Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY

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VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY
Crimson Midstream Holdings
Since February 1, 2021, CorEnergy has held a 49.50% voting interest in Crimson and the Grier Members hold the remaining 50.50% voting interest. Crimson is a VIE because the legal entity is structured with non-substantive voting rights resulting from (i) the disproportionality between the voting interests of its members and certain economics of the distribution waterfall in the Third LLC Agreement and (ii) the de facto agent relationship between CorEnergy and Mr. Grier, who was appointed to the Board and Chief Operating Officer of the Company upon closing of the Crimson Transaction. As a result of this related-party relationship, substantially all of Crimson's activities either involve or are conducted on behalf of CorEnergy, which has disproportionately few voting rights, including Mr. Grier as a de facto agent.
Crimson is managed by the Crimson Board, which is made up of four managers of which the Company and the Grier Members are each represented by two managers. The Crimson Board is responsible for governing the significant activities that impact Crimson's economic performance, including a number of activities that are managed by an approved budget that requires super-majority approval or joint approval. In assessing the primary beneficiary, the Company determined that power is shared; however, the Company and the Grier Members as a related-party group, have characteristics of a primary beneficiary. The Company performed the "most closely associated" test and determined that CorEnergy is the entity in the related-party group most closely associated with the VIE. In performing this assessment, the Company considered, among other factors, that (i) its influence over the tax structure of Crimson so its operations could be included in the Company's REIT structure under its PLR, which allows fees received for the usage of storage and pipeline capacity to qualify as rents from real property; (ii) that the activities of the Company are substantially similar in nature to the activities of Crimson as the Company owns existing transportation and distribution assets at MoGas and Omega; (iii) that Crimson's assets represent a substantial portion of the Company's total assets; and (iv) that the Grier Members' interest in Crimson Class A-1, Class A-2, and Class A-3 Units will earn distributions if the Board declares a common or preferred dividend for Series A Preferred Stock and Class B Common Stock. Therefore, CorEnergy is the
primary beneficiary and consolidates the Crimson VIE, and the Grier Members' equity ownership interest (after the working capital adjustment and paid-in-kind dividends) is reflected as a non-controlling interest in the consolidated financial statements.
The Company noted that Crimson's assets cannot be used to settle CorEnergy's liabilities with the exception of quarterly distributions if declared by the Crimson Board. The quarterly distributions are used to fund current obligations, projected working capital requirements, debt service payments and dividend payments. As discussed in Note 14 ("Debt"), cash distributions to the Company from the borrowers under the Crimson Credit Facility were subject to certain restrictions, including without limitation, no default or event of default, compliance with financial covenants, minimum undrawn availability and available free cash flow. Further, the Crimson Credit Facility was secured by assets at both Crimson Midstream Operating, LLC and Corridor MoGas, Inc. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company did not receive cash distributions from Crimson. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company received $10.5 million in cash distributions from Crimson, which were in accordance with the terms of the Crimson Credit Facility. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company received $10.0 million, in cash distributions from Crimson, which were in accordance with the terms of the Crimson Credit Facility.
The Company's interest in Crimson is significant to its financial position, financial performance and cash flows. A significant decline in Crimson's ability to fund quarterly distributions to the Company could have a significant impact on the Company's financial performance, including its ability to fund the obligations described above.
Limited Partnerships
Under the consolidation guidance, limited partnerships and other similar entities are considered VIEs unless the limited partners hold substantive kick-out rights or participating rights. Management determined that Pinedale LP and Grand Isle Corridor LP are VIEs because the limited partners of both partnerships lack both substantive kick-out rights and participating rights. However, based on the general partners' roles and rights as afforded by the partnership agreements and its exposure to losses and benefits of each of the partnerships through its significant limited partner interests, management determined that CorEnergy is the primary beneficiary of both Pinedale LP and Grand Isle Corridor LP. Based upon this evaluation and the Company's 100.0% ownership of the limited partnership interest in both Pinedale LP and Grand Isle Corridor LP, the consolidated financial statements presented include full consolidation with respect to both partnerships.