. OpCo is a restricted subsidiary under certain indentures governing Westlake's senior notes. The indentures governing Westlake's senior notes prevent OpCo from making distributions to us if any default or event of default (as defined in the indentures) exists. Westlake's credit facility does not prevent OpCo from making distributions to us.
On April 30,October 31, 2019, the board of directors of Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC, our general partner, approved a quarterly distribution of $0.4452$0.4646 per unit payable on May 28,November 26, 2019 to unitholders of record as of May 13,November 12, 2019, which equates to a total amount of approximately $15.7$16.3 million per quarter, or approximately $62.7$65.4 million per year in aggregate, based on the number of common units outstanding on March 31,September 30, 2019. We do not have a legal or contractual obligation to pay distributions on a quarterly basis or any other basis at our minimum quarterly distribution rate or any other rate.
Capital Expenditures
Westlake has historically funded expansion capital expenditures related to Lake Charles Olefins and Calvert City Olefins. During the threenine months ended MarchSeptember 30, 2018, Westlake loaned OpCo $3.6 million to fund capital expenditures. Total capital expenditures for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 were $12.1$30.0 million. No funding was required by OpCo to fund capital expenditures during the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2019. We expect thatWestlake will loan additional cash to OpCo to fund its expansion capital expenditures in the future, but Westlake is under no obligation to do so.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
As of March 31,September 30, 2019, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $84.6$18.6 million. In addition, we have cash invested under the Investment Management Agreement (as described below) and a revolving credit facility with Westlake available to supplement cash if needed, as described under "Indebtedness" below.
In August 2017, the Partnership, OpCo and Westlake executed the Investment Management Agreement that authorized Westlake to invest the Partnership and OpCo's excess cash with Westlake for a term of up to a maximum of nine months. Per the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, the Partnership earns a market return plus five basis points and Westlake provides daily availability of the invested cash to meet any liquidity needs of the Partnership or OpCo. The Partnership had $276.5$164.9 million of cash invested under the Investment Management Agreement at March 31,September 30, 2019.
Indebtedness
OpCo Revolver
In connection with the IPO, OpCo entered into a $600.0 million revolving credit facility with Westlake (the "OpCo Revolver") that may be used to fund growth projects and working capital needs. On April 30, 2019, the Partnership repaid $201.4 million of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver. As of March 31,September 30, 2019, outstanding borrowings under the OpCo Revolver totaled $224.1$22.6 million and bore interest at the LIBOR rate plus 2.0%, which is accrued in arrears quarterly. OnIn September 25, 2018, the OpCo Revolver was amended to extend the scheduled maturity date from August 4, 2019 to September 25, 2023 and revise the applicable margin from 3% to 2%. In April 2019, the Partnership repaid $201.4 million of borrowings under the OpCo Revolver.



23




MLP Revolver
In 2015, we entered into a senior, unsecured revolving credit agreement with Westlake Chemical Finance Corporation, an affiliate of Westlake (the "MLP Revolver"). The MLP Revolver has a borrowing capacity of $600 million and is scheduled to mature in 2021. On March 29, 2019, the Partnership borrowed $123.5 million under the MLP Revolver to partially fund the purchase of an additional 4.5% interest in OpCo. Borrowings under the MLP Revolver bear interest at LIBOR plus a spread ranging from 2.0% to 3.0% (depending on our consolidated leverage ratio), payable quarterly. The MLP Revolver provides that we may pay all or a portion of the interest on any borrowings in kind, in which case any such amounts would be added to the principal amount of the loan. The MLP Revolver requires that we maintain a consolidated leverage ratio of either (1) during any one-year period following certain types of acquisitions (including acquisitions of additional interests in OpCo), 5.50:1.0 or less, or (2) during any other period, 4.50:1.0 or less. The MLP Revolver also contains certain other customary covenants. The repayment of borrowings under the MLP Revolver is subject to acceleration upon the occurrence of an event of default. As of March 31,September 30, 2019, outstanding borrowings under the MLP Revolver totaled $377.1 million. We intend to use the MLP Revolver to purchase additional limited partnership interests in OpCo in the future, in the event OpCo desires to sell such additional interests to us, for other acquisitions and for general corporate purposes.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
None.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain of the statements contained in this report are forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this report that address activities, events or developments that we expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "believes," "intends," "may," "should," "could," "anticipates," "expects," "will" or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategies or trends. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot give any assurances that these expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements relate to matters such as:
the amount of ethane that we are able to process, which could be adversely affected by, among other things, operating difficulties;
the volume of ethylene that we are able to sell;
the price at which we are able to sell ethylene;
industry market outlook, including prices and margins in third-party ethylene and co-products sales;
the parties to whom we will sell ethylene and on what basis;
volumes of ethylene that Westlake may purchase, in addition to the minimum commitment under the Ethylene Sales Agreement;
timing, funding and results of capital projects;
our intended minimum quarterly distributions and the manner of making such distributions;
our ability to meet our liquidity needs;
timing of and amount of capital expenditures;
the Partnership's At-the-Market program and the use of any net proceeds from any sales under that program;
potential loans from Westlake to OpCo to fund OpCo's expansion capital expenditures in the future;
expected mitigation of exposure to commodity price fluctuations;
turnaround activities and the variability of OpCo's cash flow;
compliance with present and future environmental regulations and costs associated with environmentally related penalties, capital expenditures, remedial actions and proceedings, including any new laws, regulations or treaties that may come into force to limit or control carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions or to address other issues of climate change; and
effects of pending legal proceedings.



24




We have based these statements on assumptions and analysis in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe were appropriate in the circumstances when the statements were made. Forward-looking statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could significantly impact expected results, and actual future results could differ materially from those described in such statements. These statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including those described under "Risk Factors" in the 2018 Form 10-K and the following:
general economic and business conditions;
the cyclical nature of the chemical industry;
the availability, cost and volatility of raw materials and energy;
uncertainties associated with the United States and worldwide economies, including those due to political tensions and unrest in the Middle East and elsewhere;
current and potential governmental regulatory actions in the United States and regulatory actions and political unrest in other countries, including environmental regulations;
industry production capacity and operating rates;
the supply/demand balance for our product;
competitive products and pricing pressures;
instability in the credit and financial markets;
access to capital markets;
terrorist acts;
operating interruptions (including leaks, explosions, fires, weather-related incidents, mechanical failure, unscheduled downtime, labor difficulties, transportation interruptions, spills and releases and other environmental risks);
changes in laws or regulations;
technological developments;
our ability to integrate acquired businesses;
foreign currency exchange risks;
our ability to implement our business strategies; and
creditworthiness of our customers.
Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Any of the factors, or a combination of these factors, could materially affect our future results of operations and the ultimate accuracy of the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of our future performance, and our actual results and future developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Management cautions against putting undue reliance on forward-looking statements or projecting any future results based on such statements or present or prior earnings levels. Every forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

25






Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Commodity Price Risk
A substantial portion of the Partnership's products and raw materials are commodities whose prices fluctuate as market supply and demand fundamentals change. However, our direct exposure to commodity price risk is limited to approximately 5% of our total ethylene production, which is the portion sold to third parties. We believe we have substantially mitigated our indirect exposure to commodity price fluctuations during the term of the Ethylene Sales Agreement through the minimum commitment and the cost-plus based pricing. Additionally, we may use short-term derivative instruments to reduce price volatility risk on feedstocks and ethylene associated with the production and sales to third parties. We entered into some of these agreements in December 2018.2018 and 2019. Based on our open derivative positions as of March 31,September 30, 2019, a hypothetical $0.10 increase in the price of a gallon of ethane would have increased our income before taxes by $1.3$4.9 million and a hypothetical $0.10 decrease in the price of a pound of ethylene would have increased our income before taxes by $3.2$11.8 million.
Interest Rate Risk
We are exposed to interest rate risk with respect to our outstanding debt, all of which is variable rate debt. At March 31,September 30, 2019, we had total variable rate debt of $601.1$399.7 million outstanding, all of which was owed to wholly-owned subsidiaries of Westlake, and currently accrues interest at a variable rate of LIBOR plus 200 basis points. The weighted average variable interest rate of our debt as of March 31,September 30, 2019 was 4.8%4.3%. We will continue to be subject to interest rate risk with respect to our variable rate debt as well as the risk of higher interest cost if and when this debt is refinanced. A hypothetical increase in our average interest rate on variable rate debt by 100 basis points would increase our annual interest expense by approximately $6.0$4.0 million, based on the March 31,September 30, 2019 debt balance.
LIBOR is used as a reference rate for all of our outstanding variable rate debt as of September 30, 2019. LIBOR is set to be phased out at the end of 2021. We are currently reviewing how the LIBOR phase-out will affect the Company, but we do not expect the impact to be material.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rules 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective with respect to (i) the accumulation and communication to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, of information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we submit under the Exchange Act, and (ii) the recording, processing, summarizing and reporting of such information within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms.
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2019 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
The 2018 Form 10-K, filed on March 1, 2019, contained a description of various legal proceedings in which we are involved, including environmental proceedings. See below and Note 1213 to the unaudited consolidated financial statements within this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a discussion on legal proceedings, which information is incorporated by reference herein.
Under the Omnibus Agreement, Westlake Chemical Corporation ("Westlake") has agreed to indemnify the Partnership for certain environmental and other liabilities relating to OpCo's processing facilities and related assets.

26




Potential Flare Modifications. For several years, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has been conducting an enforcement initiative against petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants with respect to emissions from flares. On April 21, 2014, Westlake received a Clean Air Act Section 114 Information Request from the EPA, which sought information regarding flares at the Calvert City and Lake Charles facilities. The EPA has informed Westlake that the information provided leads the EPA to believe that some of the flares are out of compliance with applicable standards. The EPA has indicated that it is seeking a consent decree that would obligate Westlake to take corrective actions relating to the alleged noncompliance. The Partnership believes the resolution of these matters may require the payment of a monetary sanction in excess of $100,000.


Risk Management Program Investigation. The EPA has conducted inspections and information requests to assess compliance with Risk Management Program requirements under the Clean Air Act at the Calvert City facility. The EPA has identified concerns with the facility's compliance under the Risk Management Program and Release Prevention regulations in connection with certain emissions release events between 2011 and 2015. Westlake has engaged in communications with EPA to resolve these concerns. Westlake has reached an agreement in principle with the EPA to resolve all concerns for a penalty of $49,000 and an $184,000 supplemental environmental project involving the purchase of emergency response equipment for Marshall and Livingston Counties. The EPA and Westlake are currently finalizing the settlement documents.
In addition to the matters described above, the Partnership is involved in various legal proceedings incidental to the conduct of its business. The Partnership does not believe that any of these legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
For a discussion of risk factors, please read Item IA, "Risk Factors" in the 2018 Form 10-K. There have been no material changes from those risk factors.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
On March 29, 2019, the Partnership completed the private placement of 2,940,818 common units pursuant to an exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Proceeds to the Partnership from the sale of the units were approximately $62,934 and were used, along with borrowings under the MLP Revolver, to purchase an additional 4.5% limited partner interest in OpCo for approximately $201.4 million.
Item 5. Other Information
NoneNone.

27






Item 6. Exhibits

Exhibit No. Exhibit
   
2.1
4.1
31.1† 
   
31.2† 
   
32.1# 
   
101.INS† XBRL Instance DocumentDocument–The instance document does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
   
101.SCH† XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
   
101.CAL† XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
   
101.DEF† XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
   
101.LAB† XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
   
101.PRE† XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104Cover Page Interactive Data File - The cover page interactive data file does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
_____________
Filed herewith.
#Furnished herewith.

28








SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
    WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP
    
Date:May 2,November 6, 2019  By: 
/S/    ALBERT CHAO        
      Albert Chao
      
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of
Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC
(Principal Executive Officer)
    
Date:May 2,November 6, 2019  By: 
/S/    M. STEVEN BENDER        
      M. Steven Bender
      
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and
Director of Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC
(Principal Financial Officer)


2629