CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Fair Value

Fair Value

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

The following tables set forth the Company's assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, by input level within the fair value hierarchy, as of December 31, 2017 and 2016:



	December 31, 2017
	Total		Fair Value
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
Other equity securities	$	2,958,315	$	—	$	—	$	2,958,315
Total Assets	$	2,958,315	$	—	$	—	$	2,958,315



	December 31, 2016
	Total		Fair Value
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
Other equity securities	$	9,287,209	$	—	$	—	$	9,287,209
Interest rate swap derivative	19,950		—		19,950		—
Total Assets	$	9,307,159	$	—	$	19,950	$	9,287,209

At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the only assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis were the Company's (i) equity securities and (ii) derivatives and equity securities, respectively. On March 30, 2016, the Company terminated one of its interest rate swaps with a notional amount of $26.3 million concurrent with the assignment of the Pinedale Credit Facility. The remaining cash flow hedge was de-designated from hedge accounting as of March 30, 2016, and continued to be valued using a consistent methodology and therefore was classified as a Level 2 measurement. Subsequent to de-designation, changes in the fair value were recognized in earnings in the period in which the changes occurred, through expiration in December 2017.

Prior to the interest rate swaps termination and expiration, the valuation of the interest rate swaps was determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each derivative. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, and uses observable market-based inputs, including forward interest rate curves. The inputs used to value the derivatives fall primarily within Level 2 of the value hierarchy. See further discussion in Note 13 ("Interest Rate Hedge Swaps").

The changes for all Level 3 securities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, are as follows:



Level 3 Rollforward
For the Year Ended 2017	Fair Value Beginning Balance		Acquisitions		Disposals			Total Realized and Unrealized Gains Included in Net Income		Return of Capital Adjustments Impacting Cost Basis of Securities			Fair Value Ending Balance		Changes in Unrealized Gains Included In Net Income, Relating to Securities Still Held ⁽¹⁾
Other equity securities	$	9,287,209	$	1,161,034	$	(8,752,201	)	$	1,531,827	$	(269,554	)	$	2,958,315	$	295,161
Total	$	9,287,209	$	1,161,034	$	(8,752,201	)	$	1,531,827	$	(269,554	)	$	2,958,315	$	295,161

For the Year Ended 2016
Other equity securities	$	8,393,683	$	—	$	—		$	781,154	$	112,372		$	9,287,209	$	781,154
Total	$	8,393,683	$	—	$	—		$	781,154	$	112,372		$	9,287,209	$	781,154
(1) Located in Net realized and unrealized gain on other equity securities in the Consolidated Statements of Income

The Company utilizes the beginning of reporting period method for determining transfers between levels. There were no transfers between levels 1, 2 or 3 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Valuation Techniques and Unobservable Inputs

The Company's other equity securities, which represent securities issued by private companies, are classified as Level 3 assets and the Company has elected to report at fair value under the fair value option. Significant judgment is required in selecting the assumptions used to determine the fair values of these investments.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company's investment in Lightfoot is its only remaining significant private company investment. As of both December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company held a 6.6 percent and 1.5 percent equity interest in Lightfoot LP and Lightfoot GP, respectively. Prior to the Zenith acquisition discussed below, Lightfoot's assets included an ownership interest in Gulf LNG, a 1.5 billion cubic feet per day ("bcf/d") receiving, storage and regasification terminal in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and common units and subordinated units representing an approximately 40 percent aggregate limited partner interest, and a noneconomic general partner interest, in Arc Logistics. As of December 31, 2017, Lightfoot's only material asset consists of its remaining investment in Gulf LNG.

On December 21, 2017, Zenith closed its acquisition of Arc Logistics. Under the terms of the agreement, Lightfoot LP received $14.50 per common unit of Arc Logistics. Lightfoot LP additionally received $36.2 million for the sale of 5.52 percent of its interest in Gulf LNG to Zenith (the "Unconditional Interest"). Under the terms of the agreement, Zenith will purchase the remaining 4.16 percent of Lightfoot's Gulf LNG interest (the “Conditional Interest”) for an additional $27.3 million upon a successful outcome (as defined) of the Gulf LNG arbitration with ENI USA, as discussed further below. Lightfoot GP received $94.5 million for 100 percent of the membership interests in Arc Logistics GP. Under the terms of the merger, at closing, Lightfoot LP and Lightfoot GP used a portion of their sale proceeds to purchase an approximate 13.5 percent interest in Arc Terminal Joliet Holdings.

In accordance with the above, subsequent to closing of the transaction, the Company received $7.6 million in cash proceeds related to its pro rata portion of the sale proceeds of Lightfoot, including proceeds related to Arc Logistics common units, the Unconditional Interest in Gulf LNG and membership interests in Arc Logistics GP. Amounts received are net of approximately $1.2 million related to the Company's required reinvestment in Arc Terminal Joliet Holdings, of which it owns approximately 0.6 percent.

As of December 31, 2017, the Company's remaining private company investments in Lightfoot and Arc Terminal Joliet Holdings represent less than 0.5 percent of its total assets. The fair value of the Company's private company investments at December 31, 2017 was approximately $3.0 million, which was determined using recent transaction data and expected proceeds, discounted using a risk-free rate through the expected receipt date. As of December 31, 2016, Lightfoot was valued using a combination of the following valuation techniques: (i) public share price of private companies' investments and (ii) discounted cash flow analysis using an estimated discount rate of 15.3 percent to 17.3 percent.

Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the Company's investment may fluctuate from period to period. Additionally, the fair value of the Company's investment may differ from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investment and may differ materially from the values that the Company may ultimately realize.

On March 1, 2016, an affiliate of Gulf LNG received a Notice of Disagreement and Disputed Statements and a Notice of Arbitration from Eni USA, one of the two companies that had entered into a terminal use agreement for capacity of the liquefied natural gas facility owned by Gulf LNG and its subsidiaries. Should Eni USA be successful in terminating its agreement with Gulf LNG, this could significantly impact the value of the Company's remaining investment in Lightfoot.

The following section describes the valuation methodologies used by the Company for estimating fair value for financial instruments not recorded at fair value, but fair value is included for disclosure purposes only, as required under disclosure guidance related to the fair value of financial instruments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents — The carrying value of cash, amounts due from banks, federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements approximates fair value.

Financing Notes Receivable — The financing notes receivable are valued on a non-recurring basis. The financing notes receivable are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Financing Notes with carrying values that are not expected to be recovered through future cash flows are written-down to their estimated net realizable value. Estimates of realizable value are determined based on unobservable inputs, including estimates of future cash flow generation and value of collateral underlying the notes.

Derivative Asset — The Company has historically used interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk. The fair value of these instruments is determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of the respective derivative.

Secured Credit Facilities — The fair value of the Company's long-term variable-rate and fixed-rate debt under its secured credit facilities approximates carrying value.

Unsecured Convertible Senior Notes — The fair value of the unsecured convertible senior notes is estimated using quoted market prices.



Carrying and Fair Value Amounts
	Level within fair value hierarchy	December 31, 2017				December 31, 2016
	Level within fair value hierarchy	Carrying Amount ⁽¹⁾		Fair Value		Carrying Amount ⁽¹⁾		Fair Value
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	Level 1	$	15,787,069	$	15,787,069	$	7,895,084	$	7,895,084
Financing notes receivable (Note 4)	Level 3	1,500,000		1,500,000		1,500,000		1,500,000
Derivative asset	Level 2	—		—		19,950		19,950
Financial Liabilities:
Secured credit facilities	Level 2	$	40,745,354	$	40,745,354	$	89,387,985	$	89,387,985
Unsecured convertible senior notes	Level 1	112,032,083		139,101,660		111,244,895		129,527,940
(1) The carrying value of debt balances are presented net of unamortized original issuance discount and debt issuance costs.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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