UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): September 26, 2023

CRESTWOOD EQUITY PARTNERS LP

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)


Delaware	001-34664	43-1918951
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

811 Main St., Suite 3400

Houston, TX 77002

(Address of principal executive offices)

(832) 519-2200

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☒	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b):


Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Units Representing Limited Partner Interests	CEQP	New York Stock Exchange
Preferred Units Representing Limited Partner Interests	CEQP-P	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01.

Other Events.

As previously announced, on August 16, 2023, Crestwood Equity Partners LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Partnership”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) by and among the Partnership, Energy Transfer LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Energy Transfer”), LE GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (for the limited purposes set forth therein) and Pachyderm Merger Sub LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and direct wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer (“Merger Sub”). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, the Partnership will merge with and into Merger Sub (the “Merger”), with Merger Sub surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer.

On September 26, 2023, the Partnership and Energy Transfer issued a joint press release announcing the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, in connection with the Merger. A copy of the joint press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated into this Item 8.01 by reference.

Important Information about the Transaction and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction between Energy Transfer and the Partnership, Energy Transfer filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) that includes a proxy statement of the Partnership that also constitutes a prospectus of Energy Transfer, and each party will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. After the Registration Statement has been declared effective, a definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be filed and mailed to unitholders of the Partnership. This communication is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, proxy statement or prospectus or any other document that Energy Transfer or the Partnership (as applicable) has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF ENERGY TRANSFER AND THE PARTNERSHIP ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the proxy statement/prospectus, as each may be amended from time to time, as well as other filings containing important information about Energy Transfer or the Partnership (when they become available), without charge at the SEC’s website, at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Energy Transfer will be available free of charge on Energy Transfer’s website at www.energytransfer.com under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the tab “SEC Filings” or by directing a request to Investor Relations, Energy Transfer LP, 8111 Westchester Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, TX 75225, Tel. No. (214) 981-0795 or to investorrelations@energytransfer.com. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by the Partnership will be available free of charge on the Partnership’s website at www.crestwoodlp.com under the tab “Investors” and then under the tab “SEC Filings” or by directing a request to Investor Relations, Crestwood Equity Partners LP, 811 Main Street, Suite 3400, Houston, TX 77002, Tel. No. (832) 519-2200 or to investorrelations@crestwoodlp.com. The information included on, or accessible through, Energy Transfer’s or the Partnership’s website is not incorporated by reference into this communication.

Participants in the Solicitation

Energy Transfer, the Partnership and the directors and certain executive officers of their respective general partners may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Partnership’s general partner is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2023 annual meeting of unitholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023, and in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on February 27, 2023. Information about the directors and executive officers of Energy Transfer’s general partner is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on February 17, 2023. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC when they become available.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any offer, issuance, exchange, transfer, solicitation or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, issuance, exchange, transfer, solicitation or sale would be in contravention of applicable law. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address future business and financial events, conditions, expectations, plans or ambitions, and often include, but are not limited to, words such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “see,” “target” or similar expressions, or variations or negatives of these words, but not all forward-looking statements include such words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. All such forward-looking statements are based upon current plans, estimates, expectations and ambitions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond the control of Energy Transfer and the Partnership, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the completion of the proposed transaction on anticipated terms and timing, or at all, including obtaining the Partnership’s unitholder approval and any other approvals that may be required on anticipated terms; anticipated tax treatment, unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of the combined company’s operations and other conditions to the completion of the merger, including the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the ability of Energy Transfer and the Partnership to integrate the business successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies and value creation; potential litigation relating to the proposed transaction that could be instituted against Energy Transfer, the Partnership or the directors of their respective general partners; the risk that disruptions from the proposed transaction will harm Energy Transfer’s or the Partnership’s business, including current plans and operations and that management’s time and attention will be diverted on transaction-related issues; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships, including with employees suppliers, customers, competitors or credit rating agencies, resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; rating agency actions and Energy Transfer and the Partnership’s ability to access short- and long-term debt markets on a timely and affordable basis; legislative, regulatory and economic developments, changes in local, national, or international laws, regulations, and policies affecting Energy Transfer and the Partnership; potential business uncertainty, including the outcome of commercial negotiations and changes to existing business relationships during the pendency of the proposed transaction that could affect Energy Transfer’s and/or the Partnership’s financial performance and operating results; certain restrictions during the pendency of the merger that may impact the Partnership’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions or otherwise operate its business; acts of terrorism or outbreak of war, hostilities, civil unrest, attacks against Energy Transfer or the Partnership, and other political or security disturbances; dilution caused by Energy Transfer’s issuance of additional units representing limited partner interests in connection with the proposed transaction; the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; the impacts of pandemics or other public health crises, including the effects of government responses on people and economies; changes in the supply, demand or price of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; those risks described in Item 1A of Energy Transfer’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 17, 2023, and its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K; those risks described in Item 1A of the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2023, and its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K; and those risks that are described in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC and that will be described in the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.

While the list of factors presented here and in the Registration Statement is, and the list of factors to be presented in the proxy statement/prospectus will be, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Energy Transfer and the Partnership caution you not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements as they are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and that actual performance and outcomes, including, without limitation, our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of new markets or market segments in which we operate, may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this communication. Neither Energy Transfer nor the Partnership assumes any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws. Neither future distribution of this communication nor the continued availability of this communication in archive form on Energy Transfer’s or the Partnership’s website should be deemed to constitute an update or re-affirmation of these statements as of any future date.

ITEM 9.01

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(d) Exhibits


Exhibit Number		Description

99.1		Press release, dated September 26, 2023.

104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: September 26, 2023


CRESTWOOD EQUITY PARTNERS LP

By:		Crestwood Equity GP LLC, its General Partner

By:		/s/ Michael K. Post
Name:		Michael K. Post
Title:		Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Corporate Secretary

Crestwood Equity Partners LP 8-K