Hess Midstream (HESM) 10-K2019 FY Annual report

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10‑K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

OR

For the transition period from           to

Commission File Number 001-39163

Hess Midstream LP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code, is (713) 496-4200)

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  None.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes  ☐  No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes  ☐  No  ☒

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.  Yes  ☒  No  ☐

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 (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  Yes  ☒  No  ☐

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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by checkmark 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  ☐  No  ☒

The aggregate market value of common units representing limited partner interests (“Common Units”) in Hess Midstream Operations LP (formerly known as Hess Midstream Partners LP, the predecessor registrant to Hess Midstream LP) held by non‑affiliates of the registrant was approximately $321.7 million on June 28, 2019, based on the outstanding Common Units and closing market price $19.50 per Common Unit on such date, which is the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

17,960,655 Class A shares representing limited partner interests (“Class A Shares”) in the registrant were outstanding as of February 10, 2020.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD‑LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including information incorporated by reference herein, contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. Words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “could,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “predict,” “will,” “target” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which are not historical in nature. Our forward-looking statements may include, without limitation: our future financial and operational results; our business strategy; our industry; our expected revenues; our future profitability; our projected budget and capital expenditures (including for maintenance or expansion projects and environmental expenditures) and the impact of such expenditures on our performance; and future economic and market conditions in the oil and gas industry.

Forward-looking statements are based on our current understanding, assessments, estimates and projections of relevant factors and reasonable assumptions about the future. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our current projections or expectations of future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The following important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements:

As and when made, we believe that our forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, given these risks and uncertainties, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements since such statements speak only as of the date when made and there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will occur and actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement we make. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.

Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise indicates, references in this report to “Predecessor,” “we,” “us” or like terms, when referring to periods prior to April 10, 2017, refer to Hess Midstream Partners LP Predecessor (“Predecessor”), our predecessor for accounting purposes. All references to “Hess Midstream Operations LP,” “the Partnership,” “us,” “we” or similar terms, when referring to periods between April 10, 2017 and December 16, 2019, refer to Hess Midstream Operations LP (formerly known as Hess Midstream Partners LP, the predecessor registrant to Hess Midstream LP), including its consolidated subsidiaries. All references to “Hess Midstream LP,” “the Company,” “us,” “our,” “we” or similar terms, when referring to periods subsequent to December 16, 2019, refer to Hess Midstream LP, including its consolidated subsidiaries.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Throughout this report, the following company or industry specific terms and abbreviations are used:

Barrel: One stock tank barrel, or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume, used in reference to crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

Bbl(s): Barrel(s).

Bbl/d: Barrels per day.

Btu: One British thermal unit—a measure of the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a one‑pound mass of water one degree Fahrenheit at sea level.

Cf: Cubic foot or feet is a common unit of gas measurement. One standard cubic foot equals the volume of gas in one cubic foot measured at standard temperature (60 degrees Fahrenheit) and standard pressure (14.73 pounds standard per square inch).

CNG: Compressed natural gas.

Common carrier pipeline: A pipeline engaged in the transportation of crude oil, refined petroleum products or NGL as a common carrier for hire.

Crude oil: A mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in liquid phase in underground reservoirs.

Fractionation: Fractionation is accomplished by controlling the temperature and pressure of the stream of mixed NGL in order to take advantage of the different boiling points of separate components. NGL fractionation facilities separate mixed NGL streams into discrete components such as ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutane and natural gasoline.

Liquefied petroleum gas: A mixture of hydrocarbon gases commonly used as a fuel, including propane and butane.

Long tons: An imperial system of measurement equivalent to 2,240 pounds.

MBbl: One thousand barrels.

MBbl/d: One thousand barrels per day.

Mcf: One thousand cubic feet.

Mgal/d: One thousand gallons per day.

MMcf/d: One million cubic feet per day.

NGL: Natural gas liquids, which are the hydrocarbon liquids contained within natural gas.

Psi: Pounds per square inch.

Psig: Pounds per square inch gauge.

Sour gas: Natural gas that is relatively high in sulfur content, requiring additional processing to remove the sulfur.

Throughput: The volume of crude oil, natural gas, NGLs, water and refined petroleum products transported or passing through a pipeline, plant, terminal or other facility during a particular period.

Williston Basin: One of the largest structural-sedimentary basins in North America, spanning across North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with a surface area of approximately 143,000 square miles within the United States and multiple petroleum reservoirs.

Y‑grade: A classification used to describe the extent to which certain hydrocarbons can be stored at a specified pressure, making the hydrocarbon easier to move in a liquid state.

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PART I

Overview

We are a fee-based, growth-oriented, limited partnership formed by Hess Infrastructure Partners GP LLC (“HIP GP LLC”) and our general partner in 2019 to own, operate, develop and acquire a diverse set of midstream assets and provide fee-based services to Hess Corporation (“Hess”) and third-party customers. We are managed and controlled by Hess Midstream GP LLC (“GP LLC”), the general partner of our general partner.

Our assets are primarily located in the Bakken and Three Forks shale plays in the Williston Basin area of North Dakota, which we collectively refer to as the Bakken and which is one of the most prolific crude oil producing basins in North America. Hess dedicated substantially all of its existing and future owned or controlled production in the Bakken under our long-term, fee-based agreements and intends to use us as the primary midstream vehicle to support the growth of its Bakken production assets and grow its midstream business. We generate substantially all of our revenues by charging fees for gathering, compressing and processing natural gas and fractionating NGLs; gathering, terminaling, loading and transporting crude oil and NGLs; storing and terminaling propane; and gathering and disposing of produced water.

The 2019 Restructuring

On December 16, 2019, the Company and the Partnership completed the transactions (the “Restructuring”) contemplated by the partnership restructuring agreement, dated October 3, 2019, by and among the Company, the Partnership and the other parties thereto. As a result of the Restructuring, the Company was delegated control of the Partnership and replaced the Partnership as its publicly traded successor.

Prior to the Restructuring, the Company and the Partnership were indirectly controlled by HIP GP LLC, the general partner of Hess Infrastructure Partners LP (“HIP”). HIP was originally formed as a joint venture between Hess and GIP II Blue Holding Partnership, L.P. (“GIP” and together with Hess, the “Sponsors”).

Prior to the Restructuring:

Pursuant to the Restructuring, which was consummated on December 16, 2019, the Partnership acquired HIP, including HIP’s 80% interest in the Joint Interest Assets, 100% interest in Hess Water Services and the outstanding economic general partner interest and IDRs. The Partnership’s organizational structure converted from a master limited partnership into an “Up-C” structure in which the Partnership’s public unitholders received newly issued Class A shares (“Class A Shares”) representing limited partner interests in Hess Midstream LP in a one-for-one exchange. The Partnership changed its name to “Hess Midstream Operations LP” and became a consolidated subsidiary of the Company. The acquisition of HIP was accounted for as an acquisition of a business under common control. See Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Note 3, Acquisitions.

 After giving effect to the Restructuring:

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2019 Acquisitions

On March 22, 2019, we acquired 100% of the membership interest in Tioga Midstream Partners LLC, which owns oil, gas, and water gathering assets, from Summit Midstream Partners, LP (the “Tioga System Acquisition”). The Tioga System, located in Williams County in western North Dakota, is complementary to our infrastructure, and is currently delivering volumes into our gathering system. We paid $89.2 million in cash at closing, net of cash acquired, and recognized a contingent liability for additional potential payments of $10 million in future periods subject to certain performance metrics.

On March 1, 2019, HIP acquired 100% of the membership interest in Hess Water Services, which owns Hess’ Bakken water services business, for $225.0 million in cash.

See Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Note 3, Acquisitions for further details.

LM4 Joint Venture

On January 25, 2018, we entered into a 50/50 joint venture with Targa Resources Corp. (“Targa”) to construct a new 200 MMcf/d gas processing plant called Little Missouri 4 (“LM4”). LM4 was placed in service in the third quarter of 2019. Targa is the operator of the plant.

Operating Segments

We conduct our business through three operating segments: (1) gathering, (2) processing and storage and (3) terminaling and export. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for further details.

Growth Drivers

We intend to expand our business and have multiple potential alternatives to pursue, including capitalizing on organic growth opportunities in the Bakken and pursuing opportunities to add additional Hess and third‑party throughput volumes in the future, and by acquiring additional midstream assets from Hess or third parties.

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Organizational Structure

The following chart summarizes our corporate structure as of December 31, 2019.

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Our Business and Properties

Gathering

Our gathering business consists of the Partnership’s 100% interest in (i) Hess North Dakota Pipelines Operations LP (“Gathering Opco”), which owns our North Dakota natural gas, NGL and crude oil gathering systems, and (ii) Hess Water Services, which owns our produced water gathering and disposal facilities. The following sections describe in more detail these assets and the related services that we provide.

Natural Gas Gathering and Compression

A natural gas gathering and compression system located primarily in McKenzie, Williams and Mountrail Counties, North Dakota connecting Hess and third‑party owned or operated wells to the Tioga Gas Plant, the LM4 plant, and third‑party pipeline facilities. This gathering system consists of approximately 1,350 miles of high and low pressure natural gas and NGL gathering pipelines with a current capacity of up to approximately 450 MMcf/d, including an aggregate compression capacity of approximately 240 MMcf/d. Our natural gas gathering system includes approximately 80 miles of gas gathering pipelines that we acquired from Summit Midstream Partners, LP in the Tioga System Acquisition. In addition, included within our natural gas gathering and compression system, the Hawkeye Gas Facility, located in McKenzie County, has the capability to compress approximately 50 MMcf/d of natural gas, extract imbedded NGLs and remove water vapor. The Hawkeye Gas Facility entered into service in 2017. The compressed gas and mixed NGLs are transported to the Tioga Gas Plant and the LM4 plant either as separate or combined streams for processing. Our gathering system capacity can be increased via installation of additional compression equipment.

Crude Oil Gathering

A crude oil gathering system located primarily in McKenzie, Williams and Mountrail Counties, North Dakota, connecting Hess and third‑party owned or operated wells to the Ramberg Terminal Facility, the Tioga Rail Terminal and the Johnson’s Corner Header System. The crude oil gathering system consists of approximately 550 miles of crude oil gathering pipelines with a current capacity of up to approximately 240 MBbl/d. Our crude oil gathering system includes approximately 75 miles of crude oil gathering pipelines that we acquired from Summit Midstream Partners, LP in the Tioga System Acquisition.

Included within our crude oil gathering system is our Hawkeye Oil Facility, which is a crude oil pumping and truck unloading facility located in McKenzie County, North Dakota. The Hawkeye Oil Facility entered into service in 2017. The facility receives crude oil through pipeline and truck deliveries from Hess and third parties and transports it by pipeline to the Ramberg Terminal Facility. Total receipt capacity of the facility is approximately 75 MBbl/d which can be filled solely through our crude oil gathering system or through a combination of our crude oil gathering system and truck unloading bays. The facility has six truck unloading bays with an aggregate capacity of approximately 30 MBbl/d. The facility has a redelivery capability of approximately 75 MBbl/d through a 12‑inch pipeline connected to the Ramberg Terminal Facility. The facility also has two crude oil storage tanks with a combined working storage capacity of approximately 10 MBbls. Our gathering system capacity can be increased through the installation of additional pumping equipment.

Produced Water Gathering and Disposal

A produced water gathering system located primarily in Williams and Mountrail counties, North Dakota that transports produced water from the wellsite by approximately 250 miles of pipeline in gathering systems or by third-party trucking to water handling facilities for disposal. Our produced water gathering system includes approximately 75 miles of water gathering pipelines that we acquired from Summit Midstream Partners, LP in the Tioga System Acquisition. As of December 31, 2019, we had 2 water handling and disposal facilities that were mechanically complete, with a combined permitted disposal capacity of 20 MBbl/d. These water handling and disposal facilities are owned and operated by Hess Water Services and primarily service the water pipeline gathering systems. We also transport produced water to 12 water handling and disposal facilities operated by third parties that have a combined permitted disposal capacity of approximately 170 MBbl/d.

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The following table sets forth certain information regarding our gathering assets, which operate under long‑term, fee‑based commercial agreements with Hess:

Gathering Assets

Processing and Storage

Our processing and storage business consists of (i) the Partnership’s 100% interest in Hess TGP Operations LP (“HTGP Opco”), which owns the Tioga Gas Plant, (ii) the Partnership’s 50% interest in the LM4 gas processing plant operated by Targa, and (iii) the Partnership’s 100% interest in Hess Mentor Storage Holdings LLC (“Mentor Holdings”), which owns the Mentor Storage Terminal. The following sections describe in more detail these assets and the related services that we provide.

Tioga Gas Plant

The Tioga Gas Plant (“TGP”) is located in Tioga, North Dakota, and consists of (i) a 250 MMcf/d state‑of‑the‑art cryogenic processing facility with full ethane extraction capabilities that produces low Btu, pipeline‑quality natural gas and (ii) a 60 MBbl/d fractionation facility with full NGL fractionation capabilities for ethane, propane, butane and natural gasoline. The plant receives natural gas produced from Hess‑operated and third‑party operated wells in the Bakken through our North Dakota gathering systems as well as third‑party gathering systems. The Tioga Gas Plant is one of the largest natural gas processing and fractionation plants in North Dakota. The plant is capable of processing sour gas and can recover up to 225 long tons per day of sulfur.

The plant was initially constructed in 1954. The plant subsequently underwent a large‑scale expansion, refurbishment and optimization project that was completed in 2014, during which a new cryogenic processing train with a current processing capacity of 250 MMcf/d was installed. In 2019, we announced plans to expand natural gas processing capacity at the Tioga Gas Plant by 150 MMcf/d for total processing capacity of 400 MMcf/d, to be in service by mid-2021. The150 MMcf/d expansion is expected to add residue and y-grade liquids processing capacity to the existing full fractionation and ethane extraction capability of the current plant, and product takeaway has been secured.

The plant includes the North Dakota Natural Gas Pipeline, an approximately 60‑mile, 10.75‑inch residue gas pipeline that connects to the interstate Northern Border Pipeline near Cherry Creek in McKenzie County, North Dakota. This pipeline was constructed in 1992 and is capable of delivering 65 MMcf/d of residue gas to the Northern Border Pipeline at Cherry Creek and up to 25 MMcf/d of residue gas to gas lift operations in McKenzie and Williams Counties, North Dakota. The plant also has direct residue gas pipeline connections at the tailgate of the plant to both the Alliance Pipeline and the Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline. The total residue gas offtake capacity from the plant is approximately 190 MMcf/d, consisting of 65 MMcf/d to the Alliance Pipeline, 65 MMcf/d to the Northern Border Interstate Pipeline, 35 MMcf/d to the Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline and 25 MMcf/d to gas lift operations in McKenzie and Williams Counties.

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The plant also includes four NGL truck loading racks with an aggregate loading capacity of approximately 10 MBbl/d of propane to serve the local propane market, as well as 22 NGL bullet storage tanks and five NGL storage tanks with a combined shell capacity of approximately 35 MBbls of propane, 20 MBbls of butane and 35 MBbls of natural gasoline. The total NGL production capability of the plant is approximately 60 MBbl/d, with interconnections into the Vantage Pipeline, the Alliance Pipeline and interconnecting pipelines with our Tioga Rail Terminal. Additionally, the plant includes a CNG terminal that is capable of compressing approximately 2.5 MMcf/d of natural gas to 3,600 psig and loading in excess of 100 light duty CNG‑fueled vehicles and up to 10 CNG cylinder trailers per day for drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations, for a combined capacity of approximately 20 MGal/d.

LM4

The Partnership owns a 50% interest in a joint venture with Targa, which constructed and placed in service in the third quarter of 2019, a new 200 MMcf/d gas processing plant called Little Missouri 4, or LM4, located at Targa’s existing Little Missouri facility, south of the Missouri River in McKenzie County, North Dakota. We are entitled to 100 MMcf/d of the plant’s processing capacity. The plant receives natural gas produced from Hess-operated and third-party operated wells in the Bakken through our gathering systems as well as third-party gathering systems. The plant also has direct residue gas and NGL pipeline connections at the tailgate of the plant, with export capacity of approximately 100 MMcf/d of natural gas to the Northern Border Interstate Pipeline and 40 MBbl/d of NGLs to ONEOK Elk Creek Pipeline.

Mentor Storage Terminal

Our Mentor Storage Terminal consists of a propane storage cavern and a rail and truck loading and unloading facility located on approximately 40 acres in Mentor, Minnesota. The Mentor Storage Terminal has an aggregate working storage capacity of approximately 330 MBbls, consisting of an underground cavern with a working storage capacity of approximately 325 MBbls and three above‑ground bullet storage tanks with an aggregate working storage capacity of approximately 5 MBbls. The terminal also has a dehydration facility, 11 rail unloading racks and two truck loading racks. The cavern and truck loading racks each have a propane injection and withdrawal capacity of approximately 6 MBbl/d.

The Mentor Storage Terminal, a mined cavern for liquefied petroleum gas, was constructed in 1962. The rock from which the cavern was constructed is classified as zoisite, a rare, marble‑like rock that has essentially no porosity or permeability, which makes it excellent for the purpose of liquid hydrocarbon storage. Constant underground temperature provides uniform operating conditions in the cavern.

Propane is received at the Mentor Storage Terminal by rail, and shipments and deliveries vary by season. Hess utilizes our propane storage services to mitigate the impact on its operations from seasonal variations in the demand for propane. As a result, at Hess’ direction, we generally fill the cavern with propane during the warmer months when demand for propane is low, and gradually withdraw propane from the cavern during colder months when demand is higher.

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The following table sets forth certain information regarding our processing and storage assets, which operate under long‑term, fee‑based commercial agreements with Hess:

Processing and Storage Assets

Terminaling and Export

Our terminaling and export business consists of the Partnership’s 100% interest in Hess North Dakota Export Logistics Operations LP (“Logistics Opco”), which owns the Ramberg Terminal Facility, the Tioga Rail Terminal, our crude oil rail cars and the Johnson’s Corner Header System. The following sections describe in more detail these assets and the related services that we provide.

Ramberg Terminal Facility

Our Ramberg Terminal Facility is a crude oil pipeline and truck unloading facility located in Williams County, North Dakota that receives crude oil by pipeline and truck from Hess and third parties and exports crude oil by transporting it by pipeline to our Tioga Rail Terminal for loading onto crude oil rail cars or by injecting it directly into third‑party interstate pipeline systems. The facility has a combined pipeline and truck receipt capability of approximately 200 MBbl/d. Up to approximately 130 MBbl/d of crude oil can enter the facility through our crude oil gathering system. Crude oil can also enter the facility through fourteen truck unloading bays with a combined truck unloading capacity of approximately 70 MBbl/d.

The facility has a redelivery capability of up to approximately 285 MBbl/d through the following pipelines:

The Ramberg Terminal Facility was constructed in 2006 and expanded in 2016. The facility has a combined shell storage capacity of approximately 40 MBbls, with an additional combined 240 MBbls of storage capacity with third parties.

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Tioga Rail Terminal

A 140 MBbl/d crude oil and 30 MBbl/d NGL rail loading terminal in Tioga, North Dakota that is connected to the Tioga Gas Plant, the Ramberg Terminal Facility and our crude oil gathering system.

The approximate 140 MBbl/d crude oil loading facility includes a dual loop track with 21 crude oil loading arms that commenced service in 2011. The terminal loads crude oil rail cars owned by us and third parties. The terminal also has three crude oil storage tanks with a combined shell storage capacity of approximately 290 MBbls. The terminal receives up to 30 MBbl/d of crude oil directly from our crude oil gathering system and through a 14‑inch crude oil pipeline connected to, and included as part of, our Ramberg Terminal Facility.

The terminal is capable of loading crude oil unit trains, which are dedicated trains (typically ranging from approximately 100 to 110 cars) chartered for a single delivery destination that usually receive priority scheduling and result in a more cost‑effective method of shipping than standard rail shipment.

The terminal is capable of receiving up to 30 MBbl/d of NGLs through three NGL pipelines connected to the Tioga Gas Plant, including: (i) an eight‑inch propane pipeline with a capacity of approximately 35 MBbl/d; (ii) a six‑inch butane pipeline with a capacity of approximately 15 MBbl/d; and (iii) a six‑inch mixed NGL pipeline with a capacity of approximately 10 MBbl/d. The terminal also includes separate ladder tracks with track space for over 385 NGL rail cars and 16 NGL loading arms that commenced service in 2014. The NGL rail cars are leased by Hess and third parties.

The terminal has a direct rail connection to the BNSF Railway, which in turn connects to the Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern and other Class 1 railroads. From the BNSF Railway, rail cars enter the Tioga Rail Terminal to be loaded with crude oil. Crude oil loaded onto rail cars at the terminal may be transported to various delivery points in the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast regions of the United States. The terminal receives NGLs for loading onto rail cars for transportation to various delivery points in North America.

Crude Oil Rail Cars

We own a total of 550 crude oil rail cars, which we operate as unit trains consisting of approximately 100 to 110 crude oil rail cars, with which we provide crude oil transportation services to Hess or third parties from the Tioga Rail Terminal to various delivery points in the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast regions of the United States. Our crude oil rail cars were constructed between April 2015 and October 2015 to the most recent DOT‑117 safety standards. The effective capacity of the crude oil rail cars depends on round‑trip times to destination. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the average round‑trip duration was approximately 12 days and, based on this, the aggregate working capacity of our crude oil rail cars was approximately 32 MBbl/d. Our crude oil rail cars have a shell capacity of 728 Bbls per car and an effective loading capacity of approximately 92%, or approximately 670 Bbls per car.

Johnson’s Corner Header System

The Johnson’s Corner Header System is a crude oil pipeline header system located in McKenzie County, North Dakota that receives crude oil by pipeline from Hess and third parties and delivers crude oil to third‑party interstate pipeline systems. It has a delivery capacity of approximately 100 MBbl/d of crude oil. The Johnson’s Corner Header System entered into service in 2017.

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The following table sets forth certain information regarding our terminaling and export assets, which operate under a long‑term, fee‑based commercial agreement with Hess:

Terminaling and Export Assets

Our Commercial Agreements with Hess

Effective January 1, 2014, we entered into fee-based commercial agreements with certain subsidiaries of Hess to provide (i) gas gathering, (ii) crude oil gathering, (iii) gas processing and fractionation, (iv) storage services, and (v) terminal and export services. Effective January 1, 2019, in connection with acquisition of Hess Water Services, we entered into long-term fee-based water services agreements with certain subsidiaries of Hess. In addition, in 2018 and for a portion of 2017, Hess Water Services had documented intercompany arrangements with certain subsidiaries of Hess pursuant to which it provided produced water gathering and disposal services and charged agreed-upon fees per barrel for the services performed.

Under our commercial agreements, we provide gathering, compression, processing, fractionation, storage, terminaling, loading, transportation and produced water disposal services to Hess, for which we receive a fee per barrel of crude oil, barrel of water, Mcf of natural gas, or Mcf equivalent of NGLs, as applicable, delivered during each month, and Hess is obligated to provide us with minimum volumes of crude oil, water, natural gas and NGLs. These agreements also include inflation escalators and fee recalculation mechanisms that allow fees to be adjusted annually.

In September 2018, we amended and restated our gas gathering and gas processing and fractionation agreements with Hess to enable us to provide certain services to Hess in respect of volumes to be delivered to and processed at the LM4 plant. Effective January 1, 2019, Hess pays us a combined processing fee per Mcf of natural gas, or Mcf equivalent of NGLs, as applicable, for aggregate volumes processed at LM4 and TGP. In addition, the fee recalculation mechanism continues to apply to the amended and restated agreements and, effective January 1, 2019, incorporates the revenues received and expected to be received by Hess from sourcing third-party dedicated production in order to further align the interests of us and Hess in promoting the growth of third-party volumes on our Bakken assets.

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Except for the water services agreements and except for a certain gathering sub-system as described below, each of our commercial agreements with Hess retains its initial 10-year term effective January 1, 2014 (“Initial Term”) and we have the unilateral right to extend each commercial agreement for one additional 10-year term (“Secondary Term”). The Initial Term for the water services agreements is 14 years effective January 1, 2019 and the Secondary Term is 10 years. The amended and restated gas gathering agreement also extends the Initial Term of the gathering agreement with respect to a certain gathering sub-system by 5 years to provide for a 15-year Initial Term and decreases the Secondary Term for that gathering sub-system by 5 years to provide for a 5-year Secondary Term. During the Secondary Term of the agreements, the fee recalculation model will be replaced by an inflation-based fee structure.

We believe these commercial agreements provide us with stable and predictable cash flows and minimal direct exposure to commodity prices. The following table sets forth additional information regarding our commercial agreements with Hess:

For the year ended December 31, 2019, substantially all of our revenues were attributable to our fee‑based commercial agreements with Hess, including revenues from third‑party volumes delivered under these agreements.

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Regulation of Our Operations

Environmental Regulation

General

Our operations are subject to extensive and frequently‑changing federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances relating to the protection of the environment. Among other things, these laws and regulations govern the emission or discharge of pollutants into or onto the land, air and water, the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes and the remediation of contamination. As with the industry generally, compliance with existing and anticipated environmental laws and regulations increases our overall cost of business, including our capital costs to construct, maintain, operate and upgrade equipment and facilities. While these laws and regulations affect our maintenance capital expenditures and net income, we believe they do not currently affect our competitive position. However, these laws and regulations are subject to changes, or to changes in the interpretation of such laws and regulations, by regulatory authorities, and continued and future compliance with such laws and regulations may require us to incur significant expenditures. Additionally, violation of environmental laws, regulations and permits can result in the imposition of significant administrative, civil and criminal penalties, injunctions limiting our operations, investigatory or remedial liabilities or bans or delays in the construction of additional facilities or equipment. Additionally, a release of hydrocarbons or hazardous substances into the environment could, to the extent the event is not insured, subject us to substantial expenses, including costs to comply with applicable laws and regulations and to resolve claims by third parties for personal injury or property damage, or by the U.S. federal government or state governments for natural resources damages. These impacts could directly and indirectly affect our business and have an adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and liquidity. We cannot currently determine the amounts of such potential future impacts.

Air Emissions and Climate Change

Our operations are subject to the Clean Air Act and its regulations and comparable state and local statutes and regulations in connection with air emissions from our operations. Under these laws, permits may be required before construction can commence on a new source of potentially significant air emissions, and operating permits may be required for sources that are already constructed. These permits may require controls on our air emission sources, and we may become subject to more stringent regulations requiring the installation of additional emission control technologies.

Future expenditures may be required to comply with the Clean Air Act and other federal, state and local requirements for our various sites, including our pipeline, processing, transportation, and storage facilities.

These air emissions requirements also affect Hess’ Bakken operations from which we receive a substantial portion of our revenues. Hess has been required in the past, and may be required in the future, to incur significant capital expenditures to comply with new legislative and regulatory requirements relating to its operations. To the extent these capital expenditures have a material effect on Hess, they could have a material effect on our business and results of operations.

Legislative and regulatory measures to address greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide, methane and other gases) are in various phases of discussion or implementation. These include requirements to report emissions of greenhouse gases to the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, and state actions to develop and implement statewide or regional programs, each of which require or could require reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions or those of Hess. Requiring reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could result in increased costs to (i) operate and maintain our facilities, (ii) install new emission controls at our facilities and (iii) administer and manage any greenhouse gas emissions programs, including acquiring emission credits or allotments. These requirements may also significantly affect Hess’ Bakken operations and may have an indirect effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Further, the EPA has proposed regulations under the Clean Air Act addressing greenhouse gases, to which some of our facilities may become subject. Rules and regulations have been proposed, as amended and challenged, including rules and regulations governing methane emissions from oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing and transmission facilities. Substantial uncertainty regarding their implementation and timing remains. Congress continues to periodically consider legislation on greenhouse gas emissions, which may include a delay in the implementation of greenhouse gas regulations by EPA or a limitation on EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, or potentially a tax on carbon, although the ultimate adoption and form of any federal legislation cannot presently be predicted.

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In addition to potential domestic regulation of greenhouse gases, there continues to be international interest in a global framework for greenhouse gas reductions. While significant uncertainty exists as to future regulation of methane or other greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act or other local, regional, or international regulatory regimes, the impact of future regulatory and legislative developments, if adopted or enacted, including any cap-and-trade program, is likely to result in increased compliance costs, increased utility costs, additional operating restrictions on our business and an increase in the cost of products generally. Although such costs may impact our business directly or indirectly by impacting Hess’ facilities or operations, the extent and magnitude of that impact cannot be reliably or accurately estimated due to the present uncertainty regarding the additional measures and how they will be implemented.

Waste Management and Related Liabilities

Many of the environmental laws and regulations affecting our operations relate to the release of hazardous substances or solid wastes into soils, groundwater and surface water, and include measures to control pollution of the environment. These laws generally regulate the generation, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid and hazardous waste. They also require corrective action, including investigation and remediation, at a facility where such waste may have been released or disposed.

CERCLA. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA, which is also known as Superfund, and comparable state laws impose liability, without regard to fault or to the legality of the original conduct, on certain classes of persons that contributed to the release of a “hazardous substance” into the environment. These persons include former and present owners or operators of the site where the release occurred and the transporters and generators of the hazardous substances found at the site. Under CERCLA, these persons may be subject to joint and several liability for the costs of cleaning up the hazardous substances that have been released into the environment, for damages to natural resources, and for the costs of certain health studies. CERCLA also authorizes the EPA and, in some instances, third parties to act in response to threats to the public health or the environment and to seek to recover from the responsible persons the costs they incur. It is not uncommon for neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by hazardous substances or other pollutants released into the environment. In the course of our ordinary operations, we may generate waste and use substances that fall within CERCLA’s definition of a “hazardous substance” and, as a result, may be jointly and severally liable under CERCLA for all or part of the costs required to clean up sites contaminated by those substances. Pursuant to our amended omnibus agreement, the Sponsors will indemnify us and will fund, subject to the below limit, the costs for required remedial action for our known historical and legacy spills and releases and, subject to a deductible of $100,000 per claim, for spills and releases, if any, that were existing but unknown at the time of closing of our IPO to the extent such existing but unknown spills and releases are identified within five years after closing of our IPO and relate to the Joint Interest Assets. There is a $4.5 million limit (inclusive of any punitive, special, indirect or consequential damages) on the amount for which our Sponsors will indemnify us for environmental liabilities under the amended omnibus agreement once we meet the deductible.

RCRA. We also generate solid wastes, including hazardous wastes, that are subject to the requirements of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA, and comparable state statutes. From time to time, the EPA considers the adoption of stricter disposal standards for non‑hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes are subject to more rigorous and costly disposal requirements than are non‑hazardous wastes. Any changes in the regulations for treatment, storage or disposal of RCRA‑regulated waste could increase our maintenance capital expenditures and operating expenses. We continue to seek methods to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes in our operations.

Hydrocarbon wastes. We currently own and lease, and Hess has in the past owned and leased, properties where hydrocarbons have been handled for many years. Although we have utilized operating and disposal practices that we believe were standard in the industry at the time, hydrocarbons or other waste may have been disposed of or released on or under the properties owned or leased by us or on or under other locations where these wastes have been taken for disposal. In addition, many of these properties have been operated by third parties whose treatment and disposal or release of hydrocarbons or other wastes was not under our control. These properties and wastes disposed thereon may be subject to CERCLA, RCRA and analogous state laws. Assuming liability is established under these laws, we could be required to remove or remediate previously disposed wastes (including wastes disposed of or released by prior owners or operators), to clean up contaminated property (including contaminated groundwater) or to perform remedial operations to prevent further contamination.

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Water

Our operations have the potential to result in the discharge of pollutants, including crude oil. Regulations under the Clean Water Act, or CWA, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, or OPA‑90, and state laws impose regulatory burdens on our operations. Spill prevention control and countermeasure requirements of federal laws and some state laws require containment to mitigate or prevent contamination of jurisdictional waters in the event of an oil overflow, rupture or leak. For example, the Clean Water Act requires us to maintain Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure, or SPCC, plans at many of our facilities. We maintain discharge permits for facilities required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program of the Clean Water Act and have implemented processes to oversee our compliance efforts.

In addition, the transportation and storage of crude oil or other hazardous substances over and adjacent to water involves risk and subjects us to the provisions of OPA‑90 and related state requirements. Among other requirements, OPA‑90 and the National Contingency Plan requires the owner or operator of a tank vessel or a facility to maintain an emergency plan to respond to releases of oil or other hazardous substances. Also, in case of any such release, OPA‑90 requires the responsible company to pay resulting removal costs and damages. OPA‑90 also provides for civil penalties and imposes criminal sanctions for violations of its provisions. We operate facilities at which releases of oil or other hazardous substances could occur. We have implemented emergency oil response plans for our components and facilities covered by OPA‑90, and we have established SPCC plans for facilities subject to Clean Water Act SPCC requirements.

Construction or maintenance of our pipelines, terminals and storage facilities may impact wetlands, which are also regulated under the Clean Water Act by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Regulatory requirements governing wetlands (including associated mitigation projects) may result in the delay of our pipeline projects while we obtain necessary permits and may increase the costs of new projects and maintenance activities.

Employee and Community Safety

We are subject to the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, and comparable state statutes that regulate the protection of the health and safety of workers. In addition, the OSHA hazard communication standard requires that information be maintained about hazardous materials used or produced in operations and that this information be provided as applicable to employees, state and local government authorities and citizens.

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act restricts and carries civil and criminal liability for activities that may affect endangered species or their habitats. At the federal level, the law is administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service. While some of our facilities are in areas that may be designated as habitat for endangered species, we have not incurred any material costs to comply or restrictions on our operations. However, the discovery of previously unidentified endangered species or designation of previously unidentified endangered or threatened species could cause us to incur additional costs or become subject to operating restrictions or bans in the affected area.

Other Regulation

Rail Regulation

In the wake of derailments several years ago, the Federal Railroad Administration, or FRA, of the U.S. Department of Transportation, or DOT, and the DOT’s Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, issued several Safety Advisories and Emergency Orders directing offerors and rail carriers to take additional precautionary measures to enhance the safe shipment of bulk quantities of crude oil.

In May 2015, DOT finalized new regulations applicable to “high hazard flammable trains.”  The final rule created a new North American rail car standard known as the DOT Specification 117, or DOT‑117, rail car with thicker steel and redesigned bottom outlet valves, compared to the DOT‑111 rail car.  The rule also included a schedule for the phase-out or upgrade of non‑jacketed DOT‑111 rail cars in Packing Group 1 service. Currently, we believe all of our rail cars in crude oil service meet the new DOT‑117 standard. In addition, the adoption of additional federal, state or local laws or regulations, including any voluntary measures by the rail industry regarding rail car design or crude oil and liquid hydrocarbon rail transport activities, or efforts by local communities to restrict or limit rail traffic involving crude oil, could affect our business by increasing compliance costs and decreasing demand for our services, which could adversely affect our financial position and cash flows. Moreover, any disruptions in the operations of railroads, including those due to shortages of rail cars, locomotives or labor, weather‑related problems, flooding, drought, derailments, mechanical difficulties, strikes, lockouts or bottlenecks, or other force majeure events could adversely impact our customers’ ability to move their product and, as a result, could affect our business.

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Pipeline Regulation

Section 1(b) of the Natural Gas Act, or the NGA, exempts natural gas gathering facilities from regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, under the NGA. Although the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has not made any formal determinations with respect to our natural gas gathering facilities upstream of the Tioga Gas Plant, we believe that the natural gas pipelines in our gathering systems meet the traditional tests FERC has used to establish whether a pipeline is unregulated under the Natural Gas Act, or NGA. Similarly, we believe that the crude oil and NGL pipelines in our gathering system are not subject to FERC tariff requirements under the Interstate Commerce Act, or ICA, because they fall outside FERC’s tariff jurisdiction. However, the classification and regulation of our gathering facilities may be subject to change based on future determinations by FERC, the courts, or Congress. If it is subsequently determined that an individual facility is not exempt from FERC regulation under the NGA, such determination could decrease revenue, increase operating costs, and, depending upon the facility in question, adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, if any of our facilities were found to have violated the NGA or the Natural Gas Policy Act, FERC has civil penalty authority under the NGA and NGPA to impose penalties for current violations of up to $1,291,894 per day for each violation and disgorgement of profits associated with any violation.

State regulation of gathering facilities and intrastate transportation pipelines generally includes various safety, environmental and, in some circumstances, nondiscriminatory take and common purchaser requirements, as well as complaint‑based rate regulation. Other state regulations may not directly apply to our business, but may nonetheless affect the availability of natural gas, crude oil and NGLs for purchase, compression and sale.

Safety and Maintenance

Our terminal operations, including associated pipelines, are subject to strict safety laws and regulations, including regulations under OSHA and comparable state and local regulations. We believe our terminal facilities are operated in a manner consistent with industry safe practices and standards and have fire protection in compliance with local, state and federal regulations. The tanks designed for crude oil storage at our terminals are equipped with appropriate controls that minimize emissions and promote safety. Our terminal facilities have response plans, spill prevention and control plans and other programs to respond to emergencies. Generally, rail operations are subject to federal regulations and the Association of American Railroad rules.

The transportation and storage of crude oil and other hydrocarbon products involve a risk that hazardous liquids may be released into the environment, potentially causing harm to the public or the environment. The DOT, through PHMSA and state agencies, enforces safety regulations with respect to the design, construction, operation, maintenance, inspection and management of our pipeline and storage facilities. PHMSA requires pipeline operators to implement integrity management programs, including more frequent inspections and other measures to ensure pipeline safety in high‑consequence areas, or HCAs, defined as those areas that are unusually sensitive to environmental damage, that cross a navigable waterway, or that have a high population density. The regulations require operators, including us, to (i) perform ongoing assessments of pipeline integrity, (ii) identify and characterize applicable threats to pipeline segments that could impact a HCA, (iii) improve data collection, integration and analysis, (iv) repair and remediate pipelines as necessary and (v) implement preventive and mitigating actions. These regulations contain requirements for the development and implementation of pipeline integrity management programs, which include the inspection and testing of pipelines and the correction of anomalies. PHMSA’s regulations also require that pipeline operation and maintenance personnel meet certain qualifications and that pipeline operators develop comprehensive spill response plans, including extensive spill response training for pipeline personnel. In April 2016, PHMSA published a proposed rulemaking that would expand integrity management requirements and impose new pressure testing requirements on currently regulated gas transmission pipelines. The proposal would also significantly expand the regulation of gas gathering lines, subjecting previously unregulated pipelines to requirements regarding damage prevention, corrosion control, public education programs, maximum allowable operating pressure limits, and other requirements.

States are largely preempted by federal law from regulating pipeline safety for interstate lines but most states are certified by the DOT to assume responsibility for enforcing federal intrastate pipeline regulations and inspection of intrastate pipelines. States may adopt stricter standards for intrastate pipelines than those imposed by the federal government for interstate lines; however, states vary considerably in their authority and capacity to address pipeline safety. State standards may include requirements for facility design and management in addition to requirements for pipelines. Our internal review of our assets and operations revealed small pipelines or sections of facilities that may be subject to PHMSA regulation. PHMSA may initiate proceedings with respect to any non-compliance at a future date. Nevertheless, we do not expect these developments to have a material effect on our operations or revenues.

We inspect our pipelines to determine their condition and use the inspection information to evaluate appropriate preventative maintenance activities to validate line integrity and safety. Our inspections sometimes include the use of internal line inspection tools that provide information on the physical condition of our pipelines.

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On January 18, 2019, the North Dakota Industrial Commission, or NDIC, issued Oil Conditioning Order No. 29398 revising Order No. 25417, which requires producers in a Bakken, Bakken/Three Forks, Three Forks or Sanish pool fields, (collectively referred to by the Order as “the Bakken Petroleum System”), effective April 1, 2015, to heat their produced fluids to a specified minimum temperature or demonstrate that crude oil has a vapor pressure no greater than 13.7 psi prior to separation.  The Order revisions allow operators more flexibility in evaluating and demonstrating compliance with the state’s vapor pressure requirements. Our commercial agreements with Hess contain product quality specification limits. However, if new or more stringent federal, state or local legal restrictions relating to the quality specification of crude oil or to crude oil transportation are adopted in areas where Hess and our other customers operate, Hess and our other customers could incur potentially significant added costs to comply with such requirements and experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of production or development activities, which could reduce demand for our midstream services.

In October 2019, PHMSA submitted three major rules to the Federal Register, including rules focused on:  the safety of gas transmission pipelines (the first of three parts of the Mega Rule), the safety of hazardous liquid pipelines, and enhanced emergency order procedures.  The gas transmission rule requires operators of gas transmission pipelines constructed before 1970 to determine the material strength of their lines by reconfirming maximum allowable operating pressure (“MAOP”).  In addition, the rule updates reporting and records retention standards for gas transmission pipelines.  This rule will take effect on July 1, 2020.  PHMSA is then expected to issue the second part of the Mega Rule focusing on repair criteria in high-consequence areas (“HCAs”) and creating new repair criteria for non-HCAs, requirements for inspecting pipelines following extreme events, updates to pipeline corrosion control requirements, and various other integrity management requirements.  PHMSA is expected to subsequently issue the final part of the gas Mega Rule, the Gas Gathering Rule, focusing on requirements relating to gas gathering lines.  

The safety and hazardous liquid pipelines rule (submitted by PHMSA in October 2019) extended leak detection requirements to all non-gathering hazardous liquid pipelines and requires operators to inspect affected pipelines following extreme weather events or natural disasters to address any resulting damage.  This rule will also take effect on July 1, 2020.  Finally, the enhanced emergency procedures rule focuses on increased emergency safety measures.  In particular, this rule increases the authority of PHMSA to issue an emergency order that addresses unsafe conditions or hazards that pose an imminent threat to pipeline safety.  Unlike the other two rules submitted in October 2019, this rule took effect on December 2, 2019.

Security

The Department of Homeland Security’s, or DHS, Chemical Facility Anti‑Terrorism Standards are designed to regulate the security of high‑risk chemical facilities. The DHS issued an interim rule in April 2007 regarding risk‑based performance standards to be attained pursuant to this act and, on November 20, 2007, further issued an Appendix A to the interim rules that establishes chemicals of interest and their respective threshold quantities that trigger compliance with these interim rules. Covered facilities determined by DHS to pose a high level of security risk are required to prepare and submit Security Vulnerability Assessments or Site Security Plans as well as comply with other regulatory requirements, including those regarding inspections, audits, recordkeeping and protection of chemical‑terrorism vulnerability information. Certain of our facilities may be subject to these requirements.

Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the U.S. government has issued warnings that energy infrastructure assets may be future targets of terrorist organizations. These developments have subjected our operations to increased risks. Increased security measures taken by us as a precaution against possible terrorist attacks may have resulted in increased costs to our business. Where required by federal, state or local laws, we believe we have prepared effective security plans for the storage and distribution facilities we operate. Terrorist attacks aimed at our facilities and any global and domestic economic repercussions from terrorist activities could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

Governmental standards for the protection of computer-based systems and technology from cyber threats and attacks, have either been adopted or are being considered in the U.S. Congress and by U.S. Executive Branch departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. We currently may be subject to existing standards or standards implemented in the future. We have implemented cyber security programs and protocols. While we cannot guarantee their effectiveness, we continually seek to improve these protocols. A significant cyber‑attack could have a material adverse effect on our operations and those of our customers.

Title to Properties and Permits

Certain of the pipelines connecting our facilities are constructed on rights‑of‑way granted by the apparent record owners of the property and in some instances these rights‑of‑way are revocable at the election of the grantor. In several instances, lands over which rights‑of‑way have been obtained could be subject to prior liens that have not been subordinated to the right‑of‑way grants. We have obtained permits from public authorities to cross over or under, or to lay pipelines in or along, watercourses, county roads, municipal streets and state highways and, in some instances, these permits are revocable at the election of the grantor. We have also obtained permits from railroad companies to cross over or under lands or rights-of-way, many of which are also revocable at the grantor’s election.

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We believe we have satisfactory permits and/or title to all our rights-of-way. We also believe that we have satisfactory title to all of our assets.

Other Items

Competition

As a result of our contractual relationship with Hess under our commercial agreements and our direct connections to Hess’ production operations in the Williston Basin, we believe that we will not face significant competition from other midstream service providers for Hess’ crude oil, natural gas or NGL gathering, processing or terminaling services or for other midstream services relating to Hess’ production operations in the Bakken.

If Hess’ production volumes decrease or if Hess’ customers reduce their purchases of crude oil, natural gas or NGLs from Hess due to the increased availability of less expensive products from other suppliers or for other reasons, Hess may meet only the minimum volume requirements of our commercial agreements (or pay the shortfall fee if it does not meet the minimum volume), which could cause a material decrease in our revenues.

Seasonality

The crude oil, natural gas and NGLs that we handle, process and store are directly affected by the level of supply and demand for crude oil, natural gas and NGLs in the markets served directly or indirectly by our assets. For example, we generally fill the storage cavern at our Mentor Storage Terminal with propane during the warmer months when demand for propane is low, and gradually withdraw propane from the cavern during the colder months when demand is higher. However, we believe that many effects of seasonality on our revenues are substantially mitigated through the use of our fee-based commercial agreements with Hess that include minimum volume commitments.

Insurance

Our assets may experience physical damage as a result of an accident or natural disaster. These hazards have the potential to cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment, pollution or environmental damage, and suspension of operations. We are insured under certain of Hess’ corporate insurance policies and are subject to the shared deductibles and limits under those policies. We also carry insurance policies separate from Hess for business interruption, certain property damage and third-party liabilities, which include sudden and accidental pollution liabilities, at varying levels of deductibles and limits that we believe are reasonable and prudent under the circumstances to cover our operations and assets. As we continue to grow, we will continue to evaluate our policy limits and deductibles as they relate to the overall cost and scope of our insurance program.

Employees

We are managed by the board of directors and executive officers of Hess Midstream GP LLC, the general partner of our general partner. Neither we nor our subsidiaries have any employees. Hess Midstream GP LLC, as the general partner of our general partner, has the sole responsibility for providing the employees and other personnel necessary to conduct our operations. All of the employees that conduct our business are employed by affiliates of our general partner including Hess. As of December 31, 2019, Hess Midstream GP LLC and its affiliates had approximately 176 full‑time equivalent employees supporting our operations, including employees in the field performing services and support staff from other offices.

Office

The principal office of our Company is located at 1501 McKinney Street, Houston, Texas 77010.

Website Access to Our Reports

We make available free of charge through our website, at www.hessmidstream.com, our annual report on Form 10‑K, quarterly reports on Form 10‑Q, current reports on Form 8‑K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this report. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines, and the Audit Committee charter are available on our website and are also available free of charge upon request to Investor Relations at our principal executive office. We also file with the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) an annual certification that our Chief Executive Officer is unaware of any violation of the NYSE’s corporate governance standards.

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Our business activities and the value of our securities are subject to significant risks, including the risk factors described below. These risk factors could negatively affect our operations, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations, and as a result, holders and purchasers of our securities could lose part or all of their investments. It is possible that additional risks relating to our securities may be described in a prospectus if we issue securities in the future.

Risks Related to Our Business

Hess currently accounts for substantially all of our revenues. If Hess changes its business strategy, is unable for any reason, including financial or other limitations, to satisfy its obligations under our commercial agreements, our revenues would decline and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders could be materially and adversely affected.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, substantially all of our revenues were attributable to our fee‑based commercial agreements with Hess, including revenues from third‑party volumes delivered under these agreements. We expect that we will continue to derive substantially all of our revenues in the near term under multiple commercial agreements with Hess and any event, whether in our areas of operation or elsewhere, that materially and adversely affects Hess’ financial condition, results of operations or cash flows may adversely affect our ability to sustain or increase cash distributions to our shareholders. Accordingly, we are indirectly subject to the operational and business risks of Hess, the most significant of which include the following:

We may not generate sufficient distributable cash flow to support the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution to our shareholders.

In order to support the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.30 per Class A Share per quarter, or $1.20 per Class A Share on an annualized basis, we must generate distributable cash flow of approximately $85.3 million per quarter, or approximately $341.3 million per year, based on Hess’ and GIP’s noncontrolling interest in us and the number of Class A Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2019. We may not generate sufficient distributable cash flow each quarter to support the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution. The amount of cash we can distribute on our Class A Shares principally depends upon the amount of cash we generate from our operations, which will fluctuate from quarter to quarter based on, among other things:

In addition, the actual amount of distributable cash flow we generate will also depend on other factors, some of which are beyond our control, including:

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Hess may suspend, reduce or terminate its obligations under our commercial agreements in certain circumstances, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Our commercial agreements with Hess include provisions that permit Hess to suspend or terminate its obligations under the applicable agreement if certain events occur. These events include our failure to perform or comply with a material warranty, covenant or obligation under the applicable commercial agreement following the expiration of a specified cure period. In addition, Hess may suspend or reduce its obligations under our commercial agreements if a force majeure event prevents us from performing required services under the applicable agreement. Hess has the ability to make such decisions notwithstanding the fact that they may significantly and adversely affect us. Any such reduction or suspension or termination of Hess’ obligations would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Because of the natural decline in production from existing wells in our areas of operation, our success depends, in part, on Hess and other producers replacing declining production and also on our ability to secure new sources of natural gas and crude oil. Any decrease in the volumes of natural gas or crude oil that we handle could adversely affect our business and operating results.

The natural gas and crude oil volumes that support our business depend on the level of production from natural gas and crude oil wells connected to our facilities, which may be less than expected and will naturally decline over time. As a result, our cash flows associated with these wells will also decline over time. In order to maintain or increase throughput levels at our facilities, Hess and other producers for which we currently or in the future may handle volumes at our facilities must replace declining production, or we must obtain new sources of natural gas and crude oil. The primary factors affecting our ability to obtain non‑dedicated sources of natural gas and crude oil include (i) the level of successful drilling activity in our areas of operation, (ii) our ability to compete for volumes from successful new wells and (iii) our ability to compete successfully for volumes from sources connected to other pipelines.

We have no control over the level of drilling activity in our areas of operation, the amount of reserves associated with wells connected to our systems or the rate at which production from a well declines. In addition, we have no control over Hess or other producers or their drilling or production decisions, which are affected by, among other things:

Fluctuations in commodity prices can also greatly affect the development of crude oil and natural gas reserves. Drilling and production activity generally decreases as crude oil and natural gas prices decrease. Declines in crude oil and natural gas prices could have a negative impact on exploration, development and production activity, and if sustained, could lead to a material decrease in such activity. For example, as a result of the decline in crude oil prices beginning in late 2014, Hess reduced its rig count to two rigs in the Bakken by the end of 2016. Hess subsequently increased its rig count and operated six rigs in the Bakken in 2019. Sustained reductions in exploration or production activity in our areas of operation could lead to reduced utilization of our assets.

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Because of these and other factors, even if crude oil and natural gas reserves are known to exist in areas served by our assets, producers may choose not to develop those reserves. If reductions in drilling activity result in our inability to maintain the current levels of throughput on our systems, those reductions could reduce our revenues and cash flow and adversely affect our ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

If Hess does not maintain its drilling activities, or if we do not pursue third-party customer contracts, the demand for our produced water disposal services could be reduced, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

The produced water disposal services that we provide to Hess and any other customers assist in their drilling activities. If Hess does not maintain its drilling activities, its demand for our produced water disposal services will be reduced regardless of whether we continue to provide other midstream services for their production. If the demand for our produced water disposal services declines for this or any other reason, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our success depends on our ability to attract and maintain customers in a limited number of geographic areas.

Substantially all of our assets are located in the Bakken, and we intend to focus our future capital expenditures largely on developing our business in that area. As a result, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows are significantly dependent upon the demand for our services in that area. Due to our focus on the Bakken, an adverse development in crude oil or natural gas production from that area would have a significantly greater impact on our financial condition and results of operations than if we spread expenditures more evenly over a wider geographic area. For example, a change in the rules and regulations governing operations in or around the Bakken could cause Hess or other producers to reduce or cease drilling or to permanently or temporarily shut‑in their production within the area, which could lead to a decrease in the volumes of natural gas and crude oil that we handle and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

Seasonal weather conditions may adversely affect our customers’ ability to conduct drilling activities in some of the areas where we operate and our ability to operate our assets and to construct additional facilities.

Crude oil and natural gas operations in North Dakota are adversely affected by seasonal weather conditions. In the Bakken, drilling and other crude oil and natural gas activities can be adversely affected during the winter months. Severe winter weather conditions limit and may reduce or temporarily halt our customers’ ability to operate during such conditions, leading to the decrease in drilling activity and the potential shut‑in of producing wells which the producers are unable to service. This could result in a decrease in the volumes of crude oil, natural gas and NGLs supplied to our assets. In addition, seasonal weather conditions during the winter months may adversely impact the operations of our assets and our ability to construct additional facilities, by causing temporary delays and shutdowns. These constraints and the resulting impacts could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

Our operations and Hess’ Bakken production operations are subject to many risks and operational hazards, some of which may result in business interruptions and shutdowns of our or Hess’ operations and damages for which may not be fully covered by insurance. If a significant accident or event occurs that results in a business interruption or shutdown for which we are not adequately insured, our operations and financial results could be materially and adversely affected.

Our operations are subject to all of the risks and operational hazards inherent in gathering, compressing, processing, fractionating, terminaling, storing, loading and transporting crude oil, natural gas and NGLs and gathering and disposing of produced water, including:

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These risks could result in substantial losses due to personal injury and/or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment and pollution or other environmental damage, as well as business interruptions or shutdowns of our facilities. Any such event or unplanned shutdown could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, Hess’ Bakken production operations, on which our operations are substantially dependent, are subject to similar operational hazards and risks inherent in producing crude oil and natural gas. A serious accident at our facilities or at Hess’ facilities could result in serious injury or death to our employees or contractors or those of Hess or its affiliates and could expose us to significant liability for personal injury claims and reputational risk. We have no control over the operations at Hess’ Bakken operations and their associated facilities.

We do not maintain insurance coverage against all potential losses and could suffer losses for uninsurable or uninsured risks or in amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage. We carry insurance coverage for certain property damage and third-party liabilities, which includes sudden and accidental pollution liabilities. We are also insured under certain of Hess’ liability policies and are subject to Hess’ policy limits under these policies. The occurrence of an event that is not fully covered by insurance or failure by one or more insurers to honor its coverage commitments for an insured event could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In the future we may face increased obligations relating to the closing of our produced water facilities and may be required to provide an increased level of financial assurance to guarantee the appropriate closure activities occur for our produced water facilities.

Obtaining a permit to own or operate produced water facilities generally requires us to establish performance bonds, letters of credit or other forms of financial assurance to address clean-up and closure obligations. As we acquire additional produced water facilities or expand our existing produced water facilities, these obligations will increase. Additionally, in the future, regulatory agencies may require us to increase the amount of our closure bonds at existing produced facilities. Actual costs could exceed our current expectations, as a result of, among other things, federal, state or local government regulatory action, increased costs charged by service providers that assist in closing produced facilities and additional environmental remediation requirements. The obligation to satisfy increased regulatory requirements associated with our produced water facilities could result in an increase of our operating costs and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to significantly increase our third‑party revenues due to competition and other factors, which could limit our ability to grow and extend our dependence on Hess.

Part of our growth strategy includes diversifying our customer base by identifying opportunities to offer services to third parties with our existing assets or by constructing or acquiring new assets independently from Hess. Our ability to increase our third‑party revenues is subject to numerous factors beyond our control, including prevailing commodity prices, competition from third parties and the extent to which we lack available capacity when third‑party customers require it. For example, the decline in crude oil prices beginning in late 2014 caused producers to reduce exploration, development and production activities, which resulted in a decrease in third‑party volumes available to be handled by our assets. In addition, our natural gas and crude oil gathering systems and processing plants are subject to competition from existing and future third‑party natural gas and crude oil gathering systems and natural gas processing and fractionation plants in the Bakken, while our terminals and crude oil rail cars compete with third‑party terminals, pipelines and crude oil rail cars for available third‑party volumes. To the extent that we have available capacity on our gathering systems, at TGP or LM4 for third-party volumes, we may not be able to compete effectively with third‑party gathering systems or processing plants for additional natural gas production in the area. To the extent that we have available capacity at our terminals or crude oil rail cars for third‑party volumes, competition from other existing or future terminals or crude oil rail cars owned by third parties may limit our ability to utilize this available capacity.

We have historically provided midstream services to third parties on only a limited basis, and we can provide no assurance that we will be able to attract any material third‑party service opportunities. Our efforts to attract new unaffiliated customers may be adversely affected by our relationship with Hess and our desire to provide services pursuant to fee‑based contracts. Our potential customers may prefer to obtain services under other forms of contractual arrangements under which we would be required to assume direct commodity exposure.

The completion of capital projects by us may not result in revenue increases and will be subject to regulatory, environmental, political, legal and economic risks, which could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

As part of our growth strategy, we intend to increase utilization of our existing asset base and increase revenue at our facilities by handling additional volumes of natural gas and crude oil resulting from the completion of various capital projects by us. For example, we recently completed a construction and reconfiguration of facilities and pipelines in McKenzie and Williams Counties that increased our throughput capacity for crude oil and natural gas originating from south of the Missouri River and moving northward to our natural gas processing and crude oil and NGL terminaling assets in Tioga and Ramberg. We also invested in construction of the LM4 gas processing plant south of the Missouri River as part of our joint venture with Targa and announced plans to expand natural gas processing capacity at TGP by 150 MMcf/d for total processing capacity of 400 MMcf/d.

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There are inherent risks associated with undertaking these and other capital projects, including numerous regulatory, environmental, political and legal uncertainties, most of which are beyond our control. If we undertake these projects, they may not be completed on schedule or at all or at the budgeted cost, limiting our capacity until completion, or their completion may not result in the anticipated increase in volumes at our facilities, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition and our ability in the future to make distributions to our shareholders.

Our industry is highly competitive and increased competitive pressure could adversely affect our business and operating results.

We compete with other midstream companies in our areas of operation. In addition, some of our competitors have assets in closer proximity to crude oil and natural gas supplies and have available idle capacity in existing assets that would not require new capital investments for use. Some of our competitors are large companies that have greater financial, managerial and other resources than we do. Our competitors may expand or construct gathering systems, processing plants, terminals or storage facilities that would create additional competition for the services we provide to our customers. Our ability to renew or replace existing contracts with our customers at rates sufficient to maintain current revenue and cash flow could be adversely affected by the activities of our competitors and our customers. All of these competitive pressures could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

Our exposure to direct commodity price risk may increase in the future.

We generate substantially all of our revenues under fee‑based commercial agreements with Hess under which we are paid based on the volumes of crude oil, natural gas and NGLs that we handle and the ancillary services we provide, rather than the value of the commodities themselves. As a result, our operations and cash flows generally have minimal direct exposure to commodity price risk. While the initial term of our commercial agreements provides for an annual fee recalculation mechanism to target a return on capital deployed, the secondary term of our commercial agreements changes to an inflation-based fee structure, which may provide greater exposure to price volatility. In addition, we may acquire or develop additional assets in the future or enter into transactions that have a greater exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices than our current operations. Our efforts to negotiate contractual arrangements to minimize our direct exposure to commodity price risk in the future may not be successful. Increased exposure to the volatility of crude oil, natural gas and NGL prices in the future could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and cash flow and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

We do not own all of the land on which certain of the pipelines connecting our facilities are located, which could result in disruptions to our operations.

We do not own all of the land on which our pipelines are located, and we are, therefore, subject to the possibility of more onerous terms and increased costs to retain necessary land use if we do not have valid leases or rights‑of‑way or if such rights‑of‑way lapse or terminate. We obtain the rights to construct and operate our pipelines on land owned by third parties and governmental agencies, and some of our agreements may grant us those rights for only a specific period of time. Our loss of these rights, through our inability to renew right‑of‑way contracts or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

We utilize contract operator services at certain of our assets, and we may face higher costs associated with terminal services in the future.

We utilize contract operator services at certain of our assets. For example, we utilize contract operator services at our Tioga Rail Terminal under a rail and transload services agreement with a third‑party operator that may be terminated by us with 90-day notice. Under the terms of the agreement, third‑party contract personnel supervised by Hess employees control, monitor, record and report on the operation of the Tioga Rail Terminal. Contract personnel also provide inspection, crude oil loading, railroad consulting, inventory management, repair, data reporting, general maintenance and technical support and safety compliance services. Under this agreement, we are liable for any losses resulting from actions of the third‑party operator unless such losses result from the negligence of the third‑party operator. If disputes arise over the operation of the terminal, or if the third‑party operator fails to provide the services contracted under contract operator services agreements, our business, results of operation, and financial condition could be adversely affected. We previously extended the term of this agreement and expanded services to include rail car qualification and maintenance management and we expect to renew the agreement before it expires. Costs of these services under a negotiated renewal of the existing agreement or a similar agreement may increase relative to historical costs. Any such increased costs associated with terminal operation services will decrease the amount of cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

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Restrictions in our credit facilities could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders and the value of our Class A Shares.

We are dependent upon the earnings and cash flow generated by our operations in order to meet any debt service obligations and to allow us to make cash distributions to our shareholders. In December 2019, we entered into senior secured credit facilities consisting of a $1.0 billion 5-year revolving credit facility and a fully drawn $400.0 million 5-year Term Loan A facility, which contain various operating and financial restrictions and covenants. The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our credit facilities restrict, and any future financing agreements could similarly restrict, our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs or to expand or pursue our business activities, which may, in turn, limit our ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders. In addition, borrowings on our credit facilities may use the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) as a benchmark for establishing the rate. LIBOR is the subject of recent national, international and other regulatory guidance and proposals for reform. These reforms and other pressures may cause LIBOR to be discontinued or to perform differently than in the past. The consequences of these developments cannot be entirely predicted but could include fluctuations in interest rates or an increase in the cost of credit facility borrowings.

The provisions of our credit facilities could affect our ability to obtain future financing and pursue attractive business opportunities and our flexibility in planning for, and reacting to, changes in business conditions. In addition, a failure to comply with the provisions of our credit facilities would result in an event of default which would enable our lenders to declare the outstanding principal of that debt, together with accrued interest, to be immediately due and payable. If the payment of our debt is accelerated, defaults under our other debt instruments, if any, may be triggered, and our assets may be insufficient to repay such debt in full, and the holders of our shares could experience a partial or total loss of their investment. Please read “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Capital Resources and Liquidity” for additional information about our credit facilities.

The level and terms of our and Hess’ indebtedness and any reduction in Hess’ credit ratings could adversely affect our ability to grow our business and our ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders. Our ability to obtain credit in the future may also be adversely affected by the credit ratings of Hess.

We and Hess must devote a portion of our cash flows from operating activities to service our respective indebtedness, and therefore cash flows may not be available for use in pursuing our and Hess’ growth strategy. Furthermore, a higher level of indebtedness at Hess in the future would increase the risk that it may default on its obligations to us under our commercial agreements. As of December 31, 2019, Hess had total consolidated indebtedness of approximately $7.1 billion, including our indebtedness of $1.7 billion, which is non-recourse to Hess.

Two of the three major credit rating agencies that rate Hess’ debt have assigned Hess an investment grade rating. If these credit ratings are lowered in the future, the interest rate and fees Hess pays on its credit facilities may increase. Credit rating agencies may consider Hess’ debt ratings when assigning ours because of its ownership interest in us, the significant commercial relationships between Hess and us, and our reliance on commercial agreements with Hess for substantially all of our revenues. If one or more credit rating agencies were to downgrade the outstanding indebtedness of Hess, we could experience an increase in our borrowing costs or difficulty accessing the capital markets. Such a development could adversely affect our ability to grow our business and to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

We have a significant amount of consolidated indebtedness that may adversely affect our business, results of operations and ability to make quarterly distributions.

We have a significant amount of consolidated indebtedness. As of December 31, 2019, we had $1,350.0 million of outstanding senior notes of the Partnership, $32.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the Partnership’s senior secured revolving credit facility and $400.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the Partnership’s senior secured term loan facility.

The degree to which we are leveraged, combined with lease and other financial obligations and contractual commitments, could have important consequences to us, including the following:

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Our ability to service our indebtedness will depend upon, among other things, our future financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. If our operating results are not sufficient to service our current or future indebtedness, we will be forced to take actions such as reducing or delaying business activities, acquisitions, investments or capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing debt, or seeking additional equity capital, and such results may adversely affect our ability to make cash distributions.

Restrictions in the terms of our consolidated indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to make quarterly cash distributions.

The terms of our consolidated indebtedness limit our ability to conduct our business, including our ability to:

Our consolidated indebtedness also contains covenants requiring us to maintain certain financial ratios. Our ability to meet those financial ratios and tests can be affected by events beyond our control, and there can be no assurance that we will meet any such ratios or tests.

Our assets and operations are subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and safety that could require us to make substantial expenditures.

Certain of our assets and operations are subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations, which impose numerous obligations on our and our customers’ operations, including: the acquisition of permits to conduct regulated activities; the incurrence of capital or operating expenditures to limit or prevent releases of materials from our or our customers’ operations; the imposition of specific standards addressing worker protection, and the imposition of substantial liabilities and remedial obligations for pollution or contamination resulting from our and our customers’ operations. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in joint and several or strict liability and the assessment by governmental authorities of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of remedial obligations, and the issuance of injunctions limiting or preventing some or all of our operations. In addition, we may experience a delay in obtaining or be unable to obtain required permits, which may cause us to lose potential and current customers, interrupt operations, and limit growth and revenues. Private parties may also have the right to pursue legal actions to enforce compliance, as well as to seek damages for non-compliance, with environmental and safety laws and regulations or for personal injury or property damage. In addition, we may experience a delay in obtaining or be unable to obtain required permits, which may cause us to lose potential and current customers, interrupt operations, and limit growth and revenues, which in turn could affect our profitability.

The handling of crude oil, natural gas and NGLs involves inherent risks of spills and releases. We have contracted with various spill response service companies in the areas in which we gather, load, transport or store crude oil and NGLs; however, these companies may not be able to adequately contain a  discharge in all instances, and we cannot ensure that all of their services would be available at any given time.

If our assets become subject to FERC regulation, or if federal, state or local regulations or policies change, or if we fail to comply with such regulations, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Although the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has not made any formal determinations with respect to our natural gas gathering facilities upstream of the Tioga Gas Plant, we believe that the natural gas pipelines in our gathering systems meet the traditional tests FERC has used to establish whether a pipeline is unregulated under the Natural Gas Act, or the NGA.  However, the classification and regulation of our gathering facilities may be subject to change based on future determinations by FERC, the courts, or Congress. If it is subsequently determined that an individual facility is not exempt from FERC regulation under the NGA, such determination could decrease revenue, increase operating costs, and, depending upon the facility in question, adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows. In addition, if any of our facilities were found to have violated  the NGA or the Natural Gas Policy Act, or the NGPA, FERC has civil penalty authority under the NGA and NGPA to impose penalties for current violations of up to $1,291,894 per day for each violation and disgorgement of profits associated with any violation. In addition, state regulation of gathering facilities and intrastate transportation pipelines generally include various safety, environmental, and in some circumstances, nondiscriminatory take and common purchaser requirements, as well as complaint-based rate regulation.

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We may incur significant costs and liabilities as a result of pipeline integrity management program testing and any related pipeline repair or preventative or remedial measures.

The United States Department of Transportation, or DOT, through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, has adopted regulations requiring pipeline operators to develop integrity management programs for transportation pipelines located in “high consequence areas” (i.e. where a leak or rupture could do the most harm).

PHMSA regularly proposes revisions to existing regulations as well as new pipeline safety regulations. For example, in April 2016, pursuant to one of the requirements of the 2011 Pipeline Safety Act, PHMSA published a proposed rulemaking that would expand integrity management requirements and impose new pressure testing requirements on currently regulated gas transmission pipelines. The proposal would also significantly expand the regulation of gas gathering lines, subjecting previously unregulated pipelines to requirements regarding damage prevention, corrosion control, public education programs, maximum allowable operating pressure (“MAOP”) limits, and other requirements. PHMSA has not yet finalized such natural gas pipeline regulations. In October 2019, PHMSA submitted three major rules to the Federal Register, including rules focused on:  the safety of gas transmission pipelines (the first of three parts of the Mega Rule), the safety of hazardous liquid pipelines, and enhanced emergency order procedures.  The gas transmission rule requires operators of gas transmission pipelines constructed before 1970 to determine the material strength of their lines by reconfirming MAOP.  In addition, the rule updates reporting and records retention standards for gas transmission pipelines.  PHMSA is next expected to issue the second part of the Mega Rule focusing on repair criteria in high-consequence ares (“HCAs”) and creating new repair criteria for non-HCAs, requirements for inspecting pipelines following extreme events, updates to pipeline corrosion control requirements, and various other integrity management requirements.  PHMSA is expected to subsequently issue the final part of the gas Mega Rule, the Gas Gathering Rule, focusing on requirements relating to gas gathering lines.  The safety and hazardous liquid pipelines rule extended leak detection requirements to all non-gathering hazardous liquid pipelines and requires operators to inspect affected pipelines following extreme weather events or natural disasters to address any resulting damage.  Finally, the enhanced emergency procedures rule focuses on increased emergency safety measures.  In particular, this rule increases the authority of PHMSA to issue an emergency order that addresses unsafe conditions or hazards that pose an imminent threat to pipeline safety.

The adoption of these and other laws or regulations could require us to install new or modified safety controls, pursue new capital projects, or conduct maintenance programs on an accelerated basis, all of which could require us to incur increased operational costs that could be significant. While we cannot predict the outcome of legislative or regulatory initiatives, such legislative and regulatory changes could have a material effect on our cash flow.

In addition, if we fail to comply with applicable PHMSA regulations, rules, or orders, this could result in the imposition of civil penalties. Pursuant to the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty and Job Creation Act of 2011, or 2011 Pipeline Safety Act, PHMSA finalized rules that increased the maximum administrative civil penalties for violations of the pipeline safety laws and regulations to $200,000 per violation per day, with a maximum of $2,000,000 for a related series of violations. Effective July 31, 2019, those maximum civil penalties were increased by PHMSA to $218,647 per violation per day, with a maximum of $2,186,465 for a series of violations, to account for inflation.

Changes in laws or standards affecting crude oil rail cars or the transportation of North American crude oil by rail could require retrofitting our existing car fleet and/or reduce volumes throughput at our facilities, and as a result our revenues could decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to shareholders.

Rail car derailments in Canada and the United States in the last several years have led to increased regulatory scrutiny over the safety of transporting Bakken crude oil by rail. The Federal Railroad Administration, or FRA, of the DOT, and the DOT’s PHMSA, have issued several Safety Advisories and Emergency Orders directing offerors and rail carriers to take additional precautionary measures to enhance the safe shipment of bulk quantities of crude oil. Currently, all of the rail cars in our fleet are DOT‑117 rail cars that meet the requirements of the final DOT rule. In addition, the adoption of additional federal, state or local laws or regulations, including any new voluntary measures by the rail industry regarding rail car design or crude oil and liquid hydrocarbon rail transport activities, or efforts by local communities to restrict or limit rail traffic involving crude oil, could increase compliance costs and decrease demand for our services, which could adversely affect our financial position and cash flows. Moreover, any disruptions in the operations of railroads, including those due to shortages of rail cars, locomotives or labor, weather‑related problems, or other force majeure events could adversely impact our customers’ ability to move their product and, as a result, could affect our business.

Evolving environmental laws and regulations on crude oil stabilization could have an effect on our financial performance.

In December 2014, the North Dakota Industrial Commission, or NDIC, issued Order No. 25417, which requires producers in  the Bakken, among other fields, effective April 1, 2015, to heat their produced fluids to a specified minimum temperature or demonstrate that crude oil has a vapor pressure no greater than 13.7 psi prior to separation. In January 2019, the NDIC issued revisions to the order giving operators more flexibility for evaluating and demonstrating compliance with the state’s vapor pressure requirements.

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Given the volume of tight crude oil like Bakken crude that was then being shipped by rail, the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, tasked Sandia National Laboratories to study the properties of tight crude oils as they relate to potential combustion events in the rail transport environment. On August 23, 2019, Sandia released its report “Pool Fire and Fireball Experiments in Support of the U.S. DOE/DOT/TC Crude Oil Characterization Research Study” (the “Sandia Study”). After studying the thermal hazard characteristics of crude oil samples from the Bakken System in comparison to crude oils from the Permian Basin in Texas and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Sandia concluded that “all the oils have comparable thermal hazard distances” and “none of the oils studied indicate outlier behavior.” Additionally, the Sandia Study found that “the results from this work do not support creating a distinction for crude oils based on vapor pressure.” Despite the conclusions of the Sandia Study, some federal, state or local regulators may continue to pursue regulation of crude oil vapor pressure for transportation purposes.

If new or more stringent federal, state or local legal restrictions relating to the quality specification of crude oil or to crude oil transportation are adopted in areas where Hess and our other customers operate, Hess and our other customers could incur potentially significant added costs to comply with such requirements and experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of production or development activities, which could reduce demand for our midstream services.

Evolving environmental laws and regulations on climate change could adversely affect our financial performance.

Potential regulations regarding climate change could affect our operations. Currently, various federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies are considering measures to address greenhouse gas emissions. These measures include the Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA, programs that require the crude oil and natural gas industry to report and to control greenhouse gas emissions, and states to develop statewide or regional programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, in October 2015 the EPA finalized a rule to expand the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule to include emissions from gathering and boosting systems and blowdowns of natural gas transmission pipelines. These actions could result in increased (i) costs to operate and maintain our facilities, (ii) capital expenditures to install new emission controls on our facilities and (iii) costs to administer and manage any potential greenhouse gas emissions regulations or carbon trading or tax programs. These developments also could have an indirect effect on our business if Hess’ Bakken operations are adversely affected due to increased regulation of Hess’ facilities or reduced demand for crude oil, natural gas and NGLs.

Further, in May 2016 the EPA finalized new regulations that for the first-time established methane emission standards for new and modified oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing and transmission facilities. In April 2017, the EPA announced that it would review the 2016 methane rule and would initiate reconsideration proceedings to potentially revise or rescind portions of the rule. In September 2018, the EPA issued a proposed rulemaking that would reduce the 2016 standards’ fugitive emissions monitoring requirements and expand exceptions to controlling methane emissions from pneumatic pumps, among other changes.  Various industry and environmental groups have separately challenged both the original 2016 standards and the EPA’s attempts to delay implementation of the rule. Further, in August 2019, the EPA proposed two options for further rescinding the 2016 standards. Under the EPA’s preferred alternative, the agency would rescind the methane limits for new, reconstructed and modified oil and natural gas production sources while leaving in place the general emission limits for volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and relieve the EPA of its obligation to develop guidelines for methane emissions from existing sources. In addition, the proposal would remove from the oil and natural gas category the natural gas transmission and storage segment. The other proposed alternative would rescind the methane requirements of the 2016 standards applicable to all oil and natural gas sources, without removing any sources from that source category (and still requiring control of VOCs in general).   As a result of these developments, future implementation of the rule is uncertain at this time based on pending legal challenges. In November 2016, the Bureau of Land Management, or “BLM” also finalized a rule to address methane emissions from crude oil and natural gas sources subject to BLM jurisdiction by limiting venting, flaring and leaking. In December 2017, BLM issued a final rule postponing compliance dates for portions of the rule until January 17, 2019.  In September 2018, BLM issued a final rule rescinding parts and significantly modifying other parts of the November 2016 rule. The future of this rule is currently being challenged in federal court. Congress continues to periodically consider legislation on greenhouse gas emissions, which may include a delay in the implementation of greenhouse gas regulations by EPA or a limitation on EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, although the ultimate adoption and form of any federal legislation cannot presently be predicted.

In addition to potential domestic regulation of greenhouse gases, there continues to be international interest in a global framework for greenhouse gas reductions. While significant uncertainty exists as to future regulation of methane or other greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act or other local, regional, or international regulatory regimes, including any cap-and-trade program, their impact, if enacted,  is likely to result in increased compliance costs, increased utility costs, additional operating restrictions on our business and an increase in the cost of products generally. However, the extent and magnitude of that impact cannot currently be reliably or accurately estimated.

Finally, many scientists have concluded that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions in the earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects. To the extent any such effects were to occur, any associated market changes could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and operations.

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We or Hess may be unable to obtain or renew permits or approvals necessary for our respective operations, which could inhibit our ability to do business and adversely affect our financial performance.

Our facilities and Hess’ and our other customers’ facilities that provide volumes to our facilities operate under federal, state and local permits, licenses and approvals with terms and conditions containing a significant number of prescriptive limits and performance standards  that require a significant amount of monitoring, record keeping and reporting in order to demonstrate compliance. A decision by a government agency to deny or delay issuing a new or renewed permit or approval, or to revoke or substantially modify an existing permit or approval, could have an adverse impact on Hess’ ability to produce crude oil and natural gas or on our ability to handle volumes of crude oil, natural gas, NGLs or produced water at our facilities, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, noncompliance or incomplete documentation of our compliance status with respect to our existing permits or approvals may result in the imposition of fines, penalties and injunctive relief.

Evolving environmental laws and regulations on hydraulic fracturing could have an effect on our financial performance.

We do not conduct hydraulic fracturing operations, but Hess’ and our other customers’ crude oil and natural gas production operations often require hydraulic fracturing as part of the completion process. While hydraulic fracturing is typically regulated by state agencies, federal agencies have also asserted regulatory authority over the process. In addition, Congress may in the future further consider legislation giving the EPA direct authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Many states have already adopted laws and/or regulations that require disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and are considering legal requirements that could impose more stringent permitting, disclosure and well construction requirements on crude oil and/or natural gas drilling activities.  If new or more stringent federal, state or local legal restrictions relating to the hydraulic fracturing process are adopted in areas where Hess and our other customers operate, Hess and our other customers could incur potentially significant added costs to comply with such requirements and experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of production or development activities, which could reduce demand for our midstream services.

Certain plant or animal species could be designated as endangered or threatened, which could limit our ability to expand some of our existing operations or limit our customers’ ability to develop new crude oil and natural gas wells.

The federal Endangered Species Act, or ESA, restricts activities that may affect endangered or threatened species or their habitats. Many states have analogous laws designed to protect endangered or threatened species. The designation of previously unidentified endangered or threatened species under such laws may affect our and our customers’ operations.

Terrorist or cyber-attacks and threats, or escalation of military activity in response to these attacks, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Terrorist attacks and threats, cyber‑attacks, escalation of military activity or acts of war may have significant effects on general economic conditions, fluctuations in consumer confidence and spending and market liquidity, each of which could materially and adversely affect our business. Strategic targets, such as energy‑related assets and transportation assets, may be at greater risk of future terrorist attacks than other targets in the United States. We do not maintain specialized insurance for possible liability or loss resulting from a terrorist attack or cyber‑attack on our assets that may shut down all or part of our business. It is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Computers and telecommunication systems have become an integral part of our business. We use these systems to analyze and store financial and operating data and to communicate within our company and with outside business partners. Cyber‑attacks or phishing-attacks, unauthorized access, malicious software, data privacy breaches by employees or others with authorized access, ransomware, and other cyber security issues could compromise our computer and telecommunications systems and result in disruptions to our business operations, the loss or corruption of our data and proprietary information and communications interruptions. In addition, computers control oil and gas distribution systems globally and are necessary to deliver our customers’ products to market. A cyber‑attack impacting these distribution systems, or the networks and infrastructure on which they rely, could damage critical production, processing, distribution and/or storage assets, delay or prevent delivery to markets and make it difficult or impossible to accurately account for our services and settle transactions. As a result, a cyber breach of these operating systems, or of the networks and infrastructure on which they rely and any resulting investigation or remediation costs, litigation or regulatory action could have a material adverse impact on our cash flows and results of operations, reputation and competitiveness.  We routinely experience attempts by external parties to penetrate and attack our networks and systems.  Although such attempts to date have not resulted in any material breaches, disruptions, financial loss, or loss of business-critical information, our systems and procedures for protecting against such attacks and mitigating such risks may prove to be insufficient in the future and such attacks could have an adverse impact on our business and operations, including damage to our reputation and competitiveness, remediation costs, litigation or regulatory actions.  In addition, as technologies evolve and these cyber security attacks become more sophisticated, we may incur significant costs to upgrade or enhance our security measures to protect against such attacks and we may face difficulties in fully anticipating or implementing adequate preventive measures or mitigating potential harm.

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If we are unable to make acquisitions on economically acceptable terms from third parties, our future growth could be limited, and any acquisitions we may make may reduce, rather than increase, our cash flows and ability to make distributions to shareholders.

Part of our strategy to grow our business is dependent on our ability to make acquisitions. The acquisition component of our growth strategy is based, in large part, on our expectation of ongoing divestitures of midstream assets by industry participants.

If we are unable to make acquisitions from third parties, because (i) there is a material decrease in divestitures of midstream assets, (ii) we are unable to identify attractive acquisition candidates or negotiate acceptable purchase contracts, (iii) we are unable to obtain financing or to access the capital markets for future debt or equity offerings on economically acceptable terms, (iv) we are outbid by competitors or (v) for any other reason, our future growth and ability to increase our distributions will be limited. Our partnership agreement requires that we distribute all of our available cash to our shareholders. As a result, we expect to rely primarily upon external financing sources, including borrowings under our revolving credit facility and the issuance of debt and equity securities, to fund future acquisitions. Even if we are successful in obtaining funds for acquisitions through equity or debt financings, the terms thereof could limit our ability to pay distributions to our shareholders. In addition, issuing additional partner interests may result in significant shareholder dilution and increase the aggregate amount of cash required to maintain the then-current distribution rates, which could materially decrease our ability to pay distributions at the then-current distribution rates. If funding is not available to us when needed, or is available only on unfavorable terms, we may be unable to execute our business strategy, complete acquisitions or otherwise take advantage of business opportunities or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and ability to make quarterly cash distributions to our shareholders.

Furthermore, even if we do consummate acquisitions that we believe will be accretive, they may in fact result in a decrease in distributions as a result of incorrect assumptions in our evaluation of such acquisitions or unforeseen consequences or other external events beyond our control. If we consummate any future acquisitions, shareholders will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial and other relevant information that we will consider in evaluating any such acquisitions.

Risks Inherent in an Investment in Us

Our general partner and its affiliates, including our Sponsors, have conflicts of interest with us and limited fiduciary duties to us and our shareholders, and they may favor their own interests to our detriment and that of our shareholders. Additionally, we have no control over the business decisions and operations of our Sponsors, and none of the Sponsors is under any obligation to adopt a business strategy that favors us.

The Sponsors indirectly own and control our general partner. Although our general partner has a duty to manage the Company in a manner that is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, the Company’s directors and officers also have a duty to manage our general partner in a manner that is in the best interests of its owner, HIP GP LLC, which is owned by the Sponsors. Conflicts of interest may arise between the Sponsors and their respective affiliates, including our general partner, on the one hand, and the Company and the Company’s shareholders, on the other hand. In resolving these conflicts, our general partner may favor its own interests and the interests of its affiliates, including the Sponsors, over the interests of the Company’s shareholders. These conflicts include, among others, the following situations:

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Under the terms of our partnership agreement, the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, does not apply to our general partner or any of its affiliates, including the Sponsors, HIP GP LLC or the executive officers and directors of the Company. Any such person or entity that becomes aware of a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an opportunity for the Company will not have any duty to communicate or offer such opportunity to the Company. Any such person or entity will not be liable to the Company or to any limited partner for breach of any fiduciary duty or other duty by reason of the fact that such person or entity pursues or acquires such opportunity for itself, directs such opportunity to another person or entity or does not communicate such opportunity or information to the Company. This may create actual and potential conflicts of interest between the Company and affiliates of our general partner and result in less than favorable treatment of the Company and its shareholders.

Our partnership agreement requires that we distribute all of our available cash, which could limit our ability to grow and make acquisitions.

Our partnership agreement requires that we distribute all of our available cash to our shareholders. As a result, we expect to rely primarily upon external financing sources, including borrowings under our revolving credit facility and the issuance of debt and equity securities, to fund our acquisitions and expansion capital expenditures. Therefore, to the extent we are unable to finance our growth externally, our cash distribution policy will significantly impair our ability to grow. In addition, because we will distribute all of our available cash, our growth may not be as fast as that of businesses that reinvest their available cash to expand ongoing operations. To the extent we issue additional shares in connection with any acquisitions or expansion capital expenditures, the payment of distributions on those additional shares may increase the risk that we will be unable to maintain or increase our per share distribution level. There are no limitations in our partnership agreement on our ability to issue additional shares, including shares ranking senior to our Class A Shares as to distributions or in liquidation or that have special voting rights and other rights, and our shareholders will have no preemptive or other rights (solely as a result of their status as shareholders) to purchase any such additional shares. The incurrence of additional commercial borrowings or other debt to finance our growth strategy would result in increased interest expense, which, in turn, may reduce the amount of cash that we have available to distribute to our shareholders.

Our partnership agreement designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by the Company’s shareholders, which would limit such shareholders’ ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes with us or our general partner’s directors, officers or other employees.

Our partnership agreement provides that, with certain limited exceptions, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the exclusive forum for, any claims, suits, actions or proceedings (i) arising out of or relating in any way to our partnership agreement (including any claims, suits or actions to interpret, apply or enforce the provisions of our partnership agreement or the duties, obligations or liabilities among partners or of partners to the Company, or the rights or powers of, or restrictions on, the partners or the Company), (ii) brought in a derivative manner on behalf of the Company, (iii) asserting a claim of breach of a duty (including any fiduciary duty) owed by any director, officer, or other employee of the Company or our general partner, or owed by our general partner, to the Company or its partners, (iv) asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the “Delaware Act”) or (v) asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. However, the exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal law claims, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in Class A Shares is deemed to have received notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. Although we believe this choice of forum provision benefits the Company by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against the Company and our general partner’s directors and officers. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation or similar governing documents has been challenged in legal proceedings and it is possible that in connection with any action a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our partnership agreement to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action. If a court were to find this choice of forum provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

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Our partnership agreement provides that our shareholders irrevocably waive the right to trial by jury in any claim, suit, action or proceeding under either state or federal laws, including any claim under U.S. federal securities laws, which could result in less favorable outcomes to our shareholders in any such action.

Our partnership agreement provides that our shareholders, including those who become our shareholders by purchasing shares in us in secondary transactions, irrevocably waive the right to trial by jury for any claims, suits, actions or proceedings (i) arising out of or relating in any way to our partnership agreement (including any claims, suits or actions to interpret, apply or enforce the provisions of our partnership agreement or the duties, obligations or liabilities among the Company’s partners, or obligations or liabilities of the Company’s partners to the Company, or the rights or powers of, or restrictions on, the Company’s partners or the Company), (ii) brought in a derivative manner on the Company’s behalf, (iii) asserting a claim of breach of a duty owed by any of the Company’s, or our general partner’s, directors, officers, or other employees, or owed by our general partner, to the Company or the Company’s partners, (iv) asserting a claim against the Company arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware Act or (v) asserting a claim against the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case pursuant to either state or federal laws, including U.S. federal securities law. Regardless, such waiver of the right to trial by jury does not impact the ability of a shareholder of the Company to make a claim under either federal or state law.

The waiver of the right to a jury trial is not intended to be deemed a waiver by any shareholder with respect to the Company’s compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. If the Company or one of the Company shareholders opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the applicable court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the U.S. federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of Delaware, which govern our partnership agreement.

If a shareholder brings a claim in connection with matters arising under our partnership agreement, including claims under U.S. federal securities laws, such Company shareholder may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits. If a lawsuit is brought by a shareholder under our partnership agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in a different outcome than a trial by jury, including results that could be less favorable to the Company shareholder(s) bringing such lawsuit.

Affiliates of our general partner, including our Sponsors, may compete with us, and neither our general partner nor its affiliates have any obligation to present business opportunities to us.

Neither our partnership agreement nor the partnership agreement of the Partnership prohibits the Sponsors or any other affiliates of our general partner from owning assets or engaging in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with the Company. Under the terms of our partnership agreement, the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, does not apply to our general partner or any of its affiliates, including the Sponsors and the Company’s executive officers and directors. Any such entity that becomes aware of a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter that may be an opportunity for the Company will not have any duty to communicate or offer such opportunity to the Company. Consequently, the Sponsors and other affiliates of our general partner, including HIP GP LLC, may acquire, construct or dispose of additional midstream assets in the future without any obligation to offer the Company the opportunity to purchase any of those assets. As a result, competition from the Sponsors and other affiliates of our general partner could materially and adversely impact the Company’s results of operations and distributable cash flow.

Our partnership agreement replaces our general partner’s fiduciary duties to holders of the Company’s shares with contractual standards governing its duties.

Delaware law provides that Delaware limited partnerships may, in their partnership agreements, expand, restrict or eliminate the fiduciary duties otherwise owed by the general partner to limited partners and the partnership, provided that partnership agreements may not eliminate the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing. As permitted by Delaware law, our partnership agreement contains provisions that eliminate the fiduciary standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held by state fiduciary duty law and replaces those duties with several different contractual standards. For example, our partnership agreement permits our general partner to make a number of decisions in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner, free of any duties to us and our shareholders other than the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing. This provision entitles our general partner to consider only the interests and factors that it desires and relieves it of any duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or factors affecting, us, our affiliates or our limited partners. By purchasing a Class A Share, a shareholder is treated as having consented to the provisions in our partnership agreement, including the provisions discussed above.

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Holders of our Class A Shares have very limited voting rights and, even if they are dissatisfied, they cannot initially remove our general partner without its consent.

Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, our shareholders have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business and, therefore, limited ability to influence management’s decisions regarding our business. For example, unlike holders of stock in a public corporation, our shareholders do not have “say-on-pay” advisory voting rights. Our shareholders did not elect our general partner and will not elect any of the members of our general partner’s board of directors and have no right to elect our general partner or any of the members of our general partner’s board of directors on an annual or other continuing basis. Our board of directors is chosen by HIP GP LLC, which is controlled by our Sponsors. Furthermore, if our shareholders are dissatisfied with the performance of our general partner, they have little ability to remove our general partner. As a result of these limitations, the price at which Class A Shares trade could be diminished because of the absence or reduction of a takeover premium in the trading price.

Our shareholders are not able to remove our general partner without its consent because our general partner and its affiliates own sufficient shares to be able to prevent its removal. In addition, our general partner may only be removed for cause. “Cause” is narrowly defined under our partnership agreement to mean that a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final, non-appealable judgment finding our general partner liable for actual fraud or willful or wanton misconduct in its capacity as our general partner. Cause does not include most cases of charges of poor management of the business. Even if cause for removal exists, the vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of all of our outstanding shares voting together as a single class is required to remove our general partner. As of December 31, 2019, our general partner and its affiliates collectively owned 94% of our Company shares.

Furthermore, our shareholders’ voting rights are further restricted by our partnership agreement, which provides that any shares held by a person that owns 20% or more of any class of shares then outstanding, other than our general partner, its affiliates, their transferees, and persons who acquired such shares with the prior approval of our board of directors, cannot vote on any matter.

Our partnership agreement also contains provisions limiting the ability of our shareholders to call meetings or to acquire information about our operations, as well as other provisions limiting our shareholders’ ability to influence the manner or direction of management.

Our general partner interest or the control of our general partner may be transferred to a third party without shareholder consent.

Our general partner may transfer its general partner interest to a third party in a merger or in a sale of all or substantially all of its assets without the consent of our shareholders. Furthermore, there is no restriction in our partnership agreement on the ability of HIP GP LLC to transfer all of the partnership interests in our general partner, or all of the membership interests in GP LLC, the general partner of our general partner, to a third party. The new owner of our general partner or the general partner of our general partner would then be in a position to replace our board of directors and officers with its own choices. As a result, we could lose the provision of certain operational support and administrative services by Hess and its affiliates and our license to use certain Hess trademarks.

Our general partner has a limited call right that may require our shareholders to sell their Class A Shares at an undesirable time or price.

If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than a designated percentage of the issued and outstanding limited partner interests of any class, our general partner will have the right, but not the obligation, which it may assign to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the limited partner interests of such class held by unaffiliated persons at a price not less than their then-current market price. This designated percentage is equal to (i) 80% with respect to all classes of limited partner interests other than Class A Shares and (ii) as of the consummation of the Restructuring, 97% of the Class A Shares and Class B Shares, taken together, which percentage is gradually adjusted downward in connection with decreases to the percentage of the limited partner interests held by our general partner and its affiliates. Generally, the designated percentage is three to five percent greater than the percentage of the limited partner interests owned by our general partner and its affiliates, until they own 75% of the limited partner interests, at which time the designated percentage will be fixed at 80%. As a result, our shareholders may be required to sell their Class A Shares at an undesirable time or price and may not receive any return on their investment. Our shareholders may also incur a tax liability upon a sale of their Class A Shares. For purposes of this calculation, the Class B Shares will be considered collectively with the Class A Shares as a single class. Our general partner and its affiliates currently own approximately 94% of the Class B Shares and the Class A Shares, considered as a single class.

Our partnership agreement restricts the remedies available to shareholders for actions taken by our general partner that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that restrict the remedies available to shareholders for actions taken by our general partner that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty under state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership agreement:

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 The market price of Class A Shares may fluctuate significantly.

The market price of Class A Shares may fluctuate significantly and holders of Class A Shares could lose some or all of the value of their investment. In addition, the stock market has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations in recent times which, if they continue to occur, could have a material adverse effect on the market for, or liquidity of, Class A Shares, regardless of our actual operating performance.

Our Sponsors may sell Class A Shares in the public or private markets, and such sales could have an adverse impact on the trading price of the Class A Shares.

As of December 31, 2019, our Sponsors and their affiliates, including our general partner, collectively held 898,000 Class A Shares, 266,416,928 Class B Shares, and 266,416,928 Class B Units in the Partnership. The Class B Units in the Partnership are exchangeable, together with an equal number of Class B Shares, into Class A Shares on a one-to-one basis. We have agreed to provide our Sponsors with certain registration rights under applicable securities laws with respect to resales of the Class A Shares. The sale of these Class A Shares in the public or private markets could have an adverse impact on the price of the Class A Shares or any trading market that may develop.

We may issue an unlimited number of additional equity interests without shareholder approval, including equity interests with preferences senior to the Class A Shares, which would dilute shareholder interests.

Under our partnership agreement, we may, at any time, issue an unlimited number of general partner interests or limited partner interests of any type without the approval of our shareholders, and our shareholders will have no preemptive or other rights (solely as a result of their status as shareholders) to purchase any such general partner interests or limited partner interests. Further, there are no limitations in our partnership agreement on our ability to issue equity securities that rank equal or senior to the Class A Shares as to distributions or in liquidation or that have special voting rights and other rights.

The issuance by us of additional Class A Shares or other equity securities of equal or senior rank will have the following effects:

The issuance by us of additional general partner interests may have the following effects, among others, if such general partner interests are issued to a person who is not an affiliate of our general partner:

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The NYSE does not require a publicly traded limited partnership like us to comply with certain of its corporate governance requirements.

Our Class A Shares are listed on the NYSE. Because we are a publicly traded limited partnership, the NYSE does not require us to have a majority of independent directors on our board of directors or to establish a compensation committee or a nominating and corporate governance committee. Additionally, any future issuances of additional Class A Shares or other securities, including to affiliates, are not subject to the NYSE’s shareholder approval rules that apply to a corporation. Accordingly, our shareholders do not have the same protections afforded to certain shareholders of corporations that are subject to all of the NYSE corporate governance requirements.

We are treated as a corporation for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes.

We are subject to U.S. federal income tax as a corporation at the corporate tax rate of 21% and to state income tax in various states at various rates. Distributions on our Class A Shares are treated as distributions on corporate stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes and taxed again as corporate dividends (to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits). Because an entity-level tax is imposed on us due to our status as a corporation for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes, distributable cash flow will be reduced by any tax liabilities.

None.

Although we may, from time to time, be involved in litigation and claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business, we are not a party to any litigation or governmental or other proceeding that we believe will have a material adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

Not Applicable

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PART II

Stock Market Information

Our Class A Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol “HESM”.

Holders

As of December 31, 2019, there were 2 shareholders of record who owned a total of 17,960,655 of our Class A Shares, one of which is Hess Midstream GP LP. The number of holders does not include the holders for whom shares are held in a “nominee” or “street” name. In addition, as of December 31, 2019, Hess Midstream GP LP owned an aggregate of 266,416,928 Class B Shares. Hess and GIP indirectly own the Class A Shares and Class B Shares owned by Hess Midstream GP LP.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

In 2017, the Partnership adopted the Hess Midstream Partners LP 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Pursuant to the Restructuring, the Company assumed the Hess Midstream Partners LP 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan and all obligations with respect to outstanding awards thereunder. The Company amended and restated the Hess Midstream Partners LP 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan to, among other things, change the plan’s name to the Hess Midstream LP 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”) and to reflect the Company’s assumption of the plan. The LTIP limits the number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to vested awards to 3,000,000 Class A Shares.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table summarizes information about our equity compensation plan as of December 31, 2019:

See Note 9, Equity‑Based Compensation in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of our equity compensation plans.

Distributions of Available Cash

General

Our partnership agreement requires that, within 45 days after the end of each quarter, we distribute all of our available cash to shareholders of record on the applicable record date. Except for splits and combinations as contemplated by our partnership agreement, no distribution shall be made under any circumstances in respect of any Class B Shares or our general partner interest.

The following table sets forth the cash distributions per unit or share declared on the Common Units or Class A Shares, as applicable, from the closing of our IPO on April 10, 2017, through December 31, 2019:

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Definition of Available Cash

Available cash generally means, for any quarter, all cash and cash equivalents on hand at the end of that quarter:

The purpose and effect of the last bullet point above is to allow our general partner, if it so decides, to use cash from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter but on or before the date of determination of available cash for that quarter to pay distributions to shareholders. Under our partnership agreement, working capital borrowings are generally borrowings that are made under a credit facility, commercial paper facility or similar financing arrangement, and in all cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay distributions to partners and with the intent of the borrower to repay such borrowings within twelve months with funds other than from additional working capital borrowings.

Intent to Distribute the Minimum Quarterly Distribution

Under our current cash distribution policy, we intend to make a minimum quarterly distribution to the holders of our Class A Shares of $0.30 per share, or $1.20 per share on an annualized basis, to the extent we have sufficient available cash after the establishment of cash reserves and the payment of costs and expenses, including reimbursements of expenses to our general partner. However, there is no guarantee that we will pay the minimum quarterly distribution on our Class A Shares in any quarter. The amount of distributions paid under our cash distribution policy and the decision to make any distribution will be determined by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of our partnership agreement.

General Partner Interest

Our general partner owns a non-economic general partner interest in us and, as of December 31, 2019, 898,000 Class A Shares and 266,416,928 Class B Shares. Our general partner, in its capacity as a shareholder, is entitled to share in cash distributions on our Class A Shares, but is not otherwise entitled to receive cash distributions with respect to its general partner interest in us or its Class B Shares. However, our general partner may in the future own other equity interests in us and may be entitled to receive distributions on any such interests.

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Adjustment of the Minimum Quarterly Distribution

If we combine our shares or other interests in us (“Company Interests”) into fewer shares or Company Interests (commonly referred to as a “reverse split”) or subdivide our shares or Company Interests into a greater number of shares or Company Interests (commonly referred to as a “split”), we will proportionately adjust the minimum quarterly distribution.

For example, if a two-for-one split of Class A Shares should occur, the minimum quarterly distribution would be reduced to 50% of its initial level. We will not make any adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional shares or Company Interests for cash or property (including additional Class A Shares issued under any compensation or benefit plans).

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Item 6. SelectED Financial Data

The following is a summary of selected financial and operating data that should be read in conjunction with both our Consolidated Financial Statements and Accompanying Notes, and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K:

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. Financial information presented in this report has been retrospectively adjusted for the acquisition of Hess Infrastructure Partners LP.

Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise indicates, references in this report to “Predecessor,” “we,” “us” or like terms, when referring to periods prior to April 10, 2017, refer to Hess Midstream Partners LP Predecessor (“Predecessor”), our predecessor for accounting purposes. All references to “Hess Midstream Operations LP,” “the Partnership,” “us,” “we” or similar terms, when referring to periods between April 10, 2017 and December 16, 2019, refer to Hess Midstream Operations LP (formerly known as Hess Midstream Partners LP, the predecessor registrant to Hess Midstream LP), including its consolidated subsidiaries. All references to “Hess Midstream LP,” “the Company,” “us,” “our,” “we” or similar terms, when referring to periods subsequent to December 16, 2019, refer to Hess Midstream LP, including its consolidated subsidiaries.

This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this report.

Overview

We are a fee-based, growth-oriented, limited partnership formed by Hess Infrastructure Partners GP LLC (“HIP GP LLC”) and our general partner to own, operate, develop and acquire a diverse set of midstream assets and provide fee-based services to Hess and third-party customers. We are managed and controlled by Hess Midstream GP LLC, the general partner of our general partner. Our assets are primarily located in the Bakken and Three Forks shale plays in the Williston Basin area of North Dakota, which we collectively refer to as the Bakken.

On January 25, 2018, we entered into a 50/50 joint venture with Targa Resources Corp. (“Targa”) to construct a new 200 MMcf/d gas processing plant called Little Missouri 4 (“LM4”). LM4 was placed in service in the third quarter of 2019. Targa is the operator of the plant.

On March 1, 2019, Hess Infrastructure Partners LP (“HIP”) acquired 100% of the membership interest in Hess’ Bakken water services business (“Hess Water Services”) for cash consideration of $225.0 million.

On March 22, 2019, we acquired the crude oil, gas and water gathering assets of Summit Midstream Partners’ Tioga Gathering System for cash consideration of $89.2 million, with the potential for an additional $10.0 million of contingent payments in future periods subject to certain future performance metrics.

On April 25, 2019, we announced plans to expand natural gas processing capacity at the Tioga Gas Plant by 150 MMcf/d for total processing capacity of 400 MMcf/d for expected capital expenditures of approximately $150 million, to be in service by mid-2021.  

On December 16, 2019, the Company and the Partnership completed the transactions (the “Restructuring”) contemplated by the Partnership Restructuring Agreement, dated October 3, 2019, by and among the Company, the Partnership and the other parties thereto. As a result of the Restructuring, the Company was delegated control of the Partnership and replaced the Partnership as its publicly traded successor. Prior to the Restructuring, the Company and the Partnership were indirectly controlled by HIP GP LLC, the general partner of HIP. HIP was originally formed as a joint venture between Hess and GIP (together, the “Sponsors”) and owned an 80% economic interest in certain of the Partnership’s existing assets (the “Joint Interest Assets”), a 100% interest in certain other businesses, including Hess Water Services and a 100% interest in Hess Midstream Partners GP LP (“MLP GP LP”), which held all of the Partnership’s outstanding incentive distribution rights and the general partner interest in the Partnership, and controlled the Partnership.

Pursuant to the Restructuring, the Partnership acquired HIP, including HIP’s 80% interest in the Joint Interest Assets, 100% interest in Hess Water Services and the outstanding economic general partner interest and incentive distribution rights in the Partnership. The Partnership’s organizational structure converted from a master limited partnership into an “Up-C” structure in which the Partnership’s public unitholders received newly issued Class A shares (“Class A Shares”) in Hess Midstream LP in a one-for-one exchange. The Partnership changed its name to “Hess Midstream Operations LP” and became a consolidated subsidiary of the Company. After consummation of the Restructuring, the Sponsors and their affiliates received an aggregate of 898,000 Class A Shares in the Company, 266,416,928 Class B units representing noncontrolling limited partner interests in the Partnership and received aggregate cash consideration of $601.8 million. The Sponsors own 100% interest in the general partner of the Company and, through their ownership of the general partner, continue to have the right to elect the entire board of directors.

 The acquisition of HIP by the Partnership, including its 80% economic interest in the Joint Interest Assets and 100% interest in Hess Water Services, was accounted for as an acquisition of a business under common control. Accordingly, our consolidated financial statements prior to the acquisition date of December 16, 2019 were retrospectively recast to include the financial results of HIP.

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Our principal business objective is to grow our business, free cash flow and distributable cash flow supported by fee-based contracts and disciplined financial strategy. We expect to achieve this objective through the following business strategies:

Our assets and operations are organized into the following three reportable segments: (i) gathering, (ii) processing and storage and (iii) terminaling and export.

Gathering

Our gathering segment includes Hess North Dakota Pipeline Operations LP, or Gathering Opco, and Hess Water Services Holdings LLC, which own the following assets:

Processing and Storage

Our processing and storage segment includes Hess TGP Operations LP, or HTGP Opco, and Hess Mentor Storage Holdings LLC, or Mentor Holdings, which own the following assets, respectively:

Terminaling and Export

Our terminaling and export segment includes Hess North Dakota Export Logistics Operations LP, or Logistics Opco, which owns each of the following assets:

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Significant 2019 Financial and Operating Results

Significant financial and operating results for the year ended December 31, 2019 include:

For additional information regarding our non‑GAAP financial measures, see “How We Evaluate Our Operations” and “Reconciliation of Non‑GAAP Financial Measures” below.

How We Generate Revenues

We generate substantially all of our revenues by charging fees for gathering, compressing and processing natural gas and fractionating NGLs; gathering, terminaling, loading and transporting crude oil and NGLs; storing and terminaling propane; and gathering and disposing of produced water. We have entered into long-term, fee-based commercial agreements with Hess dated effective January 1, 2014, for oil and gas services agreements, and effective January 1, 2019, for water services agreements. In addition, in 2018 and a portion of 2017, Hess Water Services had documented intercompany arrangements with certain subsidiaries of Hess pursuant to which it provided produced water gathering and disposal services and charged agreed-upon fees per barrel for the services performed.

Except for the water services agreements and except for a certain gathering sub-system, as described below, each of our commercial agreements with Hess has an initial 10-year term and we have the unilateral right to renew each of these agreements for one additional 10-year term. Initial term for the water services agreements is 14 years and the secondary term is 10 years. In September 2018, we amended our gas gathering and gas processing and fractionation agreements to enable us to provide certain services to Hess in respect of volumes to be delivered to and processed at the LM4 plant. The amended and restated gas gathering agreement also extends the initial term of the gathering agreement with respect to a certain gathering sub-system by 5 years to provide for a 15-year initial term and decreases the secondary term for that gathering sub-system by 5 years to provide for a 5-year secondary term. These agreements include dedications covering substantially all of Hess’ existing and future owned or controlled production in the Bakken, minimum volume commitments, inflation escalators and fee recalculation mechanisms, all of which are intended to provide us with cash flow stability and growth, as well as downside risk protection. In particular, Hess’ minimum volume commitments under our commercial agreements provide minimum levels of cash flows and the fee recalculation mechanisms under the agreements allow fees to be adjusted annually to provide us with cash flow stability. Our revenues also include revenues from third-party volumes contracted with Hess and delivered to us under these commercial agreements with Hess, as well as pass-through third-party rail transportation costs, third-party produced water trucking and disposal costs and electricity fees for which we recognize revenues in an amount equal to the costs. Together with Hess, we are pursuing strategic relationships with third-party producers and other midstream companies with operations in the Bakken in order to maximize our utilization rates.

How We Evaluate Our Operations

Our management uses a variety of financial and operating metrics to analyze our operating results and profitability. These metrics include (i) volumes, (ii) operating and maintenance expenses, (iii) Adjusted EBITDA, (iv) free cash flow, and (v) distributable cash flow.

Volumes.  The amount of revenues we generate primarily depends on the volumes of crude oil, natural gas, NGLs and produced water that we handle at our gathering, processing, terminaling, storage and disposal facilities. These volumes are affected primarily by the supply of and demand for crude oil, natural gas and NGLs in the markets served directly or indirectly by our assets, including changes in crude oil prices, which may further affect volumes delivered by Hess. Although Hess has committed to minimum volumes under our commercial agreements described above, our results of operations will be impacted by our ability to:

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Operating and Maintenance Expenses.  Our management seeks to maximize the profitability of our operations by effectively managing operating and maintenance expenses. These expenses are comprised primarily of costs charged to us under our omnibus agreement and employee secondment agreement, third‑party contractor costs, utility costs, insurance premiums, third‑party service provider costs, related property taxes and other non‑income taxes and maintenance expenses, such as expenditures to repair, refurbish and replace storage facilities and to maintain equipment reliability, integrity and safety. These expenses generally remain relatively stable across broad ranges of throughput volumes but can fluctuate from period to period depending on the mix of activities performed during that period and the timing of substantial expenses, such as gas plant turnarounds. We seek to manage our maintenance expenditures by scheduling periodic maintenance on our assets in order to minimize significant variability in these expenditures and minimize their impact on our cash flow.

Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Distributable Cash Flow.  We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before net interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation and amortization and our proportional share of depreciation of our equity affiliates, as further adjusted to eliminate the impact of certain items that we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance, such as transaction costs, other income and other non‑cash, non‑recurring items, if applicable. We define free cash flow as Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures. We use distributable cash flow to analyze our liquidity and performance. We define distributable cash flow as Adjusted EBITDA less net interest, excluding amortization of deferred financing costs, cash paid for federal and state income taxes and maintenance capital expenditures. Distributable cash flow does not reflect changes in working capital balances.

Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and distributable cash flow 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:

We believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and distributable cash flow provides useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. The GAAP measures most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and distributable cash flow are net income (loss) and net cash provided by (used in) operating activities. Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and distributable cash flow should not be considered as alternatives to GAAP net income (loss), income (loss) from operations, net cash provided by (used in) operating activities or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and distributable cash flow have important limitations as analytical tools because they exclude some but not all items that affect net income and net cash provided by operating activities. You should not consider Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow or distributable cash flow in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Additionally, because Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and distributable cash flow may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definition of Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and distributable cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility.

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Results of Operations

The following tables summarize our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. The financial information presented has been retrospectively adjusted for the acquisition of HIP. See Note 3, Acquisitions in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. The results of operations are discussed in further detail following this overview (in millions, unless otherwise noted).

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