Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and the accompanying schedules include the non-GAAP financial measures of gross operating margin, EBITDA and distributable cash flow. The accompanying schedules provide reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to GAAP measures such as net income, operating income, net cash flows provided by operating activities or any other GAAP measure of liquidity or financial performance.

Gross operating margin – We evaluate segment performance based on the non-GAAP financial measure of gross operating margin. Gross operating margin (either in total or by individual segment) is an important performance measure of the core profitability of our operations. This measure forms the basis of our internal financial reporting and is used by senior management in deciding how to allocate capital resources among business segments. We believe that investors benefit from having access to the same financial measures that our management uses in evaluating segment results. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to total segment gross operating margin is operating income.

We define total segment gross operating margin as operating income before: (1) depreciation, amortization and accretion expense; (2) operating lease expenses for which we do not have the payment obligation; (3) gains and losses on the sale of assets; and (4) general and administrative costs. Gross operating margin is exclusive of other income and expense transactions, provision for income taxes, minority interest, cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles and extraordinary charges. Gross operating margin by segment is calculated by subtracting segment operating costs and expenses (net of the adjustments noted above) from segment revenues, with both segment totals before the elimination of intercompany transactions. In accordance with GAAP, intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Our non-GAAP financial measure of total segment gross operating margin should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP operating income.

We include earnings from equity method unconsolidated affiliates in our measurement of segment gross operating margin. Our equity investments with industry partners are a vital component of our business strategy. They are a means by which we conduct our operations to align our interests with those of our customers and/or suppliers. This method of operation also enables us to achieve favorable economies of scale relative to the level of investment and business risk assumed versus what we could accomplish on a stand-alone basis. Many of these businesses perform supporting or complementary roles to our other business operations. As circumstances dictate, we may increase our ownership interest in equity investments, which could result in their subsequent consolidation into our operations.

EBITDA – We define EBITDA as net income or loss plus interest expense, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization expense. EBITDA is commonly used as a supplemental financial measure by management and by external users of financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and rating agencies, to assess: (1) the financial performance of our assets without regard to financing methods, capital structures or historical cost basis; (2) the ability of our assets to generate cash sufficient to pay interest cost and support our indebtedness; (3) our operating performance and return on capital as compared to those of other companies in the midstream energy industry, without regard to financing and capital structure; and (4) the viability of projects and the overall rates of return on alternative investment opportunities. Because EBITDA excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income or loss and because these measures may vary among other companies, the EBITDA data presented in this press release may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA is net cash flows provided by operating activities.

Distributable cash flow – We define distributable cash flow as net income or loss plus: (1) depreciation, amortization and accretion expense; (2) operating lease expenses for which we do not have the payment obligation; (3) cash distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates less equity in the earnings of such unconsolidated affiliates; (4) the subtraction of sustaining capital expenditures; (5) the addition of losses or subtraction of gains relating to the sale of assets; (6) cash proceeds from the sale of assets or return of investment from unconsolidated affiliates; (7) gains or losses on monetization of financial instruments recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income less related amortization of such amount to earnings; (8) transition support payments received from El Paso Corporation related to the GulfTerra merger; (9) minority interest expense associated with the public unitholders of Duncan Energy Partners less related distribution to be paid to such holders with respect to the period of calculation; and (10) the addition of losses or subtraction of gains relating to other miscellaneous non-cash amounts affecting net income for the period. Sustaining capital expenditures are capital expenditures (as defined by GAAP) resulting from improvements to and major renewals of existing assets. Distributable cash flow is a significant liquidity metric used by our senior management to compare basic cash flows generated by us to the cash distributions we expect to pay our partners. Using this metric, our management can quickly compute the coverage ratio of estimated cash flows to planned cash distributions.